AN ANSWERE VNTO SIR THOMAS MORES DIALOGE
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[Hand] An answere vnto Sir Thomas Mores
dialoge made by Willyam Tindale.
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¶First he declareth what the church is / and geveth a reason of certayne wordes which Master More rebuketh
in the transla= cion of the newe Testament. [Hand]
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¶After that he answereth particularlye vn to everye
chaptre which semeth to haue anye apperaunce of truth thorow
all his .iij. bokes.
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[Hand] Awake thou that sle=
pest and stonde vpp from deeth / and Christ shall geue the
light Ephesians.
v.
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The grace of oure lorde / the light of his
spirite to se and to iudge / true repentaunce towardes goddes
lawe / a fast faith in the mercifull promises that are in oure
savioure Christ / fervent loue towarde thy neyghboure after the
ensample of Christ and his sayntes / be with the o reader and
with all that loue the trouth and
longe for the redempcion of goddes electe. Amen.
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Oure savioure Ihesus in the .xvj. chaptre of Iohan at
his last souper when he toke his leaue of his disciples / warned
them sayenge / the holye gost shall come and rebuke the worlde
of iudgement. That is / he shall rebuke the worlde for lacke of
true iudgement and discrecyon to iudge / and shall proue that
the taste of their mouthes is corrupte / so that they iudge
swete to be sowre and sowre
to be swete / and their yies to be blinde / so that
they thinke that to
be the verye service of god which is but a blinde
supersticyon / for
zele of which yet they persecute the true service of
god: and that they iudge to be the lawe of god which is but a
false imaginacion of a corrupte iudgement / for blinde
affeccyon of which yet they
persecute the true lawe of god & them that kepe
it. And this same is
it that Paule sayeth in the seconde chaptre of the
first epistle to the
Corinthians / how that the naturall man that is not
borne agayne
and created anew with the spirite of god / be he
never so greate a philosopher / never so well sene in the lawe
/ never so sore studyed in the scripture / as we haue ensamples
in the pharises / yet he can not vnderstonde the thinges of the
spirite of god: but sa
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yeth he / the spirituall iudgeth all thinges and his spirite
sercheth the depe secretes of god / so that what so ever god
commaundeth him to do / he never leveth serchinge till he come
at the botome / the pith / the quycke / the liffe / the spirite
/ the marye and verye cause why / and iudgeth all thinge. Take
an ensample / in the greate commaundement
/ loue god with all thyne herte / the spirituall
sercheth the
cause and loketh on the benefites of god and so
conceaveth loue in
his herte. And when he is commaunded to obeye the
powers and
rulers of the worlde / he loketh on the benefytes which god
sheweth
the worlde thorow them and therfore doth it gladlye.
And when he is commaunded to loue his neyghboure as him silfe /
he sercheth that his neyghboure is created of god and bought
with Christes bloude and so forth / and therfore he loveth him
out of his harte /
and if he be evell forbereth him and with all loue
and pacience draweth him to good: as elder brothren wayte on the
younger and serve them and sofre them / and when they will not
come they speake fayre and flater and geue some gaye thinge and
promise fayre and so drawe them and smite them not / but if they
maye in no wyse be
holpe / referre the punishment to the father and
mother and so forth. And by these iudgeth he all other lawes of
god and vnderstondeth the true vse and meaninge of them. And by
these vnderstondeth he in the lawes of man / which are right
and which tirannie.
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If god shulde commaunde him to drinke no wyne / as he commaunded
in the olde testament that the preastes shulde not:
when they ministred in the temple and forbade diverse meates /
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the spirituall (because he knoweth that man is lorde ouer all
other creatures and they his servauntes made to be at his
pleasure / and that it is not commaunded for the wyne or meate
it silfe that man shuld be in bondage vnto his awne servaunt
the inferioure creature) ceaseth not to serch the cause. And
when he findeth it / that it is to tame the flesh and that he
be alwaye sobre / he obeyeth gladlye / and yet not so
supersticiouslye that the tyme of his disease he wolde not drinke
wyne in the waye of a medicyne to recouer his helth /
as David ate
of the halowed breed and as Moses for necessite lefte
the children
of Israel vncircumcysed .xl. yeares / where of
likelyhod some died vncircumcysed & were yet thought to be
in no worse case then they that were circumcysed / as the
children that died with in the eyght daye were counted in as
good case as they that were circumcysed / which ensamples might
teach vs manye thinges if there were spirite
in vs. And likewyse of the holye daye / he knoweth
that the daye is seruaunt to man / and therfore when he findeth
that it is done because
he shulde not be lette from hearinge the worde of god / he obeyeth gladlie / and yet not so supersticiouslye that he wolde
not
helpe his neyghboure on the holye daye and let the
sermon alone for one daye / or that he wolde not worke on the
holydaye / neade requyringe it / at such time as men be not wont
to be at church / and so thorow out all lawes. And even likewyse
in all ceremonyes and sacramentes he sercheth the significations
and wil not serve the visible thinges. It is as good to him /
that the preast saye masse in his
goune as in his other apparell / if they teach him
not some whate
and that his soule be edefyed therbye. And as sone
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will he gape while thou puttest sonde as holysalt in his mouth
/ if thou shewe him no reason therof. He had as lefe be smered
with onhalowed butter as anoynted with charmed oyle if his
soule be not taught to vnderstonde some whate therbye / and so
forth.
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But the worlde captyvateth his witte and aboute the lawe of god
maketh him wonderful imaginacions vnto which he so fast
cleaveth that ten Iohan Baptistes were not able to dispute them
out of his hed. He beleveth that he loveth god because he is
readie to kille a turcke for his sake that beleveth better in
god then he / whom god also commaundeth vs to loue and to leave
nothinge vnsought / to winne him vnto the knowlege of the truth
/ though with the losse of oure lyves . He supposeth that he
loveth his neyghboure as moch as he is
bounde / if he be not actuallye angrye with him /
whom yet he wil not helpe frelye with an halfpenye but for
avantage / or vayneglorye
or for a wordlie purposse. If any man haue displeased
him / he kepeth his malice in and will not chafe him silfe
aboute it till he se an occasion to avenge it craftelye and
thinketh that well ynough. And the rulars of the worlde he
obeyeth thinketh he / when he flatereth them and blindeth them
with giftes and corrupteth the officers with rewardes and
begyleth the lawe with cautels and sotiltyes.
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And because the
loue of god & of his neyghboure which is the spirite and
the liffe of all lawes and wherfore all lawes are made / is not writen in his harte / therfore in all inferioure lawes and in all
worldlye ordinaunces is he betell blinde. If he be commaunded
to absteyne from
wyne / that will he observe vnto the deeth to / as the charter
house
monkes
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had lever dye then eate flesh: and as for the sobrenesse and
chastisinge of the membres will he not loke for / but will powre
in ale and bere of the strongest with out measure and heate them
with spices and so forth. And the holidaye will he kepe so strayte that if he mete a flee in his bed he dare not kill hir / and not once
regarde wherfore the holidaye was ordained to seke
for goddes worde / & so forth in al lawes . And in ceremonyes
& sacramentes / there he captiuateth his witte &
vnderstondinge to obey holye church with out askinge what they
meane or desiringe to knowe but onlye careth for the kepinge
and loketh ever with a payre of narow yies and with all his
spectacles vppon them / lest ought belefte out. For if the
preast shulde saye masse / baptize or heare confession with out
a stole aboute his necke / he wolde thinke all were marred and
doute whether he had power to consecrate / & thinke that the vertue of the masse were lost / & the childe not wel baptized or
not baptized at all / & that his absolucion were not worth
a myte. He had leuer
that the bisshope shuld wagge .ij. fingers ouer him /
then that a nother man shulde saye god saue him and so forth. Wherfore
beloved
reader in as moch as the holye gost rebuketh the worlde for lacke of iudgement / and in as moch also as their ignoraunce is
with out excuse before whose faces ynough is sette to iudge by
/ if they
wolde open their yies to se / and not captiuate their
vnderstondinge to beleue lyes: and in as moch as the spirituall
iudgeth all thinge / even the verye botome of goddes secretes /
that is to saye / the causes of the thinges which god
commaundeth / how moch more ought
we to iudge oure holye fathers secrettes and not to
be as an oxe
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or an asse with out vnderstondinge.
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Iudge therfore reader whether the pope with his be the church
/ whether their auctorite be aboue the scripture: whether
all they teach with out scripture be equalle with the
scripture: whether they haue erred / and not onlye whether they
can. And agenst the mist of their sophistrye take the ensamples
that are past in the olde testament and autentike storyes and
the present practise which thou seist
before thyne yies. Iudge whether it be possible that
any good shuld come out of their domme ceremonies and
sacramentes in to thy soule. Iudge their penaunce / pilgrimages
/ pardons / purgatorye / prayinge to postes / domme blessinges /
domme absolucyons / their domme pateringe and howlinge / their
domme straunge holye gestures
with all their domme disgysinges / their
satisfaccions and iustefyinges . And because thou findest them
false in so manye thinges / trust them in nothinge but iudge them
in al thinges. Marke at the last the practise of our fleshlye
spiritualtye and their wayes by which
they haue walked aboue .viij. hundred yeares / how
they stablish their lyes / first with falsifiynge the scripture
/ then thorow corruptinge with their riches wher of they haue
infinite treasure in store: and last of all with the swerde.
Haue they not compelled the emperoures of the erth and the
greate lordes and hie officers to be obedient vnto them / to
dispute for them and to be their tormentoures / and the
samsumims them selves do but imagen mischefe and inspire them.
Marke whether it were ever truer then now / the scribes /
pharises / Pilate / Herode / Caiphas & Anna / are gathered
to gether agenst god & Christ. But yet I trust
in vayne / and that he that brake the
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counsell of achitophell shall scater theirs. Marke whether it
be not true in the hyest degre / that for the sinne of the
people hypocrites shall rayne over them . What shewes / what
faces and contrarie pretenses are made / and all to stablish them in their thefte / falsehed and dampnable lyes / and to gather them to gether for to contryve sotiltye to oppresse the truth and to
stoppe the light & to kepe all still in darkenesse.
Wherfore it is tyme to awake and to se everye man with his awne
yies and to iudge / if we
will not be iudged of Christ when he cometh to
iudge. And remembre that he which is warned hath none excuse /
if he take no hede. Here with fare well in the lorde Iesus
Christ whose spirite be thy
gyde and doctrine thy light to iudge with all.
Amen.
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¶What the church is
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Thys worde church hath dyuerse significacions. First it
signifyeth a place or housse / whether christen people were wont
in the olde time to resorte at tymes conuenient / for to heare
the worde of doctryne / the lawe of God and the faith of oure
sauioure Ihesus christ / and how and what to praye and whence to
axe power and strength to
lyue goodly. For the officers therto appoynted
preached the pure worde of god onlye and prayed in a tonge that
all men vnderstode. And the people herkened vnto his prayers /
and said therto Amen and prayed with him in their hertes / and
of him lerned to praye at home and every where / and to
instructe euery man hys howsholde.
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Where now we heare but voyces with out significacion and
buzsinges / howlinges and crienges / as it were the halowenges
of foxes or baytinges of beres / and wonder at disguisinges and
toyes wheroff we know no meaninge.
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By reason wherof we be fallen in to soch ignorauncye / that we
know of the mercie and promyses which are in christe
nothynge at all.
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And of the lawe of god we thinke as do the turkes / and as did
the olde hethen people / how that it is a thinge which euery
man maye doo of his awne power / and in doynge therof becometh
good and waxeth rightuouse and deserueth heven: ye and are yet
more mad then that. For we ymagen the same of phantasyes and
vayne ceremonies of oure awne makynge / neyther nedefull vn to
the tamynge of oure awne flesh / neyther profytable vn to oure
neyboure / neyther honoure vnto god.
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And of prayer we thynke / that no man can
praye but at church / and that it is nothinge else but to saye
pater noster vnto
a post. Wherewith yet and with other obseruaunces of
oure awne imagininge / we beleue / we deserue to be sped of all
that oure blinde hertes desyre.
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In a nother significacion it is abvsed and mystaken for a
multitude
of shaven shorn and oyled whych we now calle the spirytualtye
and
clergye. As when we reade in the chronicles Kinge
wyllyam was a
great tyrant and a weked man vnto holy church and
toke moch
landes from them. Kinge Iohan was also a perylouse
man and a weked vnto holy church / and wold haue had them
punyshed for
theft / murther and what soeuer mischeue they did /
as though they
had not bene people annoynted / but euen of the vile
rascall and comen laye people.
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And Thomas bekett was a blessed and an holy man for he
died for the liberties (to do all mischeue vnpunished) and
priuileges of the church. Is he a laye man or a man of the
church? Soch is the liuynge
of holy church. So saye men of holy church. Ye must
beleue in holy church and do as they teach you. Will ye not
obeye holy church?
will ye not do the penaunce enioyned you by holy
church? wyll ye not forswere obedience vnto holy church? Beware
lest ye fall in to the indignacion of holy church / lest they
curse you and so forth.
In which all we vnderstonde but the pope /
cardenalles / legates / patriarckes / archbisshopes / bisshopes
/ abbotes / priours /
chauncelers / archedecons / commissaries / officiales
/ prestes / monkes / freres / blacke / whit / pied / grey /
& so forth / by (I
trowe) a thousand names of blasphemy & of
ypocrisie & as many sundrie facions of disgysinges.
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It hath yet or shuld haue a nother
signifycacyon litle knowen amonge the comen people now a dayes.
That is to witt / it signifieth
a congregacion / a multitude or a company gathered to
gether in one / of all degrees of people. As a man wold saye /
the church of
london / meaninge not the spiritualtie only (as they
wilbe called for their diligent saruinge of god in the sprite
& so sore eschuynge to medle wyth temporall maters) but the
hole body of the cytye / of all kyndes condicions and degrees.
And the church of bristow / al that pertayne vnto the towne
generally. And what congregacion is
ment / thou shall all waye vnderstonde by the mater
that is entreted of and by the circumstaunces therof.
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And in this thrid significacion is the church of god
or christ taken in the scripture / euen for the whole multytude
of all them that receaue the name of christe to beleue in him /
and not for the clergye
onlye. For paul saith Galatiens .1. I persecuted the
church of God a boue measure. Which was not the preachers only /
but all that beleued
generally / as it is to se actes .xxij. where he
saith / I persecuted this waye / euen vnto the deeth bindinge
and puttinge in preson both men and wemen. And Galath. 1.1 was
vnknowen concernynge
my person vnto the congregacyons off the Iewes which
were in
chryste. And Roma. xvj. I commende vnto you phebe
the deaconysse of the church of cenchris. And the churches of
Asia salute
you .1. Coryn. the laste.
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And yf a man can not rule hys awne howsse / how shall
he take
the care of the church of God .1. Tymothe . iij? yf
any faythfull man or woman haue wedoowes / let them fynde them
/ that the church
be not charged. 1. Tymothe .v.
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And Matt. xviij. if thi brother
heare the not tell the church or congregacion and so
forth. In which places and thorowout al the scripture / the
church is taken for the hole multitude of them that beleue in
christ in that place in that parish towne / citie / prouince /
londe or thorowout all the worlde / and not for the
spiritualitie only.
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Notwithstondinge yet it is some times taken generally
for all that
embrace the name of Christe though their faythes be
nought or though they haue no fayth at all. And some times it
is taken specially for the electe only in whose hertes God hath
written his lawe with his holy spirite and geuen them a felinge
faith of the mercy that is in christe Iesu oure lorde.
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¶Why Tindale vsed this worde congregacion
rather then church in the translacion of the new
testament
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Wherfore in as moch as the clergye (as the nature of
those hard &
indurat adamandstones is / to draw all to them) had
appropriat vn to them selues the terme that of right is comen
vnto all the hole congregacion of them that beleue in christe
and with their false and sotle wyles had begyled and mocked the
people and brought them in to the ignoraunce of the worde /
makynge them vnderstonde by this word church / nothinge but the
shauenflocke / of them that shore the hole world: therfore in
the translacion of the new testament
where I found this word ecclesia / I enterpretated
it / bi this worde congregacion. Even therfore did I it / and
not of any mischevouse
minde or purpose to stablishe heresie / as master
More vntrulye reporteth of me in his dialoge where he rayleth
on the translacion of the new testament.
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And when M. More saith / that this word
church is knowen well ynough / I reporte me vnto the
conscyences of all the londe /
whether he saie truth or otherwise / or whether the
laye people vnderstonde by church the hole multytude of all that
professe christe / or the iuglinge sprytes onlye. And when he
saith that congregacion is a moore generall terme / iff yt were
yt hurteth not. For the circumstaunce doeth ever tell what
congregacyon ys ment. Neuerthelesse yet sayth he not the truth.
For whersoeuer I maye saye a congregacyon / there maye I saye a
church also as the church of the deuell / the church of sathan
/ the church of wretches / the church of wekedmen / the church
of lyers and a church of turkes therto.
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For M. More must graunt (if he will have ecclesia
translated
thorowte all the new testament by thys word church)
that church is as comen as ecclesia. Now is ecclesia a greke
worde and was in
vse before the tyme of the apostles and taken for a
congregacyon
amonge the hethen / where was no congregacion of god
or of christ. And also Lucas hym selfe vseth ecclesia for a
church or congregacyon
of hethen people thrise in one chapter even in the
.xix. of the
actes / where Demetrius the goldsmyth or syluersmyth
had gathered a companie agenst paul for preachynge agenst
ymages.
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How be it M. More hath so longe vsed hys figures of poetrie /
that
(I suppose) when he erreth most / he now by the
reason of a longe custome / beleueth him selfe / that he saith
most true. Or else (as the wyse people whych when they daunce
naked in nettes beleve that
no man seyth them) even so M. More thynketh that his
erroures
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be so subtilly cowched that no man can espye them. So blinde
he counteth all other men in comparison of his great
vnderstondinge
. But charitablye I exhorte him in chryste to take
hede for though Iudas were wilier then his felowes to get lucre
/ yet he
proued not most wise at the last ende. Nether though
Balam the
false prophete had a clere sighte to bringe the
curse of God vppon the chyldern of Israel for honoures sake /
yet his couetousenesse did so blynd his prophesie / that he
coude not se his awne ende. Let therfore M. More and hys
company awake be tymes ere ever their sinne
be rype lest the voyce of theyr wekednesse ascende
vp and awake God out of his slepe / to loke vppon them and to
bow his eares vnto their cursed blasphemies agenst the open
truth / and to send hys heruestmen and mowares of vengeaunce to
repe yt.
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But how happeth it that M. More hathe not contended in lyke wise agaynst hys derelynge Erasmus all this longe while? Doeth
not he chaunge this worde ecclesia in to congregacyon
and that
not selden in the new testament? peraduenture he owithe him
fauoure because
he made Moria in his housse. Which boke if were in
englishe / then shulde euery man se / how that he then was
ferre other wise
minded than he nowe writeth. But verelie I thinke
that as Iudas betraid
not christ for any loue that he had vnto the hie
prestes / scribes and phareses / but only to come by that
wherfore he thirsted: euen
so M. More (as there are tokens evident) wrote not these bokes
for any affeccyon that he bare vnto the spiritualtie or vnto the
opinions
which he so barelie defendeth / but to obtayne only
that which he was an hongred fore: I praie God that he eate not
to hastely lest he be cho
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ked at the later end / but that he repent and resyst not the
spirite of god whych openeth lyght vnto the worlde.
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¶Why he vseth thys word elder and not prest
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Another thinge which he rebuketh ys that I interprete thys greke
word presbiteros by this word senior. Of a truth senior is
no veri good english / though senior and iunior be vsed in the
vniuersities: but there came no better in my mynde at that
tyme. How be it I spyed my faute sens / longe yer M. More told
it me / and haue mended it in all the workes which I sens made
and call it an elder. And in that he maketh heresie of it / to
call presbiteros an elder he
condemneth their awne olde latine texte of heresye
also / which they vse yet dayly in the church and haue vsed / I
suppose / this .xiiij. hundred yeres. For that texte doeth call
it an elder lykewyse. In the
.v. chaptre of the first of peter / thus standeth it
in the laten texte. Seniores qui in vobis sunt / obsecro ego
consenior / pascite qui in
vobis est gregem christi. The elders that are amonge
you I besech whych am an elder also that ye fede the flocke of
christe / whych is
amonge you. There ys presbyteros called an elder.
And in that he saith fede christes flocke / he meaneth euen the
ministres that were
chosen to teache the people and to enforme them in
gods worde and
no laye persones. And in the seconde epystle of Ihon
saith the texte /
senior electe domine et filijs eius. The elder vnto
the electe ladye and
to here chylderen. And in the .iij. epystle of Ihon.
Senior Gaio dilecto.
The elder vnto the beloued Gaius. In these .ij.
pystles presbiteros
ys called an elder. And in the .xx. of the actes /
the texte sayth:
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paule sent for maiores natu ecclesie / the
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elders in birth of the
congregacion or church / and said vnto them / take
hede vnto youre selves and vnto the hole flocke / ouer which the
holy gost hath made
you episcopos ad regendum ecclesiam dei / bisshopes
or ouersears to gouerne the church of god. There is presbiteros
called an elder in
birth which same is immediatly called a bisshope or
ouersear / to declare what persons are ment. Herof ye se that I
haue no moare erred then there awne texte which they haue vsed
sens the scripture was first in the latine tongue / and that
their awne texte vnderstondeth
by presbiteros nothinge saue an elder. And they were
called elders / because of their age / grauite and sadnesse /
as thou maist se by the texte: and bisshopes or ouersears by
the reason of their offices . And all that were called elders
(or prestes if they so will) were
called bisshopes also / though they haue diuided the
names now / Which thinge thou maist evidently se by the first
chapter of titus.
And the .xx. of the actes and other places moo.
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And when he layeth Timothe vn to my charge / how he was younge / then he weneth that he hath wonne his gylden spores.
But I wolde praye him to shew me where he readeth that Paul
calleth him presbiteros / preast or elder.
I durst not then
call him Episcopus propirly. For those ouersears which we now
call bisshopes aftir the greke worde / were all waye bydynge in
one place / to gouerne the
congregacion there. Now was Timothe an apostle. And
Paul also
writeth that he will come shortly agayne. Wel / will
he saye / it cometh yet all to one. For if it becometh the
lower ministre to be of a sad and discrete age / moch more it
becometh the hyer. It is trueth.
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But .ij. thinges are with out lawe / god and
necessite. Yf god to shew his power shall shede out his grace
moare
vppon youth then vppon age at a tyme / who shall
lett him? wemen be no mete vesseles
to rule or to preach (for both are forboden them)
yet hath god endoted
them with his spirite at sondrie tymes and shewed his
power
& goodnesse vppon them and wrought wonderfull thinges by them / because he wold not haue them dispised. We reade that
wemen
haue iudged all Israel and haue bene greate
prophetisses and haue done mightie deades. Yee and if stories be
true / wemen haue preached sens the openynge of the new
testament.
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Doo not oure wemen now christen and ministre the
sacrament of baptim in tyme of neade? Might they not by as good
reason preach also / if necessite required? If a woman were
dreuen in to some Ilande / where Christ was neuer preached /
might she there not
preach him / if she had the gyfte therto? Mighte she
not also baptise? And why might she not / by the same reason
ministre the sacramente of the body & bloude of Christe /
and teach them how to
chose officers & ministres? O pore wemen / how
despice ye them!
The viler the better welcome vnto you. An hore had ye
lever than an honeste wife. If only shauen & annoynted maye
doo these thinges / then Christe did them not ner any of his
apostles / ner any man in longe time after. For they vsed no
soch ceremonyes.
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Notwithstondinge though god be vnder no law &
necessite lawlesse : yet be we vnder a lawe & ought to
preferre the men before the wemen and age before youth / as nye
as we can. For it is agenst the lawe of nature that younge men
shul
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de rule the elder / and as vncomely as that wemen shulde rule
the men / but when nede requireth . And therfore if paul had had
other shifte & a man of age as mete for the rowme / he wold
not haue put Timothe in the office. He shuld no doute haue bene
kepte backe vntyll a fuller age and haue lerned in the meane
tyme in silence. And what soeuer thou be / that
readest this / I exhorte the in oure lorde / that
thou reade both the epistles of Paul to Timothe / that thou
maist se how diligently (as
a mother careth for hir child / if it be in perell)
Paul writeth vnto Timothe / to enstructe him / to teach him /
to exhorte / to corage him / to stere him vpp / to bewise /
sobir / diligent / circumspecte / sad / humble and meke
sayenge: these I write / that thou maist know how to behaue thy
selfe in the howsse of god which is the church or congregacion.
Avoyde lustes of youth / beware of vngodly fables
and old wiues/ tales / & auoyde the companye of men of
corrupte myndes which wast their braynes aboute wranglynge
questions. Let no man dispise thyne youth. As who shulde saye /
youth is a dispised
thinge of it selfe / where vnto men geue none
obedience naturally or reuerence. Se therfore that thy vertue
excede / to recompence thy lacke of age / and that thou so
behaue thy selfe / that no
faute be founde with the. And agayne / rebuke not an
elder sharpely / but exhorte him as thy father / and yongemen as
thy brethern / and the elder wemen as thy mothers / and the
younge wemen as thy sisters and soch like in euerye chapter.
Admitte none accusacion agenst an elder vnder lesse then .ij.
wittenesses. as thy sisters And Paul
chargeth him in the sight of god and of the lorde
Iesus christe and of his electe angeles / to doo nothynge
rashly or of af
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feccion. And shortely where vnto youth is most prone and ready
to fall / therof
warneth he him with al diligence / even al most or
all to gether halfe a dosen tymes of someone thynge. And
fynally as a man wold teach a childe that had neuer before gone
to scole / so tenderly & so carefully doeth paul teach him.
It is a nother thynge to teach the people and to teach the
preacher. Here Paul teacheth the preacher / younge Timothe.
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And when he affirmeth that I saye / how that the oylinge
and shauinge is no parte of the presthode. That
improueth he not ner can do. And therefore I saye it yet. And
when he hath enserched
thuttermost that he can this is al that he can laye
agenst me / that of an hundred there be not .x. that haue the
propirties which paul requireth to be in them. Wherefore if
oylinge and shauinge be no
parte of their presthod / then euermore of a thousand
.ix. hundred
at the lest shuld be no prestes at all. And quod
youre frend wold confirme it with an oth and swere depely /
that it wold folowe and that it must nedes so be. Which
argument yet / if there were no nother shifte I wold solue
aftir an oxforde facion / with concedo consequenciam et
consequens. And I saye morouer that their annoyntynge is but a
ceremonie borowed of the Iewes / though they
haue somewhat altered the maner / & their shauinge borowed
of the
hethen prestes / & that they be no more of their
presthode / then the oyle / salte / spittell / taper &
chresom cloth of the substaunce of
baptim. Which thinges / nodoute / because they be of
their coniurynge
/ they wold haue preached of necessite vnto the
saluacion of the childe / excepte necessite had dreuen them vn
to the contrarye.
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And seinge that the oyle is not of
necessyte / let M. More
tell me what moare vertue is in the oyle of
confyrmacion / in as moch as the bysshope sacrithe the one as
well as the other: ye and let hym tell the reason why there
shulde be more vertue in the oyle
where wyth the bysshope annoynteth hys prestes. Let
him tell you from whence the oyle cometh / how it is made / and
why he selleth it to the curates wher with they anoynte the
syke / or whether thys be of lesse vertue then the other.
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And finally whi vsed not the appostles this greke
worde hiereus or the interpreter thys laten worde sacerdos /
but all waye thys worde
presbiteros and senior / by which was at that tyme
nothynge sygnyfyed
then an elder? And it was no doute taken of the
custome of the hebrues / where the offycers were ever elderly
men as nature requireth. As yt appereth in the olde testament
and also in the newe.
The scrybes / pharises and the elders of the people
sayth the texte / which were the officers and rulars / so
called by the reason of theyr age.
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¶Why he vseth loue rather then cheryte
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He rebuketh also that I translate thys greke word
agape in to loue / and not rather in to charite so holy and so
knowen a terme. Verely charite is no knowen Englesh in that
sens whych agape requireth. For when we saye / geue youre almes
in the worshepe of God and swete saint charite / and when the
father teacheth his sonne to saye blissinge father for saint
charite / what meane they? In good faith they wot not. Morouer
when we saye / God helpe you / I haue done
my charite for this daye / doo we not take it for almes? And the
man is euer chidinge and out of charyte /
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and I beshrew him sauinge my charyte / there we take it for
pacyence. And when I saye a charitable man / it is taken for
mercifull. And though mercifulnesse be a good loue or rather
springe of a good loue / yet ys not euery good
loue mercifulnesse. As when a woman loueth her
husbonde godly or a man his wife or his frend that is in none
aduersitie / it is not allwaye mercifulnesse. Also we saie not
this man hath a greate charite
to god / but a greate loue. Wherefore I must haue
vsed this generall terme loue / in spite of mine herte often
tymes. And agape and charitas were wordes vsed amonge the
hethen yer chryste came / and signified therfore more then a
godly loue. And we maye saye well ynough and haue hearde it
spoken that the turkes be charitable one to a nother amonge
them selues and some of them vnto the
chrysten to. Besydes all thys agape ys comen vnto all
loues.
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And when Master More saith euery loue ys not charyte / no more
is every appostle chrystes appostell ner every angell gods
angell / ner euery hope chrysten hope nor euery faith or
beleffe chrystes beleffe / and so by an hundred thousande
wordes. So that yf I shulde all waye vse but a worde that were
no moore generall then the worde I enterprete / I shulde
interprete no thynge at all. But the mater yt
selfe and the circumstaunces doo declare what loue /
what hope and what fayth ys spoken of. And finally I saye not
charite god or charite youre neyboure but loue God and loue
youre neyboure ye and though we saye a man ought to loue hys
neyboures wife and his doughter / a christen man doeth not
vnderstonde / that he ys commaunded to defyle hys neyboures
wife or hys doughter.
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¶Why fauoure and not grace
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And wyth lyke reasons rageth he because I turne charis in to
fauoure and not in to grace / sayenge that euery fauoure is not
grace
and that in some fauoure there is but litle grace. I
can saye also in
some grace there is lytle goodnesse. And when we saye
/ he stondeth well in my ladis grace / we vnderstonde no greate
godly fauoure. And in vniuersities manye vngracious graces are
goten.
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¶Why knowlege and not confessyon / repentaunce and
not penaunce
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And that I vse this word knowlege and not confession
/ and this repentaunce and not penaunce. In whych all he can not
proue / that I geue not the ryghte englishe vnto the greke
worde. But yt ys a ferre other thynge that payneth them and
byteth them by the
brestes. There be secret panges that pinch the very
hertes of them / where of they dare not complayne.
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The sekenesse that maketh them so impacyent ys / that they haue
lost theyr iuglinge termes. For the doctours and
preachers were wont to make many deuisyons / distinccyons and
sortes of grace / gratis data / gratum faciens / preueniens and
subsequens. And wyth
confessyon they iugled / and made the people / as
ofte as they spake
of yt: vnderstonde shryft in the eare. Wherof the
scripture maketh no mencyon: no it is cleane agenst the
scrypture as they vse yt and preach yt / and vn to god an
abhominacyon and a foule stinkynge sacrifice vnto the filthy
ydole priapus. The losse of those iuglinge termes ys the mater
where of all these bottes brede / that gnawe them by the belies
and make them so vnquiet.
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And in lyke maner / by this word penaunce /
they make the people vnderstonde holy dedes of their enioynynge
/ with which they must make satisfaccion vnto godwarde for
their synnes. When al the scripture preacheth that christ hath
made full satisfaccyon for oure synnes to godwarde / and we
must now be thankefull to god agayne and kyll the lustes of
oure flesh wyth holy workes of gods
enioynynge and to take pacientlye all that god layeth
on my backe. And if I haue hurte my neyboure / I am bounde to
shriue my selfe
vnto hym and to make hym a mendes / yf I haue where
with / or if
not then to axe him forgeuenesse / and he is bounde
to forgeue me. And as for their penaunce the scripture knoweth
not of. The greke hath Metanoia and metanoite / repentaunce and
repente / or forthynkynge and forthynke. As we saye in english
it forthynketh me or I forthynke / and I repent or yt repenteth
me and I am sory that I dyd yt. So now the scripture sayeth
repent or let yt forthynke you and come and beleue the gospell
or glad tydynges that ys brought you in chryst / and so shall
all be forgeuen you / and henceforth lyue a new lyfe: And yt
wyll folowe yf I repent in the herte / that I shall doo no
moore so wyllyngely and of purpose. And yf I beleued the gospell / what God hath done for me in christe / I shuld suerly loue hym agayne and of loue prepare my selfe vnto hys
commaundementes.
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These thinges to be euen so M. More knoweth wel
ynough. For he vnderstondeth the greke / and he knew them longe
yer I. But so blinde is couetousenesse and dronken desire of
honoure. Giftes
blinde the eies of the seinge and peruerte
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the wordes of the
righteous Deut. xvij. When couetousenesse findeth
vauntage in servinge falshed / it riseth vpp in to an obstinat
malise agenst the trouth and seketh all meanes to resiste it
and to quench it. As Balam
the false prophete / though he wiste that god loued
Israhel & had blessed them and promised them greate thinges
/ and that he wold fulfyll his promises / yet for
couetousenesse and desyre of honoure / he fell in to soch
malice agenst the trueth of god / that he sought how to resiste
it and to curse the people. Which when god wold not let him doo
/ he turned him selfe a nother waye and gaue pestilent counsell
/ to make the people synne agenst god wherbye the wrath of god
felle vppon them / and many thousandes perished. Notwithstondinge gods trueth abode fast and was fullfilled in the reste. And
Balam as he was the cause that many perished / so escaped he not
him selfe. No moare did any that maliciously
resisted the open
trueth agenst his awne conscience / sence the world
beganne / that euer I red. For it is sinne agenst the holy gost
/ which Christ saith
shall neyther be forgeuen here nor in the worlde to come / which
texte maye this wise be vnderstonde that as that
sinne shalbe punished
with euerlastinge damnacion in the life to come:
even so shall it not escape vengeaunce here. As thou seist in
Iudas / in Pharao / in Balam and in all other tirantes which
agenst their consciences resisted the open trueth of god.
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So now the cause why oure prelates thus rage / and that moueth
them to call master More to helpe / is not that they finde
iust causes in the translacion / but because they haue loste
their iugglynge and
fayned termes / wherwith Peter
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prophisied they shuld make marchaundice of the people.
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¶Whether the church were before the gospell or the
gospell before the church
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Another doute there is / whether the church or congregacion be
before 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 hole
scripture and all beleuinge
hertes testifye that we are begotten thorow the
worde. Wherfore if the worde begette the congregacion / and he
that begetteth is before him that is begotten then is the
gospell before the church.
Paul also Romano. ix. sayth / how shall they call on
whom they beleue not? And how shall they beleue with out a
preacher? That is / Christ must first be preached yer men can
beleue in him. And then it foloweth / that the worde of the
preacher must be before the faith of the belevar. And therfore
in as moch as the worde is before the faith / and faith maketh
the congregacion / therfore is the word or gospell before the
congregacion. And agayne as the ayre is darke of it selfe and
receaueth all hir light of the sonne: even so ar all mens
hertes of them selfe darke with lies & receaue
al their trueth of gods worde / in that they consent therto.
And morouer as the darke ayre geveth the sonne no lighte / but
contrary wise the light of the sonne
in respecte of the ayre is of it selfe and lighteneth the ayre
and purgeth it from darkenesse: even so the lienge herte of man
can geue the word of god no trueth / but contrary wise the
trueth of gods worde is of hir selfe and
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lyghteneth the hertes of the beleuers and maketh them true / and
clenseth them from lies / as thou readest
Ihon .xv. ye be cleane by reason of the word. Which
is to be vnderstond / in that the word had purged their hertes
from lies / from false opinions and from thynkynge evell good /
and therfore from consentinge to synne. And Ihon .xvij.
sanctifie them o father
thorow thy trueth. And thy word is trueth. And thus
thou seist that gods trueth dependeth not of man. It is not
true because man so saith or addmitteth it for true: But man is
true because he beleueth it /
testifieth and geueth wittenesse in his hert that it
is true. And Christ also saith him selfe Ihon .v. I receaue no
wittenesse of man. For if the multitude of manswittenesse might
make ought true / then were the doctrine of Mahomete truer then
Christes.
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¶Whether the appostles left ought vnwritten /
that is of necessite to be beleued
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But did not the appostles teach ought by mouth that
they wrott not? I answere / because that many taught one thinge
/ and every man the same in diuers places and vnto diuers
people / and confirmed
euery sermon with a sondry miracle: therfore Christ
and his
appostles preached an hundred thousand sermons and
did as many
miracles which had bene superfluous to haue bene all
written. But
the pith and substaunce in generall of euery thinge
necessarie vn to oure soules health / both of what we ought to
beleue & what we
ought to doo / was written / and of the miracles done
to confirme it / as ma
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ny as were nedefull. So that what soeuer we ought to beleue or
doo / that same is written expresly or drawen out of that
which is written.
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For if I were bounde to doo or beleue vnder payne of the losse
of
my soule any thynge that were not written / ner
depended of that
which is written / what holpe me the scripture that is
written? And therto in as moch as Christ and all his apostles
warned vs that false prophetes shuld come with false miracles /
even to disceaue the electe / if it were possible / where with
shuld the true preacher confounde the false / excepte he brought
true miracles to confounde the false or else autentycke
scripture of full auctorite all ready amonge the people.
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Some man wolde axe / how did god continue his congregacion from Adam to Noe / & from Noe to Abraham / and so to Moses /
with out wrytynge / but with teachynge from mouth to mouth.
I answere first that there was no scripture all the while /
they shall proue / when oure lady hath a new sonne. God taught
Adam greater
thinges then to write. And that there was writynge in
the world longe yer Abraham ye and yer Noe doo stories
testifie.
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Notwithstondinge / though there had bene no writynge / the preachers were euer prophetes glorious in doynge of miracles /
where with they confirmed their preachynge. And beyonde
that god wrote his testament vn to them all waye / both what to
doo and to
beleue / even in sacramentes. For the sacrifices
which god gaue Adams sonnes were no dumme popetrie or
supersticious
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mahometrie / but signes of the testament of god. And in them
they red the worde of god / as we do in bokes / and as we shuld
doo in oure sacramentes / if the weked pope had not taken the
significacions a waye from vs / as he hath robbed vs of the
true sens of all the scripture. The testament which god mad
with Noe / that he wolde no moare droune the world with water /
he wrote in the sacrament of the raynebowe. And the
appoyntement made betwene him and Abraham / he wrote in the
sacrament of circumcision. And therfore
saide Steuen Actes .vij. he gaue them the testament
of circumcision. Not that the outwarde circumcision was the
hole testament / but
the sacrament or signe therof. For circumcision
preached gods word vnto them / as I haue in other places
declared.
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But in the tyme of Moyses when the congregacion was encreased
/ that they must haue many preachars and also rulars temporall
/ then all was receaued in scripture / in so moch that
Christ and his appostles might not haue bene beleued with out
scripture for all their miracles. Wherfore in as moch as
Christes congregacion is
spred a brode in to all the world moch broder then
Moseses / and in as moch as we haue not the old testament only
but also the new / wherin all thinges are opened so richly and
all fulfilled that before was promised / and in as moch as there
is no promise behinde of
ought to be shewed moare saue the resurreccion: yee
and seinge that Christ and all the appostles with all the
angels of heuen / if they were here / coude preach no moare
then is preached / of necessite vnto
oure soules: How then shuld we receave a new article
of the faith / with out scripture / as profitable
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vnto my soule / when I had beleved it / as smoke for sore eyes.
What holpe it me to beleue that
oure laidies bodie is in heuen? what am I the better
for the beleffe
of purgatorye? to feare men thou wilt saye. Christ
& his appostles thought hell ynough. And yet (besydes that
the fleshly imaginacion maye not stonde with gods worde) what
greate feare can there be
of that tereble fire which thou maist quench all most
for .iij. halfe pence?
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And that the apostles shuld teach ought by mouth which
they wold not write / I praye you for what purpose? because
they shuld not come in to the handes of the hethen for mockynge
/ saith M. More. I pray you what thinge moare to be mocked of
the hethen coude they teach / then the resurreccion / and that
Christ was god
and man and died betwene .ij. theves / and that for
his dethes sake / all that repent and beleue therin / shuld
haue their sinnes forgeuen them. Ye and if the apostles
vnderstode therby as we doo what madder
thinge vnto hethen people coude they haue taught
then that bred is Christis body and wine his bloude. And yet
all these thynges they wrote. And agayne purgatory / confession
in the eare / penaunce and satisfaccion for synne to godward
with holy deades / and prayenge to saintes with soch like / as
dome sacramentes and ceremonies
/ ar marvelouse agreable vn to the supersticion of the hethen
people / so that they neaded not to absteyne from writynge
of them / for feare lest the hethen shuld haue mocked them.
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Morouer what is it that the appostles taught by mouth and durst
not write? The sacramentes? As for baptim and the sacrament
of the
body &
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bloud of Christ they wrote / and it is expressed what is
signified by them. And also all the ceremonies and sacramentes
that were from Adam to Christ had significacions /
and all that are made mencion of in the new testament. Wherfore
in as moch as the sacramentes of the olde testament haue
significacions / and in as moch as the sacramentes of the new
testament (of which mencion is made that they were deliuered vn
to vs by the verye appostles at Christes commaundement) haue
also significacions / and in as moch as the office of an
appostle is to edifie in Christe / and in as moch as a dumme
ceremonie edifieth not / but hurteth all to gether (for iff it
preach not vn to me / then I can not but put confidence therin / that the dede it selfe iustifieth me / which is the denyenge of
Christes bloude) & in as moch as no mencion is made of them
/ as well as of other / ner is knowen what is ment by them:
therfore it appereth
that the appostles taught them not / but that they
be the false marchaundice of wilye ypocrites. And therto
presthode was in the tyme of the appostles an office which if
they wold do truely / it wold
moare profitt then all the sacramentes in the
worlde. And agayne gods holinesses striue not one agenst a
nother ner defile one a nother. Their sacramentes defile one a
nother. For wedlocke defileth
presthode moare then horedom / thefte / murther or
any sinne agenst nature.
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They wyll happly demaunde where it is written that wemen shuld
baptise. Verely in this commaundement loue thy
neyboure as thyselfe it is written / that they maye and ought
to ministre not only baptim / but all other in time of neade /
iff they be so necessarie as they preach them.
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And finally though we were sure that god
him selfe had
geuen vs a sacrament / what soeuer it were / yet if the
significacion were once lost we must of necessite / ether seke
vpp the significacion
or put some other significacion of gods word therto
/ what we
ought to doo or beleue therby / or else put it
downe. For it is impossible to obserue a sacrament with out
significacion / but vnto oure damnacion. If we kepe the faith
purely and the law of loue vndefiled / whych are the
significacions of all ceremonies there is no ieoperdy to alter
or chaunge the facion of the ceremonye or to put it doune / if
nede requyre.
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¶Whether the church can erre
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There is a nother question whether the church maye erre. Which
if ye vnderstonde of the pope and his generacion / it is
verely as hard
a question as to axe / whether he which hath both his
eyes out be blynd or no / or whether it be possible for him
that hath one legge
shorter then a nother / to halt. But I said that
Christes electe church
is the hole multitude of all repentynge synners that
beleue in Christ and put all their trust and confidence in the
mercye of god / felynge in their hertes / that god for Christes
sake loueth them and wilbe or rather is mercifull vn to them
and forgeueth them their synnes of which they repent / and that
he forgeueth them also all the mocions vn to synne of which
they feare lest they shuld therby be drawen in
to synne agayne. And this faith they haue with out
all respecte of their awne deseruynges / yee and for no nother
cause then that the mercifull trueth of god the father which
can not lye / hath so promised and so sworne.
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And this faith and knowlege is
euerlastynge life / and by this we be born a new and made the
sonnes of god and obtayne forgeuenesse of synnes and are
translated from deeth to life and from the wrath of god vn to
his loue and fauoure. And this faith is the mother of all
trueth. And bryngeth with hir the spirite of all trueth. Which
spirite purgeth vs / as from all sinne / even so from all lyes
and erroure noysome and hurtefull. And this faith is the
fundacion
layd of the appostles and prophetes wheron Paul
saith Ephe. ij. that we are bylt / and therby of the household
of god. And this faith is
the rocke wheron Christ bilt his congregacion.
Christ axed the appostles Matth. xvj. whom they toke him for.
And Peter answered for them all sayenge I saye that thou art
Christ the sonne of the liuinge god that art come in to this
worlde. That is / we beleue that
thou art he that was promised vn to Abraham / shuld
come and blesse vs and deliuer vs. How be it Peter yet wist not
by what meanes. But now it is opened thorow out all the world /
that thorow the offerynge of his body and bloude. That
offeringe is a satisfaccion for the sinne of all that repent
and a purchasynge of what so euer they can axe / to kepe them
in fauoure. And that they sinne no moare. And Christ answered
vppon this rocke I will byld my congregacion : that is / vppon
this faith. And agenst the rocke of this faith can no sinne /
no hell / no deuell / no lies nor erroure preuayle.
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For what soeuer any man hath committed / if he repent and come
to this rocke / he is saffe. And that this faith is the
only waye bi which the church of Christ goeth vn to god and vn
to the enheretaunce of all his riches / testifie all the ap
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postles and prophetes and all the scripture / with signes and
miracles / and al the bloud of marters. And who soever goeth
vnto God and vnto forgeuenesse of synnes or saluacion / by any
other waye then thys / the same is an heretike out of the
rightwaye and not of Christes church.
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For this knowlege maketh a man of the church. And the church is
christes body Collossen. j. and every person of the
church is a member
of christ. Ephe. 5. Now it is no member of christ
that hath not christes spirite in it. Roma. viij. as it is no
parte of me or member of
my body wherin my soule is not present and quikeneth
it. And then iff a man be none of christes / he is not of his
church.
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¶How a true member of christes church synneth not /
and how he is yet a synner
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Furthermoare / he that hath this faith can not sinne / and
therfore can not be disceaved with damnable erroures. For by
this faith we
be (as I saide) borne of God. Now he that is born of
god can not synne / for his seed dwelleth in him / and he can
not therfore synne /
because he is born of God .j. Ihon .iij. which seed
is the holygost that kepith a mans hert from consentinge vnto
sinne. And therfore
it is a false conclusion that master More holdeth /
how that a man maye haue a righte faith ioyned with all kyndes
of abhominacion
and synne.
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And yet every membir of Christes congregacion is a synner and
sinneth dayly / some moare and some lesse. For it is
written .j. Ihon .j. if we saye we haue no synne / we disceaue
oure selues and the trueth is not in vs. And agayne iff we saye
/ we haue not sinned / we make him a liar
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and his worde is not in vs. And Paul
.Roma. vij. saith / that good which I wold / that do
I not / but that evell which I wold not / that do I. So it is
not I that doo it (saith he)
but synne that dwelleth in me. Thus are we synners
and no synners.
No synners / if thou loke vn to the profession of
oure hertes towarde the law of God / on oure repentaunce and
sorow that we haue / both
because we haue synned and also because we be yet
full of synne still / and vn to the promises of mercie in oure
sauioure christe / and
vn to oure fayth. Synners are we / iff thou loke vn
to the frailtie of oure flesh / which is as the weakenesse of
one that is newly recouered out of a greate disease / by the
reason wherof oure dedes are imperfett. And by the reason where
of al so / when occasions be greate / we fall in to horrible
dedes / and the frute of the synne which remayneth in oure
membirs breaketh out. Notwithstondynge yet the spirite leaveth
vs not / but rebuketh vs and bringeth vs home agayne vn to oure
profession / so that we never cast off the yocke of God from
oure neckes nether yeld vpp oure selues vn to synne / for to
serue it / but fighte afresh and begynne a new batayle.
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¶How a christen man can not erre / and how he maye
yet erre
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And as they synne not / so they erre not. And on the
other syde
as they synne / so they erre: but never vn to deeth
and damnacion. For they never synne of purpose ner holde any
erroure maliciously / synnynge agenst the holygoste / but of
weakenesse and infirmitie. As good obedient childern / though
they loue their fathers commaundementes / yet breake them oft /
by the reason of their wekenesse . And as they can not yelde them
selves bond vn to synne / to serue it: even so they can not
erre in any thynge that shuld be agenst the promises which are
in christe. And in other thynges their erroures
be not vn to damnacion / though they be neuer so
greate / because
they hold them not maliciously. As now / if some when
they reade in
the new testament of Christes brethern / wold thynke
that they were oure ladies childern aftir the birth of christe
/ because they know not the vse of speakynge of the scripture
or of the hebrues / how that nye kinsmen becalled brethern / or
happly they might be Iosephes childern / by some first wife /
neyther can haue any to teach him for tiranny that is so greate
/ yet coude it not hurte him / though he died therin / because
it hurteth not the redempcion that is in christes bloude. For
though she had none but christ / I am therfore neuer the moare
saued / neyther yet the lesse / though she had had. And in soch
like an hundred that plucke not a mans faith from Christ / they might erre / and yet beneuer the lesse saued no though the contrary
were written in the gospel. For as in other synnes /
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as sone as they be rebuked / they repent: even so here / assone
as they were better taught / they shuld immediatly knowlege
their erroure and not resiste.
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But they which maliciously maynetene opinions agenst the
scripture / or that that can not be proued by the scripture /
or soch as
make no mater vn to the scripture and saluacion that
is in christ whether they be true or noo / and for the blinde
zele of them make sectes / breakinge the vnite of christes
church / for whose sake they ought to suffre all thynge / and
rise agenst their neyboures / whom
they ought to loue as them selues / to slee them /
soch men I saye
are fallen from christe and make an Idole of their
opinions. For except they put trust in soch opinions and thought
them necessarie vn to saluacion / or with a cankred conscience
went about to disceaue / for some filthie purpose / they wold
never breake the vnite of faith
or yet slee their brethern. Now is this a playne
conclusion / that both
they that trust in their awne workes / and they also
that put confidence in their awne opinions / be fallen from
Christe and erre from the waye of faith that is in christes
bloude / and therfore are none of christes church / because they
be not bilt vppon the rocke of faith.
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¶Faith is ever assayled and fought with all.
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Morouer this oure faith which we haue in
Christ / is euer fought agenst / euer assaylled and beten at
with disperacion: not when we sinne only / but also in all
temptacions of adversite in to which God bringeth vs / to
nurtoure vs and to shew vs oure awne hertes / the ypocrisie and
false thoughtes that there lye hidd / oure al most no faith at
all and as litle loue / even then happly when we
thought oure selues most perfecte of all. For when
temptacions come we can not stond / when we haue synned faith
is feble / when wronge is done vs we can not forgeue / in
sickenes / in losse of goodes and in
all tribulacions we be impacient: when oure neyboure
neadeth oure helpe / that we must departe with him of oures
then loue is colde.
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And thus we lerne and fele that there is no goodnesse ner yet
power to doo good / but of God only. And in all soch
temptacions oure faith perisheth not vtterly neyther our loue
and consent vnto the law of God / But they be weke / sycke and
wounded and not
cleane deed. As a good child whom the father and
mother haue
taught nurtoure and wisdom / loueth his father and
all his commaundementes / and perceaueth of the goodnesse
shewed him / that his father loueth him and that all his
fathers preceptes are vnto his welth and profitt / and that his
father commaundeth him nothinge for any neade that his father
hath therof / but seketh his profitt only /
and therfore hath a good faith vn to all his fathers promises and
loueth al his commaundementes and doeth them with good wyll
and with good will goeth to scole. And by the waye haply he
seeth companie playe and with the sight is taken and raveshed of
his me
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mory and forgetteth him selfe and stondeth and beholdeth and
falleth to playe also / forgettynge father and mother / all their
kyndes / all their lawes and his awne profitt
therto. How be it the knowlege of his fathers kyndnesse / the
faith of his promises and the loue that he hath agayne vn to his
father and the obedient mynde are
not vtterly quenched / but lye hyd / as all thynges
do when a man slepeth or lieth in a traunce. And assone as he
hath played out all his lustes or be warned in the meane season
/ he cometh agayne vn to his olde profession. Neuer the later
many temptacions goo ouer his
herte / and the law as a right hangman tormenteth his
conscience and goeth nye to persuade him that his father will
cast him a waye and hange him if he ketche him so that he is
like a greate while to runne awaye rather then to returne vn to
his father agayne. Feare and dreade of rebuke and of losse of
his fathers loue and of punishment
wrastell with the trust which he hath in his fathers
goodnesse and as it were geue his faith a fall. But it riseth
agayne assone as the rage of the first brount is past and his
mynd moare quiett. And the goodnesse of his father and his old
kindnesse cometh vn to remembraunce / eyther of his awne corage
or by the comforte of some other. And he beleueth that his
father will not cast him a waye or destroye him / and hopeth
that he will no moare doo so.
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And vppon that he geteth him home / dismayed. But not
all to gether faythlesse. The old kyndneses wyll not lett him
dispayre. How be it all the world can not sett his hert at rest
/ vntill the payne be past / and vntyll he haue herd
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the voyce of his father that all is forgeuen.
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¶The maner and ordre of oure election
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Even so goeth it with gods electe. God choseth them
first and they
not god / as thou readest Ihon .xv. And then he
sendeth forth and
calleth them / and sheweth them his goodwyll which he beareth vn
to them / and maketh them se / both their awne damnacion in
the lawe and also the mercie that is layd vpp for them in
christes bloude / and therto what he will haue them doo. And
then when we se his mercie / we loue him agayne and chose him
and submitte our selues
vn to his lawes to walke in them. For when we erre
not in witt / reason and iudgement of thinges / we can not erre
in wil and choyse of thynges. The choyse of a mans will doeth
naturally and of hir awne accorde folowe the iudgement of a mans
reason / whether he iudge righte or wronge. So that in
teachinge only resteth the pith of a mans liuynge. How be it
there be swine that receaue no lerninge
but to defile it. And there be dogges that rent all
good lerninge with
their teth. And there be pope holy whych folowynge a
ryghtewesnes of their awne faynynge resiste the rightwesnesse
of god in Christe. And there be that can not attend to herken
vn to the trueth
for rage of lustes / which when lustes abate / come
and obeye well ynough.
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And therfore a Christen man must be pacient and sofre longe to
wynne his brother to Christ / that he whych attendeth
not to daye / maye receave grace and heare to morowe:
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we se some at their very later ende / when colde feare of deeth
hath quenched the heet
of their appetites / lerne and consent vnto the
trueth / where vnto before they coude geue none eare / for the
wylde rages of lustes that blinded their wittes.
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And though gods electe can not so faull that they
rise not agayne /
because that the mercy of god euer wayteth vppon them
/ to deliuer them from euell / as the care of a kind father
wayteth vppon his
sonne / to warne him and to kepe him from occasions
and to call hym bake agayne yf he begonne to ferre: yet they
forgett them selues oftymes and synke downe in to traunces and
fall aslepe in lustes for a season. But assone as they be
awaked they repent and come agayne wyth out resistaunce. God
now and then withdraweth his hande and leueth them vnto their
awne strength / to make them feale that there is no power to do
good but of god only lest they shulde be proude of that which
is none of theirs. God layd so sore
awaight of persecucion vppon Dauids backe that passed
his strength
to beare. So that he cried oft out in his psalmes /
sayenge that he had liued well and folowed the right waye off
God in vaine. For the
moare he kepte him selfe from sinne / the worse yt
went with hym / as he thought / and the better with his enemie
Saull the worse he
was. Yet god left hym not there / but comforted him
and shewed
him thynges which before he wist not of / how that
the saintes must be pacyent and a byde gods heruest / vntyll the
wekedenesse of
vngodly synners befull ripe / that god maye repe it
in dew season.
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God also suffered occasyons stronger then
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Dauid / to faull vppon him and to carie him cleane out of the
waye. Was he not readye
for a churlysshe answere to haue slayn naball and
all the males of his housse / so moch as the chyld in the
cradell? how be it God with helde hym and kepte him backe from
that evell / thorow the wisdome of Abegall. How longe slomberd
he / or rather how hard in slepe was he in the adulterye of
Bathseba. And in the murther of her husbond Vriah / But at both
tymes assone as he was rebuked and his faulte told him / he
repented immedyatly & turned agayne
mekely. Now in all that longe tyme / from the
adulterye of Bathsabe vntyll the prophete Nathan rebuked him he
had not lost his faith nor
yet his loue vnto the lawes of god / no moare then a
man loseth hys wittes when he ys a slepe. He had forgott hym
selfe only and had not malycyously cast of the yocke of gods
commaundementes from off his necke. There is no man so good /
but that there cometh a tyme vppon hym / when he fealeth in hym
selfe no moare faith or loue vnto god / then a sycke man
oftymes feleth the tast of his meate which he eateth.
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And in lyke maner the apostles of chryst at hys passyon were
astonyed and amased and in soch a storme of temptacyons / for
the soden chaunge from soo greate glorye in to so vyle and
shamfull
deeth / that they had forgott all the myracles and
all the wordes whych he had told them before / how that he
shulde be betrayed
and delyuered on the same maner vnto deeth. Morouer
they neuer
vnderstode that sayenge of hys deeth because their
hertes were all waye hevie and ouer lade wyth erthely
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thoughtes. For though
they saw him reyse vpp other / yet who shulde reyse
hym vpp / when he were deed / they coude not comprehende.
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Reade what thou reade canst / and thou shalt fynd no temptacyon
lyke vnto that from the creacyon of the world / or so greate
as
yt by the hundred parte. So that the wonderfull soden
chaunge and the tereble syght of hys passyon and of hys most
cruell and most vile deeth / and the losse of whom they so
greatly loued / that theyr hertes wolde fayne haue died wyth
hym / and the feare of their awne
deeth / and the impossibilite that a man shulde ryse
agayne of his
awne power / so occupyed theyr myndes and so astonyed
them and amased them / that they coude receaue no comforte /
ether of the
scrypture or of the miracles which they had sene
christ doo / nor of
the monicions and warnynge wherewith he had warned
them before / nether of the women that brought them tydynges
that he was
rysen. The swerd of temptacyons wyth feare / sorow /
mornynge & wepynge / had depely perced theyr hertes / and
the cruell syght. had so combred their mindes / that they coude
not beleue / vntyll
chryst hym selfe came / deeth put off and ouercome /
ye and when they first saw him / they were astonied for
wonderinge and ioye to gether that thoughtes a rose in theyr
hertes / alas ys thys he or doeth some spirite mocke vs? he was
faine to lett them feale him and to eate with them / to
strength theyr faythes.
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How be yt there was none of them that was fallen in hys hert
from chryste. For assone as the wemen brought worde / Peter and
Ihon
ran vnto the sepulchre and saw and wondred and wold
fayne haue
beleuen that he was
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risen and longed for hym? But coude not beleue the wound of
temptacyon beinge greater then that it coude be healed wyth the
preachynge of a woman with out any other miracle.
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Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus which while he yet liued
durst not be a knowen of hym assone as he was deed /
bedged his
bodie and buried hym boldly. And the wemen assone as
yt was lawful
to worke prepared their annoyntmentes with all
diligence. And
the hertes of the dysciples that went to Emaus burned
in their brestes
to heare speake of hym.
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And thomas had not forsaken Christ / but coude not beleue vntyll
he sawe hym / and yet desyred and longed to se hym and
reioysed
when he saw hym and for ioye cryed out / my lorde my
god. There was none of them that euer railed on hym and came so
ferre forth / to saye / he was a disceauer and wrought wyth the
dyuels craft all thys whyle / and se where to he ys come in the
ende? we defye hym
and all hys werkes false wretch that he was and hys
false doctrine also. And therto must they haue come at the last
/ when feare / sorow and wonderynge had bene past / yf they had
not bene preuented
and holpe in the meane tyme.
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Yee and peter assone as he had denied chryst came too
hym selfe immedyatly and went out and wepte bytterly for sorow.
And thus ye se / that peters fayth fayled not / though yt were
oppressed for a tyme: so that we neade to seke no gloses for
the texte that Chryst
sayd to peter how that hys fayth shulde not fayle.
Yes sayth Master More yt fayled in hym selfe / but was reserued
in our ladye.
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But lat vs se the texte and their glose to
gether. Christ saith
Luke .xxij. Simon / Simon / sathan seketh you to
sifte you as men sifte whete: but I haue prayed for the / that
thy faith shall not faile / werfore when thou art come vn to
thy selfe agayne strength thy brethern. Now put this wise glose
therto and se how they agre to gether. Simon / satan seketh to
sift you as whete / but I haue prayd for the / that my mothers
faith shall not faile / wherfore when thou
art come to thy selfe agayne / acordynge as my
prayar hath obtayned for the / that my mothers faith shall not
faile / strength thy brethern. How saye ye / is not this a
propir texte and well framed to gether? Do ye not thinke that
there is as moch witte in the heed of mad colens / as in the
braynes of soch expositoures?
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¶Whether the pope and his secte be
Christes church or no
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That the pope and his spirites be not the church maye
this wise be
proued. He that hath no faith to be saued thorow
Christe / is not of Christes churche. The pope beleueth not to
be saued thorow Christe. For he teacheth to trust in holy workes
for the remission of
sinnes and saluacion: as in the workes of penaunce
enioyned / in vowes / in pilgremage / in chastite / in other
mens prayars and holy liuynge / in freres and freres cotes / in
saintes merites / and the significacions
put out / he teacheth to beleue in the dedes of the
ceremonies and of the sacramentes ordeyned at the begynnynge to
preach vn to vs and to do vs seruice / and not that we shuld
beleue in them and serue them. And a thousand such
supersticiousnesses setteth he before vs in steade
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of Christ / to beleue in / nether Christ ner gods worde /
nether honourable to god ner serviceable vnto our
neyboure ner profitable vn to our selues for the
tamynge of the flesh / which all are the denyenge of Christes
bloud.
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A nother reason is this. Whosoeuer beleueth in Christ
/ consenteth that gods lawe is good. The pope consenteth not
that gods lawe
is good. For he hath forboden lawfull wedlocke vn to
all his / ouer whom he raigneth as a temporall tirant with
lawes of his awne makynge and not as a brother exhortynge them
to kepe Christes. And
he hath graunted vnlaufull horedom vn to as many as
bringe money.
As thorow all doucheland / euery prest payenge a
gulden vn to the archedecon shall frely and quietly haue his
hore and put hir awaye at his pleasure & take a nother at
his awne luste. As they doo in
wales / in yerland / Scotland / Fraunce &
Spayne. And in Englond therto they be not few whych haue
licences to kepe hores / some of the pope and some of their
ordinaries. And when the parishes goo to law with them to put a
waye their hores / the bisshopes officers
mocke them / poll them and make them spend their
thryftes / and
the prestes kepe their hores still. How be it in very dede sens
they
were rebuked by the preachynge of wicleffe / oure
englesh spiritualtie haue layd their snares vn to mens wiues /
to couer their abhominacions / though they byde not all waye
secret.
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Ther to all Christen men if they haue done amisse
repent when their fautes be told them. The spiritualtie repent
not / but of very
lust and consent to synne persecute both the
scripture wherwith they be rebuked and also them that
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warne them to amend & make heretikes of them and burne them.
And besydes that / the pope hath mad a playne decre in which he
commaundeth sayenge / though the pope synne neuer so greuously
and draw with him to hell by his ensample thousandes
innumerable / yet let no man be so hardye to rebuke him. For he
is heed ouer all & none ouer him distinct .xl. Si papa.
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And Paul saith Roma. xiij. let euery soule obey the
hier powers
that are ordeyned to punysh synne. The pope will not
/ ner let any of his.
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And Paul chargeth .1. Corin. v. if he that is a
brother be an horekeper / a dronkerd / couetouse / an
extorsioner or a raylar and so forth / that we haue no
felowsheppe with him: No not so moch as to eate in his
companie. But the pope with violence compelleth vs
to haue soch in honoure / to receaue the sacramentes
of them / to heare their masses and to beleue all they saye /
and yet they wyll not lett vs se whether they saye trouth or
no. And he compelleth .x.
parishes to paye their tithes and offeringes vn to
one soch to goo and runne at riott at their cost & to doo
noughte therfore. And a thousand
soch like doeth the pope contrarie vn to Christes
doctrine.
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¶The argumentes where with the pope wold proue him selfe the church / are
solued.
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Notwithstondinge because as they be all shauen they be all shamelesse
to affirme that they by the right church & can
not erre / though
all the world seeth that not one of them is in the
right waye and that they haue with vtter defiaunce forsaken both
the doctrine and livinge of
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Christe and of all his appostles / lat vs se the sophistrie
where with they wold persuade it. One of thier hie reasons is
this. The church / saye they / was before the
heretikes / and the heretikes came euer out of the church and
left it. And they were before
all them which they now call heretikes and lutherans
/ and the lutheranes
came out of them. &c. Wherfore 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 was vnder
Moses and Aaron & so forth in whose rowmes satt the scribes
phareses and hye prestes in the time of Christ. And they were
before Christe. And Christ and
his apostles came out of them and departed from them
and left them. Wherefore the scribes phareses and hie prestes
were the right
church / and Christ and his appostles and disciples
heretikes and a damnable secte. And so the Iewes ar yet in the
right waye and we in erroure. And of trueth if their blynd
reason be good / then is this argument so to. For they be like
and are both one thynge.
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But in as moch as the kingdom of god stondeth not in
wordes /
as paul sayth .1. Co. iiij. but in power / therfore
loke vn to the mary
and pith of the thinges selfe / and lett vayne wordes
passe. Vnder
Abraham / Isaac / and Iacob was the church greate in
faith and small
in numbre / And as it encreased in numbre / so it
decreased in faith vntyll the tyme of Moses. And out of those
vnbeleuers god stered
vpp Moses & brought them vnto the right faith
agayne. And Moses
left a glorious church and in faith and cleauinge
vn to the word of god / and deliuered them vn to Iosuah Eleazer
/ Phineas and Caleb.
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But assone as the generacion of them that
saw the miracles
of god were deed / they fell to Idolatrie immediatly
as thou seist in the bible. And god when he had delyuered them
in to captiuite for to chastise their wekednesse / stered them
vpp a prophete euer moare / to call them vn to his testament
agayne. And so he did wellnye an hundred tymes / I suppose /
yer Christ came / for they neuer
bode any space in the right faith. And agenst the comynge of
Christ the scribes / Phareses / Caiphas / Anna / and the elders
/ were crepte vpp in to the sete of Moses / Aaron and the holy
prophetes and patriarkes and succeded them linially and had the
scripture of god but euen in captiuite / to make marchaundice of
it and to abvse it vn to their awne glorie & profitt. And
though they kepte the people from outward Idolatrie of
worshepynge of images with the hethen: yet they brought them in
to a worse inward Idolatrie of a false fayth
& trust in their awne dedes and in vayne
tradicions of their awne
faynynge. And they had put out the significacions
of all the ceremonies and sacramentes of the olde testament and
taught the people to
beleue in the workes selfe / and had corrupte the
scripture with false gloses. As thou maist se in the gospell /
how Christ warneth his disciples to be warre of the leuen of
the phareses which was their false
doctrine and gloses. And in a nother place he
rebuked the scribes
and the phareses sayenge: wo be to them / because
they had taken awaye the keye of knowlege and had shutt vpp the
kingdome of
heven and neyther wold entre in them selues ner
sofre them that wolde. How had they shutt it vpp? verely with
their tradicions and false gloses whych
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they had sowed to the scripture in playne places and in the
takynge a waye the meaninge of the ceremonies and sacrifices
and teachinge to beleue in the worke.
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And oure ypocrites are in like maner crept vpp in to the sete of
Christ and of his apostles / by succession: not to
doo the dedes of Christ and his appostles / but for lucre only
(as the nature of the
wilye foxe is / to gett him an hole made with a
nother beestes laboure) and to make marchaundice of the people
with fayned wordes / as Peter warned vs before / & to doo
acordinge as Christ and all his apostles prophesyed / how they
shuld begyle and leade out of the right waye / all them that
had no loue to folow and liue aftir the trouth.
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And in like maner haue they corrupte the scripture / and blinded
the right waye with their awne constitucions / with
tradicions of
domme ceremonies / with takynge awaye the significacions of the
sacramentes / to make vs beleue in the worke of the
sacramentes first / where by they might the better make vs
beleue in workes of their settynge vpp aftirwarde / and with
false gloses which they haue patched to the scripture in playne
places to destroye the litterall sens for to sett vp a false
fayned sens of allegories / when there is none
soch. And therby they haue stopte vpp the gates of
heven / the true knowlege of Christ / and haue made their awne
belies the dore. For
thorow their belies must thou crepe and there leave
all thy fall behynde the.
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And soch blynd reasons as oures make agenst vs / made
they agenst Christe sayenge: Abraham is our father / we be
Moses disciples / how knoweth he the vnderstondinge of the
scripture / seinge he neuer lerned of any of vs? only the
cursed
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vnlerned people that know not the scripture beleue in him. Loke
whether any of the
rulars or phareses doo beleue in him.
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Wherfore the scripture truely vnderstond aftir the
playne places and generall articles of the faith which thou
findest in the scripture / and the ensamples that are gonne
before / wyll all waye testifie who
is the right church. Though the phareses succeded
the patriarkes and prophetes and had the scripture of them /
yet they were heretikes and fallen from the faith of them &
from their lyuynge. And Christ
and his disciples & Ihon the Baptist departed
from the phareses
which were heretikes / vn to the right sens of the
scripture & vn to the faith & liuinge of the patriarkes
& prophetes and rebuked the phareses. As thou seist how
Christ calleth them ypocrites / dissimulars / blynd gydes &
paynted sepulchres. And Ihon called them the
generacion of vipers & serpentes. Of Ihon the
angell said vn to his
father Luke .j. he shall turne many of the children
of Israel vn to their lord god. Which yet before Ihon beleued
after a fleshly vnderstondynge in god & thought them selues
in the right waye. And he shall turne the hertes of the fathers
vn to the childerne. That is / he shall with his preachynge
& true interpretynge of the scripture make
soch a spirituall hert in the children as was in
their fathers / Abraham / Isaac / & Iacob. And he shall
turne the disobedient vn to the obedience of the rightteouse
& prepare the lorde a perfecte people. That is / them that
had sett vpp a rightewysnesse of their awne & were therfore
disobedient vnto the rightewysnesse of faith / shall
he conuerte from their blyndnesse vn to the wisdome
of them that beleued in god to be made righ
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tewysse / and with those fathers
shall he geue the childern egles eyes to spie out
Christ & his rightewysnesse
and to forsake their awne and so to become
perfecte.
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And aftir the same maner / though oure popish ypocrites succede
Christ and his appostles and haue their scripture / yet
they befallen from the faith and liuinge of them and are
heretikes and had nede of a Ihon Baptist to conuerte them. And
we departe from them vn to the true scripture and vnto the
faith and liuynge theirof / and rebuke them in like maner. And
as they which departe from the faith of the true church are
heretikes / even so they that departe from the church of
heretikes and false fayned faith of ypocrites / are the true church / which thou shalt all waye know by their faith examined by the
scripture and by their profession and consent to liue acordynge
vn to the lawes of god.
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¶A nother argument
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Another like blynd reason they haue where in is all
their trust. As we come out of them & 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 that beleue /
excepte we first beleue that they be the church and
can not erre in any thynge that perteyneth vn to oure soules
health. For if a man tell
me of a marvelouse thynge / wherof I can haue no
nother knowlege then by his mouth only / how shuld I geue
credence excepte I beleued that the man were so honest that he
coude not lye or wold not lye. Wherefore we must beleue that
they be the right church that can not erre or else we can
beleue nought at all.
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This wise reason is their shoteancre and
al their hold / their
refuge to flight and chefe stone in their fundacion
/ wheron they
haue bilt all their lies and all their mischeue
that they haue wrought this .viij. hundred yeres. And this
reason do the Iewes laye vn to
oure charge this daye / and this reason doeth chefely
blynd them and
hold them still in obstinacie. Oure spirites first
falsifie the scripture to stablish their lyes. And when the
scripture cometh to light and is
restored vn to the true vnderstondinge and their
iuglinge spied / and
they like to sofre shippwracke / then they cast out
this ancre / they be the church and can not erre / their
auctorite is greater then the
scripture / and the scripture is not true / but
because they saye so
and admitte it. And therfore what soeuer they
affirme / is of as greate auctorite as the scripture.
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Notwithstondinge / as I saide / the kingdome of
heuen stondeth not in wordes of mans wisdome / but in power and
spirite. And therfore loke vn to the ensamples of the scripture
and so shalt thou vnderstonde. And of an hundred ensamples
betwene Moses and Christe / where the Israelites fell from god
and were euer restored by one prophete or other / let vs take
one: even Ihon the Baptiste. Ihon went before Christ to prepare
his waye / that is / to brynge men vn to the knowlege of their
sinnes and vn to repentaunce /
thorow true expoundynge of the lawe / which is the
only waye vn to Christe. For excepte a man knowlege his sinnes
and repent of
them / he can haue no parte in Christe / of Ihon
Christ saith Matt. xvij. that he was Elias that shuld come and
restore all thynge. That is / he shuld restore the scripture vn
to the right sens agayne / which
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the phareses had corrupte with the leuen of their false gloses
and vayne fleshly tradicions. He made croked thynges streyght / as it is written / and rough smoth. Which is also to be
vnderstonde of the scripture / which the phareses had made
croked wrestynge them vn to a false sens with weked gloses /
and so rough that no man coude walke in the waye of them. For
when god said / honoure father
and mother / meaninge that we shuld obey them and also helpe them at their nede / the phareses put this glose therto / out of
their awne leuen sayenge: God is thy father and mother. Wherfore
what soeuer nede thy father & mother haue / iff thou offer
to god / thou art hold excused. For it is better to offer to god
/ then to thy father
and mother and so moch moare meritorious as god is
greater then
they: yee and god hath done moare for the then they
and is moare thy father and mother then they. As oures now
affirme / that it is moare meritorious to offer to god and his
holy deed saintes / then vn to the pore liuynge saintes. And
when god had promised the people a sauioure to come and blesse
them and saue them from their synnes / the phareses taught to
beleue in holy workes to be saued by
as if they offered and gaue to be prayd for. As oures
/ as ofte as we haue a promise to be forgeuen at the
repentaunce of the herte thorow
Christes bloud shedynge / put to / thou must first
shriue thy selfe to
vs of euery sillable / & we must laye oure handes
on thine heed and whistell out thy synnes and enioyne the
penaunce to make satisfaction . And yet art thou but loused from
the synne only that thou
shalt not come in to hell / but thou must yet sofre
for every synne
.vij. yeres in purgatory which is as whott as hell /
ex
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cepte thou bye it out of the pope. And if thou aske by what
meanes the pope
geueth soch pardon. They answere out of the merites
of christ. And thus at the last they graunt agenst them selues
/ that Christ hath not only deserued for vs the remission of
oure synnes / but also the
forgeuenesse of that grosse and fleshly imagined
purgatory / saue thou must by it out of the pope. And with soch
tradicions they toke
awaye the keye of knowlege and stopped vpp the
kingdome of
heuen that no man coude entre in.
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And as I said / they taught the people to beleue in
the dedes of the ceremonyes whych god ordeyned not to iustifie
but to be signes of promises by which they that beleued were
iustified. But the phareses put out the significacions and
quenched the faith and taught to be iustified by the worke / as
oures haue serued vs.
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For oure sacramentes were onse but signes partely of what we
shulde beleue / to stere vs vp vn to faith / and
partely what we shuld doo / to stere vs vpp to doo the law of
god / and were not workes
to iustifie.
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Now make this reason vn to Ihon and vn to many prophetes that went before him & did as he did / ye and vn to Christ him
selfe and his appostles / and thou shalt finde them all
heretikes / and the
scribes and phareses good men / iff that reason be
good. Therfore this wise thou maist answere. No thankes vn to
the heedes of that church that the scripture was kepte / but vn
to the mercie of god. For as they had destroyed the right sens
of it for their lucre sake /
even so wold they haue destroyed it also had they
coude / rather
then the people shuld haue come vn to the right
vnderstondinge of it / as they slew
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the true interpretours and preachers of it. And
even so no thankes vn to oure ypocrites that the
scripture is kepte / but vn to the botomlesse mercie of
god.
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For as they haue destroyed the right sens of it with their leuen
/ and as they destroye dayly the trewe preachers of it / and as
they kepe it from the laye people / that they shuld
not se how they iugle
with it / even so wolde they destroye it also / coude
they brynge it aboute / rather then we shuld come by the true
vnderstondynge of
it were it not that god prouided other wise for vs.
For they haue put the stories that shuld in many thynges helpe
vs / cleane out of the waye / as nye as they coude. They haue
corrupte the legend and hues all most of all sayntes. They haue
fayned false bokes and put them forth / some in the name of S.
Hierome / some in the name of saynt Augustine / in the name of
S. Ciprian / S. Deonise & other holy
men. Which are proued none of theirs / partly by the
stile & latine / & partly by autenticke stories. And as
the Iewes haue sett vpp a boke
of tradicions called talmud / to destroye the sens
of the scripture / Vn to whych they geue faith & vn to the
scripture none at all be it
never so playne / but saye it can not be
vnderstonde / saue by that
talmud: even so haue oures set vpp their dunce /
their Thomas & a
thousand like draffe / to stablish their lies / thorow
falsifienge the
scripture / & saye that it can not be vnderstonde
with out them / be it never so playne. And if a man allege an
holy doctoure agenst them
they glose him out as they doo the scripture / or
will not heare / or
saye the church hath other wise determined.
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Now therfore when they aske vs how we kno
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we that it is the scripture of god / aske them how Ihon Baptiste
knew and other prophetes which god stered vpp in all soch times
as the scripture was in like captiuite vnder ypocrites? Did Ihon
beleue that the scribes / phareses and hie prestes were the
true church of god / and had his spirite and coude not erre?
who taught the egles to spie out their praye? euen so the
children of god spie out their father and Christes
electe spie out their lorde / and trace out the
pathes of his fete and folowe / ye though he goo vppon the
playne and liquide water which will receaue no steppe: and yet
there they find out his foote /
his electe know him / but the world knoweth him not
Ihon .1. If the
world know him not / and thou call the world pride /
wrath / envie /
couetousnesse / slowth / glotonnye and lecherie /
then our spiritualtie
know him not. Christes shepe heare the voyce of
Christ Ihon .x. where the world of ypocrites as they know him
not / even so the wolues heare not his voyce / but compell the
scripture to heare them
and to speake what they luste. And therfore excepte
the lorde of Sabaoth had left vs seed / we had bene all as
Sodom and Gommor said
Esaias in his first chapter. And even so saide
Paule in his tyme.And
even so saye we in oure tyme / that the lord of the
hostes hath saued
him seed and hath gathered him a flocke to whom he
hath geuen eares to heare / that the ypocritish wolues can not
heare / and eyes to se / that the blynde leadars of the blynd
can not se / and an hert to vnderstonde / that the generacion
of poysoned vipers can nether vnderstonde ner knowe.
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If they allege sent Augustine which saith / I had not
beleued the
gospell / excepte the auctorite
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of the church had moued me. I
answere / as they abuse that sayenge of the holy man /
even so they allege al the scripture and all that they bringe
for them / even in a
false sens. S. Augustine before he was conuerted was
an hethen man
and a philosopher full of worldly wisdome vn to whom
the preachinge of christe is but folishnesse / saith paul .j.
Corin. j. And he disputed
with blynd reasons of wordly wisdome agenst the
christen. Neuerthelesse the ernest liuinge of the christen
acordinge vn to their doctrine and the constant soferinge of
persecucion and aduersite for
their doctrines sake moued him and stered him to
beleue that it was
no vayne doctrine / but that it must nedes be of god
/ in that it had soch power with it. For it happeneth that they
which will not heare the worde at the begynninge / are aftir
warde moued by the holy
conuersation of them that beleue.As Peter warneth
christen wiues that had hethen husbandes that wold not heare
the trueth preached / to liue so godly that they might winne
their hethen husbandes with
holy conuersacion. And Paul saith how knowest thou
christen wife /
whether thou shalt winne thine hethen husbande / with
holy conuersacion ment he. For many are wonne with godly
liuynge / which at the first ether will not heare or can not
beleue. And that is the auctorite that S. Augustine ment. But
if we shall not beleue / tyll the liuynge of the spiritualtie
conuerte vs / we belike to byde longe ynough in vnbeleffe.
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And when they aske whether we receaved the scripture of them?
I answere / that they which come after receaue the
scripture of them that go before. And when they aske whether we
bele
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ue not
that it is gods worde by the reason that they tell vs
so. I answere / that there are .ij. maner faythes / an
historicall faith and a felynge faith. The historical faith
hangeth of the trueth and honestie of the teller or of the
comen fame and consent of many. As if one told me that the
turke had wonne a citie and I beleved it moved with the
honestie of the man. Now if there come a nother that semeth moare honest or that hath better persuasions that it is not so / I thynke
immediatly that he lied and lose my faith agayne. And a felynge
faith
is / as iff a man were there present whan it was wonne and their
were wounded and had there lost all that he had and were taken
presoner there also. That man shuld so beleue that all the world
coude not turne him from his faith. Even like wise iff my mother
had blowen
on hir finger and told me that the fire wold burne me
/ I shuld haue beleued hir with an historicall faith / as we
beleue the stories of the worlde / because I thought she wold
not haue mocked me. And so I shuld haue done / if she had told
me that the fire had bene cold and
wold not haue burned / but assone as I had put my
fingre in the fire /
I shuld haue beleued / not by the reason of hir /
but with a felynge faith / so that she coud not haue persuaded
me aftir warde the contrarie . So now with an historicall faith
I maye beleue that the scripture
is Gods by the teachynge of them / and so I shuld
haue done
though they had told me that roben hode had bene the
scripture of God. Which faith is but an opinion and therfore
abideth euer frutelesse
and fauleth a waye / iff a moare gloriouse reason be
made vnto me or iff the preacher liue contrarye.
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But of a felynge faith it is written. Ihon
.vj. They shalbe all taught of God.
That is / God shall write
it in their hertes with his
holy spirite. And Paul also testifieth Romano. viij.
the spirite beareth recorde vn to oure spirite / that we be the
sonnes off God. And this faith is none opinion / but a sure
felynge / and therfore euer
frutefull. Neyther hangeth it of the honestie of the
preacher but of
the power of God and of the spirite / and therfore
iff all the preachers of the world wold goo a boute to persuade
the contrary / it wold
not preuayle / no moare then though they wold make
me beleue the fire were cold / aftir that I had put my fingre
therin.
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Of this ye haue an ensample Ihon .iiij. of the Samaritanish wife
/
which left hir pitcher and went in to the citie and
said / come and se
a man that hath told me all that euer I did / is not
he Christe and many of the Samaritanes beleued because of the
sayenge of the woman / how that he had told hir all that euer
she did / and went out vn to him and desyred him to come in /
which faith was but an
opinion and no faith that coude haue lasted or haue
brought out frute / but when they had herd Christ / the spirite
wrought and
made them fele. Whervppon they came vn to the woman
and saide:
we beleue not now because of thy sayenge / but
because we haue harde our selues and know that he is christ the
sauioure of the worlde. For christes preachinge was with power
and spirite that maketh a man feale and knowe and worke to / and
not as the scribes and phareses preached and as oures make a man
ready to cast his gorge
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to heare them raue and rage as mad men. And therfore
saith the scripture cursed is he that trusteth in man
and maketh flesh
his arme / that is to saye / his strength. And euen
so cursed is he that
hath no nother beleffe but because men so saye.
Cursed were he that had no nother why to beleue then that I so
saye. And even so cursed is he that beleueth only be cause the
pope so saith / and so forth thorow oute all the men in the
worlde.
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¶The faith that dependeth of a nother mans mouth is weke.
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If I haue no nother fealynge in my faith then because a man so
saith / then is my faith faithlesse and frutelesse. For if
I haue no
nother felynge that lecherie is synne then that the
pope so preacheth / whom I se before my face sett vppe in Rome
a stues of .xx. or .xxx. thousand hores / takynge of every pece
tribute yerly / and his
bisshopes with all other his disciples folowynge the
ensample mightily / and the pope therwith not content / but to
sett vpp therto a stues of younge boyes agenst nature / the
committers of which synne be burnt at a stake amonge the turkes
/ as Moses also commaundeth
in his lawe / and the pope also to forbid all the
spiritualltie / a multitude of .xl. or .l. hundred thousand to
mary / & to geue them licence to kepe euery man his whore
who so wyll: if I
saye / I haue no nother felynge in my faith that
lechery is synne then this mans preachinge / I thynke my faith
shuld be to weake to beare
moch frute. How coude I beleue a man that wold saye he loued me /
if
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all his dedes were contrary? I coude not beleue God him selfe
that he loued me / if in all my trybulacions I had of him no nother comforte then those bare wordes.
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And in like maner if I had no nother felynge in my
fayth that
couetousnesse were synne / then that the spiritualtie
so sayth / my faith coude be but weake and faintie / when I se
how the pope wyth wiles hath thrust downe the emproure / and how
the bisshopes and prelates be cropt vpp. an hye in all regyons
aboue their kinges and
haue made them a seuerall kingdome and haue goten
in to their handes all most the one halfe of euery realme
whiche they diuide amonge them selues / geuinge no laye man ony
parte wyth them / and hepynge vpp bisshoperike vppon
bisshoperike / promocyon vppon promocion / benefice vppon
benefice / with vnions and tot
quottes robbinge in euery parish the soules of
their fode and the pore of their due sustynaunce: ye and some
preachinge that it were lesse sinne to haue .ij. wyues then
.ij. benefices / but whyle they be yet
younge & hote / and therfore thynke
couetousnesse greater synne then lecherye: which same / when
they be waxed elder and their
complexcyon some what altered / thinke that
couetousnesse is as small a synne as lechery / and therfore
take all that cometh. And if
any man cast theyr preachynge in their tethes / they
answere that they be better lerned and haue sene further. If I
saye / I haue no nother felinge that couetousnesse is synne /
then the preachynge of these holy fathers / my faith were bilt
but vppon a weke rocke or
rather on the soft sonde. And therfore oure defenders
do ryght well to fome out their awne shame and to vtter the
secret thoughtes
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of their hertes. For as they write / so they beleue. Other felynge of the lawes of god and feyth of chryst haue they none / then
that theyr God the pope so sayth. And therfore as the pope
preacheth with hys mouth only / even soo beleue they wyth theyr
mouth only what soeuer he preacheth / with out moare a doo / be
it neuer so abhominable / and in theyr hertes consent vnto all
their
fathers wekednesse and folow hym in theyr dedes as
fast as they can runne.
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The turkes beinge in numbre. v. tymes mo then we
knowlege one God and beleue many thynges of God moued only by
the auctoryte of theyr elders and presume that God wyll not let
so greate a multitude erre so longe tyme. And yet they haue
erred and bene faythlesse
thys .viij. hundred yeres. And the Iewes beleue
thys daye / as moch
as the carnall sorte of them euer beleued / moued
also by the auctoryte
of theyr elders only / and thynke that yt ys
impossyble for them to erre / beynge Abrahams seed and the
chyldern of them to whom the promysses of all that we beleue
were made. And yet they haue
erred and bene faythlesse thys .xv. hundred yeres.
And we of lyke
blyndnesse beleue only by the auctoryte of our elders
and of lyke pryde thynke that we can not erre / beynge soch a
multytude. And yet we se how God in the olde testament did lett
the greate multitude erre / reseruynge al waye a litle flocke
to call the other backe agayne
and to testifie vnto them the right waye.
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¶How this word church hath a double
interpretacyon
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This ys therfore a sure conclusyon / as paul sayth
.Ro. ix. that not
all they that are of Israel are Israelites /
neyther because they
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be Abrahams seed / are they all Abrahams chyldren: but they
only that folow the faith of Abraham. Euen so now none of them
that beleue wyth theyr mouthes moued wyth the auctoryte of
theyr elders only: that ys / none of them that beleue wyth
Master Mores fayth / the
popes fayth and the deuels fayth whych maye stonde
(as Master
More confesseth) with al maner abhominacyons / haue
the ryght fayth of christ or are of hys church. But they only
that repent and
fele that the law is good / And haue the law of god
written in their hertes and the fayth of oure sauioure Iesus /
even wyth the sprite of God. There is a carnall Israel and a
spirituall. There ys Isaac and Ismael
/ Iacob and Esau. And Ismael
persecuted Isaac and Esau
Iacob
and the fleshly the spiritual. Wherof paul complayned in hys
tyme persecuted of hys carnall brethern / as we doo in oure tyme
and as the electe euer dyd and shall doo tyll the worldes ende.
What a multitude came out of Egypte vnder Moses of whych the
scripture testifyeth that they beleued / moued by the miracles
of Moses / as Simon
magus beleued by the reason of philippes miracles
actes .viij. Neuer the lesse the scripture testyfieth that. vj.
hundred thousand of those beleuers peryshed thorow vnbeleffe and
lefte theyr carcasses in the wildernesse and neuer entred in to
the lond that was promysed them. And euen so shall the childern
of Master Mores faythlesse fayth made by the persuasyon of man
/ leppe shorte of the rest
whych oure sauioure Iesus is rysen vnto. And therfore
lett them enbrace thys present worlde as they doo / whose
chyldern they are though they hate so to be called.
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And hereby ye se that it is a playne and
an evident conclusion as bright as the sonne shyninge that the
trueth of gods worde dependeth not of the trueth of the
congregacion. And therfore when
thou art asked / whi thou beleuest that thou shalt
be saved thorow
christ and of soch like principles of oure faith /
answere thou wottest and felest that it is true. And when he
asketh how thou knowest that it is true / answere because it is
written in thine herte. And if he aske who wrott it / answere
the sprite of God. And if he aske how thou
camest first by it / tel him / whether by readynge
in bokes or hearynge it preached / as by an outward instrument
/ but that inwardly thou wast taught by the spirite of God. And
if he aske whether thou beleuest it not because it is written
in bokes or because the prestes so preach / answere no / not
now / but only because it is written in
thine hert and because the spirite of god so
preacheth and so testifieth vn to thi soule. And saye / though
at the begynnynge thou wast moued by readynge or preachynge /
as the Samaritanes were by the
wordes of the woman / yet now thou beleuest it not
therfore any lenger / but only because thou hast herde it of the spirite of
God and red it written in thyne herte.
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And concerninge outwarde teachynge we allege for vs scripture elder then any church that was this .xiiij. hundred yeres / and
old autenticke stories which they had brought a slepe where with
we confounde their lies. Remembir ye not how in oure awne tyme /
of all that taught grammer in England not one vnderstode the
latyne tongue? how came we then by the latyne tongue agayne? not
by
them / though we lerned certay
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ne rules and principles of them by which we were moued and had an
occasion to seke further / but out of the old auctours. Even so
we seke vpp old antiquities out of which we lerne and not of
oure church / though we receaved many principles of oure church
/ at the beginninge / but moare falshed
amonge then trueth.
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It hath pleased God of his exceadynge loue where with he loued
vs in christ (as Paul saith) before the world was made and
when wee were deed in synne and his enemies in that we did
consent to synne and to liue evell / to write with his spirite
.ij. conclusions in oure hertes / by which we vnderstond all
thynge: that is to wete / the
faith of Christ and the loue of oure neyboures. For
whosoeuer feleth the iust damnacion of synne and the
forgeuenesse and mercie that is in christes bloud for all that
repent and forsake it and come and beleue in that mercie / the
same only knoweth how God is to behonoured and worsheped and
can iudge betwene true seruinge of God in the spirite and false
imageseruinge of God with workes. And the
same knoweth that sacramentes / signes ceremonies
and bodyly thynges can be no seruice to God in his person but
memorials vnto
men and a remembraunce of the testament wherewith god
is serued in the spirite. And he that feleth not that / is
blynd in his soule and of oure holy fathers generacion &
maketh god an image and a creature
and worshepith him with bodyly seruice. And on the
other syde he that loueth his neyboure as him selfe
vnderstondeth all lawes
and can iudge betwene good and evell right and
wronge / godly and vngodly in all conuersacion / dedes / lawes
/ bargens /
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couenauntes / ordinaunces and decrees of men / & knoweth
the office
of euery degre and the due honoure of euery person. And he that
hath not that written in his herte is popish and of
the spiritualtie which vnderstondeth nothynge saue his awne
honoure his awne profit and what is good for him selfe only: and
when he is as he wold
be / thinketh that al the world is as it shuld
be.
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¶Of worshepinge and what is to be vnderstonde by the
worde
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Concerninge worshepinge or honouringe (which .ij. termes are both one) M. More bringeth forth a difference / a distinccion or
diuision of greke wordes / fayned of oure scolemen which of
late nether vnderstode greke / latine or hebrue / called dulia
/ yperdulia and latria. But the difference declareth he not ner
the propirties of the wordes / but with confused termes leadeth
you blindfold in his mase.
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As for yperdulia I wold fayne wete where he readith of it in
all the scripture and whether the worshuppe done to his lorde
the cardinalles hatte were dulia / yperdulia or idololatria. And as for dulia and latria we fynde them both referred vn to god in a
thousande places.
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Therfore that thou be not begyled with falshed of sophisticall
wordes / vnderstond / that the wordes which the
scripture vseth in the worshepynge or honouringe of god are
these: loue god / cleaue
to god / dreade / serue / bowe / praye and cal on god
beleue and trust in god and soch like. Which wordes al we vse
in the worshepinge of man also / how be it diuersly and the
difference therof doeth all the scripture teach.
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God hath created vs and made vs vnto his awne likenes / and our
sauioure christ hath bought vs with his bloude. And
therfore are we Gods possession of dutie and right and Christes
saruauntes only / to wayte on his wil and pleasure / and ought
therfore to moue nether
hand ner fote ner any other membir / other hert or
mynd other wise
then he hath appoynted. God is honoured in his awne
person / when
we receaue all thynge both good and bad at his
hande / and loue his
lawe with al oure hertes / and beleue hope and long fore all that
he promiseth.
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The officers that rule the world in Gods stede / as
father / mother /
master / husband / lorde and prince are honoured /
when the law
which almightye God hath committed vnto
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them to rule
with / is obeyed. Thi neyboure that is out of
office / is honoured /
when thou (as god hath commaunded the) louest hym
as thi selfe / countest him as good as thy selfe thinkest him as
worthy of any thynge as thy selfe and comest louyngly to helpe
him at all his nede /
as thou woldest be holpe thy selfe / because God hath
made him like vnto his awne image as well as the and christ
hath bought him as well as the.
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Yf I hate the lawe / so I breake it in myne hert /
and both hate and dishonoure God the maker therof. If I breake
it outwardly / then I dishonoure God before the world and the
officer that ministreth it. Yf I hurte my neyboure / then I
dishonoure my neyboure and him that made him and him also that
bought him with his bloude. And even so iff I hate my neyboure
in myne herte / then I hate him that commaundeth me to loue him
and him that hath deserued that I shuld at the lest way for his
sake loue him. If I be not ready to helpe
my neyboure at his nede / so I take his due honoure
from him / and
dishonoure him / and him that made him / and him
also that bought him with his bloude / whose saruant he is. Yf
I loue soch thinges as God hath lent me and committed vn to
mine administracion / so that I can not find in myne hert to
bestow them on the vses which God hath appoynted me / then I
dishonoure god and abuse his creature in that I geue moare
honoure vn to it then I shuld do / And then I make an Idole of
it in that I loue it moare then god and his commaundment and
then I dishonoure my neyghboure from whose nede I withdraw
it.
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In like maner if the officer abusynge his
power / compell the subiecte to doo that which god forbiddeth or
to leue vndone that which god commaundeth / so he dishonoureth
god / in withdrawenge
his seruaunt from him / and maketh an Idole of his
awne lustes / in that he honoureth them a boue god / and he
dishonoureth his brother in that he abuseth him contrary vn to
the right vse which God hath created him for and christ hath
bought him for / which is
to wayte on gods commaundementes. For iff the
officer be other wise minded then this / the worst of these
subiectes is made by the hondes of him that made me / and
bought with the bloude of him that bought me / and therfore my
brother and I but his saruaunt only / to defende him and to
kepe him in the honoure that god and christ hath sett him /
that no man dishonoure him: he dishonoureth both God and man.
And therto if any subiecte thynke any otherwise of the officer
(though he be an emperoure) then that he is but a sarvaunt
only / to ministre the office indifferently / he
dishonoureth the office and god that ordeyned it. So that all
men / what so euer degre they be of are every man in his rowme
/ saruauntes to other /
as the hand sarueth the foote and every membre one
a nother. And the angels of heuen are al so oure brethern and
very saruauntes for
Christes sake / to defend vs from the power of the
deuels.
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And finally all other creatures that are nether angels ner man /
are
in honoure lesse then man / and man is lorde ouer
them / & they
created to sarue him / as scripture testifieth / and
he not to serue them / but only / his lord god and his sauioure
Christe.
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¶Of worshepinge of sacramentes /
ceremonies / images / reliques and so forth
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Now let vs come to the worshepynge or honourynge of sacramentes
ceremonies images and reliques. First images be not god /
and therfore no confidence is to be geuen them.
They be not made
after the image of god ner are the price of
christes bloude / but the
werkmansheppe of the craftes man and the price of money and
therfore
inferioures to man.
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Wherfore of all right man ys lord ouer them and the honoure of
them is to doo man seruyce and mans dishonoure yt ys to doo
them
honorable seruyce / as vnto hys better. Images then
and reliques ye
and as christ saith / the holy daye to are seruantes
vnto man. And therfore it foloweth that we can not / but vnto
oure damnacion put
one a cote worth an hundred cotes / vppon a postes
backe / and let the ymage of god and the price of christes
bloude goo vpp & downe / therby naked. For yf we care more
to cloth the deed image made by man and the pryce of seluer
then the liuely image of god and pryce of christes bloude /
then we dishonoure the image of god and hym that made him and
the price of chrystes. bloude and hym that bought hym.
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Wherfore the right vse / office and honoure of al
creatures inferiores vnto man / is to do man seruice / whether
they be images / reliques / ornamentes signes or sacramentes /
holidayes / ceremonies
or sacrifices. And that maie be on this maner and no
doute it so once
was. If (for an ensample) I take a pece of the
crosse of christe and make a litle crosse therof and beare it
aboute me / to loke theron with a repentinge hert / at tymes
when I am moued therto / to put me in remembraunce that the
body of christ was broken and his
bloud
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shed theron / for my sinnes / and beleue stedefastly that
the mercyfull trueth of god shall forgeue the sinnes
of all that repent for his deeth sake and neuer thinke on them
moare then it seruith me and I not it and doeth me the same
seruice as yf I red the testament in a boke / or as iff the
preacher preached it vnto me. And in like maner if I make a
crosse in my forehed / in a remembraunce that god hath promised
assistence vnto al that beleue in him / for his sake that died
on the crosse / then doeth the crosse serue me and I not it. And in like maner if I beare on me or loke vppon a crosse of what
soeuer mater it be / or make a crosse vppon me / in
remembraunce that whosoeuer wilbe christes disciple must sofre
a crosse of aduersite
tribulacions and persecucion / so doeth 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 begynnynge set vpp in the churches.
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And so yf I make an image of christ or of any thinge
that christ hath done for me / in a memory / it is good and not
euel vntill it be abvsed.
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And euen so / yf I take the true life of a saynt and cause it to
be
painted or carued / to put me in remembraunce of the
saintes life / to folow the saynt as the saint did christe / and
to put me in remembraunce
of the greate faith of the saint to god and how
true god was
to helpe him out of al tribulacion / and to se the
saintes loue to warde his neyboure / in that he so paciently
sofered so paynefull a deeth and so cruell marterdome to
testifie the trueth for to saue other / and all to strength my
soule with all and my faith to god and loue to my neyboure /
then doeth the image serue me and I not it. And this was the
vse of images at the beginninge and of reliques also.
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And to knele before the crosse vnto the
word of god which the crosse preacheth is not euell. Neyther to
knele doune before an image in amans meditacions to cal the
lyuinge of the saint to minde for to desyre god of lyke grace
to folow the ensample / is not evell.
But the abuse of the thynge is euell / and to haue
a false fayth: as to beare a pece of the crosse aboute a man /
thynkynge that so longe as that ys aboute hym / spyrytes shall
not come at him / his enimies shall do him no bodyly harme /
all causes shall go on his side euen for beringe it aboute him
/ and to thynke that yf it were not aboute him yt wold not be
so / & to thinke / if any misfortune chaunce / that it came
for leauynge it of or because this or that ceremonie was lefte
vndone / and not rather because we haue broken Gods commaundementes / or that God tempteth vs to proue oure pacyence.
Thys ys playne ydolatrie / and here a man ys captyue / bonde and seruaunt vnto a false faith and a false ymaginacyon / that ys nother god ner hys worde. Now am I Gods only and ought to serue
nothynge but god and hys worde. My bodye must serue the rulars
of
thys world and my neyboure (as god hath appoynted it) & so
must all my goodes: but my soule must serue God only / to loue
hys law
and too trust in hys promyses of mercye in all my
nedes. And in like
maner yt ys that thousandes / whyle the prest
patereth Saynt Ihons Gospell in latine ouer theyr heedes /
crosse them selues wyth / I
trow / a legyon of crosses / behynde and before and
wythe reuerence on the very arses and (as Iack off napis when he
claweth him selfe) ploucke vp theyr legges and crosse so moch as
their heeles and the
very soles of their fete / & beleue that if it
be done in
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the tyme that he readeth the gospell (and else not) that there
shall no mischaunce happen them that daye / because only of
those crosses. And where he shuld crosse him selfe / to be
armed and to make him silfe stronge to beare the crosse with
Christe / he crosseth him selfe to driue the crosse from him /
and blesseth him selfe with a crosse from the crosse. And if he
leaue it vndone / he thynketh it no small synne / and that god
is hyly displeased with him and if any misfortune chaunce /
thinketh it is therfore / which is also Idolatrie and not gods
worde. And soch is the confidence in the place or image or what
soeuer bodyly obseruaunce it be: soch is S. Agathes
letter written in the gospell tyme. And soch are the crosses on
palmesondaye made in the passion tyme. And soch is the beryng
of holy waxe aboute a man. And soch is that some hange apece of
S. Ihons gospell aboute their neckes. And soch is to beare the
names of god with crosses betwene ech name aboute them. Soch is
the sayenge of gospels vn to wemen in childbed. Soch is the
limeteriers sayenge of in principio erat verbum from housse to
housse. Soch is the sayenge of gospells
to the corne in the feld in the procession weke
that it shuld the better growe. And soch is holy bred holy
water and seruinge of all ceremonies and sacramentes in
generall with out significacion. And I praye you how is it
possible that the people can worshepe images / reliques /
ceremonies and sacramentes / saue supersticiously / so longe as
they know not the true meaninge / nether wil the prelates sofre
any man to tell them: yee and the very meanynge of some and right
vse no man can tell?
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And as for the riches that is bestowed on ima
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ges and reliques they can not proue but that it is abhominable /
as longe as the pore are dispised and vncared for and not first
serued / for whose sakes and to fynd preachers / offeringes
tithes / londes rentes and all that
they haue was geuen the spiritualtie. They will
saye we maye do
both. Maye or not maye / I se that the one most
necessary of both /
is not done: But the pore are bereued of the
spiritualtie of all that was in tyme passed offered vn to them.
Morouer though both were done / they shall neuer proue that the
sight of gold and siluer and of preciousstones shuld moue a
mans hert to dispice soch thynges aftir the doctrine of
Christe. Nether can the riche cote helpe to moue thy
mind / to folow the ensample of the saint / but
rather if he were purtrayde as he sofred / in the most vngoodly
wise. Which thinge
taken awaye / that soch thynges with all other
seruice / as stekynge vpp candels / moue not thy mynde to folow
the ensample of the saint / ner teach thy soule any godly
lernynge: then the image serueth
not the / but thou the image / and so art thou an
Idolater / that is to saye in English / a serueimage. And thus
it appereth that youre vngodly and bely doctrine where with ye
so magnifie the dedes of youre ceremonies and of youre
pilgremages and offerynge for the dede it selfe / to please god
and to obtayne the fauoure of deed saintes (and not to moue you
and to put you in remembraunce of the law of god & of the
promises which are in his sonne and to folow
the ensample of the saynte) is but an exhortynge to
serue images /
and so are ye imageseruers / that is / Idolaters /
And finally the more deuocion men haue vn to soch dedes / the
lesse they haue vn to gods commaundement /
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in so moch that they which be most wontte to offer to images
and to shewe them / be so colde in offerynge to
the pore / that they wyll scace geue them the
scrappes which must else be geuen dogges / or their old shone /
iff they maye haue new bromes for them.
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¶Pilgrimages
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To speake of pilgrimages / I saye / that a christen man / so that
he leaue nothinge vndone at home that he is bounde to doo / is
fre to
goo whother he will / only aftir the doctrine of the
lorde / whose
seruaunte he is and not his awne. If he goo and viset
the pore / the secke and the presoner / it is well done and a
worke that god commaundeth . If he goo to this or that place / to
heare a sermon or because his mynd is not quiet at home / or if
because his hert is to moch occupied on his worldly businesses
bi the reasons of occasions at home / he gett him in to a moare
quiett and styll place / where his minde is moare abstracte and
pulled from worldly thoughtes it is
well done. And in all these places if what soeuer it
be / whether liuely preachynge / ceremonie / relique or image
stere vpp his herte to god and preach the worde of god and the
ensample of oure sauioure Iesus moare in one place then in a
nother / that he thither goo / I am content. And yet he bydeth
a lorde and the thynges serue him and he not them / Now whether
his entent be so or no / his dedes wil testifie / as his
vertuouse gouernynge of his housse and louynge demeanoure to
warde his neyghboures: yee and gods worde wilbe
all waye in his hert and in his mouth & he euery
daye perfecter then other.
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For there can nothinge edifie mans soule
saue that which preacheth him gods worde. Only the worde of god
worketh the
health of the soule. And what someuer preacheth him
that / can not
but make him perfecter.
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But to beleue that god wilbe sought moare in one place then in a
nother / or that god will heare the moare in one
place then in a nother / or moare where the image is / then
where it is not is a false
faith and Idolatrie or imageseruice. For first god
dwelleth not in
temples made with handes Actes .xvij. Item steuen
died for the contrary and proued it by the prophetes Actes
.vij. And Salomon in the
.viij. off the thirde of the kinges / when he had
byld his temple /
testified the same and that he had not byld it for
god to dwell in / ye and that god dwelleth not in the erth / but
that he shuld out of heuen heare the prayars of them that prayed
there. And the prophetes did
often testifye vn to the people that had soch a false
faith that god
dwelt in the temple / that he dwelt not their.
Morouer god in his testament byndeth him selfe vn to no place
ner yet the: But speaketh
generally (concerninge where and when) sayenge
psalme .xlix. in
the daye of the tribulacion thou shalt call on me and
I wil deliuer
the / and thou shalt glorifie me. He setteth nether
place ner tyme / But whersoeuer and when soeuer: so that the
prayar of Iob vppon the dongehyll was as good as Poules in the
temple. And when oure
sauioure saith Ihon .xvj. Whatsoeuer ye axe my
father in my name /
I will geue it you / he saith not in this or that
plase / or this or that
daye: but whersoeuer & when soeuer / as well in
the feldes as in the toune and on the Monedaye as on the
sondaye. God
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is a
spirite and wilbe worsheped in the spirite Ihon
.iiij. That is / though he be present euery where / yet he
dwelleth liuely and
gloriously in the myndes of angells only and hertes
of men that
loue his lawes and trust in his promises. And
whersoeuer god findeth soch an hert / their he heareth the
prayar in all places and
tymes indifferently. So that the outward place nether
helpeth or
hindred / excepte (as I said) that a mans minde be
moare quiett and still from the rage of wordely businesses / or
that some thynge stere vpp the worde of god and ensample of our
sauioure moare in one place then in a nother.
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¶Whence Idolatrie or imageseruice springeth
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Now that thou maist se whence all this Idolatrie or imageseruice
is sprounge / marke a litle / and then I will answere
vn to the argumentes which these imageseruars make agenst the
open trueth. All
the ceremonies ornamentes and sacrifices of the
olde testament were
sacramentes. That is to wete / signes preachinge vn
to the people
one thynge or a nother. As circumcision preached vn
to them / that god had chosen them to be his people / and that
he wold be their god and defende them and encrease and multiplie
them and kepe them in that londe and blesse the frutes of the
erth and all their possessions . And on the other syde it
preached / how that they had promised god agayne to kepe his
commaundementes / ceremonies and ordinaunces. Now when they saw
their younge children circumcised / iff they consented vn to the
appoyntement made betwene god and them / moued by the pre
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achinge of that same / then were they iustified thereby. How be
it the dede in it selfe / the
cuttynge off of the foreskyn of the manchildes
priuey membir iustified them not ner was a satisfaccion for the
childes synnes / but the
preachynge only did iustifie them that receaued the
faith theroffe. For it was a bage geuen indifferently as well
vn to them that neuer
consented in their hertes vn to gods lawe / as vn to
the electe in whose hertes the lawe was written. And that this
was the meaninge
of circumcision maye be proued many wayes: But namely
by Paul
Romans .ij. where he saith / circumcision is moch
worth / if thou kepe the lawe (whose signe it was) and else
not. And Roma. iij. where he saith that god did iustifie the
circumcised of faith (whose
signe it was on the other syde) and else not.
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And the paschall lambe was a memoriall of their
deliueraunce out of Egypte only and no satisfaccion or
offeringe for synne.
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And the offeringe of their first frutes preached how
they had receaued
all soch frutes of the hand of god / and that it was
god that gaue them that land and that kepte them in it / and
that did blesse and make their frutes grow. In token wherof as
vn to a lorde roiall they brought him the first ripe frutes of
their herueste. Which remembraunce as longe as it abode in
their hertes / it moued them to loue god againe and their
neyboure for his sake / as he so oft desyred them. And out of
this ceremonye was fett the blessynge of oure new ripe frutes
for like purpose / though we haue lost the significacion.
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And their other offeringes / as the sacrifices of
doues / turtles /
lambes / kyddes / shepe / calues / gottes and oxen
were no satisfaccions
for syn
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ne / but only a signe and token / that at the repentaunce of the
hert / thorow an offeringe to come and for that seedes sake that
was promised Abraham / their synnes were forgeuen them.
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And in like maner the ornamentes and all other
ceremonies were eyther an open preachynge or secrett prophisies
and not satisfaccions or iustifienges. And thus the workes did
serue them and preach
vnto them and they not the workes ner put any
confidence therin.
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¶False worshepynge
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But what did the children of Israel and the Iewes?
They latt the
significacions of their ceremonyes goo and lost the
meanynge of
them and turned them vn to the workes to serue them /
sayenge that they were holy workes commaunded of god and the
offerars were
therby iustified and obtayned forgeuenesse of
synnes and therby became good: as the parable of the pharesey
and publican declare Luke
.xviij. and as it is to se in Paul and thoroute all
the Byble: and became captiue to serue and put their trust in
that which was nether god ner his worde. And so the better
creature agenst nature did serue the worse. Where of all
likelyhode god shuld haue accepted their worke by the reason of
them / if their hertes had bene right / & not haue
accepted their soules for the bloudes sake of a calfe
or shepe / for as moch as a man is moch better then a calfe or
shepe / as Christ testifieth
Matth. xij. For what pleasure shuld god haue in the
bloud of calues or in the light of oure candeles? his pleasure
is onlye in the hertes of them that loue his
commaundementes.
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Then they went further in the imagination
of their blynd reason sayenge / in as moch as god accepteth
these holy workes / that we be made righteous therby / then it
foloweth that he whyche offereth most / is most rightewesse and
the best man: ye and it is better to offer an oxe then a shepe
/ because it is more costly. And
so they stroue who might offer most / and the
prestes were well
apayde. Then went they further in their fleshly
wisdome sayenge: if I be good for the offeringe of a doue and
better for a shepe and yet better for an oxe / and so euer the
better thynge I offer / the better I am / Oh how accepted shuld
I be if I offered a man / and namelye him that I most loued? And
vppon that imaginacion / they offered their awne children and
burnt them to asshes before images that they had imagined.
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And to confirme their blyndnesse they layde for them
(nodoute) the ensample of Abraham which offered his sonne Isaac
and was so accepted / that god had promised him / how that in
his seed / all the
world shuld be blessed. Herof ye se vn to what
abhominacion blynd reason bryngeth a man / when she is
destitute of gods worde.
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And to speake of the sabbath / which was ordeyned to
be their
saruaunte & to preach & be a signe vn to
them / that god thorow his holy spirite & worde did
sanctifie them / in that they obeyed his
commaundementes & beleued and trusted in his
promises (& therfore were charged to leaue workynge and to
come on the holy daye
& heare the worde of god by which they were
sanctified) vn to it
also they became captiue and bonde to sarue it /
sayenge that they were iustified by absteynynge from bodyly
laboure (as oures thinke al so) in so moch that though they
bestowed not the
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holy day
in vertue prayer and hearinge the worde of god / in
almosdede / in visitynge the sycke / the nedie and
comfortelesse and so forth / but
went vp & downe ydlye / yet what soeuer nede his
neyghboure had / he wolde not haue holpe hym on the saboth daye
/ as thou mayst se by the ruler of the synagoge which rebuked
christ for healinge the
people on the holy daye luke .xiij.
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And of like blyndnesse they went and fett out the
brasen serpent (which Moses commaunded to be kepte in the arcke
for a memorie) and offered before it: thinkynge (no doute) that
god must be there
present / for else how coude yt haue healed the people that came
not nye yt / but stode afarre off and beheld yt only. And a
thousand soch
madnesses did they.
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And of the temple they thought that god herd them
there better
then any were else: ye and he hearde them nowhere
saue there. And therfore they coude not praye but there / as
oures can no where but
at church and before an ymage. For what prayar can a
man praye /
when the woorde of god is not in the temple of hys
herte: ye and
when soch come to church / what is their prayer and
what is their
deuocyon / saue the blynde imageseruice of their
hertes.
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But the prophetes euer rebuked them for soch
faythlesse workes and for soch false fayth in theyr workes. In
the .xlix. psalme saith the prophete / I wil receaue no calues
of youre houses ner gottes out of youre foldes / thinke ye that
I will eate the flesh of oxen or drynke
the bloude of gottes? And Esaias saith in his first
chaptre / what care I for the multitude of your sacryfyces
sayth the lorde. I am full. I haue
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no lust in the burnt offeringes of youre rammes or in the fatt
of fatt beestes or bloud of calues / lambes or gottes: offer me
no moare soch false sacryfyce. And therto youre swete cense ys an
abhominacion vnto me. And thus he said because of the
false fayth and peruertynge the ryght vse of them.
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And for their false fastinge / not referrynge theyr
fast vnto the tamynge and subduynge of theyr flesh vnto the
spirite / when they complayned vnto god iustifienge them selues
and saynge / how happeneth it / that we haue fasted and thou
woldest not loke vppon it /
we haue humbled oure soules and thou woldest not know
it. God
answered them by the prophete Esayas in the .lviij.
chaptre / behold
/ in the daye of youre fast / ye doo youre awne
lustes and gather
vpp all youre dettes. And how soeuer ye fast / ye
neuer the later striue and fight and smyte with fyste cruelly.
I haue chosen no soch faste and humblynge of soule, &c. But
that ye louse weked bondes
and lett the oppressed goo fre / and to breake breed
vnto the hongrye and to cloth the naked and so forth.
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And concerninge the temple / Esaias sayth in hys
last chaptre. What housse wyll ye bild for me or in what place
shall I rest? heuen
is my sete and the erth my fote stole. As who shuld
saye I am to
greate for any place that ye can make / and (as
steuen sayth actes .vij.
and paul actes .xvij.) I dwell not in a temple made
with handes.
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¶How ceremonies sprange amonge vs
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Vnderstond also (to se how we came yn to
like blyndenesse) that before the comynge of christe in the
flesh / the Israelites and
Iewes were scatered thorow out all the world / to
punish theyr imageseruice / both eest / west south and north /
as ye reade in the
chronicles how Englonde was once full: so that there
was no prouince or greate citie in the world where no Iewes
were: god so prouydynge for the spedie preachynge of the
gospell amonge the hethen thorow out the worlde. Now chryst /
as he was promised /
so was he sent / vnto the Iewes or Israelites. And
what by chrystes preachynge and the appostles after his
resurrexion / there were innumerable
Iewes conuerted haply an hundred thousand or moo in
Ierusalem and Iewry and in the contres aboute / and abode still
in the
londe. Then paul rose vpp and persecuted them in
Iherusalem and thorow out al Iewry and Damasco / sleynge all
that he coude catche or makinge them forswere christe. For
feare of which persecucion they fled in to all costes and
preached vnto the Iewes that were scatered / prouinge that
Iesus was christ the sauioure of the worlde / both by the
scripture and also by myracles: so that agreate parte of the
Iewes came to the faith euery where / and we hethen came in
shortely after / and parte a bode styll in vnbeleffe as vnto this daye.
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Now the Iewes beynge born & bred vp / roted and
noseld in ceremonyes as I haue shewed and as ye maye better se
in the .v. bokes of Moses / if ye wold reade them / coude but
with greate difficultie /
depart from them as it is to se in al the epistles of paul / how
he
fought agenst them. But in processe
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they gatt the vpperhand.
And therto the fyrst that were christened and all the
offycers and bisshopes of the church / euen so moch as the
greate God of Rome
were Iewes for the most parte a greate season.
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And Morouer / as paul saith .Ro. ix. not al that came of Israel
are ryght Israelites nether are al they Abrahams sonnes that are
Abrahams seed. Whi so? because they folowed not the steppes of
the
fayth of their graundfathers. Even so / not all they
that were called and also came vnto the mariage whych god the
father made betwene
christ hys sonne and all sinners / brought their
maryage garment
wyth them / that is to wete / true faith wherwyth we
be maryed vnto chryste and made his flesh and hys bloude and
one spirite with hym / his brethern and heyres with him and the
sonnes of god also. But many of them (to fulfyll the sayenge of
christ / that the kyngdome of heuen / which is the gospell / is
like a net that ketcheth good
and bad) were dreuen in to the net and compelled to
confesse that Iesus was christ and that seed that was promised
Abraham and Messias that shuld come: not off any inward
fealinge that the spirite of god gaue them / nether of any
louely consent that they had vnto the law of god that it was
good / mornynge / both because they had
broken it and because also they had no power to
fulfill it and therfore to obtayne mercie and power came to
christ and vnto the father thorow him / with the hert of
naturall childern which receaue all thinge frely of their
fathers bounteous lyberalitie and of loue become saruauntes
vnto theyr brethern for theyr fathers sake: But were compelled
only
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with violence of the scripture which everiwhere bare wittenesse
vn to christe and agreed vn to al that he did / and ouercome
also with the power of miracles that confirmed the same. That
is to saye / they came with a storifaith / a popish faith / a faithlesse faith & a fayned faith of their awne makinge / and not as
God
in the scripture describeth the faith / so beleuinge
in christ / that they
woldbe iustified by theyr awne dedes / which is the
denienge of
christe. As oure papistes beleue. Which moare mad
then those Iewes / beleue nothynge by the reason of the
scripture / but only that soch a multitude consent therto /
compelled with violence of swerde / with falsyfienge of the
scripture and fayned lyes. Which multitude yet is not the fifte
part so many as they that consent vn to
the lawe of Mahomete. And therfore by their awne
argumentes / the faith of the turkes is better then theirs. And
their faith therto maye
stond by theyr awne confession / with all misheue
(as it well appereth by them) and with yeldynge them selues to
worke all wekednesse
with full delectacion / aftir the ensample of the
faith of their father the deuell / and with out repentaunce and
consent vn to the
law of god / that it is good. Which popish therto
so beleue in Christ /
and so wilbe his saruauntes / that they wilbe bond
vn to domme ceremonies and deed workes puttynge their trust and
confidence in them & hopinge to be saued by them and
ascribynge vn to them the thanke of their saluacion and
righttewysnesse.
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And therfore because / as I saide / the Iewes ye and
the hethen to / were so accustomed vn to ceremonies and because
soch a multitude
came with a faithelesse faith / they went and
cleane
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contrary
vnto the mynde of paul / set vp ceremonies in the new
testamente / partely borowynge them of Moses and partely
imageninge like / as ye now se / and called them sacramentes:
that is to saye / sygnes (as
yt ys playne in the storyes) the sacrament of holy
water / of holy
fyre / holy bred / holy salt and so forth. And they
gaue them significacions.
As holy water signifyed the sprinclinge of
christes bloude for our redempcyon. Which sacrament or sygne
(though yt seme superfluous / in as moch as the sacrament of
christes body and bloud signifieth the same dayly) yet as longe
as the significacion
bode / it hurted not. And the kyssynge of the pax was
sett vpp to
signifie / that the peace of christ shuld be euer
amonge vs one to
loue an other after hys ensample as the word yt selfe
well declareth. For pax ys as moch to saye as peace.
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And as for confirmacion / it is no doute / but that
it came this wise
vp and that thys was the vse / which the word it
selfe well declareth. We reade in the stories / that they wich
were conuerted vnto the faith of the age of discrecion / were
ful taught in the law of god (as right is) and in the fayth of
oure sauiour Iesus / yer they were baptised /
and vppon the profession or promisinge to kepe that
law and fayth / were baptised. And then for the socure and helpe
of younge childern / baptised before the age of discrecion / to
know the law of
god and faith of christe / was confirmacion
institute that they shuld not be all waye ignoraunt and
faithlesse / but be taught the professyon of theyr baptim. And
thys / no doute / was the maner / as we maye wel gather by
probable coniectures and euident tokens. When the childern were
of
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.vj. or seuen yeres olde / their elders brought them vnto the
preest or deacon in euery parish / which officer
taught the children what their baptim ment &
what they had
professed therin: that is to wete / the law of god
& their dutie vn to all degrees / and the faith of oure
sauioure. And then because it shuld
not be neglecte or lefte vndone / an hier officer
as the archdeacon
(for it hath not bene I suppose in the bisshopes
handes all waye as now / nether were it mete) came aboute from
parish to parish / at
tymes conuenient. And the prestes brought the
children vn to him at .xj. or .xij. yere olde / before they
were admitted to receaue the sacrament of Christes body haply.
And he apposed them of the law of god & faith of Christe /
and axed them / whether they thought that law good / and
whether their hertes were to folow it. And they answered
ye.
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And he apposed them in the articles of oure faith / and axed
them / whether they put their hope and trust in Christ / to be
saued thorow his deeth and merites. And they answered ye. Then
confirmed he their baptim sayenge: I confirme you / that is / I
denunce and declare / by the auctorite of gods worde and
doctrine of Christ / that ye be truely baptised within in youre
hertes and in youre spirites /
thorow professynge the lawe of god and the faith of
oure sauioure
Iesu / which youre outwarde baptim doeth signifie / and thervppon
I put this crosse in youre forehedes that ye goo and fight
agenst the deuell / the world and the flesh / vnder the
standarde of oure sauioure / in the name of the father / the
sonne / and the holy gost. Amen. Which maner I wold to god for
his tender mercie were in vse this daye.
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But aftir that the deuell was broken lowse
and the bisshopes beganne to purchace / and the deacons to
scratch all to them / and the spiritualtie to clime an hye: then
because the laboure semed to tediouse and paynfull / to appose
the childern one by one / they axed
the prestes that presented them only / whether the
childern were taught the profession of their baptim. And they
answered ye. And so vppon their wordes they confirmed them with
out apposinge.
When they no lenger apposed them / the prestes no
lenger taught them / but committed the charge to their
godfather and godmothers
/ and they to the father and mother / dischargynge
them selues
by theyr awne auctorite with in halfe an houre.
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And the father and mother taught them a monstrous laten pater
noster and an Aue and a crede. Which gibbresh euery
popiniaye speaketh with a sundrye pronunciacion and facion / so
that one pater noster semeth as many languages all most as
there be tonges that
speake it. How be it / it is all one / as longe as
they vnderstonde it
not. And in processe as the ignoraunce grewe / they
brought them
to confirmacion streight from baptim: so that now
oftimes they be volowed and bysshoped both in one daye / that
is / we be confirmed in blindenesse to be kept from knowlege
for euer. And thus are we come in to this damnable ignoraunce
and ferce wrathe of god
thorow oure awne deseruinge / because when the
trueth was told vs
we had no loue therto. And to declare the full &
sett wrath of god vppon vs / our prelates whom we haue exalted
ouer vs to whom we
haue geuen al most al we had / haue perswaded the
wordly princes (to whom we haue
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submitted our selues and geuen vpp our
power) to deuoure vpp body and soule / and to kepe
vs / downe in darkenesse / with violence of swerde / and with
all falshed and gyle.
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In so moch that if any do but lift vpp his nose to smell aftir
the trueth / they swapp him in the face with a fire brande to
sengge his
smellynge / or if he open one of his eyes to once
loke towarde the light of gods worde / they bleare and dase his
sight with their false
iuglynge: so that if it were possible / though he
were gods electe / he coude not but be kepte doune and perish
for lacke of knowlege
of the trueth.
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And in like maner / because christ had institute the sacrament of
his body and bloude / to kepe vs in remembraunce of his
bodye breakinge and bloud shedynge for oure synnes / therfore
went they
and sett vpp this facion of the masse and ordeyned
sacramentes in the ornamentes therof to signifie and expresse
all the rest of his passion.
The amice on the heed is the kercheue that Christ
was blyndfolded with / when the soudioures buffeted him and
mocked him
sayenge: prophete vn to vs who smote the? But now
it maye well signifie that he that putteth it on / is blynd and
hath professed to
leade vs aftir him in darkenesse / acordynge vn to
the begynnynge of his playe. And the flappe theron is the
croune of thorne. And the albe is the white garment that herode
put on him / sayenge he was
a fole because he held his peace and wold not
answere him. And the
.ij. flappes on the sleues and the other .ij. on
the albe beneth ouer agenst his fete behind and before / are
the .iiij. nayles. And the fanon
on his hand / the cord that his handes were bound
with: And the
stole the rope where with he was
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bounde vn to the piler / when he was scorged: And the
corporiscloth / the sindon wherin he
was buryed: & the altare is the crosse or haply
the graue and so forth.
And the castynge abrode of his handes / the
splayenge of Christ
vppon the crosse. And the light and stickinge vpp
of candels and beringe of candels or tapers in procession
happlye signifyed this
texte. Mat. v. ye be the light of the worlde / and
let youre light so
shyne before men / that they maye se youre good
workes & glorefye
youre father which is in heven. And the salt signifyeth the
wysdome of Christes doctrine / and that we shulde therwith salt
oure dedes
and do nothinge with out the auctorite of goddes
worde. So that in one thynge or other / what in the garmentes
and what in the gestures
all is playde / in so moch that before he will goo
to masse / he wilbe sure to sell him / lest Iudases parte
shuldbe left out.
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And so thorow out all the sacramentes / ceremonies or signes
(.iij. wordes of one significacion) there were significacions
vn to them at the beginninge. And so longe as it was vnderstond
what was ment
by them and they did but serue the people and preach
one thinge or a nother vn to them / they hurted not greatly /
though that the fre seruaunt of Christ ought not to be brought
violently in to captiuite vnder the bondage of tradicions of
men. As S. Augustine complayneth in his dayes / how that the
condicion & state of the Iewes
was moare easy then the christens vnder tradicions:
so sore had the tyranny of the shepardes invaded the flocke all
redy in those dayes.
And then what iuste cause haue we to complayne oure
captiuite now / vn to whose yocke
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from that tyme hitherto / even .xij. hundred yeres longe / hath
euer some what moare wayght bene added to / for to kepe vs
downe and to confirme vs in blindnesse?
how be it / as longe as the significacions bode /
they hurted not the
soule / though they were paynful vnto the body.
Neuer the later I impute this oure greuous faull in to so
extreme and horrible blyndnesse (wher in we are so depe and so
dedly brought a slepe) vn to
nothinge so moch as vn to the multitude of
ceremonies. For assone as the prelates had sett vpp soch a
rable of ceremonies / they thought it superfluous to preach the
playne texte any longer and the law of god / feith of Christ /
loue toward oure neyboure and the ordir of oure iustifienge
& saluacion / for as moch as all soch thynges were playd
before the peoples faces dayly in the ceremonies and euery
child wist the meanynge: but gott them vn to allegories / faynynge them euery man aftir his awne brayne / with out rule / all most
on
euery silable / and from thence vnto disputynge and wastinge
their braynes aboute wordes / not attendynge the significacions
vntyll at the last the laye people had lost the meaninge of the
ceremonies and
the prelates the vnderstondynge of the playne texte /
and of the Greke Latine and specially of the Hebrue which is
most of nede to
be knowen / and of all phrases / the propir maner of
speakynges and
borowed speach of the Hebrues.
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Remembir ye not how with in this .xxx. yeres and
ferre lesse / and yet dureth vn to this daye / the olde barkynge
curres dunces
disciples and like draffe called scotistes / the
childern of darkenesse /
raged in euery pulpyt agenst
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Greke Latine and Hebrue / and what sorow the scolemastirs that
taught the true Latine tonge had with them / some betynge the
pulpyt with their fistes for madnesse and roringe out with open
and fominge mouth / that if there ware but one tirens or
virgill in the world and that same in their sleues and a fire
before them / they wold burne them therin / though it
shuld cost them their liues / affirmynge that all
good lerninge decayed
and was vtterly lost sens men gaue them vn to the
Latine
tonge? ye and I dare saye / that there be .xx.
thousand prestes curattes this daye in Englond and not so few /
that can not geue you the right English vn to this texte in the
pater noster / fiat voluntas tua sicut in celo & in terra
and answere therto.
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And assone as the significacion of the ceremonies was
lost / and the prestes preached christ no lenger / then the
comen people began
to wax mad and out of their mindes vppon the
ceremonies. And that
trust and confidence which the ceremonies preached /
to be geuen
vn to Gods worde and Christes bloude / that same
they turned vn to the ceremonie it selfe as though a man were
so mad to forgett that the bosh at the tauern dore did signifie
wine to be solde within / but wold beleue that the bosh it
selfe wold quench his thirste. And so they became seruantes vn
to the ceremonies / asscribynge their iustifienge and saluacion
vn to them supposynge that it was nothynge
else to be a christen man / then to serue ceremonies
/ and him most
christen that most serued them / and contrary wise him that was
not popish & ceremoniall / no christen man at all. For I
pray you / for
what cause worshepe we our spiritualtie so hiely or
wherfore thynke
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we their prayars better then the pore laye mens / then for their
disgysynges and ceremonies? ye and what other vertue se we in the
holiest of them / then to wayte vppon dumme
supersticious ceremonies ?
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Yee and how cometh it that a poore laye man hauinge wife and
.xx. children and not able to fynde them / though
all his neybours
know his necessite / shall not gett with bedgynge
for Christes sake / in a longe somers daye / ynough to fynde
them .ij. dayes honestly / when iff a disgysed monster come /
he shall with an houres lyenge in the pulpit / gett ynough to
fynde .xxx. or .xl. sturdy lubboures a moneth longe / of which
the weakest shalbe as stronge in the bely when he cometh vn to
the manger / as the mightiest porter in the weyhousse or best
courser that is in the kynges stable? Is ther any other cause
then disgisynge and ceremonyes? For the dedes of the ceremonies
we count better then the dedes which god commaundeth to be done
to our neyboure at his nede. Who thinketh it as good a dede to
fede the pore / as to stecke vpp a candle before a poste or as
to sprencle him selfe with holy water? Nether is it possible to be other wise / as longe as the significacion is lost. For what
other thinge can the people thinke / then that soch deades
beordeyned of god / and because as it is euident / they serue
not our neyboures nede / to be referred vn to the person of god
and he though he be a
spirite / yet serued therwith? And then he can not
but forth on dispute in his blynde reason / that as god is
greater then man / so is that dede that is appoynted to serue
god greater than that whych serueth man. And then when it is
not possible to thinke them ordeyned for
nought / what can I
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wother wise thynke then that they were ordeyned to iustifie and
that I shuld be holy therby / acordynge to
the popis doctrine / as though god were better
pleased when I sprinkle my selfe with water or sett vpp a
candle before a blocke / then iff I fedde or clothed or holpe
at his nede him / whom he so tenderly
loueth that he gaue his awne sonne vn to the deeth for him / and
commaunded me to loue him as my selfe?
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And when the people beganne to runne that waye / the prelates were glad & holpe to heue aftir with sotle allegories &
falsifienge the scripture / & went & halowed the
ceremonies / to make them moare worshepful / that the laye
people shuld haue them in greater estimacion
& honoure / & be afrayde to twich them for
reuerence vn to the holy charme that was saide ouer them / &
affirmed also that christes deeth had purchased soch grace vn to
the ceremonies to forgeue
sinne & to iustifye. O monstre / Christes deeth
purchased grace for mans soule / to repent of euell & to
beleue in Christ for remission of synne / & to loue the
lawe of god and his neyboure as him selfe /
which is the true worshepynge of god in the spirite
/ & he died not to purchesse soch honoure vn to vnsensible
thynges / that man to his dishonoure / shuld doo them
honourable seruice & receaue his saluacion of them.
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This I haue declared vn to you / that ye mighte se
& fele euery thinge sensibly. For I entend not to leade you
in darkenesse. Nether though twise .ij. cranes make not .iiij.
wild gees / wold I therfore
that ye shuld beleue that twise .ij. made not
.iiij. Nether entend I to
proue vn to you that Paules steple is the cause whi
temes is broke in
about Erith / or that teynterden steple is the
cause of the decaye of sandwich hauen as Master Mo
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re iesteth. Neuer the lesse this I wold were persuaded vn to you
(as it is true) that the bildynge of them & soch like /
thorow the false faith that we haue in them / is the decaye of
all the hauens in Englande & of all the cities / townes /
hie wayes & shortly of the hole comen wealth. For sens these false monstres crope vpp in to oure consciences & robbed vs of
the knowlege of oure sauioure Christe / makynge vs beleue in
soch pope holy
workes & to thynke that ther was no nother waye
vn to heuen /
we haue not ceased to bylde them abbayes /
cloysters / coleges / chauntrees and cathedrall churches with
hie steples / striuinge & enuienge one a nother / who shuld
do most. And as for the dedes / that
pertayne vn to oure neyboures and vn to the comen wealth / we haue not regarded at all / as thinges which semed no holy workes
or soch as god wold once loke vppon. And therfore
we left them vnseneto / vntyl they were past remedie or past our
power to remedie them / in as moch as our slowbelies with their
false blessynges had iugled a waye from vs / that wherwith they
might haue bene
holpen in dew season. So that that syly pore man /
though he had haply no wisdome to expresse his mynde / or that
he durst not / or that master More fascioneth his tale as he
doeth other mennes to iest
out the trouth / sawe that nether goodwin sandes
ner any other cause
alleged was the decaye of sandwich hauen / so moch
as that the people had no lust to maynetene the comen wealthe /
for blynde deuocion which they haue to popeholy workes.
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[blank]
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¶The solutions and answeres vn to M. Mores first boke
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In the first Chapter to beginne the boke with al / to
bringe you goodlucke and to geue you a saye or a taste what
trueth shall folowe / he fayneth a letter sent from no man.
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ij.
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In the seconde chapter / besydes that it is
vntrue this vse to haue bene euer sens the tyme of the
appostles / he maketh many sophisticall reasons about
worshepinge of sayntes reliques and images / and yet
declareth not with what maner worshepe / but iugleth with the terme in comune / as he doeth with this worde church and this word
faith / when the wordes haue diuers
significacions: for al faythes are not one maner faith and
so forth / and therefore he begylyth a mans
vnderstondinge. As if a man said / the boyes
will was good to haue geuen his father ablowe / and a
nother wold inferre / that a good wyll coude be no synne /
and conclude / that a man might lawfully smite his father.
Now is good wyll taken in one sens in the maior and in a
nother in the minor / to vse scolars termes / & therfore the conclusion doeth mocke a mans witte. Then disputeth he /
the seruaunt is honowred for the masters sake / and what is
done to the pore is done to Christ (as the popish shall
once fele / for their so
robbynge them). And the .xij. appostles shall
haue their setes and sitte and iudge with christe (as shall
all that here preach him truely as they did) and Mary that
powred the oyntement on christes heed before his passion /
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hath hir memoriall / and therfore we ought to sett candles
before images. First I axe him by what rule his
argument holdeth. And secondaryly I answere
that the true worshepynge of saintes is their memorial / to
folow them as they did
christe. And that honoure we geue them and so
do not ye popish /
but folow the steppes of youre father the pope /
as he doeth the steppes of his father the deuell. And as for
stekinge vpp of candels / I answere that God is a spirite
and in the spirite must be worsheped only. Faith to his
promises and loue to his lawes and longynge for
the life that is in his sonne are his due
honoure and seruice. All bodyly seruice must be referred vn
to oure selues and not vn to the person of God immediatly.
All outward thynges which we receave of god ar geuen vs / to
take oure partes with thankes and to bestow the rest vppon
oure neyboures. For god vseth no soch thinges in his awne
person / but created them for to geue them vs / that we shuld
thanke him / and not to receaue them of vs / to
thanke vs: for that were our prayse and not his. Fastynge /
watchynge / wolward
goinge / pilgrimage and all bodyly excercice
must be referred vn to the taminge of the flesh only. For
as god deliteth not in the tast of
mete / drinke / or in the sighte of gold or
seluer / no moare doeth
he in my fast and soch like / that I shuld
referre them vn to his person / to do him a pleasure with
all. For god in him selfe is as good as he can be and hath
all the delectacion that he can haue. And therfore
to wish that god were better then he is or had
moare pleasure then he hath / is of a worldely
imaginacyon.
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And al the spirites that be in heuen are in
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as good case as they can be & haue all the delectacion
they can haue / & therefore to wish them in better case
or to studie to doo them more pleasure then they haue / is
fleyshly minded popishnesse. The pleasure of them that be
in heuen is / that we herken to God and kepe his commaundementes / which when we doo / they haue all the pleasure that they
can haue in vs. If in this life / I sofre hell
gladly / to winne my brother
to folow god / how moch moare if I were in heuen
shuld I reioyce that he so did? If in this world when I
haue nede of my neyboure / by the reason of mine infirmites
/ yet I seke nought of him / saue his wealth only / whate
other thynge shuld I seke of him / if I were in heuen /
where he can do me no seruice ner I vse any pleasure that he can do me?
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The deuel desyred to haue his imaginacions worsheped as god /
& his popish childern desyre the same / and compell
men so to honoure
them / and of their deuelish nature describe
they both God and his saintes. And therfore I saye / al soch
fleshly imaginacions / as to fast the wenisdaye in the
worshepe of S. Ihon or of S. katerine or
what saynt it be / or to fast sayntes euens or
to goo a pilgremage vnto their images or to offer to them /
to doo them pleasure /
thinkynge therby to obteyne their fauoure and to
make speciall aduocates of them / as a man wold winne the
fauoure of a nother with presentes and giftes / and
thinkynge that if we did it not / they wold
be angrie / are playne Idolatrye and
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imageseruice / for the saint deliteth in no soch. And when
thou stekest vpp a candle before
the image / thou mightest with as good reason
make an holow bely in the image and powre in meate and
drincke. For as the saynt nether eateth ner drincketh / so
hath he no bodyly eyes to delyte in the light
of a candle.
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A nother is this / god geueth not the promises that are in
Christ for bodyly seruice / but of his mercy only / vn to
his awne glorie. Ye and of the fathers goodnesse doo all
naturall childern receaue. Axe a litle boye / who gaue him
his gaye cote / he answereth / his father. Axe him whi /
and he answereth / because he is his father and loueth him
/ and because he ys his sonne. Axe him whether his father
loue him / and he saith ye. Ax him how he knoweth it and he
saith / because he geueth me this or that. Axe
him whether he loue his father / he saith ye. Axe him whi /
he saith / for his father loueth him and geueth him all
thynge. Axe him why he worketh / he answereth / his father
will so haue it. Axe him whi his father geueth not soch and
soch boyes cotes to. Nai saith he / they be not his sonnes
/ their fathers must geue them as myne doeth me. Goo now ye
popish bond seruauntes and receaue youre rewarde for youre
false workes and robbe youre brethern &
raigne ouer them with violence and cruell tiranny and make
them worshepe youre pilars / polaxes images and hattes. And
we will receaue of the mercifull kyndnesse
of oure father and will serue our brethern frely
/ of very loue
and wilbe their seruauntes and sofre for their
sakes. And therto oure
good dedes which we do vn to oure neybours nede
/ springe out of oure rightwysenesse or iustifienge / which
is the forgeuenesse of
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oure synnes in Christes bloude / and of other rightwysnesse knowe we not before god. And contrari wise youre rightwysnesse or iustifienge which stondeth / as youre faith doeth / with
all wekednesse / springeth out of youre holy workes which
yee doo to no man frely saue vn to paynted postes.
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And when he allegeth the sacrifices of the old
law / I saye they were sacramentes and preached vn to the
people (as no dout / oure candels once were) and were no
holy werkes to be referred vn to gods person to obtayne his
favoure / and to iustifie the people / and
that the people shuld doo them for the werkes
selues. And when the people had lost the significacions and
loked on the holynesse of the dedes / to be iustified
therby / they were imageseruice and hatefull
to god and rebuked of the prophetes / as it is
to se thorow out all the old testament.
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Then he iugleth with a texte of S. Paule Rom. xiiij. let
eueriman for his parte abounde / one in this Idolatrie and
a nother in that: when the sens of the texte is / let euery
man be sure of his awne
conscience / that he doo no thinge / excepte he
know well and his conscience sarue him that it maye be
lawfully done. But what care they to abuse gods worde and
to wrest it vn to the contrary?
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And in the last end / to vtter his excellent blindnesse /
he saith /
the wiseman Luther thinketh that if the gold
were taken from the
reliques / it wold be geuen vnto the pore
immediatly / when he seith the contrary / that they which
haue their purses full will geue the pore (if they geue
ought) ether an halfe peny or in his contre the .iiij.
parte of a ferthynge. Now I axe master
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Mores conscience / seinge they haue no deuocion vn to the
poore which are as christes
awne person and for whom Christe hath sofered
his passion that we shuld be kynd to them and whom to
visett with oure almes is gods commaundement / with what
minde doo they offer so greate treasure / to the
garnessinge of shrines / images and reliques? It is manyfest
that they which loue not gods commaundement / can do
nothynge
godly. Wherfore soch offeringes come of a false
faith / so that they thinke them better then workes
commaunded by god and beleue to be iustified therby. And
therfore are they but imageseruice .
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And when he saith / we might as well rebuke the powringe of
the annoyntment on Christes heed. Nay / Christe was then
mortall as well as we / and vsed soch thinges as we doo /
and it refreshed his body. But and if thou woldest now powre
soch on his image to doo him pleasure / I wold rebuke
it.
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iij.
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In the third Chapter he bringeth in miracles
done at S. Steuens tombe. I answere that the miracles done
at saintes tombes / were done for the same purpose that the
miracles which they did when they were aliue / were done:
even to prouoke vn to the faith of their doctrine / and not
to trust in the place or in bones or in the saint. As Paul
sent his napken to heale the seke / not that men shuld put trust in his napkin / but beleue his preachinge.
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And in the olde testament Eliseus healed Naaman
the hethen man in the water of Ior
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dayne / not to put trust in the water or to praye in that
place / but to wonder at the power of god and to come and
beleue / as he also did. And that his bones / when he was deed / reysed vpp a deed man / was not done that men shuld pray to
him: for that was not lawfull then / by their awne
doctrine / nether to put
trust in his bones. For god to avoyd all soch
Idolatrie / had poluted all deed bones / so that whosoeuer
twitched a deed bone / was vncleane and all that came in
his companye / vntyll he had washed him selfe: in so moch
that if a place were abvsed with offeringe vn to Idoles /
there was no beter remedie then to scater deed bones there
/ to driue the people thence / for beinge defiled and poluted. But his bones did that miracle / to testifie that he was a true
prophete and to moue men vn to the faith of his
doctrine.
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And even so miracles done at the holy crosse / were done / to
moue men vn to the faith of him that died
theron / and not that we shuld beleue in the wodde.
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He saith that pilgrimes put no trust in the
place / as necromancers
doo in their circles / and saieth he wotteth
not what / to mocke out the texte of our sauioure of
prayenge in the spirite. And in the ende
he confoundeth him selfe sayenge /. we reken
oure prayers moare pleasaunt in one place then in a nother.
And that must be by the reason of the place / for god is as
good in one place as in a nother and also the man. Morouer
where a man pleaseth god best / thither is he most bounde
to goo. And so that imaginacyon bindeth a man to the place
with a false faith / as nicromancers trust in their circles.
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And agayne if god had said that he
wold moare heare in one place then in a nother / he had
bound him selfe to the place. Now as god is like good euery
where generally so hath he made his testament generally /
whersoeuer mine hert moueth me and am quiet to
pray vn to him / there to heare me like
graciously.
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And if a man laye to oure charge / that god
bound them vn to the tabernacle and aftir to the temple in
the old testament. I saye that he did it not for the places
sake / but for the monumentes and testimonies / that their
preached the worde of god vn to them / so that though the
prestes had bene negligent to preach / yet shuld soch
thynges that there were haue kepte the people in the remembraunce of the testament made betwene god and them. Which cause and
soch like only shuld moue vs to come to church / and vn to
one place moare then a nother. And as longe as I come moare
to one place then a nother by cause of the quietnesse or
that some thynge preacheth gods worde moare liuely vn to me
there than in a nother / the place
is my seruaunte and I not bonde to it: which
cause and soch like
taken awaye / I can not but put trust in the
place as necromancers doo in their circles / & am an
imageseruer and walke aftir myne awne imaginacion and not
aftir gods worde.
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And when he saith / we might as well mocke the
obseruaunce of
the paschall lambe. I answer / Christ oure
paschall lambe is offered for vs and hath deliuered vs as
Paul saith .1. Cor. v. whose signe and memoriall is the
sacrament of his body and bloude. Morouer we
were not deliuered out of Egypte. And therfore
in as
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moch as we be ouerladen with our awne / I se no cause why we
shuld become
Iewes / to obserue their ceremonies to.
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And when he saith holy straunge gestures. I
answere / for the holynesse I wyll not swere: but the
straungenesse I dare well avowe. For euery prest maketh them
of a sundrie maner and many moare madly then the gestures
of Iackanapes. And when he saith that they were left from
hand to hand sens the appostles tyme / it is vntrue. For the
appostles vsed the sacrament as Christ did / as thou maist se .1. Corin .xj. Morouer the appostles left vs in the light and taught
vs all the counsell of God / as Paule
wittenesseth Actes .xx. and hid nothinge in straunge holy
gestures and apes playe the significacions wherof noman
might vnderstonde.
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And a Christen man is moare moued to pitie saith
he / at the sight of the crosse / then with out it. If he
take pitie as English men doo /
for compassion / I saye / that a Christen man is
moued to pitie when he seith his brother beare the crosse.
And at the sight of the crosse /
he that is lerned in god / wepith not Christe
with ignoraunt wemen /
as a man doeth his father when he is deed: but
morneth for his synnes / and att the sight of the crosse
comforteth his soule with the consolacion of him that died
theron. But their is no sight whether
of the crosse or ought else / that can moue you
to leue youre wekednesse / for the testament of god is not
written in youre hertes.
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And when he speaketh of prayenge at church who
denyeth him that men might not praye at church or that the
church shuld not be a place of prayar? But that a man coude
not praye sa
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ue at church / and that my prayars were not hearde as wel
elsewhere / If I prayed with like feruentnesse and stronge
faith / is a false lye.
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And when he speaketh of the presence of god in the temple. I
answere that the prophetes testified / how that he dwelt not
there /
and so doeth Paul Actes .xvij. and so doeth
Steuen Actes .vij. and
Salomon .iij. Of the kinges .viij. And no doute
as the mad Iewes
ment / he dwelt not there / ner as we moare mad
suppose also. But he dwelled there only in his signes
sacramentes / and testimonies
which preached his worde vn to the people. And
finally for their false confidence in the temple / god
destroyed it. And no doute for oure false faith in visitynge
the monumentes of Christe / therfore hath god also
destroyed them and geuen the place vnder the infideles.
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And when he speaketh of the piler of fire &
cloude. I answere / that god was no nother wise present
there then in all fire and in all
cloudes saue that he shewed his power there
specially by the reason of the miracle / as he doeth in the
eyes of the blynde whom he maketh se / and yet is no nother
wise present in those eyes then in other / ner moare there
to be prayde to then in other. And in like maner he is no
moare to be prayed to where he doeth a miracle then where
he doeth nonne. Nether though we can not but be in some place / ought we to seke god in any place / saue only in oure
hertes and that in verite / in faith hope and loue or
charite acordynge to the worde of his doctrine.
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And oure sacramentes / signes / ceremonies /
images / reliques
and monumentes ought to be
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had in reuerence so ferforth as they put vs in minde of
gods worde and of the ensample of them
that liued therafter and no further.
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And the place is to be sought and one to be preferred before
a nother for quietnesse to praye and for liuely preachynge
and for the preachynge of soch monumentes and so furth. And
so longe as the people so vsed them in the olde testament /
they were acceptable and plesaunt to god and god was saide
to dwell in the temple. But when
the significacions beinge lost / the people
worsheped soch thynges for the thinges selues / as we now
doo / they were abhominable to god and god was saide to be
no lenger in the temple.
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iiij.
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And in the .iiij. he saith / that god setteth
moare by one place then a nother. Which doctrine besydes
that it shuld bynde vs vn to the place and god therto and
can not but make vs haue confidence in the place / is yet
false. For first god vn to whose worde we maye adde .
nought / hath geuen no soch commaundement ner
made any soch
couenaunte. Nether is Christ here or there
saith the scripture / but in
oure hertes is the place where god dwelleth by
his awne testimonie if his word be there.
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And when he proueth it / because god doeth a miracle moare
in one place then in a nother I answere / if god wyll doo a
miracle / it requireth a place to be done in. How be it he
doeth it not for the place but for the peoples sakes whom
he wold call vn to the knowlege of
his name / and not to worshepinge him moare in
one place then in a nother.
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As the miracles done in Egipte / in
the red se / in mount Sinay and so forth were not done that
men shuld goo in pilgremage vnto the places to praye there
/ but to prouoke them vnto the true knowlege of god / that
after warde they myght euer praye in the spryte / where
soeuer they were. Christ also did not his miracles that men
shuld praye in the places where he did them / But to stere
vpp the people to come and heare the worde of their soules health.
And when he bringeth the miracle of Siloe / I
answere / that the
sayde miracle and that christ sent the blynd
thither to receaue his sight / were not done / that men
shuld praye in the pole: but the seconde miracle was so
done / to declare the obedient faith of the blinde and to
make the miracle moare knowen / and the first for the worde
of God / that was preached in the temple / to moue the contre aboute to come thither and lerne to knowe God / and to become a liuely temple / out of which they might euer praye and in
all places. Nether was the miracle of lazarus done / that
men shuld moare praye
in that place then in a nother / but to shew christes power
and to moue the people thorow wonderinge at the miracle / to
herken vnto gods worde and beleue it / as it is to se
playnly.
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Morouer God so loueth no church / but that the
parish haue libertie to take it downe and to byld it in a
nother place: ye and yf it be tymbre to make it of stone and
to alter it at their pleasure. For the places / ye and the
images must serue vs and not god which is a spirite and
careth for none moare then other ner is other wise present in
one then in a nother. And likewise ys yt of
sayntes bones we maye
remoue them whother we will / ye and breake all
images therto and
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make newe / or yf they be abused / put them out of the waye
for euer / as was the brasen serpent / so that
we be lordes ouer all soch thynges and they oure
seruauntes. For if the sayntes were oure seruauntes / how
moch moare their bones. It is the hert and not the
place that worshepeth god. The kechen page
turninge the spitt maie haue a purer hert to god / then his
Master at church / and therfore
worshepe God better in the kechen / then his
master at church. But when wyll M. More be able to proue
that miracles done at sayntes tombes / were done that we
shuld praye vnto the sayntes / or that
miracles done by deed saintes whych a liue
nether preached gods
worde ner coude doo miracle are done of god?
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God loueth none angell in heuen better then the
greatest sinner in erth that repenteth and beleueth in
christ. But contrary wyse careth most for the weakest and
maketh all that be perfecte their saruauntes / vntyll as
paul saith .Eph. iiij. they be growen vpp in the
knowlege of god in to a perfecte man and in to
the measure of age of the fullnesse of christ / that is /
that we know al the misteries and secretes that god hath
hyd in christ / that we be no moare childern wauerynge with
euery wynde of doctrine / thorow the sotiltie and wilinesse
of men that come vppon vs to bringe vs in to erroure or
begile vs. So ferre it is of that he wold haue vs kept downe to serue
images. For with bodyly seruice we can serue nothinge
that is a spirite. And therto if it were possyble that all
the angeles of heuen coude
be mine enimies: yet wold I hold me by the testament that my
mercyfull and true father hath made me in the bloude off my
sauyoure / and so come vnto
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all that is promised me and christ hath purchased for me /
and geue not a straw for them all.
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v.
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In the .v. chapter he falleth from al that he
hath so longe swette to
proue & beleueth not by the reason of the
miracles / but by the comen consent of the church and that
many so beleue. This man is of a ferre other complexion then
was the prophete Elias. For he beleued a lone as he thought
/ agenst the consent by all likelyhod / of .
ix. or .x. hundred thousand beleuers. And yet M.
Mores church is in no nother condicion vnder the pope /
then was that church agenst
whose consent Elias beleued a lone vnder the
kinges of Samary.
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vj.
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In the .vj. chapter & vnto the .xviij. he
proueth all most nought saue that which neuer man denied
him / that miracles haue bene done. But how to know the
true miracles from the false were good
to be knowen which we shal this wise do if as
we take those for true sacramentes and ceremonies which
preach vs gods worde / euen so we count them true miracles
only which moue vs to herken therto.
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xvj.
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Concerninge his .xvj. chapter of the mayde of
Ipswich / I answere
/ that Moses warned hys Israelites that false
miracles shuld be done to proue them / whether their hertes
were fast in the lorde.
And euen so christ and the apostles shewed vs
before that lienge miracles shuld come / to peruerte the
very electe / if it were possyble.
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And therfore we must haue a rule to know the true miracles
from the false / or else it were impossible that any man
shuld scape vndisceaued
and continue in the true
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waye. And other rule then thys ys there not: that the true
are done / to prouoke men to come and herken vnto gods worde
/ and the false to confirme doctrine that ys not gods worde.
Now yt ys not Gods worde if thou reade all the
scripture thorowe out / but contrary therto /
that we shuld put soch
trust and confidence in our blissed lady as we
doo / and cleane agenst
the testament that is in christes bloude.
Wherfore a man nede not to feare / to pronounce that the
deuell dyd yt to mocke vs with all.
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Neuer the later let vs compare the mayde of Ipswich and the
maide of kent to gether. First they saye that
the maide of Ipswich was possessed with a deuell & the
maide of kent with the holy goste. And yet the tragedies
are so lyke the one to the other in all poyntes / that thou
cowdest not know the holy gost to be in the one and the
deuell in the other by any dyfference of workes. But that thou
mightest with as good reason saye that the
deuell was in both / or the holy gost in both / or the
deuell in the mayde of kent and the holy gost in the mayde
of Ipswich. For they were both in like traunses
/ both raueshed from them selues / both
tormented a lyke / both disfigured / lyke terreble ougly
and grysely in sight / and theyr mouthes drawen a syde /
euen vnto the very eares of them / both enspyred / both
preach / both tell of wonders / wilbe both caryed
vnto our lady / and are both certified by
reuelacyon that our lady in those places and before those
images shuld deliuer them.
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Now as for the mayde of Ipswych was possessed off the deuell
by theyr awne con
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fession. Whence then came that reuelacion /
that she shuld be holpe and all hir holy
preachinge? Iff of the deuell /
then was the myracle and all of the deuell. Iff
of the holy gost / then was she inspired with the holy gost
and had the deuell within hir
both at tonce. And in as moch as the mayd of
kent was inspired by
the holy gost by their confession / whence came
that stoppynge of
hir throte / that rauinge / those greuouse
panges / that tormentynge / disfigurynge / drawing of hir
mouth awrye and that ferfull and terreble countenaunce? If
of the holy gost / and then whi not the revell and gamboldes
of the maide of Ipswich also? and then
what mater maketh it whether a man haue the
deuell or the holy gost in him. If ye saye of the deuell /
then had she likewise both the deuell and the holy gost both
at tonce. Morouer those possessed which Christ holpe avoyded
christ and fled from him / so that other which beleued were
fayne to bringe them vn to him agenst their willes. For
which causes and many moo that might be made / thou maist
conclude / that the deuell vexed them and preached in them / to
confirme fayned confession and dome ceremonies
and sacramentes with out significacion and damnable sectes
/ and shewed them those reuelacions. And assone as they
were brought before oure ladies image / departed out of
them / to delude vs and to turne oure faythes
from Christ vn to an old blocke. As we reade in
the legend of S. Bartholomewe
/ how the deuels hurte men in their lymmes and
assone as they were brought in to a certayne temple before
an Idole / their they departed out of them and so begyled
the people makynge them beleue that the Idole had healed
them of some naturall diseases.
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How be it let it be the holy gost that
was in the maide of kent. Then I praye you what thinge
worthy of so greate prayse hath oure ladye done? Our lady
hath deliuered her of the holy gost & emptyed her of
moch hie lerninge which as a goodly poetisse / she vttered in rimes. For appose her now of christ / as scripture testifieth of him
/ and thou shalt finde her clene with out ryme or reason.
The mayde was at home also in heuenly pleasures / and our
lady hath deliuered
her out of the ioyes of Orestes and brought her
in to the miseries of
middell erth agayne.
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xvij.
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As for dulia / yperdulia and latria / though he shew not
with
which of them he worsheped the cardinalles hatt
/ ys answered vnto hym all ready.
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xviij.
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In the .xviij. where he wold faine proue that
the popes church can not erre / he allegeth thynges wherof
he myght be asshamed / yf he were not past shame / to proue
that the bisshopes haue auctorite to lade vs with tradicions
nether profitable for soule nor body. He bringeth a false
allegorie vppon the ouerplus that the Samaritane if it were
layde out / promised to paye when he came agayne / for the
bysshopes tradicions. Nay M. More / besydes
that allegories which
euery man maye fayne at his pleasure can proue
nothynge / Chryst interpreteth it him selfe / that it
betokeneth a kynde mynde and a
louinge neyboure / whych so loued a straunger /
that he neuer left carynge for hym / both absent as wel as
present / vntyll he were full hole and comen out of all
necessite.
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It signifieth that the prelates / if they were
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true apostles and loued vs after the doctrine of christ /
wold sell their myters / croses / plate / shrynes / iuels
and costly showes to socoure the pore and not robbe them /
of all that was offered vn to them / as they haue done: and
to repare thynges fallen in decaye and ruine in the comen welth /
and not to bedger the realmes wyth false
Idolatrye and imageseruice / that they haue not lefte them
where wyth to beare the cost of the comen charges.
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And Morouer when the scribes and phareses taught their awne
doctrine / they satt not vppon Moses sete / but on
their awne. And therfore christ (so far it is off that he
wold haue vs herken vnto mans doctryne) sayde / bewarre of
the leuen of the scribes / phareses and saduces which is
their doctrine and rebuked them for their doctrine and
brake yt hym selfe and taught hys dysciples so to doo and excused them / and sayd of all tradicions / that what soeuer his
heuenly
father had not planted / shuld be plucked vp by
the rotes. And therto
all the persecucion that the appostles had of
the Iewes / was for breakynge of tradycyons.
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Oure prelates ought to be oure saruauntes as the appostles
were / to teach vs christes doctrine / and not lordes ouer
vs / to oppresse vs with theyr awne. Peter calleth it
temptynge of the holy goste actes
.xv. to lade the hethen with ought a boue that
whych necessite and brotherly loue required. And paul
rebuketh his corinthians for their
ouer moch obedience and the galathyans alsoo and
warneth all men to stonde fast and not to sofre them selues
to be brought in to bondage.
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And when he sayth peter and paul
commaunded vs / to obey oure superioures. That ys trouth /
they commaunded vs to obey the temperall swerde whych the
pope wyll not. And they commaunded to obey the bysshopes in
the doctrine of christe and not in their
awne. And we teach not to breake all thynges
rashly / as M. More
vntrulie reporteth on vs (which is to be sene
in oure bokes / if men wil loke vppon them). Of tradicions
therfore vnderstond generally.
He that maye be fre is a fole to be bonde. But
yf thorow wilinesse / thou be brought in to bondage: then
yf the tradicion hurte thy soule
and the fayth / they are to be broken
immediatly / though wyth the losse of thy lyfe. If they
greue the body only / then are they to be
born tyll god take them off / for breakynge the
peace and vnite.
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Then how sore maketh he christes burthen. If yt
be so sore / why is Master More so cruell to helpe the
bysshopes to lade vs with moare? But surelye he speaketh
verye vndiscretelye. For christ did not lade vs with one
sillable moare then we were euer bounde to /
nether did he saue interpret the law trulye.
And besides that / he geueth vn to al his / loue vnto the
law: which loue maketh all
thynges easye to be born that were before
impossible.
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And when he saith / ye be the salt of the erth
was spoken for the bysshops and prestes only yt ys vntrue /
but yt was spoken generally vn to all that beleue and know
the trueth / that they shulde be salt vnto the ignoraunt /
and the perfecter vn to the weker / ech to other
euery man in hys measure. And Morouer yf yt be
spoken vn to the
prelates only / how fortuneth yt that Master
More ys so busye to
salte the
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world with his hie lernynge? And last of all the salt
of oure prelates which ys theyr tradycions and
ceremonyes wyth out sygnificacion ys vnsauerye longe a goo /
and therfore no moare worth but to be cast out at the dores
and to be troden vnderfote.
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And that he sayth in the ende that a man maye haue a good
faith with euell liuinge / I haue proued it a lie in a
nother place. Morouer fayth /
hope and loue be .iij. sisters that neuer can
departe in this worlde / though in the worlde to come loue
shal swalowe vp the other two.
Nether can the one be stronger or weker then
that other. But as moch
as I beleue so moch I loue and so moch I hope:
ye and so moch I worke.
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xix.
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In the .xix. he proueth that prayinge to saintes is good
& miracles that confirme it are of god or els the
church saith he doeth erre. It
foloweth in dede or that the popis church
erreth. And when he saith it is sinne to beleue to moch I
saie we had the moare nede to take hede what we beleue and
to serch gods worde the moare dylygently that we beleue
nether to moch ner to litle.
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And when he saith god is honoured by prayenge to saintes
because it is done for hys sake: I answere / if it sprange
not out of a false faith but of the loue we haue to god /
then shuld we loue god moare. And morouer in as moch as all
oure loue to god spryngeth out of faith / we shulde beleue
and trust god. And then if oure fayth in god were greater
then oure feruent deuocyon to sayntes / we shulde praye to
no sayntes at all / seynge we haue promyses of all thynges
in oure sauyoure Iesu and in the sayntes none at all.
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XXV.
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In the .xxv. how iugleth he / to proue that al that
perteyneth vn
to the faith / was not written / alleginge Ihon
in the laste / that the
world coude not conteyne the bokes / if al shuld be written.
And Ihon meaneth of the miracles which Iesus did and not of
the necessarie poyntes of the faith.
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And how bringeth he in the perpetuall virginite
of oure ladye which though it be neuer so true / is yet none
article of oure faith /
to be saued by. But we beleue it / with a story
faith / because we se no cause resonable to thinke the
contrary.
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And when he saith many misteries are yet to be
opened / as the
cominge of antichriste. Naye verelye the babe
is knowne well ynough and al the tokens spide in him which
the scripture describeth him by.
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And when he allegeth Paules tradicions to the
tessalo. / to proue his phantasye. I haue answered
rochester in the obedience / that his tradicions were the
gospell that he preached.
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And when he allegeth Paul to the corin. I saye
that Paul neuer knew of this word Masse. Nether can any man
gather there of any straunge holy gestures / but the playne
contrary and that there was no nother vse there then to
breake the breed amonge them at soper / as christ did. And
therfore he calleth it christes soper and not Masse.
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There was lerned the maner of consecracion. A
greate doute / as though we coude not gather of the
scripture how to do it. And of
the water that the prest mingleth with the
wine. A gre
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ate doute also and a perelouse case if it were left out. For
ether it was done to slake the hete of the wine or put to
after / as a ceremonie / to signifie that as the water is
chaunged in to wine / so are we chaunged thorow faith as it
were in to christe and are one with him / how be it all is
to their awne shame / that ought shuld be done or vsed
amonge vs christen / where of noman wist the meaninge. For if I
vnderstonde not the meaninge / it helpeth me
not .1. corin. xiiij.
and as experience teacheth. But if oure
sheperdes had bene as wel willynge to fede as to shere / we
had neded no soch dispicience / ner they to haue burnt so
many as they haue.
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And as for that he allegeth out of the epistle of Iames for
the iustifienge of workes. I haue answered in the Mammon
agenst which he
can not hisse / and will speake moare in the
.iiij. boke.
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And as for the Saboth / agreate mater / we be
lordes ouer the saboth
and maye yet chaunge it in to the monedaye or
any other daye /
as we se nede / or maye make euery tenth daye
holy daye only if we se a cause why / we maye make .ij.
euery weke / if it were expedient & one not ynough to
teach the people. Nether was there any cause to chaunge it
from the saterdaye then to put difference betwene vs and
the Iewes and lest we shuld become seruauntes vn to the daye aftir their supersticion. Nether neded we any holydaye at all / if
the
people might be taught with out it.
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And when he axeth by what scripture we know that
a woman maye christen. I answere / if baptim be so
necessary as they make
it / then
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loue thy neyboure as thy selfe doeth teach wemen to baptise
in tyme of neade: ye and to teach and to rule there husbandes to / if they be besydes them selues.
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And when he saith that of likelyhode / the laye
people vnderstode
the gospell of Ihon and Paules pistles better
then greate clerkes now. I answere / the moare shame is
theirs. How be it ther be .ij. causes
why: the one is their diligent sheringe: and a
nother / they denye the iustifienge of faith where of both
Paule and Ihon doo entreate and all most of nothynge else /
if the significacyon of oure baptime which is the lawe of
god and faith of christ / were expounded trulye vnto vs /
the scripture wolde be easye to all that exercised them selues there in. And sir in as moch as the prelates care so litle
for the losse of the vnderstondynge of the scripture and to
teach the people / how happeneth it / that they care so
sore for a bald ceremonie / which the significacion lost /
though christ him selfe had institute it / we coude not
obserue with out a false faith & with out hurtynge of oure soules?
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And finally to rocke vs a slepe with all / he saith / that
he shall
neuer spede wel / that wil seke in the scripture whether our
prelates
teach vs a true faith / though ten preach ech
contrary to other in one daye. And yet christ for all his
miracles sendeth vs to the scripture. And for all Paules
miracles / the Iewes studied the scripture the diligenterly
/ to se whether it were as he saide or no. How
be it he meaneth / that soch can not spede wel because the
prelates will burne them excepte M. More helpe them and make
them forswere christ before hande.
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xxvij.
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In the .xxvij. he bringeth Paul
exhortynge to agre & to tell al one tale in the faith
which can not be saith Master More / excepte
one beleue by the reason of a nother. Yes
verelye we al beleue that the fyre is hotte and yet not by
the reason of a nother and that with
a moch surer knowlege then if we beleued it the
one by the tellynge of a nother. And euen so they that haue
the law of god written in their hertes and are taught of
the spirite to know synne and to abhorre it / and to fele
the power of the resurreccion of christ / beleue moch surer
then they that haue no nother certente of their faith /
then the popis preachynge confirmed with so godly liuinge.
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And it is not vnknowne to M. More that the churches of late
dayes and the churches now beinge haue determined thinges
in one case the one contrarye to the other / in soch wyse
that he can not denye
but the one hath or doth erre: the which case I
coulde shewe him if I so were minded. The olde popes /
cardinalles and busshopes sayed yee to the thinge that I
meane / where vnto these that now raigne saye naye. Now sir
if you gather a generall counsell for the matter / the
churches of fraunce and Italye will not beleue the churches of spayne & douchlonde because they so saye: but will aske
how they proue it. Neyther will Louayne beleue Parise /
because they saye that they can not erre / but will heare
first their probacion. Also how shal we know that the old
pope & his prelates erred / because these that
are now so saye? When the old pope liued we were
as moch bound
to beleue that he coude not erre / as we be now
that this can not: wherfore you must graunt me / that god
must shew a miracle for the tone parte / or else they must
brynge autenticke scripture.
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Now sir god hath made his last and
euerlastinge testament /
so that all is open / and no moare behynde then
the apperinge of Christe agayne. And because he will not
stere vpp euery daye a new prophete with a new miracle to
confirme new doctrine or to call agayne the old that was
forgotten / therfore were all thynges necessarye
to saluacion comprehended in scripture euer to
endure. By
which scripture the counseles generall and not
by open miracles / haue concluded soch thinges as were in
them determined / as stories
make mencion. And by the same scripture we know
which counseles were true and whych false. And by the same
scripture
shall we / if any new question arise /
determine it also. Abraham answered the rich man / they
haue Moses and the prophetes / let them heare them / and
saide not / they haue the scribes and the phareses whom
they shuld heare preachynge out of the sete of their
awne doctrine with out scripture.
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And when he allegeth / he that heareth you
heareth me / and if
any man heare not the church take him for an
hethen / concludynge
that we must beleue whosoeuer is shauen in all
that he affirmeth
with out scripture or miracle / I wold fayne
wete in what figure that silogismus is made. Christes
disciples taught Christes doctrine confirmynge
it with miracles / that it might be knowen for
gods and not theirs. And euen so must the church that I
will beleue shew a miracle or bringe autenticke scripture
that is come from the appostles which confirmed it with
miracles.
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xxix.
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In the .xxix. he allegeth that christ saide not the holy
gost shall write / but shall teach. It is
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not the vse to saye / the holy
gost writeth / but inspireth the writer. I
maruayle that he had not brought / as many of his brethren
doo / Matthew in the last / where
Christ commaunded the appostles to goo and
teach all nacions / and
saide not write. I answere / that this precepte
/ loue thy neyboure as thy selfe and god aboue all thynge
went with the appostles and
compelled them to seke gods honoure in vs / and
to seke al meanes to continue the faith vn to the worldes
ende. Now the appostles knewe before that heresies shuld
come / and therfore wrote / that it
might be a remedie agenst heresies / as it well
appereth Ihon .xx.
where he saith / these are written / that ye
beleue and thorow beleffe
haue life. And in the seconde of his first
pistle he saith / these I write because of them that
deceaue you. And Paul and Peter therto warne vs in many
places. Wherfore it is manifest / that the same loue compelled them to leue nothynge vnwritten that shuld be necessarily
requyred / and that if it were left out / shuld hurte the
soule.
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And in the last Chaptre to make all fast / he bringeth in
the kinges grace how he confuted Marten Luther with this
conclusion / the church can not erre: where vn to I will
make none answere for feare to displease his grace /
neverthelesse because Marten coulde not soyle it / if his
grace loke well vppon the matter / he shall finde that god
hath assoyled it for him in a case of his owne.
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And vppon that master More concludeth his first
boke / that whatsoeuer the church / that is to wete / the
pope and his brode saye / it is gods worde / though it be
not written ner confirmed with
miracle ner yet good liuinge / ye and
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though they saye to daye this and to morow the contrarie /
all is good ynough and gods
worde: ye and though one pope condemne a nother
(.ix. or .x.
popes arow) with all their workes for heretikes
/ as it is to se in the stories / yet all is right &
none erroure. And thus good night and good rest / Christ is
brought a slepe and layde in his graue and the dore seled
to / and the men of armes aboute the graue to kepe him
doune with polaxes. For that is the surest argument / to helpe at nede
and to be rid of these babillinge heretikes / that so
barke at the holy
spiritualtie with the scripture / beinge therto
wretches of no reputacion
/ nether cardenales ner bisshopes ner yet greate
benefised men / ye and with out totquottes and pluralities /
hauynge no holde but
the very scripture / whervnto they cleaue as
burres so fast that they can not be pulled awaye saue with
very singgynge them of.
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¶A sure token that the pope is antichriste.
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And though vn to all the argumentes &
persuasions which he wold blinde vs with / to beleue that
the pope with his secte were the right church / and that god
for the multitude will not sofre them erre / we were so
simple that we saw not the sotiltie of the argumentes ner
had wordes to solue them with / but oure bare faith in oure
hertes yet we be sure and so sure that we can therin not be disceaued
/ and doo both feale and se that the conclusion is
false and the contrary true.
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For first Peter saith .ij. Peter .ij. there
shalbe false teachers amonge you whych shall secretly
brynge in damnable sectes / denyenge the lorde that bought
them / and many shall
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folow their damnable wayes / by whom the waye of trouth
shalbe evel spoken of / and
with fayned wordes they shall make marchaundice
ouer you. Now
saith Paul Roma. iij. the law speaketh vn to
them that are vnder the law. And euen so this is spoken of
them that professe the name of christe. Now the pope hath
.x. thousand sectes cropen in / as pied in their consciences as
in their cotes / settynge vpp a thousand maner
workes to be saued by / whych is the denyenge of
Christe. And we se many and all most all to gether folow
their damnable wayes. And in that Peter said that they
shall rayle and blaspheme the trueth / it
foloweth that there shalbe a litle flocke
reserued by the hand of god to testifie the trueth vn to
them or else how coude they rayle on it? And it foloweth
that those raylars shalbe the mightier parte in the world /
or else they durst not do it. Now what truth in christ doeth not the pope rebuke and in settynge vpp false workes denie all to gether? And as for their fayned wordes / where findest thou
in all
the scripture purgatory / shrift penaunce / pardon /pena
culpa / yperdulia and a thousande fayned termes moo? And as
for their marchaundice / loke whether they sell not all gods
lawes and also their awne / and all synne and all Christes
merites and all that a man can thynke. To one he selleth the
faute only and to a nother the faute and the payne to / and
purgeth his purse of his money and his
braynes of his wittes / and maketh him so
beestely / that he can vnderstonde no godly thynge.
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And Christ saith Mathew .xxiiij. their shal false
anoynted arise
and shew signes and wonders: that is / they
shall shew miracles and so pre
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uayle that / if it were possible / the electe shuld be
brought out of the true waye. And these false
annoynted / by the same rule of Paul and in that christ
saith also that they shal come in his name must be in the
church of christ and of them that shall call them selves
Christen / and shall shew their wonders before the electe
and be a sore temptacion vn to them / to bringe them out of the waye. And the electe which are few in comparison of them
that be called and come faynedly / shall amonge that greate
multitude be kepte by the mightie hande of god agenst all
naturall possibilite. So that the church and very electe
shall neuer be soch a multitude to gether by them selues
with out persecucion and temptacion of their faith / as the
greate multitude vnder the pope is which persecute and
sofre not. And these which the pope calleth heretikes shew no miracles
/ by ther awne confession / nether ought they / in as
moch as they bringe no new lerninge ner ought saue the
scripture which is all redy receaued and confirmed with
miracles. Christ also promiseth
vs nought in this world saue persecucion for
oure faith. And the stories of the olde testament are also
by Paulus .1. Cor. x. oure ensamples. And there / though
god at a tyme called with miracles a greate multitude / yet
the very chosen that receaued the faith in their
hertes / to put their trust in God alone and
which endureth in temptacions
were but fewe and euer oppressed of ther false
brethern and persecuted vn to the deeth and dreuen vn to
corners.
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And when Paul .ij.
Tessa. ij. saith
that Antichristes cominge / shalbe by the workynge of sathan
with all power / signes and wonders of falshed and all
disceaueablenesse for them that pe
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rish / because they conceyued not loue vn to the trouth / to
besaued by / & therfore shall god send them stronge
delusion or gyle / to beleue lies: the texte must also
pertayne vn to a multitude gathered to
gether in Christes name of whych one parte &
nodoute the gretter / for lacke of loue vn to the trouth
that is in Christe / to liue therafter / shall faull in to
sectes & a false faith vnder the name of Christe &
shalbe induratt and stablished therin with false
miracles to perish for their vnkyndnesse. The pope first
hath no scripture that he dare abyde by in the light /
nether careth / but blasphemith that his word is truer then
the scripture. He hath miracles with out gods worde / as
all false prophetes had. He hath lyes in all his
legendes in all preachinges and in all bokes. They haue no
loue vn to the trueth. Which appereth by their greate
synnes that they haue sett vpp aboue all the abhominacion
of all the hethen that ever were / & by their longe
continuaunce therin: not of frailte: but of malice vn to the trueth
& of obstinatt lust & selfe will to synne. Whych
appereth in .ij. thynges: the one / that they haue gotten
them with wiles & falsehed from vnder all lawes of man
& even aboue kinge & emproure / that
no man shuld constrayne their bodies &
brynge them vn to better ordir / that they maye synne frely
with out feare of man. And on
the other syde / they haue brought gods worde
aslepe / that it shuld not vnquiet their consciences / in
so moch that if any man rebuke them with that / they
persecute him immediatly and pose him in their false
doctrine & make him an heretike and burne him and
quench it.
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And Paul saith .ij. Timothe .iij. in the later dayes there shalbe
perelous times. For ther shal
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be men that loue them selves /
couetous / hye minded / proud / raylars /
disobedient to father &
mother / vnthankfull / vngodly / churlish /
promisebreakers / accusars or pickquareles / vnlouinge /
dispicers of the goode / traytours /
hedy / puffed vpp and that loue lustes moare then god /
hauynge an
apperaunce of godlynesse / but denienge the
power therof. And by power I vnderstonde the pure faith in
gods worde which is the power & pith of all godlynesse
& whence all that pleaseth god
springeth. And this texte pertayneth vn to them
that professe Christe. And in that he saith hauinge an
apperaunce of godlynesse & of that foloweth in the texte
/ of this sorte ar they that entre in to mens howses &
lead wemen captiue laden with synne / ever axynge &
neuer able to atteyne vn to the trueth (as our hearers of confessions
doo) it appereth that they be soch as wilbe
holier then other & teachers & leaders of the rest.
And loke whether there be here any sillable
that agreeth not vn to oure spiritualtie in the
hiest degre. Loue they
not them selues their awne decrees and
ordinaunces / their awne lies and dreames and despice all
lawes of god and man regarde noman but them only that be
disgysed as they be? And as for their
couetousenesse which all the world is not able
to satisfie / tell me what it is that they make not sarue
it? in so moch that if god punish
the world with an evell pocke / they immediatly
paynt a blocke &
call it Iob to heale the disease in stede of
warnynge the people to mend their lyuinge. And as for their
hye minde & pride / se whether
they be not aboue kynges & emproure &
al the names of god / and whether any man maye come to
beare rule in this world excepte he
be sworn to them and come vpp vnder them.
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And as for there raylynge loke in
their excomunicacion /
and se whether they spare kinge or emproure or
the testament of
god. And as for obedience to father and mother /
Nay / they be immediatly vnder god and his holy vicar the
pope / he is their father
and on his ceremonies they must wayte. And as
for vnthankefull / they be so kynde / that if they haue
receaued a thousand pound londe of a man / yet for all that
they wold not receaue one of his offspringe
vn to a nightes herber at his nede / for their
founders sake. And
whether they be vngodly or no I reporte me vn
to the parchment.
And as for churlishnesse / se whether they will
not haue their causes venged / though it shuld cost hole
regions / ye and al christendome /
as ye shall se and as it hath cost halfe
christendome all redie. And as
for their promise or trucebreakynge / se whether
any appoyntement maye endure for their dispensacions / be it
neuer so lawfull / though
the sacrament were receaued for the
confirmacion. And se whether
they haue not broken all the appoyntementes made
betwene them
and their founders. And se whether they be not
accusers and traytours al so of all men / and that secretly
and of their very awne
kynges and of their awne nacion. And as for
their heedinesse / se
whether they be not prone / bold and runne
hedelonge vn to all mischeue / with out pitie and
compassion or caringe what misery and
destruccion shuld fall on other men / so they
maye haue their present
pleasure fulfilled. And se whether they loue
not their lustes / that they will not be refrayned from
them ether by any law of god or
man. And as for their apperaunce of godlynesse
/ se whether all be not gods seruice that they fayne / and
se whether not
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all most all consciences be captiue ther to. And it
foloweth in the texte / as the sorserers of Egipte resisted
Moses / so resisted they the trueth.
They must be therefore mightie iugulars. And to
poynte the popish with the fingre he saith / men ar they
with corrupte mindes and castawayes concerninge faith /
that is they be so fleshly minded / so croked so stoborn
and so monstrouse shapen / that they can receaue no facion
to stonde in any buyldynge that is grounded vppon faith /
but when thou hast turned them al wayes and done thy best to hew them and to make them frame / thou must be fayne to cast
them out with the turkes and Iewes / to serue god with the
imageseruice of
their awne false werkes. Of these and like
textes and of the similitudes
that christ maketh in the Gospell of the
kingdome of heuen it appereth / that though the holy gost
be in the chosen and teacheth them all trueth in Christe /
to put their trust in him / so that they
can not erre therin / yet while the world stondeth / God
shall neuer haue a church that shall eyther persecute or be
vnpersecuted them selues any season / aftir the fassion of
the pope. But there shalbe in
the church a fleshly seed of Abraham and a
spirituall / a Caim and an Abel / an Ismaell and an Isaac /
an Esau and a Iacob / as I have sayde / a worker and a
beleuer / a greate multitude of them that be called and a
small flocke of them that be electe and chosen. And the
fleshlye shall persecute the spirituall / as
Caim did Abel and Ismaell
Isaac & soforth / and the greate multitude
the smal litle flocke and
antichrist wilbe euer the best christen man.
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So now the church of god is dowble / a
fleshly and a spirituall
: the one wilbe and is not: the other is and
maye not be so called / but must be called a lutheran / an
heretike and soch like. Vnderstonde therfore / that god
when he calleth a congregacion vn to his name / sendeth
forth his mesingers to cal generally. Which mesingers
bringe in a greate multitude amased & astonied with miracles and power of the reasons which the preachers make / and
ther with be compelled to confesse that there is but one
god of power and might a boue all and that Christ is god
and man and borne of a virgin and a thousand other thinges.
And then the greate multitude that is called and not chosen
/ when they haue gotten this faith comune as well to the
deuels as them and moare strongly persuaded vnto the deuels
then vn to them / then they goo vn to their awne imaginacions sayenge: we maye no lenger serue Idoles / but god that is but one. And the maner of seruice they fett out of their awne
braynes and not of the word of god / and serue god with
bodily seruice as they did in times past their Idoles /
their hertes seruynge their awne
lustes still. And one will serue him in white /
another in blacke / a
nother in greye and a nother in pied. And a
nother to doo god a pleasure with all / wilbe sure / that
his showe shal haue .ij. or . iij. good thicke soles vnder
and will cut him aboue / so that in somer while the wether
is whott / thou maist se his bare fote and in winter his
socke. They wilbe shorn and shauen and Saduces: that is to saye /
rightewes / and phareses / that is / seperated in facions
from all wother men. Ye and they will consecrat them selues
all to gether vn to god and will annoynte their handes
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and halowe them as the chalice / from all maner laye vses:
so that they maye serue nether father ner mother master lord
or prince / for polutynge them selues / but must wayte on
god only / to gather vpp his rentes / tithes / offeringes
and al other duties. And al the sacrifice that come they consume
in the altare of their belies and make Calil of
it / that is / a
sacrifice that noman maye haueparte of. They
beleue that there is a god: But as they can not loue his
lawes / so they haue no power to beleue in him / But they
put their trust and confidence in their awne workes &
by their awne workes they wilbe saued / as the rich of this
world / when they sue vn to greate men / hope with giftes and presentes to obtayne their causes. Nether other seruinge of God know they / saue soch as their eyes maye se and their
belies feale. And of very zele they wilbe gods vicars and
prescribe a maner vn to other and aftir what facion they
shall serue god / and compell them therto / for the
avoydinge of Idolatrie / as thou seist in the phareses.
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But litle flocke / as sone as he is persuaded
that there is a god / he
runneth not vn to his awne imaginacions / But vn
to the mesinger that called him / and of him axeth how he
shall serue god. As litle
Paul acte. ix. when christ had ouer thrown him
and caught him in
his nett: axed sayenge: lord what wilt thou
that I doo. And as the
multitude that were conuerted actes .ij. axed
of the apostles what they shulde doo. And the preacher
setteth the lawe of god before them / and they offer their
hertes to haue it written therin / consentinge that it is
good and rightwysse.
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And because they haue runne cleane
contrary vn to that good law they sorow and morne / and
because also their bodies and
flesh are otherwise disposed. But the preacher
comforteth them and sheweth them the testament of Christes
bloud / how that for his sake
all that is done is forgeuen / and al their
wekenesse shalbe taken a
worth vn tyll they be stronger / only if they
repent and will submitte
them selues to be scolars and lern to kepe this
law. And litle flocke receaueth this testament in his hert
and in it walketh and serueth God / in the spirite. And from
hence forth al is christ with him / and
christ is his and he christes. Al that he
receaueth / he receaueth of
christe / and all that he doeth / he doeth to
christe. Father mother /
master / lord & prince ar christ vnto him /
and as christ he serueth them with al loue. His wife /
childern / saruauntes and subiectes are
christ vn to him / and he teacheth them to
serue christ and not him selfe and his lustes. And if he
receaue any good thinge of man / he
thanketh God in christ / which moued the mans
herte. And his neyboure he serueth as Christ in all his
nede / of soch thynges as god hath lent / because that all
degrees are bought as he is / with christes bloude.
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And he wil not besaued / for seruinge his brethern / nether
promiseth his brethern heuen for seruinge him. But heuen /
iustifienge /
forgeuenesse / all gyftes of grace and al that
is promised them they receaue of Christ and by his merites
frely. And of that which they
haue receaued of christ they serue ech other
frely as one hand doeth the other / sekinge for their
seruice nomoare then one hand doeth of
a nother eche the others health / wealth helpe /
ayde / succoure and to assiste one a
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nother in the waye of christ. And god they serue in the
spirite only / in loue / hope faith and dreade.
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When the greate multitude that be called and not
chosen / Caim / Ismael / Esau and carnall Israel that serue
God night and daye with bodyly seruice and holy workes soch
as they were wont to serue their Idoles with all / behold
litle flocke that they come not forth in the seruice of god
/ they rore out / where art thou? whi comest thou
not forth & takest holy watere? wherfore
saith litle flocke. To put awaye thy sinnes. Nay brethern /
God forbid that ye shuld so thinke / Christes bloud only
washeth awaye the synnes of all that
repent and beleue. Fire / salt / water / bred /
oyle be bodyly
thynges / geuen vn to man for his necessite and
to helpe his brother with / & god that is a spirite can
not be serued therwith. Nether can soch thinges enter in to
the soule to purge hir. For gods worde only is hir
purgacion. No saye they / are not soch thinges halowed. And
saye we not in the halowenge of them that
whosoeuer is sprinkled
with the water or eateth of the bred / shall
receaue health of soule and body? Sir the blessynges
promised vnto Abraham for all nacions are in christ / and
out of his bloud we must fett them / and his word is the
breed / salt and water of oure soules. God hath geuen you no power to geue thorow youre charmes soch vertue vn to vnsensible creatures / which he hath halowed him selfe and made them
all
cleane (for the bodyly vse of them that beleue)
thorow his worde of promese and permission and oure thankes
geuinge. God saith / if thou beleue saynt Ihons Gospell /
thou shalt be saued / and not for the beringe of it aboute
the with so many crosses /
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or for the
obseruinge of any soch obseruances.
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God for thy bitter passion rore they out by and by / what an
heretike is this? I tell the that holy church nede to
allege no scripture for them for they haue the holy gost
which inspireth them euer secretly / so that they can not
erre whatsoeuer they saye / doo or ordayne
. Whate wilt thou despice the blessed sacramentes
of holy
church wherwith god hath bene serued this .xv.
hundred yere (ye verely this .v. thousand yeres / even sens
caim hithirto / and shall
endure vnto the worldes end / amonge them that
haue no loue vn to the trueth to be saued therby) thou art
a stronge heretike and worthy to be burnt. And then he is
excomunicat out of the church. If
litle flocke feare not that bogge / then they
goo strayght vn to the kinge. And it like youre grace /
perelous people and sedicious / and
euen ynough to destroye youre realme / if ye se
not to them betimes. They be so obstinat and tough / that
they will not be conuerted / and rebellious agenst god and
the ordinaunces of his holy church. And how moch moare
shall they so be agenst youre grace / if they
encrease and grow to a multitude. They wyll peruert all and
suerly make new lawes and ether subdue youre grace vn to
them or rise
agenst you. And then goeth a parte of litle
flocke to potte and the
rest scatter. Thus hath it euer bene and shall
euer be / lett noman therfore disceaue him selfe.
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¶An answere to Master Mores
seconde boke
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In the first chapter ye may not trie the doctrine of the
spiritualtie by the scripture: But what they saye / that beleue
vndoutedly and by that trie the scripture. And if thou finde the
playne contrary in the scripture / thou maist not beleue the
scripture / but seke a glose
and an allegorie to make them agre. As when the pope
saith / ye be iustified by the workes of the ceremonies and
sacramentes and so forth / and the scripture saith / that we be
iustified at the repentaunce
of the hert thorow Christes bloude. The first is
true playne / as the pope saith it and as it stondeth in his
texte / but the second is false as it appereth vn to thine
vnderstandinge and the literall sens that kylleth . Thou must
therfore beleue the pope and for Christes doctrine seke an
allegorie and a misticall sens: that is / thou must leaue the
clere light and walke in the miste. And yet Christ
and his appostles
for all their miracles required not to be beleued
with out scripture / as thou maist se Ihon .v. and Actes .xvij.
and bi their diligent alleginge of scripture thorow out all the
new testament.
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And in the ende he saith for his pleasure / that we knowlege /
that
noman may ministre sacraments but he that is
deriuede out of the pope. How be it this we knowlege / that
noman coude ministre sacramentes
with out significacion which are no sacramentes saue
soch
as are of the popis generacion.
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iij.
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In the thrid chapter and in the chapter folowynge / he
vttereth how fleshly minded he is / and how beestly he
imageneth of God /
as Paule saith .1. corin. 2. the naturall man
can not vnderstond the thinges of the spirite of God. He
thinketh of God / as he doeth of
his cardenall / that he is a monstre / pleased
when men flater him /
and if of whatsoeuer frailte it be / men breake
his commaundementes / he is then raginge mad as the pope is
and seketh to be venged. Naye / God is euer fatherly minded
toward the electe membres of his church. He loued them yer
the world beganne / in Christ.
Ephe. 1. He loueth them / while they be yet
evell and his enimies in their hertes / yer they be come vn
to the knowlege of his sone christe / and yer his law be
written in their hertes: as a father loueth his younge sonne
/ whyle he is yet euell and yer it know the fathers law to
consent therto.
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And aftir they be once actually of his church and the law
of God
and faith of christ written in their hertes /
their hertes neuer synne
any moare / though as Paule saith .Roman. vij.
the flesh doeth in them that the spirite wold not. And when
they synne of frailte / God ceaseth not to loue them styll
/ though he be angrie / to put a crosse of tribulacions
vppon their backes / to purge them and to subdue
the flesh vn to the spirite or to al to breake
their consciences with threateninge of the lawe and to
feare them with hell. As a father when his sonne offendeth
him feareth him with the rod / but hateth him not.
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God did not hate paul / when he
persecuted but had layd vpp mercy for him in store / though
he was angre wyth hym to scorge
hym and to teach him better. Nether were those
thynges layd on his backe which he after sofered / to make
satisfaccion for his foresinnes
/ but only to serue hys brethern and to kepe
the flesh vnder. Nether did god hate Dauid when he had
synned / though he was angre with him. Nether did he after
sofre to make satisfaccyon to god for hys olde synnes / but
to kepe his flesh vnder and to kepe
hym in mekenesse and to be an ensample for oure
lernynge.
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iiij.
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In the fourth saith he if the church were an vnknowen
companie /
how shuld the infydeles / yf they longed for
the faith / come therby?
O whother wandereth a fleshly minde / as though we first
sought out god. Nay / God knoweth his and seketh them out
and sendeth his mesingers vnto them and geueth them an hert
to vnderstonde. Dyd the hethen or any nacyon seke chryste?
Nay / christ sought them and sent hys appostles vnto them.
As thou seyst in the storyes from the begynnynge of the
worlde and as the parables and similitudes of the gospell
declare.
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And when he saith / he neuer founde ner herd of any of vs /
but that he wold forswere to saue his life. Answere / the
moare wrath of god will light on them / that so cruelly
delite to torment them
and so craftely to begyle the weake. Neuer
thelesse yet it is vntrue. For he hath hearde of sir Thomas
hitton whom the bisshopes of Rochester and caunterbury slew
at maydstone and of many that sofered in braband holland
and at colen and in all
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quarters of douchlonde and doo dayly.
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And when he saith that their church hath many marters / let
him shew me one / that died for pardons / and purgatory
that the pope
hath fayned / and let hym take the mastrie.
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And what a doo maketh he / that we saye / there is a church
that sinneth not and that there is no man but that he
sinneth / which are yet both true. We read .j. Ihon .iij.
he that is born of god synneth not. And Eph. v. men loue
youre wives as the lorde doeth the
church / and gaue him selfe for her / to
santifie her and to dense hir in the fountaine of water
thorow the worde / and to make hir a glorious
church vn to him selfe / with out spott or
wrincle.
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And .j. Ihon .j. If we saie / we haue no sinne we disceaue
oure selues and make him a lyer and hys worde is not in vs.
Master More also wyl not vnderstond that the church ys some
tyme taken for the
electe only which haue the law of god written in
their hertes and fayth to be saued thorow christe written
there also. Whych same for all that saye wyth paul / that
good which I wold / that doo I not. But that euell which I
hate / that do I: so it is not I that doo it but sinne that
dwelleth in my flesh.
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And Gala. v. the flesh lusteth contrary to the
spirite and the spirite contrary to the flesh / so that
these two fightynge betwen them selues / ye can not doo what
ye wolde. For they neuer consent that synne is good ner hate
the law ner cease to fight agenst the flesh / but assone as
they be faullen / rise and fight a fresh. And that the
church ys some tyme taken for the commen rascall of all
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that beleue / whether wyth the mouth only and carnally with
out spyryte nether louinge the law in their hertes nor
fealinge the mercy that is in christ / but ether runne all
to gether at ryott or kepe the law with cauteles and
exposycions of their awne fayninge & yet not of loue
but for feare of hell / as the theues do for feare of the galowes / and
make recompence to god for their synnes wyth holy
dedes.
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He also wyll not vriderstonde / that there be
twoo maner faythes: one / that ys the faith off the electe /
whych purgeth them of all their synnes for euer. As ye se
Ihon .xv. ye be cleane sayth christ / be the
reason of the worde: that is / thorow beleuinge
christes doctryne. And Ihon .j. he gaue them power to be
the sonnes of God / thorow beleuinge in hys name. And Ihon
.iij. he that beleueth the sonne hath
euerlastynge lyfe / and a thousand like
textes.
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And a nother of them that be called and neuer electe. As
the fayth of Iudas / of symon magus / of the deuel / and of
the pope. In whose
hertes the law of god ys not wrytten / as it
appereth by their workes.
And therfore when they beleue many thynges of
christe / yet when they come vnto the saluacion that is in
his bloude / they be but Iewes
and turkes and forsake christ and runne vn to
the iustifienge of ceremonies wyth the Iewes and turkes.
And therfore they remayne euer in synne within in theyr
hertes.
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Where the electe hauinge the law written in
their brestes and louinge
it in their spirites / synne there neuer / but
with out in the flesh. Agenst which sinne they fight
continually & minishe it daily
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with the helpe of the spirite / thorow prayar / fastynge
and seruinge
their neybours louingly with all maner seruice /
out of the law that is written in their hertes. And their
hope of forgeuenesse is in Christe only / thorow his bloude
and not in ceremonyes.
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V.
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And vn to his .v. Chapter I answere / by the
pope the scripture is hid and brought in to ignoraunce &
the true sens corrupte. And by them that ye call heretikes
we knowe the scripture and the true sens theroff. And I saye
/ that the pope kepeth the scripture as did the phareses /
to make marchaundice of it. And agayne / that the heretikes
become out of you / as out of the scribes & phareses came the appostles and Christ him selfe and Ihon Baptiste / and that
they be plucked out of you and graffed in Christe and bilt
vppon the fundacion of the appostles and prophetes.
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And in the end / when he saith that the
heretikes be faullen out of Christes mistical bodi which is
the pope and his. I answere that ye be a misticall body and
walke in the mist and will not come at the light / and the
heretikes be departed out of youre mist and walke in the
clere light of gods worde.
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vj.
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In the .vj. he saith that the heretikes be all nought / for
they all periure & abiure. He yet saieth vntrue. Many
abyde vn to the deeth.
Many for their wekenesse ar kepte out of youre
handes. Many for their ouer moch boldnesse in their awne
strength be deliuered in to
youre handes & fall in the flesh / their
hertes abydinge still in the trueth as Peter &
thousandes did / & aftir repent
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& be no lesse
cristen then before though ye haue them in
dirision vn to youre awne damnacion. And many because they
come to Christ for fleshly liberte and not for loue of the
trouth / fall as it becometh them / vnder youre handes: as
Iudas & Balam / which at the begynnynge take christes
parte / but aftirward when they finde ether losse or no
vauntage they gett them vn to the contrary part
and are by profession the most cruelle ennimies &
sotellest persecuters of the trouth.
Loke Master More and rede and marke well.
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vij.
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In the .vij. he saith / that he hath holy saintes and holy
counsels
on his side. Name the sayntes and proue it.
Name the counsells and the holy prelates there of. Thou
shalt shew me no nother popes or
cardenales / then soch as we haue now / that
wyll obey nother god
ner man / or any law made by god or man: but
compell all men to
folow them / strengthynge their kingdome with
the multitude of all misdoars.
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He saith also that good and bad worshepe saintes / the good
well
and the bad evell. How cometh it then / that ye
shew not the difference & teach to doo it wel? I se but
one facion amonge all the popish.
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And finally he saith he is not bounde to answere vn to the
reasons
and scripture that are layde agenst them. It is
ynough to proue their part / that it is a comen custume and
that soch a multitude doo it / and so by his doctrine the
turkes are in the right waye.
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viij.
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In the .viij. he saith / the saintes
be moare charitable now then when they liued. I answere /
Abraham was while he liued as charitable as the best. And
yet deed / he answered him / that prayed
him / they haue Moses and the prophetes / lett
them heare them. And so haue we / not Moses and the
prophetes only / but a moare clere light / euen Christ and
the appostles / vn to whych if we herken we be saintes all
ready.
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And to proue that they in heuen be better then we in erth /
he allegeth a texte of oure sauioure Luke .vij. that the
worst in heuen is
better then Ihon Baptist. Now the texte is / he
that is lesse in the kingdome of god is gretter then he. We
that beleue are gods kingedome. And he that is lest (in
doenge seruice vn to his brythern)
is euer the grettest aftir the doctrine of
Christe. Now Christ was
lesse then Ihon for he did more seruice then
Iohan / and therfore greater then he. And by their awne
doctrine there was no sainte in heuen before the
resurreccion of Christe / but what care they what they saye
/ blinded with their awne sophistrie.
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Morouer cursed is he that trusteth in ought saue god saith
the
texte and therfore the saintes wold haue no man
to trust in them whyle they were a liue. As Paul saith .1.
Corin. iij. what is Paul saue
youre saruante to preach Christe. Did Paul die
for you? were ye baptised in the name of Paul? Did I not
marie you to Christ / to put youre trust in him? And againe
let noman reioyce or trust in man / saith he. For all are
youres whether Paul / or Appollo or Cephas: whether the
world / life / deeth / present thynges or thynges to come:
all are youres & ye are Christes /
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and christ is gods. If my faith be stedfast in the promises
that I haue in Christes bloud / I nede but to praye mi
father in Christes name and he shall send me a legion of
angels to helpe me: so that my faith is lorde ouer the angels
and ouer all creatures to turne them vn to my
soules health and my fathers honoure / and maye be subiecte
vn to no creature / but vn to gods worde in oure sauioure
Christe only. I may haue no trust therfore in the saintes.
If ye saye / ye put no trust in them / but only put them in
remembraunce of their dutie / as a man desyreth his neyboure to praye for him / remembring him of his dutie /and as when we desyre our brethern to helpe vs at oure nede. That is
false / for ye put trust in all youre ceremonies and all
youre holy dedes and in
whosoeuer disgyseth him selfe and altereth his
cote from the comune facion / ye and euen in the cotes of
them that be not yet saintes / aftir youre doctrine.
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Yf a prest said masse in his gowne / wold ye not
rise agenst him and slee him / and that for the false faith
that ye haue in the other
garmentes. For what honoure can those other
garmentes doo to god moare then his gowne or profit vn to
youre soules / seinge ye vnderstonde nought ther by? And
therto in the collectes of saintes ye saye / saue me God
and geue me euerlastinge life for the merites of
this or that saint / euery man aftir his
phantasie chosynge him some one sainte singularly to be
saued by. With which collectes I praye you shew me how
stondeth the deeth of Christe? Paul wold saye that Christ
died in vayne if that doctrine were true.
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And therto in as moch as ye saye / the saintes
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merite or deserue not in heaven / but in this world only /
it is to be feared / lest their merites besore wasted and
the deseruinges of many al spent
thorow oure holy fathers so greate
liberaltye.
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Abraham and the prophetes / and the appostles and many sens
praide to no saintes & yet were holy ynough.
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And when he saith / they coude helpe when they were aliue.
That was thorow their faith in beleuinge the promise. For
they had promises that they shuld doo soch miracles to
stablish their doctrine and to prouoke vn to Christ / and
not vn to them selues.
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And when he proueth that the saintes be in
heuen in glorie with Christ all ready sayenge if god be
their god they be in heuen / for he
is not the god of the deed. There he steleth
awaye Christes argument
where with he proueth the resurreccion / that
Abraham and all saintes shuld rise againe & not that
their soules were in heuen which
doctrine was not yet in the worlde. And with
that doctrine he taketh
awaye the resurreccion quite / and maketh
Christes argument of none effecte. For when Christe
allegeth the scripture that god is
Abrahams god / and addeth to / that god is not
the god of the deed /
but of the liuinge and so proueth that Abraham
must rise agayne: I deny christes argument and saye with
master More / that Abraham is yet aliue / not because of
the resurreccion / but because his soule is in heuen. And
in like maner Paules argument vn to the Corrinthians
is nought worth. For when he saith / if there
be no resurreccion /
we be of all wretches the most miserablest.
Here we haue no pleasure
/ but sorow / care / and oppression. And
therfore if we rise not agayne / all our soferinge
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is in vayne. Nay Paul / thou art
vnlerned: goo to master More and lerne a newe
waye. We be not
most miserable / though we rise not agayne / for oure soules
goo to heuen assone as we be deed / and are there in as
greate ioye as christ that is rysen agayne. And I maruell
that Paul had not comforted the
Tessalonians with that doctrine / if he had
wist it / that the soules of their deed had bene in ioye /
as he did with the resurreccion / that
their deed shuld rise agayne. If the soules be
in heuen in as greate
glorie as the angels aftir youre doctrine /
shewe me what cause
shulde be of the resurreccion.
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And when he saith / whether the saintes do it them selues /
or by intercession made to god / it maketh no mater / so we
be holpe / it appereth bi his doctrine / that all is good
that helpeth / though a man
praye vn to the deuell / by whom many be holpe.
Now in Christ we haue promises of al maner helpe & not
in them. Where then is our faith to be holpe by Christ when
we hope to be holpe by the merites of saintes? So it
appereth that the moare trust we haue in saintes / the lesse
we haue in Christe.
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And when he bringeth in a similitude that we
praye phisicions /
though god can helpe vs / and therfore we must
praye to saintes. It is not like / for they haue naturall
remedies for vs whych we must vse & not tempte god. But
the saintes haue no naturall remedies ner
promise of supernatural. And therfore it can be
but a false supersticious faith. And where no natural
remedie is there god hath promised
to help them that beleue in him. And moreouer
when I praye a
phisicion or surgion and trust to be holpe by
them / I dishonoure god / excepte I first praye to god and
be
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leue that he will worke with their doctrine and medicines
& so receaue mine health of the hond of God. And euen
so when I praye to man / to helpe me at mine nede / I synne
excepte I complayne first to god & shew him my nede
& desyre him to moue one or a nother to helpe me / and
then when I am holpe / thanke him and receaue it
of his hande / in as moch as he moued the herte of him that
holpe me and gaue him
wherewith and a commaundement to doo it. M.
More. Christ is not
dishonoured because that they which here preach him truly /
shall sitte and iudge with him. Tindale. That to be true the
scripture testifieth
/ but what is that to youre purpose that they
which be deed can heare vs and helpe vs? How be it / if
master More shuld describe vs those setes /I am sure he wold
paynte them aftir the facion of my lorde cardenales holy
cheyar / as he doeth God aftir the similitude
of worldely tirantes and not accordinge to his
awne worde. For they
that be worldely & fleshly minded can but
fleshly imagen of god all
to gether like vn to the similitude of worldely
thinges. Master More. The apostles and saintes were prayd
so when they were aliue and god not dishonoured. Tindale.
What helpeth that your carnall purpose . I haue answered you
vn to that and manye thynges moo in the obedience and other
places agenst which ye replye not / but kepe
youre tune and vn to al thynge singe kokow /
kokow / we be the church and can not erre. The appostles
had gods word for all that they did and ye none. And yet
many dishonoured god and christ for theyr false trust and
confidence which they had in the appostles as thou maist se
by paul to the corinthi.
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Then he breaketh forth in to open blasphemy
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and sayth that it behoueth vs to praye vn to saintes and
that god will else not heare
vs / for oure presumptuouse malapertenesse. So
it is now presumptuous
malapertenesse to trust in gods worde and to
beleue that god is true. Paul teacheth vs to bebolde to goo
vn to god and sheweth vs good cause in Christe / whi we so
maye and that god wold so haue vs. Nether is there any
cause to kepe vs backe / saue that we loue him not ner
trust him. Yf a man saye / oure synne shuld kepe vs
backe. I saye if we repent & beleue in
Christ / Christ hath taken them
awaye and therfore thorow him we maye be bolde.
And Christ saide
at his last soper Ihon .xvj. I saye not that I
will praye for you vnto my father / for my father loueth
you. As who shulde saye / be not
afrayed ner stonde with out the dores as a
dastard: but be bold and goo in to my father youre selues
in my name / and shew youre complayntes
/ for he now loueth you / because ye loue my
doctrine. And
Paul sayth Ephe. ij. we haue al an open waye in
thorow him / and are now no more forennars or straungers but
of the howshold of god. Of
god therfore we be bold as of a most louinge and
mercifull father / aboue all the mercy of fathers. And of
our sauioure Iesus we be bold / as of a thynge that is oure
awne and moare oure awne then oure awne skynnes / and a
thynge that is so soft and gentle / that
lade we him neuer so moch with oure synnes / he
can not be angre
ner cast them from off his backe / so we repent
and wyll mend. But Master More hath a nother doctrine to
driue vs from god and to make vs tremble and be afferde of
him.
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He likeneth god to worldly tirantes / at who
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me no man maye come / saue a few flaterars whych ministre vn
to them all voluptuousnesse
and sarue their lustes at all poyntes. Which
flaterars
must first be corrupte with gyftes / yer a man
may come at the kinge. Then he saith / a man maye praye to
euery deed man. That me thinketh shuld be agenst the popes
doctrine and profite also. For he will haue no man prayed
to vntyll he haue canvesed him / I wold saye / canonised
him / and tyll god or at the lest waye the deuell haue
shewed miracles for him.
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Then he bringeth how one that was deed and in
the inuisible purgatory holpe a nother that was aliue and
in the visible purgatory.
This is a straunge case / that a man there maye
helpe a nother and
not him selfe. And a moare straunge case that
god heareth a man here for him selfe / beinge in his awne
purgatory and helpeth him cleane out / or easeth him if it
be to sore. But and he be in the popes purgatory god will
not heare him for him selfe / and that because
the pope might haue somewhat to deliuer him. And
the straungest case of all is that the pope is allmyghty
there and god can do there nought at all as the pope can
not here in this purgatori. But because
this is not gods worde ner like godis doctrine /
I thinke it no damnable synne to beleue it poetrie.
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Then how ye maye praye for them and to them /
tyll they be canonised:
and when they be canonised / but to them only / for then ye
be sure that they be in heuen. By what token? I maye be
as sure by the canonisynge / as I am that all the bisshopes
which the pope confirmeth
/ be holy men / and all the doctours that he
maketh wel lerned / and that all the prestes which he
annoyn
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teth haue the
holy gost. If ye saye / because of the miracles
/ then doo men wronge to praye for kinge henry of windesore
at cambryge and Eton. For he / as men saye doeth miracles.
And also if the miracles certifie vs / what nedeth to by the
popis canonisynge?
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ix.
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In the .ix. he putteth no ieopardy to praye to him that is
damned and to steke vpp a candle to him ner I trow vn to
the deuell therto /
if he might haue a vauntage by him.
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Then he maketh no ieopardie to doo and beleue
whatsoeuer an
open multitude called godes church doeth and
beleueth. For god will haue an open church that can not
erre. For saith he / when the Israhelites fell to Idolatrie
/ the true church remayned in Hierusalem amonge the Iewes.
First I saye / if a man had no beter vnderstondinge then M.
Mores doctrine / he coud not know whether were the true
church / the Iewes or the Israelites. For the Israelites were in numbre . v. tymes moo then the Iewes and worsheped god /
though as present in the image of a calfe / as the Iewes
for the most part / present in the arcke of testimonie. And
secondarily he saith false. For the Iewes were faullen in
to open Idolatrie a thousand tymes worse then the
Israelites / even in their very temple / as it appereth by
open stories and bi the Prophetes: so that for their open Idolatrie /
whych they wold for no preachynge of the prophetes
amende / their
prestes therto resistynge the prophetes and
coragynge the people in their wekednesse / god sent them
captiue out of the lande. Ye and the people erred in
folowynge the scribes and phareses and the
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open multitude called Gods church / at the comynge of
Christ / as it is to se in the gospell / contrary vn to
Master Mores deceytfull poetrye. And againe / god reserued
him a litle flocke euer
in Israel and had euer prophetes there / some
tyme openly and some tyme in persecucion / that euery man
must hide him selfe and kepe
his faith secret: and euen in the houses of the
euell kynges both of Iewri and also of Israel he had good
people / and that amonge the hie officers / but secretly /
as Nycodemus amonge the phareses. So that the very church
was euery where oftimes in captiuite and persecucion vnder
their brethern / as we be vnder oures in the kingedome of
the pope.
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Then he putteth no ieopardy to worshupe an vnconsecrated hoste. But with what worshupe men shuld worshepe the
consecrated
doeth he not teach / nether the vse of that
sacrament or any other / ner how ought maie be worsheped
but teacheth only that all thynges maye be worsheped / and
sheweth not the right worshepe from the false.
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Then he noteth Paule .1. Corin. 1. how he
exhorteth vs to agre
only / but not on the trueth or on the good /
but only to agre a greate multitude to gether. O this depe
blindenesse. Did not Paul first teach them the true waye?
And did he not instructe them anew in the true
waye and in the saide epistle rebuke the false
confidence that they
had in men / the cause of all their dissension
and all erroures that were amonge them?
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Then he saith / the Iewes had saintes in honoure / as the
Patriarkes and Prophetes. We teach to dishonoure none: But
the Iewes prayd
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to none.
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More. Christ rebuked not the Phareses for
garnishinge the sepulchres of the prophetes but for that
they folowed the condicions of them that slew them.
Tindale. Yes & for their false trust in soch werkes as
we doo you. And ye Sir thynke that ye deserue heuen in
worshepynge the saintes bones / and be as redy to sle them that beleue
/ teach and liue as the saintes did / as youre fathers
were to sle them: besydes that ye worshepe saintes that
folowed Christ aftir the
ensample of youre holy cardenall / of whom I doute not but
that ye wil make a god in processe of tyme also.
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Then repeteth he for forgettynge / how Eliseus bones reysed
vpp
a deed body. That was to confirme his
preachinge only. For the Israelites / as weked as they were
/ nether prayed to him / nether kissed his bones / ner
offered ner steked vpp candels before him. Which thynge if
they had done in the kingdome of the Iewes / I doute not but
that some good kynge wold haue burnt his bones to asshes /
as wel as the brasen serpent / that was as greate a relique as
deed bones. And Christ shewed miracles at the
findynge of the crosse. That was to stablish the faith of
Christes deeth & that it shuld be a memory of his deeth
/ and not that we shuld trust in the wod
as we doo. For whych false abuse / the hole
lande where Christ did
his miracles / is destroyed.
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Then he allegeth the woman that was healed /
thorow twitchinge
of Christes cote / because we shuld worshepe it.
When Christ said hir faith hath made hir hole / not in the
cote / but in Christe.
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And the miracle was shewed / to
prouoke to the worshepinge of the preachynge and not of the
cote. Though to kepe the cote reuerently in the memoriall
of the dede / to prouoke vn to the faith
of Christ were not evell of it selfe. And Paule
by youre doctrine / sent his napken to heale the seke /
that men shuld shrine his sneueled napken / and not to
beleue his preachinge.
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x.
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The .x. chapter of sent walary is mete for the
auctor and his worsheple doctrine.
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xj.
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In the .xj. he iugleth with this misticall terme latria. I
answere /
god is no vayne name / but signifieth one that
is almightie / all mer-
cifull / all true and good. Which he that
beleueth will goo to god / to his promises and testament and
not folow his awne imaginacions / as Master Mores doctrine
teacheth.
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He saith that bodyly seruice is not latria. No but bodyly
seruice done and referred vn to him which is a spirite / is
Idololatria.
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He trusteth that men know the image from the
saint. I axe M.
More whi god did hide Moyses body and diuers
other. The Iewes
wold haue knowen that Moses had not bene god
and that Moses bones had not bene Moses. And they knew that
the brasen serpent was not god / and that the golden calues
were not god / and that
wod and stone were not god. But Sir there is
euer a false imaginacion by. The world because they can not
worshepe god in the spirite / to repent off euell and to
loue the lawe and to beleue that he
wyll helpe at all nede / therfore runne vn to
theyr awne imagynacyons
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and thinke that god for soch seruyce as they doo to images
/ will fulfill their worldly desyres: for godly
can they nought
desyre. Now God is a spirite and wilbe worsheped
in his worde only which is spirituall / and wil haue no
bodylye seruice. And the ceremonies of the olde law he set
vpp / to signifie his worde only and to kepe the people in
minde of his testament. So that he which obserueth any
ceremonie of any other purpose is an Idolater / that is / an imageseruer.
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And when he saith / if men axe wemen whether it were oure
lady of walsingam or Ipsewich that was saluted of Gabriel
or that stode
by Christ when he henge on the crosse / they
will saye nether
nother. Then I axe him what meaneth it / that
they saye oure lady of walsynggam praye for me oure lady of
Ipswich praye for me our lady of wilsdon praye for me / in
so moch that some which reken them selues no small foles /
make them roules of halfe an houre longe / to praye aftir
that maner. And they that so praye / thou maist besure /
meane oure lady that stode by the crosse / and hir that was
saluted therto.
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Then he reherseth many abuses / and how wemen
singe songes of
ribaudrie in processions in cathedrall churches.
Vn to which abhominacions yet our holy church that can not
erre / consent with full
delectacion. For on the on syde they will not
amend the abuse. And on the other syde they haue hired M.
More to proue with his sophistrie / that the thynges ought
not to be put doune.
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Then he bringeth in how the wild Irish and the welch praye /
when they goo to stele. And ax
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eth whether / because they abuse prayar / we shuld put all
prayenge downe. Naye M. More / it is not like. Prayar is
gods commaundement / and where faith is / there must prayar
nedes be and can not be awaye. How be it / thinges that are
but mennes tradicions and all indifferent thinges
which we maye be as well with out as with / maye
welbe put doune for their dishonouringe of god / thorow the
abuse. We haue turned kissinge in the church in to the pax.
We haue put done watchinge all
night in the church on saintes evens / for the
abuse. And Ezechias
brake the brasen serpent .iiij. of kinges
.xviij. for the abuse. And euen so / soch processions and
the multitude of ceremonies and of holidayes to / might as
wel be put downe. And the ceremonies that be left wold haue
their significacions put to them & the people shuld be
taught them. And on the sondayes gods word wolde be truly
preached. Which if his holy church wold do /
nether the Irish ner yet the welsh wold so praye. By which
prayenge and other like blindnesse / Master More maye se /
that buzssynge in latine on the holy dayes helpeth not the
hertes of the people. And I wondre that M. More can laugh
at it and not rather wepe for compassion / to se
the soules for which christ shed his bloude / to
perish. And yet I beleue that youre holy church wil not
refuse at ester to receaue the
tithes of all that soch blind people robbe / as
wel as they dispence with all false gotten good that is
brought them / And will laye the
ensample of Abraham and Melchisedec for
them.
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xij.
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In the .xij. he allegeth that S. Hierom
and Augustine prayed to sayntes / and concludeth / that if
any secte be one better then a nother they be the beste. I
answere / though he coude proue that they prayed to saintes
/ yet coude he not proue him selfe therby of the best secte
ner that it were good therfore to praye to saintes. For
first the apostles / patriarkes and prophetes
were sure to befolowed / which prayed to nonne. And agayne /
a good man might erre in many thynges and not be damned / so
that his erroure were not directly
agenst the promises that are in christes bloude
/ nether that he held them maliciously. As if I beleued
that the soules were in heuen immediatly and that they
praid for vs / as we doo one for a nother /
and did beleue that they herd all that we spake
or thought / and vppon that prayed to some saint / to praye
for me / to put him in remembraunce only / as I praye my
neyboure / and with out other trust or confidence and
though al be false / yet shuld I not be
damned / so longe as I had no obstinacie therin
/ for the faith that I
haue in christes bloude shuld swalowe vp that
erroure / tyll I were
better taught / but master More shuld haue
alleged the places where they prayed vn to sayntes.
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And then he allegeth agenst him self / that the
miracles were wrought by god / to confirme his doctrine and
to testifie that the
preacher therof was a true mesinger. But the
miracles that confirme praienge to saintes / doo not
confirme gods doctrine. But mannes imaginacions. For there
was neuer man yet that came forth and saide / loo / the
soules of the sayntes that be deed
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be in heuen
in ioye with christe and god wil that ye praye
to them. In token wherof / I doo thys or that miracle.
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And when he triumpheth a litle after / as though
all were wonne saynge / if oure old holy doctoures were
false and their doctrine vntrue and their miracles fayned /
let them come forth and doo miracles them selues and proue
oures fayned. Sir / ye haue no doctours
that did miracles to stablish youre worshepynge of images
and so forth. Youre doctrine is but the opinion of
faithlesse people / which to confirme the deuel hath wrought
moch sotilte. And as for the
miracles done at sayntes graues and at the
presens of reliques / as longe as true miracles endured and
vntyll the scripture was autentickly reaceaued / wher done
to confirme the preachinge that soch saintes had preached /
whyle they were alyue. And therto the miracles
which witches doo / we confounde not with other
miracles /
But with scripture we proue them not of god /
but of the deuel / to stablish a false fayth and to leade
from god / as youre doctrine doeth. And likewise where we
can confunde youre false doctryne wyth autenticke and
manifest scripture / there nede we to doo no miracle. We
bringe gods testament confirmed wyth miracles for al that we doo / and ye ought to require no moare of vs.
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And in like maner do ye firste geue vs
autenticke scripture for youre doctrine. If ye haue no
scripture come forth and preach youre
doctryne and confirme it wyth a myracle. And
then if we brynge not autenticke scripture agenst you or
confounde youre myracle wyth a greater as Moses dyd the
sorserars of Egypte / we wyll beleue you.
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And when he speaketh of tryal of
miracles what doo ye to trie youre miracles / whether they
be true or fayned. And besydes that / gods worde which
shuld be the triall / ye refuse and do al that ye can to
falsifie it.
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And when he speaketh of sectes of heretykes / I
answere / that they which ye call heretikes beleue all in
one christe / as the scripture
teacheth / and ye in all thinge saue christe.
And in youre false doctrine of youre awne fayninge with out
scripture / ye haue as many sundrie sectes as all Monkes
and freres and studentes in diuinite in all youre
vniuersites. For first yer ye come to diuinite / ye be all
taught to denye the saluacion that is in christe. And none of you teacheth a nother so moch as the articles of youre fayth.
But folow all most euery man a sundrie doctoure and in the
scripture his awne brayne / framinge it euer after the
false opynyons whych he hath professed yer he come at
it.
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And when he saith that god wold sone vttur fayned miracles. I
answere / God hath had at all tymes one or a nother to
improue youres wyth gods worde. And I axe whether Mahometes
fayned myracles haue not preuayled .viij. hundred yeres. And
youre abhominable
dedes worse then the turkes testifye that ye
loue the
trouth lesse then they. And vn to them that
loue not the trueth hath
god promised by the mouth off paul .ij.
Thessalo. ij. to send them aboundaunce and strength of false
miracles / to stablysh them in lies and to dysceaue them and
leade them out off the waye / so that they can not but
perysh / for their vnkyndnesse / that they loued not the
trueth / to lyue therafter and to honoure god in thir membres.
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And when he saith the heretykes haue
no myracles. I answere / they nede not / so longe as they
haue autenticke scripture.
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And when he sayth God sheweth no miracles for the
doctours of the heretikes. No moare he nedeth not / for all
they preach / ys the scripture confirmed with miracles /
and receaued many hundred yeres agoo. And therefore God
nedeth not to shew miracles for them whyle they lyue to
strength theyr preachynge. And to shew myracles for them
when they be deed / to moue the people to praye to them and
to put their trust in them / as ye doo in youres / were to
make them Idoles and not sayntes.
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And when he speaketh of miracles done in theyr
church in tyme of persecucyon. I answere / those were not
the miracles of youre church but of them that beleued the
scripture and sofered for it / as the heretykes doo now.
For ye had neuer persecucyon for youre false doctrine /
which ye haue brought in besides the scripture / ner any
that died for it: But ye persecute and slee / whosoeuer wyth Gods worde doeth rebuke it. And as for youre awne myracles of
whych ye make youre boost / ye haue fayned them so grosly
thorow out all youre legendes of sayntes / that ye be now
asshamed of them and wold fayne be ryd of them if ye wyst
how with honeste / and so wolde ye of a thousand thynges
which ye haue fayned. And the cause why heretykes fayne no
miracles as ye do / ys that they walke puerly and entend no
falshed.
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And whi the deuel doeth none for them / ys that they cleue
fast to gods worde whych the deuell
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hateth and can doo no miracles to further it / But to hindre
it / as he doeth with you. Reade the stories of youre popis
and cardenales / & se whether the deuell hath not holpe
them vn to their hie dignities. And loke whether youre holy
bysshopes come any other wyse vn to their promocions / then
by seruinge the deuell / in settinge all christendome at variaunce / in
sheddynge bloude / in bringynge the comen wealth to
tyranny and in teachinge christen princes to rule moare
cruelly then did euer any hethen / contrary vn to the
doctrine of christe.
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And as for the turkes and sarasenes that ye
speake of / I answere
that they were christen once / at the lest waye
for the most parte. And be cause they had no loue vn to the
trouth to liue ther aftir as ye haue not / God did send
them false miracles to carye them out of the right waye as
ye be. And as for the Iewes / whi they byde out / is only
because they haue sett vpp their awne rightewesnesse / as
ye haue / and therfore can not admitte the rightewesnesse that is in Christes bloude / as ye can not and as ye haue for sworne
it.
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And when he saith / in that they haue miracles and the
heretikes
none / it is a sure signe that they be the true
church and the heretikes not. Had ye gods word with youre
miracles and the heretikes doctrine were with out / then it
were true. But now because ye haue miracles with out gods
worde / to confirme youre false imaginacions / and they
which ye call heretikes haue Gods word confermed with
miracles / fyve hundred yeares to gether / it is a sure
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signe that they be the true church and ye not /
in as moch also as christ saith / that the disceauers shall
come with miracles: ye and in his name ther to / as ye doo.
For when christ sayth their shall come in my name that
shall saye he him selfe is Christe / who is that saue youre
pope / that wilbe christes vicar and yet maketh men to beleue
in him selfe / in his bolles and calues skinnes
and in what soeuer he listeth. And who be those false
annoynted that shall come with miracles to disceaue the
electe if it were possible / saue youre pope with his
gresiamus?
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And when he repeteth his miracles / to proue that the old
holy doctours
were good men in the right beleffe. I answere
agayne / that the doctours which planted gods worde watered
it with miracles / while they were aliue. And when they were
deed God shewed miracles at their graues / to confirme the
same / as of Heliseus. And that continued till the scripture
was ful receaued and autenticke. But ye can not shew / ner
shall / any doctoure which beinge aliue preached youre false doctrine
confirminge it with miracles / as god doeth his
scripture.
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Then saith he / God had in the old testament good men full of
miracles / whose liuinge a man might be bold to
folow and whose
doctrine a man might be bold to beleue be
reason of their miracles / and then iugleth sayenge: if god
shuld not so now in the new testament
haue doctours with miracles to confirme their
doctrine and liuinges
/ but contrary wise shuld bringe to passe or
sofre to be brought to passe with false miracles / that his
church shuld take ypocrites for saintes / which expounded
the scripture falsly / then shuld he disceaue his church
and not haue his
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spirite present in hys church / to teach them all trouth /
as he promised them. I answere / god sofereth not his
church to be disceaued: But he sofereth the
popes church because they haue no loue vnto the
trouth / to liue after the lawes of god / but consent vnto
all iniquite / as he sofered the church of Mahomete. Moare
ouer the gift of miracles was not all waye amonge the
preachers in the olde testament. For Ihon baptist dyd no
miracle at all. The miracles were ceased longe yer christe.
And as for you in the popes kingdome had neuer man that ether confirmed gods doctrine / or youre awne with myracles. All youre sayntes be first saintes when they be deed and then doo
first miracles / to confirme tithes & offerynges &
the poetry which ye haue fayned / and not true doctrine.
For to confirme what preachynge
doeth Saint thomas of canterburie miracles? He
preached neuer ner liued any other life then as our
cardenall / and for hys mischeue died a mischeuous deeth.
And of our cardenall / if we be not diligent /
they wyll make a sainte also and make a greater
relike of his showe then of the others.
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And of youre deed saintes lat vs take one for an
ensample. Thomas de aquino is a saynt full of miracles / as
freres tell. And hys
doctrine was / that our lady was borne in
originall sinne. And dunce
doynge no miracle at all / because I suppose no
man wotteth where he lieth / improueth that with his
sophistrie and affirmeth the contrary. And of the contrary
hath the pope / for the deuocion of that
the graye frires gaue him / ye maye well thynke
/ made an article of
the fayth.
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And finally as for the miracles / they ar to
make a man astonied and to wonder and to dra
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we him to heare the worde ernistly / rather then to write it
in his herte. For whosoeuer hath no nother fealynge of the
law of god that it is good / then because of miracles / the
same shall beleue in Christe / as did Simon Magus and Iudas: and as they that came out of Egipte with Moses / and fell awaye
at euery temptacion / & shall haue good werkes like vn
to our popes / bisshopes and cardenales. And therfore when
the scripture is fully receaued / there is no nede of
miracles. In so moch that they which
wyll not beleue Moses and the prophetes when the
scripture is receaved / the same wilbe no true beleuers by
the reason of miracles /
though one arose from deeth to life to preach vn
to them by the testimonie
of Christe.
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And agayne / how doeth S. Hierom / Augustine /
Bede and many other old doctoures that were before the pope
was cropt vpp in to the consciences of men and had sent
forth his damnable sectes / to preach him vnder the name of
christe / as christ prophisied it shuld
be / expounde this texte / thou arte Peter and
vppon this rocke I wyll
byld my church / and this texte / Peter fede my
shepe / and all power
is geuen me in heuen & in erth / and
innumerable soch textes cleane contrary vnto al those new
old holy doctours that haue made the pope a god? They knew
of no power that man shuld haue in the
kyngdome of Christ / then to preach Christ
truly. They knew of no power that the pope shuld haue to
send to purgatory or to deliuer thence / nether of any
pardons ner of any soch confession as they
preach & teach / nether were many that are articles with
you / articles of their faith. They al preached forgeuenesse
of synnes thorow repentaunce towar
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de the lawe and faith in oure sauioure
Christe / as all the scripture playnly doeth and
can no notherwise be taken / and as al the hertes of as many
as loue the law of god / doo fele / as surely as the fingre
feleth the fire hote.
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¶An answere vnto Master Mores
thirde boke
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In his third boke he procedith forth as
before to proue that the opinions which the popish teach with
out scripture are of equal
auctorite with the scripture. He axeth what iff
there had neuer bene scripture written? I answere / god careth
for his electe and therfore hath prouided them of scripture / to
trie all thynges and to defende them from all false prophetes.
And I saye morouer that if there had bene no scripture written /
that god for his mercy and fatherly loue and care toward his
electe / must haue prouided / that there shulde neuer haue bene
heresies or agenst all tymes when sectes shulde arise / haue
stered vpp preachers to confunde the heresies with miracles
. Take this ensample / the grekes haue the scripture
and serue god therin moch moare diligently then we. Now latt vs
geue that there were no scripture / but that we receaued all
our faith by the auctoryte of oure elders / and the grekes by
the auctorite of their
elders. When I shall dispute with a greke aboute the
articles of the faith which my elders taught me and his elders
denye / as eareconfession / the holy pardons of the pope and
all his power that he hath aboue other bisshopes & many
other thynges besyde the scripture which we hold for articles
of oure faith and they denye. If there be
no nother proffe of ether parte / then to saye / my
elders which can not erre so affirme and that he shuld answere
/ his elders whych can not erre so denie / what reason is it /
that I shuld leaue the auctorite
of my elders and goo and beleue his / or that he
shuld leaue the auctorite of his elders and come and beleue
myne? no
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ne at all verely. But the one partie must shew a miracle or else we must referre
oure
causes vnto autenticke scripture receaued in olde
tyme & confirmed with miracles and therwith trie the
controuersie of our elders.
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And when he axeth whether there were no true faith from Adam
to Noe. I answere / that god partely wrote their
faith in their sacrifices
/ and partly the patriarkes were full of miracles as ye maye se
in the Bible.
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And when More / to vtter his darkenesse & blinde
ignorauncie sayth / that they whych were ouerwhelmed with Noyes
floude / had
a good faith / and bringeth for him Nicolaus de
Lira. I answere / that Nicolaus de Lira delirat. For it is
impossible to haue a faith to
be saued by excepte a man consent vn to gods law
with all his hert
and all his soule / that it is rightwysse / holy /
good and to be kepte of all men / and there vppon repent that he
hath broken it / and sorow that his flesh moueth vn to the
contrary / and then come and beleue that god for his mercy wyll
forgeue him all that he hath done agenst the lawe / and will
helpe him to tame his flesh / and sofre his weakenesse in the
meane season / till he be waxed stronger: which faith if they
that perished in Noyes floud had had / they coude not but haue
mended their liuinges and had not hardened their hertes thorow
vnbeleffe and prouoked the wrath of god and waxed worse and
worse an hundred and .xx. yeres which god gaue them to repent
/ vn tyll god coude no lenger sofre them / but
whashed their
filthinesses awaye with the flode (as he doeth the
popes same abhominacions with like invndacions of water) and
destroyed them vtterly.
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And when he axeth whether Abraham beleued
no moare
then is written of him. I axe him how he wyll proue
that there was no writynge in Abrahams tyme and that Abraham
wrot not. And agayne / as for Abrahams person / he receaued his
faith of god / whych to confirme vn to other / miracles were
shewed dayly.
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And when he fayneth forth / that they beleued only
because they
knew their olders coude not erre. How coude they
know that with out miracles or writynge confirmed with miracles
/ moare then the
turcke knoweth that his elders so many hundred yeres
in so greate a multitude can not erre and teach false doctrine
to damne the beleuers. And the contrary doeth Master More se in
all the byble / how
aftir all was receaued in scripture confirmed with miracles and
though miracles ceased not / but were shewed dayly /
yet the elders
erred and fell to Idolatrie an hundred for one that
bode in the right waye and led the younger in to erroure with
them so sore / that god
to saue the yonger / was faine to destroye the
elders and to begynne his testament afresh with the new
generacion.
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He seith also that the most part were al waye Idolaters for all
the scripture and true myracles therto / and beleued the false
miracles of the deuel / because his doctrine was moare agreable
vnto their carnall vnderstondynge / then the doctrine of gods
spirite / as it now goeth with the pope: did not the scribes /
phareses / and prestes whych were the elders erre?
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And when he axeth who taught the church to know the true
scripture from false bokes. I
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answere / true miracles that confunded the false / gaue
auctorite vn to the true scripture. And therby haue
we euer sens iudged al other bokes and doctrine.
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And by that we know that youre legendes be corrupte with
lyes. As Erasmus hath improued many false bokes whych ye haue fayned
& put forth in the name of S. Hierom /
Augustine / Ciprian / Deonise
and of other / partly with auctentick stories and
partely by the stile and latine and like euident tokens.
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And when Master More sayth vn to them that beleue nought but the scripture / he wyll proue with the scripture / that we be
bound to beleue the church in thynges where fore they haue no
scripture.
Because god hath promised in the scripture / that the holy gost
shall teach his church all trouth. Naye / that texte will not
proue it. For the first church taught nought but they confirmed
it with miracles which coude not be done but of god / tyll the
scripture was autentickly receaued. And the church folowynge
teacheth nought that they will haue beleued as an article of
the faith / but that whych the scripture proueth and
maynteneth. As S. Augustine protesteth of his workes that men
shuld compare them vn to the scripture and therby iudge them
and cast awaye whatsoeuer the scripture dyd not alowe.
And therfore they that wilbe beleued with out scripture are false
ypocrites and not Christes church. For though I know
that that mesinger whych Christe sendeth / can not lye / yet in
a companye where many lyars be / I can not know whych is he /
with out a token of scripture or of miracle.
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And when he saith / the scripture selfe
maketh vs not to beleue the scripture but the church teacheth vs
to know the scripture:
for a man might reade it and not beleue it. And so
I saye / that a man might heare you preach and yet beleue you
not also. And I saye therto / that youre church teacheth not to
know the scripture: but hideth it in the latine from the comen
people. And from them
that vnderstond latine they hide the true sence
with a thousand false
gloses.
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And I saye morouer that the scripture is the cause why men
beleue the scripture / as well as a preacher is the cause why
men beleue his
preachinge. For as he that first told in Englonde
that the Rodes was taken / was the cause whi some beleued it /
euen so might writynge
sent from those parties be the cause that some men
which red it beleued
it. Master More wyll saye / that letter had his
auctorite of the
man that sent it / and so hath the scripture his
auctorite of the
church. Naye / the scripture hath hir auctorite of
him that sent it /
that is to wete of god / which thynge the miracles
did testifie / and not of the man that brought it. He wyll saye
/ thou knowest the
scripture by their shewenge. I graunt at the
begynnynge I doo.
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Then wyll he saye / why shuld ye not beleue them /
in all their other doctrine besydes the scripture and in all
their exposicions of the scripture / as well as ye beleue them
/ when they tell you that soch and soch bokes ar the scripture.
May they not shew you a false boke? yes / and therfore at the
begynnynge I beleue all a like. Euery lye that they tell out of
their awne braynes we
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beleue to be scripture / and so shuld I beleue them if they
shewed me a false boke but when I haue red the scripture and
find not their doctrine there ner
depende therof / I doo not geue so greate credence
vn to their
other doctrine as vn to the scripture. Why? For I finde moo
witteneses vn to the scripture then vn to their other doctrine.
I finde hole
nacions and contres that receaue the scripture and
refuse their other doctrine and their exposicions in many
places. And I finde the scripture other wyse expounded of them
of old tyme then they which now wilbe the church / expounde it.
Wherby their doctrine is the
moare susspecte. I finde mencion made of the
scripture in stories / that it was / when I can finde no mencion
or likelyhode that their doctrine was. I finde in all ages that
men haue resisted their doctrine
with the scripture and haue sofred deeth by the
hundred thousandes in resistynge their doctrine. I se their
doctrine brought in and
maynetened by a contrary waye to that by whych the
scripture was brought in. I finde by the selfe same scripture /
when I loke diligently theron / that their other doctrine can
not stonde therwith.
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I finde in the scripture that they which haue not
Christes spirite to
folow the steppes of his liuinge perteyne not vn to
Christ Romano. viij. I find in the scripture / that they whych
walke in their carnall birth aftir the maner of the childern of
Adam can not vnderstonde the thinges of the spirite of god .1.
Cor. ij. I finde in the scripture
that they whych seke glorie can not beleue christ
Ihon .v. I finde in
the scripture that they which submitte not them
selues to doo the
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will of god / can not know what doctrine is of god and what not
Ihon .vij. I fynde in the scripture Hieremie .xxxj. and hebre.
viij. that all the childern of god / which only are the true members
of his church haue euery one of them the lawe of god
written in their hertes: so that if theyr were no law to
compell / they wolde yet naturally out of their awne hertes
kepe the lawe of god: ye and agenst uiolence compellynge to the
contrary. And I se that they whych
wilbe the church (and to proue it haue not so great
trust in the scripture as in their sophistrie and in the swerd
which they haue sett vpp in all landes to kepe them with
violence in the rowme) are so ferre off from hauinge the lawes
of god written in their hertes / that they
nether by gods lawe ner mans refrayne from their open outwarde
weked lyuinge. Loke in the chronicles what bloud yt hath
cost englond to attempte to brynge them vnder the law. Ye and se
what
busynes the realme hath had / to kepe the prelates
wythyn the realme from takinge the benefyces with them and
lyenge at Rome /
and yet scacely brought yt to passe / for all that
the pope hath the stinte of euery bysshoperyke and of euery
greate abbey therto as offt as any is voyde / yer a newe be
admitted to the rowme. And I se them bonde vn to their awne wyll
and both to doo and too consent
vn to other to doo all that God hath forboden. I se
them of all people
moost uaynegloryous. I se them walke after their
fleshly birth. I se
them so ferre off from the image of chryste / that
not only they wyll not dye for their flocke after hys ensample
/ but also / yer they wold
lose one towne / or vylage / any pollynge or
pryuilege whych they haue falsly gotten / bryngyn
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ge them selues in to good pastures
wyth wyles and shuttynge their flocke without / they
wold cast a waye an hundred thousande off them in one daye and
begger theyr realmes / ye and interdyte them and brynge in
straunge nacyons / though yt were the turke / to conquere them
and sle them vppe / so moch as the innocent in the cradell. And
I se that there other doctrine
is for their wauntage only and that therwyth they
haue gotten all that they haue.
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And I fynde in the scripture that the Iewes before
the cominge of christe knew that those bokes were the scripture
by the scribes and the phareses. And yet as many as beleued
their other doctrine and
many exposicions of the scripture were dysceaued /
as ye se / and how chryst delyuered them out of erroure. And I
se agayne (whych
ys no small myracle) that the mercyfull care of god
to kepe the scripture to be a testimonye vnto hys electe / ys
so greate / that no men be moare gelous ouer the bokes / to
kepe them and shew them / and to allege / that they be the
scripture of god and true / then they which when yt is reed in
their eares haue no power to beleue yt / as the Iewes and the
popishe. And therfore because they nether can beleue
yt false / nether consent that yt ys true as yt soundeth playnly
in theyr eares in that yt ys so contrary vnto their fleshly
wysdome /
from whych they can not departe / they seke a
thousand gloses to turne yt in to a nother sens / to make it
agre vn to theyr beestlynesse
/ and where yt wyll receaue no soch gloses / theyr
they thynke that no man vnderstondeth yt.
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Then in the end of the chapter master More
cometh vn to his wise conclusion and prouith nothinge saue
sheweth his ignoraunce / as in all thynge. He saith we beleue
the doctrine of the scripture without scripture / as for an
ensample / the popis pardons / because only that the church so
teacheth / though no scripture confermeth it. Whi so? because
saith he the holy gost by inspiracion
/ if I doo my deuoure and captiuat myne
vnderstondynge / teacheth me to beleue the church concerninge
Gods word taught by the church and grauen in mens hertes with
out scripture / as wel as
he teacheth vs to beleue wordes written in the
scripture. Marke where he is now. Afore he saith / the
scripture causeth vs not to beleue the scripture / for a man
maye read it and beleue it not. And moch more the precher
maketh vs not to beleue the preacher / for a man maye heare him
and beleue him not also. As we se the appostles covde not cause
all men to beleue them. For though the scripture be an outward
instrument and the preacher also to moue men to beleue
/ yet the chefe and principall cause why a man
beleueth or beleueth
not is within. That is / the spirite of god
teacheth hir chyldern to beleue and the deuell blyndeth his
childern and kepeth them in vnbeleue and maketh them to consent
vn to lies and thynke good euell and euell good. As the actes
of the appostles saye in many
places there beleued as many as were ordeyned vn to
euerlastynge life. And christ saith Ihon . viij. they that be
of god heare gods
worde. And vn to the weked Iewes he saith ye can
not beleue because ye be not of god. And in the same place
saith he / ye be of youre father the deuell and his will ye
will doo / & he bode not in the trouth /
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and therfore will not soffre his childern to consent
to the trueth. And Ihon in the tenth saith christ /
al that came before me / be theves and murtherars / but my shepe
hearde not their voyces. That is / all that preach any saluacion
saue in christ murther
the soules. How be it christes shepe coude not
consent to their lies / as the rest can not but beleue lies / so
that there is euer a remanaunt kepte by grace. And of this I
haue sene diuers ensamples. I haue knowen as holy men as might
be / as the world counteth holinesse / which at the houre of
deeth had no trust in god at all / but cryed cast holiwater /
light the holy candell / and so forth / sore lamentynge
that they must dye. And I haue knowen other which
were dispiced / as men that cared not for their diuine seruice
/ which at deeth haue
fallen so flatt vppon the bloude of christ as is
possible and haue preached vn to other mightyly as it had bene
an appostle of our sauioure and conforted them with comforte of
the life to come and haue
died so gladly / that they wold haue receaued no
worldes good / to
byde still in the flesh. And thus is M. More faulen
vppon predestinacion and is compelled with violence of
scripture to confesse that which he hateth and studieth to make
appere false / to stablish frewill
with all not so moch of ignoraunce I feare as for
lucres sake and
to gett honoure / promocion / dignite and money by
helpe of oure
mitred monsters. Take ensample of balam the false
prophete which gaue councel and sought meanes / thorow like
blind couetousnesse / to make the trueth and prophisie which
God had shewed him / false. He had the knowlege of the trouth
but with out loue therto and therfore
for vauntage became enimie vn to the trouth /
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but what came of hym?
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But M. More peperith his conclusion lest men shuld
fele that taste sayenge if we endeuoure our selues &
captiue oure vnderstondinge
to beleue. O how betleblinde is fleshlye reason!
the wil hath none operacion at all in the workynge of faith in
my soule / no more then the child hath in the begetinge of his
father. For saith paule it is the gift of god and not of vs. My
witte must conclude good or bad yer my will can loue or hate. My
witt must shew me a true cause or an
apparent cause whi / yer my will haue any workinge at all. And
of that peperinge it well appereth what the popis fayth ys: euen
a blind imaginacion of theyr natural witte / wrought with out
the light of the spirite of god / agreinge vnto their voluptious
lustes in which their bestly wil so deliteth that he wyll not
lett there wittes attende vnto any other lernynge for
vnquiettynge hym selfe and sterynge from his pleasure and
delectacion.
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And thus we be as ferre a sunder as euer we were and his mightie
argumentes proue not the value of a podynge pricke.
M. More feleth in his hert by inspiracion and with his
endeuerynge him selfe and captiuatynge hys vnderstondynge to
beleue it / that there is a purgatory
as whot as hell. Where in if a sily soule were
appoynted by god / to lye a thousand yeres / to purge him wyth
all / the pope for the value of a grote shall commaunde him
thence full purged in the twinkelinge of an eye / and by as
good reason if he were goyng thence / kepe him there still. He
felith by inspiracion and in captiuatinge
his wittes that the pope can worke wonders with a
calfes skyn / that he can commaunde one to eate fleshe though
he be neuer so
lustie / and that a nother
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eate none in payne of damnacion / though he shulde die for
lacke of it: and that he can forgeue synne
and not the payne / and as moch and as litle of the
payne or all yf he luste / and yet can nether helpe hym to loue
the law or to beleue or to hate the flesh / seinge he preacheth
not. And soch thynges innumerable
M. More feleth true / and therfore beleueth that the
pope ys the true church.
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And I cleane contrary fele that there ys no soch
worldely and
fleshely imagined purgatory. For I fele that the
soules be purged only by the worde of god and doctrine of
christe / as it is written
Ihon .xv. ye be cleane thorow the worde / saith
christ to his appostles . And I fele agayne that he which is
cleane thorow the doctryne / nedeth not but to washe his fete
only / for hys heed and handes ar
cleane al redye Ihon .xiij. that is / he must tame
his flesh and kepe it vnder for his soule is cleane all redy
thorow the doctrine. I fele also
that bodyly payne doeth but purge the body only: in so moch that
the payne not only purgeth not the soule / but maketh yt
moare foule / excepte that there be kinde lerninge by / to purge
the soule:
so that the moare a man beteth his sonne / the worse
he is / excepte
he teach hym louingly and shew hym kindnesse besydes
/ partely to kepe hym from desperation and partely that he fall
not in to hate of his father and of hys commaundement therto
/and thynke that hys father is a tirant and his law but
tyranny.
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Master More feleth with his good endeuoure and
inspiracion to gether / that a man may haue the best faith
coupled with the worst life and wyth consentinge to sinne. And
I fele that it is impossible to beleue truly excepte a man
repent / and that yt ys
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impossible to trust in the mercy that is in christ or to fele
it but that a man must
immediatly loue god and his commaundementes / and
therfore disagre and disconsent vnto the flesh and be at bate
therwith and fight agenst it. And I fele that euery soule that
loueth the law and hateth his flesh and beleueth in christes
bloude / hath hys synnes which he committed and payne whych he
desarued in hatynge the law and consentynge vnto hys flesh /
forgeuen hym / by that faith. And I fele that the frailtie of
the flesh agenst which a beleuinge soule fighteth to subdue yt
/ ys also forgeuen and not rekened or imputed for sinne all the
tyme of our curynge: as a kind father and mother rekene not
or impute the impossibilite of their younge
childern to consent vnto their law / and as when the childern
be off age and consent / then they reken not ner impute the
impossibilite of the flesh to folowe it immediatly / but take
al a worth and loue them no lesse / but rather
moare tenderly then their old and perfecte childern
that doo their commaundementes / so longe as they goo to scole
and lerne soch thynges as their fathers & mothers set them
to.
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And I beleue that euery soule that repenteth / beleueth and
loueth the law / is thorow that fayth a membre of christes
church and pure
with out spott or wrincle / as paul affirmeth. Eph.
v. And yt ys an artycle of my beleffe that chrystes electe
church ys holy and pure
with out synne and euery membir of the same / thorow faith in
christe and that they be in the full fauoure of god. And I
fele that the vnclennesse off the soule ys but the consent vnto
sinne and vnto the flesh. And therfore I fele that euery soule
that beleueth and consenteth vnto the lawe and here in
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this life hateth his flesh and the
lustes therof and doeth his best to driue sinne out
of his flesh and for hate of the sinne gladly departeth from hys
flesh / when he is
deed (and the lustes of the flesh slayne with deeth)
nedeth not as it were bodyly tormentynge to be purged of that
wherof he is quite all redy. And therfore if ought remayne / it
is but to be taught and
not to be beten. And I fele that eueri soule that
bereth frute in christ shalbe purged of the father to bere
moare frute daye by daye / as it
is written Ihon .xv. not in the popis purgatory
where no man felith it / but here in this life soch frute as is
vn to his neyboures profitt / so that he which hath his hope in
christ purgeth him selfe here / as
Christ is pure .1. Ihon .iij. and that euer yet the
bloud of Ihesus only
doeth purge vs of all oure synnes for the
imparfectenesse of oure workes. And I fele that the
forgeuenesse of synnes is to remitte mercyfully
the payne that I haue deserued. And I do beleue that
the
payne that I here sofre in my flesh / is to kepe
the body vnder and to serue my neyboure and not to make
satisfaccion vn to god for the fore synnes.
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And therfore when the pope describeth god aftir his couetous
complexion / and when Master More felith by
inspiracion and captiuattinge his wittes vn to the pope / that
god forgeueth the euerlastynge
payne and wyll yet punish me a thousand yeres in
the popis purgatory / that leuen sauereth not in my mouth. I
vnderstond my
fathers wordes as they sounde and aftir the most
mercifull maner and not aftir the popes leuen & M. Mores
captiuinge his wittes / to beleue that euery poetes fabell is a
true story. There is no father here
that punisheth his sonne to purge
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him / when he is purged all redy and hath vtterly forsaken
synne and euell and hath submitted
him selfe vn to his fathers doctrine. For to punish a man that
hath forsaken synne of his awne accorde / is not to purge him /
but to satisfie the lust of a tirant. Nether ought it to be
called purgatory / but a Iayle of tormentynge and a
satisfactory. And when the pope
saith it is done to satisfye the rightewesnesse as
a iudge. I saye we that beleue haue no iudge of him / but a
father / nether shall we come in to iudgement as Christ hath
promised vs / but are receaued vnder
grace mercy and forgeuenesse. Shew the pope a litle
money and god is so mercyfull that there is no purgatory. And
why is not the fire out as well / if I offer for me the bloud
of Christe? If Christ hath deserued al for me / who gaue the
pope might to kepe parte of his
deseruynges from me & to by and sell Christes
merites and to make marchaundice ouer vs with fayned wordes.
And thus as M. More feleth that the pope is holy church / I
fele that he is antichriste. And
as my felynge can be no proffe to him / no moare can
his with all his captiuatinge his wittes to beleue phantasyes
be vn to me. Wherfore if he haue no nother probacion to proue
that the pope is holy church / then that his hert so agreeth vn
to his lernynge / he ought of no right
to compel with swerde vn to his secte. How be it
there are ever .ij. maner people that wil cleaue vnto god a
fleshli & a spiritual. The spiritual which be of god shal
heare gods worde & the childern of
the trueth shall consent vn to the trueth. And
contrary / the fleshlye and childern of falshed and of the
deuel whose hertes be full of lyes / shall naturally consent vn
to lies (as younge childern though they
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haue eate them selfes as good as deed with frute / yet wyll not
ner can beleue him that telleth them that soch frute is nought: but him that prayseth them wyll they heare and eate them selues
starke deed / because their hertes befull of lyes & they
iudge all thynges as they appere vn to the eyes). And the
fleshly minded / assone as he beleueth of god as moch as the
deuel doeth / he hath ynough / and goeth to & serueth god
with bodily seruice as he before serued his Idoles / and aftir
his awne imaginacion & not in the sprite / in louinge his
lawes & beleuinge his promises or longynge for them: no if
he might euer liue in the flesh he wolde neuer desyre them. And
god
must doo for him agayne / not what god hath
promised / but what
he lusteth. And his brother that serueth god in the
spirite acordynge to gods word / him wyll the carnall beest
persecute. So that he whych wyll godly liue must sofre
persecucion vn to the worldes ende / acordynge vn to the
doctrine of christe & of his apostles &
acordyng vn to the ensamples that are gonne
before.
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And finally I haue better reasons for my felynge that
the pope is antichrist then M. More hath for his endeuorynge him
selfe & captiuinge his wittes that he is the true church.
For the church that was the true mesinger of god / hath euer
shewed a signe & a bage therof / ether a present miracle or
autenticke scripture / in so moch that Moses when he was sent /
axed how shall they beleue me and god gaue him a signe / as
euer before & sens. Nether was there any other cause of the
writynge of the new and last and euerlastinge testament / then
that when miracles ceased / we might haue wherewith to defende
oure selues agenst false doctrine and heresies. Whych we coude
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not doo / if we were bounde to beleue that were no where
written. And agayne / if the pope coude not erre in his doctrine / he coude not synne of purpose and profession / abhominably and
openly aboue the turkes and all the hethen that euer
were / and defende it so malyciouslye as he hath .viij. hundred
yeres longe and wyll not be reformed / and maketh them his
saintes & his defenders that synne as he doeth. He
persecuteth as the carnall church euer did. When the scripture
is a waye / he proueth his doctrine with the scripture and
assone as the scripture cometh to light he runneth a waye vnto
his sophistrie and vnto his swerde. We se also by stories
how youre confession / penaunce and pardons ar vpp
come and
whence youre purgatory is spronge. And youre falshed
in the sacramentes
we se by open scripture. And all youre workes we
rebuke with the scripture and therewith proue that the false
beleffe that ye couple to them / maye not stonde with the true
fayth that is in oure sauioure Iesus.
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ij.
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In the ende of the seconde chapter he bringeth in Euticus
that fell
out at a window Actes .xx. whom saith he s.
Paulis merites did recouer.
Verely Paule durst not so saye / but that
Christes merites did
it. Peter sayth Actes .iij. ye men of Israel
why gase ye and stare vppon vs / as though we by our power
and godlynesse had made this man goo. Naye / the name of
Iesus and fayth that is in him / hath geuen him strength and
made him sounde: And euen here / it was the name of Iesus
thorow paules faith that did that miracle and not Paules
merites / though he were neuer so holy.
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iij.
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In the .iij. chapter he sayth that bilneyes iudges which he
yet nameth not for feare of sclaunderynge them / were
indifferent. Naye /
they that take rewardes be not indifferent. For
rewardes and giftes blynde the eyes of the seinge and
peruerte the wordes of the righteous
Deute. xvij. Now all that be shoren take greate
rewardes to defende pilgremages / purgatory and prayenge vn
to sayntes: even the third parte I trow of all
christendome. For all they haue they haue receaued in the
name of purgatory & of saintes / and on that fundacion
be all their bisshoprikes / abbeyes / coleges
& cathedral
churches bylte. If they shalbe indifferent
iudges / they must be made
seruauntes and doo saruice as their dutie is.
And when they haue done a quarters saruice / then geue them
wages as right is / vnto every man that laboureth in
christes heruest a sufficient liuynge and
no moare / and that in the name of his laboure
and not of sayntes and so forth. And then they shalbe moare
indifferent iudges / when there cometh no vauntage to iudge
moare on one syde then a nother.
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iiij.
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In the ende of the fourth he sayth the man toke an oth
secretly and was dismissed with secret penaunce. O ypocrites
/ why dare ye not doo it openly?
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v.
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In the .v. the mesinger axeth him whether he
were present. And he
denyeth and sayth euer he hearde saye. Alas sir
whi take you brybes to defende that you knowe not / why
suffre you not them that were present and to whom the mater
perteyneth / to lye for them selues?
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Then he iesteth out the mater with
wilken and simken / as he doeth Hunne and euery thinge /
because men shuld not consydre their falshed ernestly.
Wherin be hold his sotle conveyaunce. He axeth what if
simken wold haue sworne that he saw men make those printes.
Where vnto Master More answereth vnder the name of / quod
he / that he wold swere / that besydes the losse of the wager / he had lost his honestye & his soule therto. Beholde
this mannes gravite / how coude you that doo when the case
is possible. You shulde haue put him to his proues and
bydde him brynge recorde.
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Then saith he the church receaueth no man
conuicte of heresie vn to mercy / but of mercy receaueth
him to open shame. Of soch mercy / god geue them plentye
that are so mercyfull.
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Then he sheweth how mercyfull they were to receaue the man
to penaunce that abode styll in periury and deedly synne. O
shamelesse
ypocrites how can ye receaue in to the
congregacion of christe an
open obstinat synner that repenteth not / when
ye are commaunded
of christ to cast all soch out? And agayne o
scribes and phareses / by what ensample of christe and of
his doctrine can ye put a man that repenteth vn to open
shame and to that thinge where by euer aftir he is had in
derision amonge his brethern of whom he ought to be loued
and not mocked. Ye might enioyne honest thinges / to tame
his flesh / as prayer and fastynge and not that whych shuld
be to him shame euer aftir and soch as ye youre selues wold
not doo.
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vij.
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In the .vij. chapter he maketh moch to
doo aboute sweringe and that for a sotle purpose.
Notwithstondinge / the trueth is / that
no iudge ought to make a man swere agenst his
wyll for many inconuenientes. If a man receaue an office he
that putteth him in the
rowme ought to charge him to doo it truly and
maye & happly ought to take an othe of him. If a man
offer him selfe to beare wittenesse / the iudge maye and of
some haply ought to take an oth of them: but to compell a
man to beare wittenesse ought he not. And Morouer if a
iudge put a man to an othe that he shall answere vn to
all that he shalbe demaunded off/ he ought to
refuse. How be it if he haue sworn / and then the weked
iudge axe him of thynges hurtefull vn to his neyboure and
agenst the loue that is in Christe / then
he must repent that he hath sworn / but not
synne agayne and to fulfyll his othe. For it is agenst gods
commaundement / that a man
shuld hurte his neyboure that hath not deserued
it.
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viij.
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Vn to church / prest / charite / grace / confession and
penaunce is answered him in the begynnynge of the boke. And
when he sayth Tindale was confederatt with Luther that is
not trueth.
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ix.
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Then his .ix. chapter is there nothynge moare folishe. For
if he wold haue any wyse man to beleue that my translacion
wold destroye the masse any other wyse then the latine or
greke texte / he shuld haue alleged the place and howe.
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xj.
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In the .xj. chapter Master More will
not defende the liuinge of our spiritualtie / because it is
so open that he can not. And as litle shuld he be able to
defende their lies / iff the light were abrode that men
might se. And as he can not deny them abhominable / so can
he not deny them obstinat and indurat therin / for they haue bene
oft rebuked with gods worde / but in vayne. And
of soch the texte is playne that they can not vnderstonde
the scripture. And yet M.
More wyll receaue rewardes to dispute agenst the
heresies of some
soch as be cast out of Christes church by soch
holy patriarkes /
whose liuenges he him silfe can not prayse. As
holy Iudas / though
the prelates of his church that is the pharises
were neuer so abhominable / yet because Christes doctrine
was condemned of them as of gods church that coude not erre
/ and all that beleued on him excomunicat / he was bold to
saye. Quid vultis mihi dare et ego tradam eum vobis? That
is / what will you geue me and I will deliuer him vn to
you?
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xij.
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In the .xij. he hath one conclusion / that the
prayars of an evel
preest profite not. Which though be true / yet
the contrary is beleued
amonge a greate mayny / in all quarters of
englonde / so blynd be the people and wotte not what prayar
meaneth. I haue hearde men of no small reputacion saye yer
this in greate audience / that it maketh no mater whether
the prest were good or bad so he toke money to praye as
they sealden praye with out / for he coude not hurte the
prayer were he neuer so noughty.
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And when he saith that the euell preest hurteth vs not so
moch with his lyuynge / as he pro
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fiteth vs with ministrynge the sacramentes . O worldlye
wisdome / if a man lead me thorow a ieoperdous
place by daye / he can not hurte me so greatly as by night.
The turke seith that murther / thefte / extorcion /
oppression / and adultery be synne. But when he leadith me
by the darkenesse of sacramentes
with out significacion / I can not but ketch
harme and put mi trust and confidence in that which is
nether god ner his worde. As for an ensample / what trust
put the people in anoylynge & how crie they for it /
with no nother knowlege then that the oyle saueth them / vn
to their damnacion and denyenge of Christes bloude?
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And when he saith the preest offereth or
sacrificeth Christes body. I answere / Christ was offered
once for all as it is to se in the epistle
to the Hebrues. As the prest sleeth Christ /
breaketh his body and shedith his bloude / so he
sacrificeth him and offereth him. Now
the preest sleeth him not actually ner breaketh
his body actually ner
shedith his bloude actually nether scorgeth him
and so forth / thorow out al his passion: but representeth
his sleinge / his body
breakynge and bloudshedynge for my synnes and
all the rest of his passion and playeth it before myne eyes
only. Which significacion of the masse / because the people
vnderstonde not / therfore they
receaue no forgeuenesse of their synnes therby /
and therto can not but ketch hurte in their soules / thorow
a false faith as it well appeareth / how euery man cometh
therto for a sundrye imaginacion /
all ignoraunt of the true waye.
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Let no man begyle you with his iuglynge sophistrie. Oure
offeringe of Christ is to beleue in him / and to come with
a repentinge herte vn
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to the remembraunce of his passion and to desyre god the
father for the breakynge of Christes body on the crosse and
shedynge of his bloude and for his deeth and all his passions / to be
mercyfull vn to vs and to forgeue vs acordynge vn to
his testament and promise. And so we receaue forgeuenesse
of oure synnes. And other offerynge or sacrifisinge of
Christ is there now none. Walke in
the open light and felynge & lett not youre
selues be led with iuglynge wordes as mules and asses in
whych there is none vnderstondinge.
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M. Deacons were had in price in the olde tyme.
T. For the deacons
then toke the care of all the pore and sofered
none to goo a beggynge
/ but prouided a lyuynge for euery one of them.
Where now they that shulde be deacons make them selues
prestes and robbe the pore of landes / rentes / offerynges
and all that was geuen them / deuourynge all them selues and
the pore dienge for hongre.
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M. prestes be dispised because of the multitude.
T. if there were
but one in the worlde as men saye of the fenix
/ yet if he lyued abhominably
/ he coude not but be dispised.
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M. a man maye haue a good faith coupled with
all maner synne.
T. a good faith puteth awaye al synne / how
then can alwaye synne
dwell with a good faith? I dare saye / that
Master More durst affirme / that a man might loue god and
hate his neyboure both at
tonce / and yet S. Ihon in his epistle wyll
saye that he sayeth vntrulye . But Master More meaneth of
the best fayth that euer he felte. By al lyklyhod he
knoweth of no nother but soch as maye stonde
with all wekednesse / nother in him selfe ner
in
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his prelates. Wherfore in as moch as their faith maye stond
with all that Christ
hateth / I am sure he loketh but for small
thankes of god for his defendynge of them. And therfore he
playeth suerly to take his rewarde here of oure holy
patriarkes.
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M. few durst be prestes in the old tyme. T. then
they knew the charge
and fered god. But now they know the vauntage
& dread him not.
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M. if the lawes of the church were executed
which tyndale and
Luther wold haue burnt / it wolde be better. T.
iff the testament of oure sauioure might be knowen for
blinde wretches & couetous tirantes / it wold write the
law of god in all mens hertes that beleued it / and then
shuld men naturally and with out compulsion kepe all
honestie. And agayne / though the popis law
coude helpe / is not
yet no law as good as a lawe vnexecuted?
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xiij.
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In the .xiij. he rageth and fareth exceadynge
foule with him selfe. There he biteth / sucketh / gnaweth /
towseth / and mowseth tindale. There he weneth that he hath
wonne his spores and that it is not possible to answere him.
And yet there / because he there most stondeth in his awne
conseyte / I doute not vn to them that be lerned in Christe
to proue him moste ignoraunt of all and cleane wyth out
vnderstondynge of godly thynges. And I saye yet / that as no
woman ought to rule a mans office / where a man is present / by the ordir of nature / & as a younge man ought not to be
chosen / to ministre in the church / where an olde mete for
the rowme maye be
had / by the ordir of nature / euen so it was
Pauls meaninge / to
preferre the maried before the vnma
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ried / for the inconuenientes
that might chaunce by the reason of vnchastite /
which
inconuenientes Mastre More mighte se with sorow
of herte (if he had as greate loue to Christ as to other
thinges) to happen dayly vn to the shame of Christes
doctrine / amonge prestes / freres and monkes / partly with
open whores / partly with their sodomitrie wherof they cast
ech other in the teeth dayly in euery abbey / for the least
displeasure / that one doeth to a nother. M. More might se
what occasions of vnchastite begeuen vn to the curates euery where by the reason of their office and dayly conuersacion with
the maried.
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And when he sayth neuer man coude finde that exposicion tyll
now / there he sayth vntrue. For S. Hierom him silfe
saith that he
knew them that so expounded the texte / and
rebuked them of Rome because they wold not admitte in to
the clargye them that had had two wyues / the one before
baptim and the other aftir sayenge: if a man had kylled
.xx. men before his baptym / they wold not haue
forboden him / and why then shuld that which is
no synne at all be a lett vn to him. But the god of Rome
wold not heare him. For sathan began then to worke his
misteries of wekednesse.
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And when he sayth / he that hath .x. wiues hath one wife. I
saye
that one is taken by the vse of speakynge for
one only. As when I saye / I am content to geue the one /
meanynge one only. And vnto him that hath no helpe / is
there one helpe / to loke for no helpe / where one helpe is
taken for one only / and many places else.
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And when master More saith / he that hath had .ij. wiues one
after a nother maye not be preest / and that if a prestes
wife dye he maye
not
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haue a nother if nede be / or that if he were made preest
hauynge no wife / he might not aftir marie iff
he burnt / I desyre a reason of him. Yf he saye / it hath
bene so the vse: then saye I an hore is better then a wife
/ for that hath bene the vse of oure holy father many
hundred yeres. But I affirme vn to Master More the
contrary. And I saye first with Paule / that the kyngdome of god is
not meate and drynke / and by the same reason
nether husbonde or
wife / but the kepinge of the commaundementes
and to loue euery man his neyboure as him silfe. And
therfore as meate and drynke ware ordeyned for mans
necessite / and as a man maye eate &
drynke at all nedes in all degrees / so ferre as
it letteth him not to kepe the commaundementes and to loue
his neyboure as him selfe: even so was the wife created for
the mans necessite / and therfore
maye a man vse hir at all his nede in all
degrees / as ferre as she letteth
him not to kepe gods law which is no thinge else
by Paules lernynge / then that a man loue his neyboure as
him selfe. Now I desyre a reason of master Mores doctrine /
what doeth my seconde wife or my third hinder me to loue my
neyboure as mi selfe and to doo him seruice agenst I come
to be preeste? What let is youre seconde wife
to you to serue oure holy father the pope moare
then youre first wold haue bene? And in like maner if my
first wife dye / when I am
preest / why maye I not loue my neyboure and
doo him as good seruice with the seconde as with the
firste? And agayne / if I be made prest hauinge no wife and
aftir burne / & therfore marie / why maye
I not loue my neyboure and serue him with that
wife / as well as he that brought a wife with him?
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It was not for nought that paul
prophesyed that some shuld
departe from the fayth / and attende vnto
disceueable spirites and deuelysh doctryne forbiddynge to
mary and to eate meates which god
hath created to be receaued with thankes of them
that know the trouth / to bye dyspensacyons to vse lawfull
mete and vnlawfull wyves.
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If I axe Master More whi he that hath the
seconde wife or hath had
.ij. wives may not be a prest / or whi if a
prestes first wyfe die / he
maye not mary the seconde / he wyll answere be
cause the prest must represent the misteries or secret
properties and vnion of christe
the only husbonde of his only wife the church
or congregacion that
beleueth in him only. That is / as I haue in
other places sayde / the scripture describeth vs in
matrimonie the misteries and secret benefites
which God the father hath hyd in christ for all
them that be
chosen and ordeyned to beleue & put their
trustes in hym to be saued. As when a man taketh a wife he
geueth hir him selfe / his honoure / hys riches and all
that he hath and maketh her of equall degre vn to him
selfe: if he be kinge and she before a beggers
doughter / yet she is not the lesse quene and in
honoure a boue all other / if he be emproure she ys
empresse and honoured of men as
the emproure and partetaker of all. Euen so yf a
man repent and come & beleue in christ to be saued from
the damnacyon of the synne of which he repenteth / christ
ys hys awne good immediatly: christes deeth / payne /
prayar / passion / fastynge and all his
merites are for that mans synnes a full
satisfaccyon and a sacrifice of
might and power to absolue hym a pena et a
culpa: christes enheretaunce / hys lo
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ue and fauoure that he hath with god his father are that
mans by and by / and the man by that mariage is pure as christ and cleane wyth out synne / and honourable / glorious /
well beloued and in fauoure thorow the grace of that
mariage. And because that the prest must represent vs thys
significacion / is the cause whi a
preest maye not haue the seconde wife saye they
/ whych popish
reason hath disceaued many wise / as who can be but
disceaued in
some thinge / if he receaue all hys doctrine by
the auctorite of hys elders / excepte he haue an occasion as
we haue to runne to Moses and the prophetes and there heare
and se with oure awne eyes and beleue no lenger by the
reason of oure forefathers / when we se them
so shamfully begild them selues and to begile
vs in a thousande thinges whych the turkes se.
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Now to oure purpose / iff thys doctryne be true / then must
euery preest haue a wyfe or. haue had a wife. For he that
neuer had wife can not represent vs this. And againe he
that hath an hore or a nother
mans wyfe / hath lost this propirte and therfore
ought to be put downe.
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And agayne / the seconde mariage then of no man is or can be
a sacrament by that doctryne. And yet I will describe you
the mariage off christ as well by hys mariage that hath had
.ix. wiues and hath
now the tenth / as by his that hath now the
firste.
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O wil they saye / his wife was no virgin or he when they
were maried. Sir the significacyon stondeth not in the
virginite but in the actual wedlocke. We were no virgens
when we came to christ but comen hores beleuinge in a
thousand Idoles.
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And in the seconde mariage or tenth
and ye will / the man
hath but one wife and all his is hirs / and his
other wiues be in a lande where is no husbonde or wife. I
saye therfore with Paul that this is
deuellish doctrine and hath a similitude of
godlynesse with it but the power is a waye. The myst of it
blindeth the eyes of the simple and begyleth them / that
they can not se a thousande abhominacions
wrought vnder that clocke.
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And therfore I saye still / that the apostles meaninge was
that he shuld haue a wife / if haply his age were not the
gretter / and that by one wife he excludeth them that had
two and them that were defamed
with other saue their awne wiues / and wolde
haue them to be soch as were knowen of vertuouse liuynge /
for to doo reuerence and honoure vn to the doctrine of
Christe. As it appereth by the
wedowes whych he excludeth before .lx. yeres
for feare of vnchastite and admitteth yet none of that age
excepte she were well knowen of chast / honeste and godly
behauoure / and that to honoure gods worde with all / than
whych the pope hath nothynge moare vile. And when Master
More to mocke / bringeth forth the texte of the
wedowe / that she must be the wife of one man. I
answere for all his iestynge / that Paul excludeth not hir
that had .x. husbandes one aftir a nother / but hir that had
.ij. husbandes attonce. And when More laugheth at it / as
though it had neuer bene the gyse. I wold to god
for his mercy that it were not the gyse this
daye / and then I am sure his wrath wold not be so greate
as it is. Paul meaneth only that he wold haue no diffamed
woman chosen wedowe for dishonourynge the worde of god
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and the congregacion of Christ / and therfore excludeth
comen wemen and soch as were dyffamed besydes their
husbandes and haply the deuorced therto. And that I proue by the same doctrine of Paule / that the kyngdome of god is no
soch busynes but the kepynge of gods commandementes only
and to loue one a nother. Now loke on the thynge and on the
office of the wedowe.
It was but to wayte on the sicke and pore people
and to washe straungers fete. Now the wedowes of .x.
husbandes must haue be founde of the cost of the
congregacion / iff they were destitute of frendes / as all
other pore were / though in tyme passed they haue bene
diffamed persons.
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But vnder .lx. wold Paul let none ministre for feare of
occasions of vnchastite / and therto none but soch as were
well knowen of honeste liuynge and of good reporte. Now in
as moch as the wedow of. x. husbandes must be founde of the
comen cost at hir nede / what vnclennesse is in hir by the
reason of hir seconde husbonde / that she is not good
ynough to be a seruaunte vn to the pore people / to
dresse their meate / to wash their clothes / to
make their beddes and so forth and to wash straungers fete
/ that came out of one congregacion vn to a nother a boute
busynesse / and to doo all maner seruice of loue vn to her
pore brethern and sisters. To haue had the seconde
husbande is no shame amonge the hethen: it is no shame
amonge the christen for when the husbonde is deed / the wife
is fre to mary to whom she wyll in the lorde / and by as
good reason the husbande / and of right who moare fre then
the preeste? And therfore they shame not our doctrine ner
oure congregacion /
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ner dishonoure
god amonge the hethen or weake Christen. Now
when we
haue a playne rule that he whych loueth his
neyboure as him selfe
kepeth all the lawes of god / lett him tell me
for what cause of loue
towarde his neyboure / a wedowe of two lawfull
husbandes maye not doo seruice vn to the pore people.
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Why maye not a wedowe of .l. doo seruice vn to the pore?
paule whych knitteth no snares ner leadeth vs blinde ner
teacheth vs wyth out a reason geuynge of his doctrine /
answereth / for feare of occasions of euell / lest she be
tempted or tempte other: And then if she be taken in
misdoenge / the doctrine of Christ be euell spoken of
therto and the weake offended.
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And when Master More mocketh wyth my reason that I wolde haue euery preest to haue a wife because fewe men can liue
chaste / I answere / that if he loued the honoure of Christ
and his neyboure as he doeth his awne couetousnesse / he
shuld finde that a good argumente
. Paul maketh the same and moch moare sclenderly
then I after youre sophistrie. For he disputeth thus / some
younge wedowes do dishonest the congregacion of Christe and
his doctrine /
therfore shall no younge wedow at all ministre
in the comune seruice therof: But shall all be maried and
bere childern and serue their husbandes. And it is a fer
lesse rebuke to the doctrine of Christ and his congregacion
/ that a woman shuld doo amisse / then the bisshope or
preest. I am not so mad / to thinke that there coude no prest at all liue chaste. Nether am I so folish to thynke that there be not
as
many wemen that coude liue chast at .1. as
prestes at .xxiiij. And yet though of a thousande wedowes
of .1. yere olde
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.ix. hundred .xc. and .ix. coude lyue chast / Paul because
he knoweth not that
one / wyll lett none at all ministre in the
comen seruice amonge occasion
of vnchastite. Christes appostles consydered all infirmities
and all that might hindre the doctrine of Christe / and
therfore did their beste to preuent all occasions. Wherfore
as fish is no better then flesh / ner flesh better then fish
in the kyngdome of Christ / euen so
virginite wedlocke and wedowed are none better
then other to be
saued by in their awne nature or to please god
with all / but with
whatsoeuer I maye best serue my brethern / that
is euer best acordinge
vn to the tyme and facion of the worlde. In
persecucion it is
good for euery man to liue chast can he / and
namely for the preacher. In peace when a man maye liue
quietly and abyde in one
place / a wife is a sure thynge to cutt of
occasions.
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Then he wold make it seme that prestes wiues
were the occasions
of heresies in almanye. Naye / they fell first
to heresies and then toke
wiues / as ye fell first to the popis holy
doctrine and then toke whores.
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M. the church byndeth no man to chastite. T. of
a trueth / for it
geueth licence to who soeuer wyll / to kepe
hores / and permitteth to abuse mens wiues and sofereth
sodomitrie / and doeth but only
forbid matrimonie.
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And when he sayth / chastite was allmoste
receaued by generall
custome / before the law was made: one lye. And
good fathers did
but geue their aduise therto: a nother lye. And
it was ratified and receaued wyth the consent of all
christendome: the third lye.
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They dyd well to chose a poete to be their
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defender. First it was attempted in generall counsell and
resisted by holy fathers whych yet them selues were neuer
maried / sayenge that men might
not knitte a snare for their weake brethern /
agenst the doctrine of
Christ and his appostles. Nether coude it be
brought to passe / vntyll
the pope had gott the emproures swerde out of
his hande. The grekes which were the one halfe of
christendome then I suppose / wold neuer admitte it.
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Now godly loue wold neuer sofre them to consent
that we shuld
be bound vn to the burthen which they them selues coude not
beare
as M. More in a nother place affermith that they
dyd. And agayne /
we haue manyfest stories that it was brought in
with violence of
swerde and that all the prestes of germany were
compelled to put awaye their wiues. And we finde that
whersoeuer the pope raygneth / he came in with disceauinge
the kynge of the contre and then with his swerde compelled
the reste. The pope came but now late in
to wales to raygne there ouer the bisshopes and
prestes / and that
with the swerd of the kinge of Englonde.
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And yet though all the clergie of christendome
had graunted it /
all the church had not made it ner yet the tenth
parte of the church. The laye people be as well of the
church as the prestes. Nether can all the prestes in the
world of ryght make any lawe wherin their parte lyeth with
out their consent. Now it perteyneth vn to the comen people
and most of all vn to the weakest / that their prestes be
endued with all vertu and honestie. And the chastite of his wife / doughter and seruaunt perteyneth vn to euery particular man
/ whych we se by experience defiled
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dayly / by the vnchaste
chastite of the spiritualtye.
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Wherfore if the parishes or any one parish / after they had
sene the
experience what inconuenientes come of their
chastite / wold haue
no curat excepte he had a wife to cutt of
occasions / as Paul when he had sene the proffe / wold haue
no younge wedowes ministre / who saue a tirant / shuld be
agenst them?
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Morouer the generall counsels of the
spiritualtye ar of no nother maner sens the pope was a god
then the generall parlamentes of the temperaltie. Where no
man dare saye his mynde frely and liberally for feare of
some one and of his flaterars.
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And loke in what captiuite the parlamentes be
vnder the priuatt counsels of kynges / so are the generall
counsels vnder the pope and
his cardenales. And this is the maner of both.
Some one two or three
wilie foxes that haue all other in subieccion /
as ye haue sene in my lorde cardenall / imagen / not what
ought to be / but what they
lust to haue & conceaue in their awne
braynes and goo with child / some tyme a yere .ij. iij.
iiij. v. vj. or .vij. and some tyme .xx. and a boue /
castynge / canvesynge and compasynge for the birth agenst
oportunite: openinge the mater priuely vnder an oth a litle
and a litle vn to certayne secretaries whose parte is therin
/ as they finde men of actiuite and of corage / prepared to
sel soul and body for promocion.
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And the mater in the meane tyme is turmoyled and tossed amonge them selues: and persuacions and sotle reasons ar
forged to blinde the right waye and to begyle mens wittes.
And
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whom they feare to haue aduersaries able to resiste them /
for soch meanes ar sought / to brynge them in vn to their
partie or to conuey them out of the waye. And when
oportunite is come / they call a counsell or parlament
vnder a contrary pretence. And a masse of the holy gost /
whom they desyre as ferre awaye as were possible / is songe
and a goodly sermon is made / to blere mens eyes
with all. And then
sodenly other men vnprouided / the mater is
opened / aftir the most sotle maner. And many are begyled
with sotle argumentes and craftie
persuasions. And they that hold harde agenst
them ar called asyde and resoned with aparte and handeled
aftir a facion / and partly entised with fayre promises and
partly feared with cruell threatenynges / and so some ar
ouercome with syluer sylogismoses and
other for feare of threateninges are dreuen
vnto silence ./ And if any be founde at the last / that
wyll not obeye their falshed and tiranny /
they rayle on him and ieste him out of
countenaunce and call him opinatiue / selfeminded and
obstinat / and bere him in hand that the deuell is in him
that he so cleueth vn to his awne witte / though he
speake no sillable then gods worde / and is
axed whether he wilbe
wyser then other men. And in the spiritualtye
they excomunicat him & make an heretike of him. And
this to betrue in the clargies chastite is as clere as the
daye by manifest chronicles / in so moch that the prelates
of Rome / were a brewenge it a boue an hundred yeres and I
wott not how longe lenger / yer they coude brynge it to
passe / and yet in vayne till they had gotte the emproures swerde to
proue that it was most expedient so to be. And for what
entent? to
brynge all vnder the pope / and
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that the prelates of all landes
might as the olde maner was / come and wayte on
the pope at
Rome / where he prepared them hores ynow.
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And that his sworen prelates in euery lande / might the
moare
conueniently wayte in kynges courtes / to
ministre the comen welth vn to the popis pleasure and
profite. For had the clargie kepte their
wiues / they coude neuer haue come vn to this
aboue where they now be / and to these pluralities / vnions
and totquottes. For their is no laye man though he were
neuer so evell disposed / that coude for his wife and
childern haue leyser to contriue soch mischeue and to runne
from contre to contre / to lerne falshed and sotilte / as our spiritualtye doo / which with out feare of god and shame of man / kepe whores whersoeuer they come. And thus ye se that the
clargies chastite perteyneth as moch vn to the temporalte
as vn to the spiritualte .
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And a nother is this / no power amonge them that professe
the
trouth / maye bynd where god lowseth / saue only
where loue and my neybours necessite requireth it of me.
Nether can any power now bynd them to come / but they may
frely kepe or breake / as the thynge is hurtfull or
expedient. Nether can there be any bonde where loue and
necessite requireth the contrary. So that this law / loue
thy neyboure / to helpe him as thou woldest be holpe / must
interpret all mans lawes.
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As if I had sworn younge or vnwysely that I wold liue
chaste and all the world had bound me / if afterward I
burnt and coude not ouercome the passion / I ought to
mary.
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For I must condicyon my vowe and shew
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a cause of it therto. I maye not vow for the chastite it
selfe as though it were sacrifice to please god in it selfe
/ for that is the Idolatrie of hethen. I must therfore vowe
to doo my neyboure seruice (which in that case he maye not
require) or to geue my selfe moare quietly to prayer &
studie (which is not possible as longe as I burne & the mynd wyll
not be quiet) or that I maye the better kepe the
lawes of god whych if I burne I stond thorow my chastite in
moare ieoperdie to breake
and to hurte my neyboure and to shame the
doctrine of christe. And in like maner / If I had forsworen
fleshe & all the world had bound me / yet if necessite
require it of me / to saue my life or my health / I ought to
breake it. And agayne though I had sworn chastite / and the
comen wealth or the necessite of a nother required the contrary / I must breake it. But on the one syde / of all that euer
burnt in the
popis chastite / he neuer gaue prest licence to
take wife / but to kepe hores only. And on the other syde /
all that vow any vow / doo it for the thynge it selfe as
though it were as I said seruice or sacrifice to god that
had delite in the dede / as younge childern haue in
apples / and that for that dede they shall haue
an hier rowme in heuen then their neyboures / which is the
Idolatrie of the hethen / when he ought to bestow his vow
vppon his neyboure to brynge him to heuen and not to envye
him and to seke therby an hier rowme not
carynge whether his neyboure come thither or no.
And finally to
burne and not to wyll vse the naturall remedye
that god hath made / is but to tempte god / as in all other
thynges. But and if god haue brought the in to a strayte
and haue therto taken the naturall remedye from
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the / then to resiste and to crie vn to God for helpe and
to sofre / is a signe that thou louest gods lawes. And to loue
Gods law is to besure that thou art Gods child
electe to mercie. For
in all his childern only / he writeth that
token.
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And then he saith / euery man hath his choyce whether he
wilbe preest or no. But what nettes and snares doeth
antichrist laye for
them? First his false doctrine / where with the
elders begyled / compell their childern and sacrifice them
/ to burne in the popis chastite
with no nother mynde / then those old Idolaters
sacrificed their childern vn to the false god Moloch: so
that they thinke / by the merites of their childerns
burninge / after the popes false doctrine / to please god
and to gett heuen / cleane ignoraunt of the testament made
in christes bloude.
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Then what a multitude ar blinded and drawen in
to the nett / with the bayte of promocion / honoure /
dignite / pleasures / fredome and liberte to synne and to
doo al mischeue vnpunished / thinges which all evell that
feare not god doo desyre?
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And what a numbre brought vpp ydely vn to .xx.
and a boue / then put their heedes in his halter / because
they haue no nother craft to gett their liuinges & not
because they can liue chaste.
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Also some liue chast at .xxiiij. which same
burne at .xxx. And that to be true dayly experience teacheth
and good naturall causes therbe.
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And then loke on the appostles lerninge &
ordinaunce. When one or .ij. younge wedowes had broken
there chastite / he wold neuer
after let any moo be chosen of the same age. How
cometh it then that the pope for so many hundred thousandes
that miscary / wil nether breake the
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ordinaunce or mitigat it / or let any goo backe / but if
any burne / sendeth them vn to the shame of christes
doctrine and offendinge and hurte off his church and neuer vn to the lawfull remedie of mariage.
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And when Master More calleth it heresie / to thinke that the
maried were as pleasant to god as the vnmaried / he is
surelye an heretyke that thynketh the contrary. Christes
kingdome is nether meat ner drinke ner husband ner wife ner
wedow ner virgin / but the kepynge off the commaundementes
and seruinge of a mans neyboure
louingely by the doctrine of S. paule. Where not
to eate helpeth me to kepe the commaundementes better then
to eate / there yt ys better not to eate then to eate. And
where too eate helpeth me to kepe the commaundementes and
to doo my dutie vn to my neyboure / there
it is better to eate then not to eate. And in
like case where to be with out a wife helpeth moare to kepe
the commaundementes and to
serue a mans neyboure / there yt is better to be
vnmaried then maried / and where a wife helpeth too kepe
the commaundementes better then to bewith out / there it is
better to haue a wife then to be
with out. That herte only whych is readye to do
or lett vndone all thynges for his neyboures sake / is a
plesaunt thynge in the syght of god.
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And when he wyll haue the prestes to liue chaste / for
reuerence off the sacramentes yt ys deuellish doctrine
hauinge the similitude of godlynesse / but the pith and mary
is awaye. If he meane water / oyle salt and soch like / then
is the
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wife with hir body and all hir vses in the lawes of god /
incomparable purer and holyer. If he meane the sacrament of
christes body / I answere / that the handes defile not the
man ner ought that goeth thorow the handes be they
neuer so vnwashe / by the testimonie of christe
/ and moch lesse can they then defile christe.
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Morouer the prest twitcheth not christes natural body with
his
handes by youre awne doctrine / ner seith it
with his eyes / ner breaketh yt with his fingers ner eateth
it wyth hys mouth ner chammeth yt wyth hys teeth ner
drinketh his bloude with his lippes / for
christe is impassible. But he that repenteth
towarde the law of god / and at the sight of the sacrament
or off the breakinge / felynge / eatynge
/ chamminge or drinkinge / calleth to
remembraunce the
deeth of christe / his body breakynge and
bloudshedynge for our synnes and all hys passion / the same
eateth our sauioures body and drinketh his bloude thorow
faith only and receaueth forgeuenesse of
all his synnes therby / and other not. And all
that haue not this doctrine
of the sacrament come therto in vayne. And
therfore there is
no moare cause that he which sayeth the masse
shuld lyue chast then
he that heareth it / or he that ministreth the
sacrament / then he that receaueth it. It is to me greate
maruell that vnlawfull whoredome
couetousnesse and extorsion can not defyle
their handes / as well as lawfull matrimonie. Cursed
therfore be their deuellish doctrine with false apperinge
godlinesse the frute and power awaye / out of the
hertes of all christen men.
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And when he bringeth the ensample of the hethen / I praise
him. For the hethen because they
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coude not vnderstond god spiritually / to serue him in the
sprite to beleue in him and to loue his lawes / therfore
they turned his glorie vn to an image and sarued
him after their awne imaginacion with bodyly
seruice as the hole kingdome of the pope doeth / hauinge
lesse power to serue him in
spirite than the turkes. For when the hethen
made an image of the
axes or feuers and sacrificed therto / they
knew that the image was
not the feuers / but vnder the similitude of the
ymage / they worsheped
that power of god which plaged them with the
feuers / wyth bodyly seruice / as the pope doeth aboue al
the Idolaters that euer
were in the worlde. As when we paynte saint
Micael weyenge the
soules and steke vpp a candell to flater him and
to make him fauourable vn to vs / and regarde not the
testament of christ ner the lawes of god / because we haue
no power to beleue ner to loue the trueth. And euen so to
referre virginite vn to the person of god / to please him
therwith is false sacrifice and hethenish Idolatrie. For the onely
seruice of god is to beleue in christ and to
loue the lawe. Where fore
thou must referre thi wedlocke / thi virginite
and all thi wother deades vn to the kepinge of the lawe and
seruinge thy neyboure only. And then when thou lokest with
a louinge herte / on the law that saith breake not wedlocke
/ kepe no whore and so forth / and findest thi body weake
and thine office soch that thou must haue conuersacion with
mens wiues / doughters and seruauntes / then it is better
to haue a wife then to bewith out. And agayne if thou se
seruice to bedone that thou canst not so wel do with a wife as with out / then if thou haue power to bewith out it is best so
to be / and in soch like. And else the
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one is as good as the other and no difference. And to take
a wife for pleasure / is as good as to absteyne for
displeasure.
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And when Mastre More seith no nother cause / why
it is not best that oure spiritualtie were all gelded /
then for losse of merite in resistynge / besydes that that
imaginacion is playne Idolatrie / I hold
M. More begylde / iff all we reade of gelded
men be true and the experience we se in other bestes. For
then the gelded lust in their
flesh as moch as the vngelded. Which if be true
/ then the gelded / in that he taketh soch greate payne in
geldynge / not to minysh his
lustes but if lustes ouercome him / yet that he haue not
were with to hurte his neyboure / deserueth moare then the
vngelded. And then
it were best that we ate and dronke and made
oure flesh stronge that we burned / to deserue in resistynge
/ as some of youre holy sayntes
haue layd virgens in their beddes / to kendle
their corage / that they might after quench their hete in
colde water / to deserue the merite of holy marters.
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And when he saith / the prestes of the olde law absteyned
from
their wiues when they serued in the temple.
Many thynges were forboden them / to kepe them in bonde and
seruile feare and for other
purposes. And yet I trow he findeth it not in
the texte that they were
forboden their wiues. And when he imageneth so
be cause zacharias
/ when his course was out / gatt him whom to his
howse I thynke it was better for him to go to his howse /
then to send for his
howse to him he was also olde and his wife to.
But and if they were
forboden / it was but for a tyme / to geue them
to prayar / as we
might doo right well and as well as they. But I
read that
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they
were forboden to drinke wine & stronge
drinke / when they ministred: of which oures powre in with
out measure.
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M. More christ liued chast and exhorteth vn to
chastite. Tindale.
we be not al of christes complexion / nether
exhorteth he to other chastite then wedlocke / saue at a
tyme to serue oure neyboures. Now the popis chastite is not
to serue a mans neyboure / but to runne to riotte and to
carie a waye with him the liuynge of the pore and of the
true preacher / even the tythes of .v. or .vj. parishes and
to go and ether dwell by a stues or to carye a stewes with him / or to corrupte other mennes wiues.
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Pannutius a man that neuer proued mariage is
praysed in the stories / for resistynge soch doctrine with
gods worde in a generall counsel before the pope was a god.
And now M. More a man that hath proued it twise is
magnified for defendynge it with sophistrie. And ageyne me
semeth that it is agreate ouer sight of M. More to
thinke that christ though he were neuer maried wold not
moare accepte the seruice of a maried man that wold moare
saye trouth for him then they that abhorre wedlocke: in as
moch as the spiritualte accepte his humble saruyce &
rewarde his merites with so hye honoure / because he can
better fayne for them / then any of their vnchaste / I wold
saye awne chast people / though he be bigamus and past the
grace of his necke verse.
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And finally / if M. More loke so moch on the pleasure that is
in mariage / why setteth he not his eyes on the thankes
geuynge for that pleasure and on the pacience of other
displeasures.
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xiiij.
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M. Wicleffe was the occasion of the
vttur subuersion of the realme of Bohem / both in faith and
good liuynge and of the losse of
many a thousand liues. T. the rule of their
faith ar christes promises / and the rule of their liuynge
gods lawe. And as for losse of liues / it is trouth that
the pope slew I thynke an hundred thousande of them because
of their faith and that they wold no lenger serue him. As he slew in englonde many a thousande / and slew the true kynge and
sett vpp a false vn to the effusion of all the noble bloude
and murtherynge vpp of the cominaltie / because he shulde
be his defender.
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M. The constitucion of the bisshopes is not that
the scripture shall not be in englysh / but that no man
maye translate it by his awne
auctorite or reade it / vntill they had
approued it. T. if no translation shalbe had vntill they
geue licence or till they approue it / it shall
neuer be had. And so it is al one in effecte to
saye there shalbe none at all in englysh / and to saye /
tyl we admitte it / seinge they be so maliciouse that they
wil none admitte / but fayne al the cauellacions they can /
to proue it were not expedient. So that if it be not had
spite of their hertes it shal neuer be had. And therto / they haue done
their best to haue had it enacted by parlament / that
it shuld not be in englysh.
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xv.
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He iesteth out hunnes deeth with his poetrie
where with he bylte vtopia. Many greate lordes came to
baynardes castell (but all namelesse ) to examen the cause
(as the
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credible prelates so wel lerned / so holy and so indifferent
which examined bilney and Arture
/ be also all namelesse).
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M. Horsey toke his pardon / because yt is not
good / to refuse
gods pardon and the kynges. T. Gods pardon can
no man haue excepte he knowlege him selfe a synner. And euen
so he that receaueth
the kynges yeldeth him selfe giltie / And
morouer it is not possible that he which putteth his trust
in god / shulde for feare off the xij. men or of his iudges
/ receaue pardon for that he neuer was fautie vn to the
dishonouringe of our sauioure Iesus / but wold haue denied
it rather vn to the deeth.
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And therto / iff the mater were so clere as ye iest it out
/ then I am sure the kynges graces both curtesie and
wysdome / wolde have charged the iudges to haue examined
the euidence layed agenst him diligently and so to haue
quitte him with moare honestie then to geue him pardon of
that he neuer treaspased in / and to haue rid the
spiritualtye out of hate and all suspycion.
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Then saith he hunne was sore susspecte of
heresie and conuicte. And after he saith hunne was an
heretike in dede and in perell so to
be proued. And then how was he conuicte? I
herde saye / that he was first conuicte / when he was deed
and then they did wronge to burne him / til they had spoken
with him / to wete wether he wolde abiure or no.
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M. the bisshope of london / was wyse / vertuous
and conynge.
T. For all those .iij. yet he wold haue made
the old deane Colet of
paules an heretyke / for translatynge the Pater
noster in englyshe / had not the bysshope of canterbury
holpe the deane.
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xvj.
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The messinger axeth hym / if there be an olde lawfull
translacion before wicleffes / how happeneth it that it is
in so few mens handes / seinge so many desyre it? He
answereth the printer dare not print it and then hange on a
doutful triall / whether it were translated sens or before.
For if it were translated sens / it must be first approued.
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What maye not Master More saye by auctorite of his poetrie?
there is a lawfull translacion that noman knoweth which
is as moch as no lawfull translacion. Whi mighte not the
bisshopes shew which were that lawful translacion and lat
it be printed? Naye if that might haue bene obteyned of
them with large money it had be printed ye maye besure
longe yer this. But sir answere me here vn to / how
happeneth that ye defendars translate not one youre selues / to cease
the murmoure of the people / and put to youre awne
gloses / to preuent heretikes? ye wold nodoute haue done it
longe sens / if ye coude haue made youre gloses agre with
the texte in euery place. And what can you saye to this /
how that besydes they haue done their best to disanull all
translatynge by parlament / they haue disputed before the
kinges grace / that is it perelous and not mete and so concluded that it shal not be / vnder a pretence of deferrynge it of
certayne yeres. Where Master More was their speciall orator
/ to fayne lyes for their purpose.
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M. nothinge discorageth the clergie so moch as
that they of the
worst sorte most calleth after it. T. it might
wel be / phareses full of holynesse longe not after it /
but publicans that hongre after mercie myght sore desyre
it. How be it / it is
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in very dede a suspecte thinge and a greate signe of an
heretike to require it.
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Then he iugleth wyth allegories. Syr / Moses deliuered them
al that he had receaued of god and that in the mother tonge
/ in which all that had the hert therto studied & not
the prestes only as thou mayst se in the scripture. And the
apostles kepte nothinge behinde / as paul testified actes
.xx. how he had shewed them all the counsell
of god and had kepte nought backe. Shuld the laye people
lesse herken vnto the exposicions of the prelates in
doutfull places / if the texte were in their handes when
they preached?
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M. the Iewes geue greate reuerence vnto the
bible & we sit on it.
T. the pope putteth it vnder his fete &
treadeth on it / in token that
he is lorde ouer it that it shulde sarue him /
& he not it. M. God
hath ordeyned the ordinaries for chefe
phisicions. T. they be lawiers ordeined of the pope / &
can no moare skill of the scripture than they that neuer
sawe it: ye and haue professed a contrary doctrine. They be
right hangemen to murther whosoeuer desireth for the
doctrine that god hath geuen to be the ordinary of our faith and liuinge
.
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And when he maketh so greate difficulte and hardnesse in
paules
pistles. I saie / it is impossyble to
vnderstond ether peter or paul or ought at al in the
scripture / for him that denieth the iustifienge of faith
in christes bloude. And agayne it is impossible to vnderstonde in the scripture moare then a turke for whosoeuer hath not
the law of god written in his herte to fulfil it. Of which
pointe and of true faith to / I feare me that you are voyde
and empte with all youre spiritualtie / whose defender ye
haue taken vppon you to be / for to mocke out the trouth
for lucre and vauntage.
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¶An answere vnto Master Mores fourth
boke
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Christes church hath the true doctrine all redy /
and the selfe same
that S. Paul wold not geue an angel audience vn to
the contrary. T.
but the popis church wil not heare that doctrine.
M. confirmed with soch a multitude of miracles and so moch bloud
of marters / &
comen consent of al christendome. T. who shewed a
miracle to confirme his preachynge of eareconfession &
pardons with like pedelery ? or who shed his bloude for them? I
can shew you many thousandes that ye haue slayne for preachynge
the contrary. And againe grecia the one halfe of christendome
consenteth not vn to them / which grekes if soch thinges had
come from the apostles shulde haue
had them ere ye. M. the spiritualte be not so
tender eared / but that
they maye heare their sinnes rebuked. T. they
consent not vn to the waye of trueth / but sinne of malice
& of profession. And therfore as they haue no power to
repent / euen so can they not but persecute both him that
rebuketh them & his doctrine to / after the ensamples
of the phareses & al tirantes that begonne
before / namely if that preacher twich any grounde wherby they
shuldbe reformed or by
what meanes they maynetene their misheue.
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ij. chapter
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M. A freres liuinge that hath maried a nunne
maketh it easye to
know that his doctrine is not good. T. that
profession of etherother is playne idolatrie / &
disceauinge of a mans soule & robbynge him of his good
/ & taken vppon them ignorauntly therto. Wherfore
when they become vn to the knowlege of the
trouth / they ought no lenger therin to abide. But the
popis forbiddinge matrimonie & to
eate of meates created of god for mannes vse which is
deuellish doctrine by paulis prophesie / his geuenge licence
to hold whores / his continuall occupienge of pri
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nces in shedynge of christen bloude / his robbynge of the
pore thorow out christendom of al that
was geuen to mayntene them / his settynge vpp
in rome a stues not of wemen only / but of the male kynd
also agenst nature and a thousand abhominacions to grosse
for a turke / are tokens good ynough that he is the right
antichrist and his doctrine spronge of the devell.
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M. in penaunce marten saith there neadeth no
contricion ner satisfaction.
T. call it repentaunce and then it is
contricion of it selfe. And as for mendesmakynge with
worldely thinges / that doo to thi brother whom thou hast
offended / & vn to god offer the repentaunce of thine
herte and the satisfaccion of christes bloude.
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M. tyndale saith that the confessoure vttureth
the confessions of
them that be rich. But yet we se that both rich
and pore kepe hores openly with out payenge peny. T. if
they be very rich they be sofered / because they maye be
good defenders of the spiritualtie / and if they be very
pore / because they haue no money to paye or else they fine
with one or other secretly.
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M. vppon that lye tindale bildeth the
destruction of the sacrament
of penaunce. T. sacrament is a signe
signifienge what I shuld doo or beleue or both. As baptim
is the signe of repentaunce signifienge that I must repent
of euel and beleue to be saued therfrom by the bloude of
christe. Now Sir in youre penaunce describe vs which is the
signe and the outwarde sacrament & what is the thynge that I must do or beleue. And then we will enserch whether it maye
be a sacrament or no.
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M. tindale sayth that confession is the worst
inuencion that euer
was. T. as ye facion it me
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ane I / & of that filthy priapish confession which ye
spew in the eare wherwithe ye exclude the forgeuenesse that
is in christes bloude for al that repent and beleue therin /
and make the people beleue that their sinnes be neuer
forgeuen vntyll they be schryuen vn to the preste / and then
for no nother cause saue that they haue there told them and
for the holy dedes to come which the confessoure hath
enioyned them moare profitable
ofte tymes for him selfe then any man else.
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M. neuer man had grace to spie that before
tyndale. T. yes very many. For many nacions neuer receaued
it. And the grekes when they had proued it and sawe the
bawdery that folowed of it / put it downe agayne. For which
cause and to know al secretes and to leade
the consciences captiue / the pope falsly
maynteneth it.
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M. what frute wold then come of penaunce? T. of
youre iugglynge
terme penaunce I can not affirme. But of
repentaunce wold come this frute / that noman that had it /
shuld synne willyngely / but euery man shuld continually
fight agenst his fleshe.
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M. He teacheth that the sacrament hath no vertu
at all / but the
faith only. T. the faith of a repentynge soule
in Christes bloude doeth
iustifie only. And the sacrament stondeth in as
good sted as a lyuely preacher. And as the preacher
iustifyeth me not / but my fayth in the doctryne: euen so
the signe iustifieth not / but the faith in the promise
which the sacrament signifieth and preacheth. And to preach
is al the vertue of the sacrament. And where the sacramentes preach not / there they haue no vertue at all. And sir we teach not
as ye doo / to beleue in the sacrament or in holy
church / but to beleue the sacrament
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and holy church.
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M. He teacheth that fayth sufficeth vn to
saluacion with out good
werkes. T. the scripture sayth / that assone as
a man repenteth of
evel and beleueth in Christes bloude / he
obteyneth mercye imediatly / because he shuld loue god and
of that loue doo good werkes /
& that he tarieth not in synne styll tyll
he haue done good werkes / & then is first forgeuen for
his werkessake / as the pope beareth his
in hande / excludynge the vertue of christes bloude. For a
man must be first reconsyled vn to god by Christ and in gods
fauoure / yer his werkes can be good & pleasaunt in the
sight of god. But we saye not as some damnablye lye on vs /
that we shuld doo euell to be iustified
by fayth / as thou maist se in the third of the
romanes how they said of the appostles for like
preachinge.
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M. He calleth it sacrilege to please god with
good werkes. T. to
refer the werke vn to the person of god to by
out thy synne therwith
/ is to make an Idole of god or a creature. But
if thou referre thy werke vn to thy neyboures profitt or
tamynge of thine awne flesh / then thou pleasest god
therwith.
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M. Item that a man can doo no good werke. T. it
is false. But he
sayth a man can doo no good werke tyll he
beleue that his synnes be forgeuen him in Christe and tyll
he loue gods law and haue obtayned grace to worke with. And
then saith he that we can not doo oure werkes so perfectely
/ by the reason of our corrupte flesh but that there is
some imperfectenesse therin / as in the werkes of them that
be not their craftes master. Whych is yet not rekened / because they doo their good willes and be scolars and
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goo to scole to lerne to doo better.
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M. Item that the good and rightewesse man
synneth all waye in
doynge well. T. in all his werkes there lacketh
some what and is a
faute vntyll he doo them wyth as greate loue vn
to his neyboure as Christ did for him and as longe as there
is moare resistence in his flesh then was in Christes / or
lesse hope in god: and then no lenger.
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M. Item that no synne damneth a man saue
vnbeleffe. T. whatsoeuer
a man hath done / if he repent and beleue in
Christe / it is
him forgeuen. And so it foloweth that no synne
damneth saue there where there is no beleffe.
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M. Item that we haue no frewyll to doo ought
therwith / though
the grace of god be ioyned therto / and that
god doeth all in vs both
good and bad and we doo but sofre as waxe doeth
of the werke man.
T. first when he affermeth that we saye / our
wyll is not fre to doo good and to helpe to compell the
membres / when god hath geuen vs grace to loue his lawes /
is false. But we saye that we haue no frewyll to captiuat
oure wittes and vnderstondynge / for to beleue the pope in
what soeuer he saith with out reason geuinge / when we find
in the scripture contrary testimonie / and se in him so greate falshed and dedes so abhominable and therto all the signes by whych
the scripture teacheth vs to know antichriste.
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And we affirme that we haue no frewyll to
preuent god & his grace & before grace prepare oure
selues therto / nether can we consent vn to god before
grace become. For vntill god haue preuented vs & powred
the spirite of his grace in to our
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soules / to loue his lawes / and hath grauen them in oure
hertes by the outwarde mynistracyon of his true preacher
and inwarde workynge off his spirite or by insperacion only
/ we know not god as he is to be knowen ner fele the
goodnesse or any swetnesse in his law. How then can we
consent therto? Saith not the texte / that we can doo no
good while we be euell and they which seke
glorie and to clime in honoure a boue theyr brethern can
not beleue the trueth/ and that
hores theues murtherars extorcionars and such
like haue no parte in
the kyngdome of god and christe ner any felynge
therof? And who shall take those diseases from them? God
only thorow his mercie / for they can not put of that
complexion of them selues / vntyll they be taught to beleue
and to fele that yt ys damnable and to consent vnto the
contrary liuynge.
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And vnto the seconde part I answere / that in
respecte of god we doo but sofre only and receaue power to
doo all oure dedes whether we doo good or bad / as christ
answered Pilat / that he coude haue no power agenst him
except it were geuen him from a boue and no moare coude
Iudas nether. But in respecte of the thinge wherin or
wherwith we worke and sheade out agayne the power that we haue receaued / we worke actually. As the axe doeth nothinge in
respecte
of the hand that heweth / saue receaue: but in respecte of
the tre that is cutte / it worketh actually and powreth out
againe the power that it hath receaued.
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M. Item that god is auctor of good & euell:
as wel of the euel will
of Iudas in betrayenge christe / as of the
goodwill of christ in soferynge his passion.T. the power
where wyth we doo
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good and euell is of god and the will is of god. As the
power which the murtherar abvseth and wherwith he killeth a
man vnrightwesly is off God and the will where with he
willeth it. But the wekednesse of his will and crokednesse
or frowardnesse where with he sleeth vnrightwesly / to
auenge him selfe and to satisfie his awne lustes / and the
cause whi he knoweth not the law of god and consenteth not
to it / which law shuld haue informed his will and corrected the crokednesse therof and haue taught hym to vse hys will and
his power right / is his blindnesses faute only and not
gods. Which blindnesse the deuell hath poysoned him
with.
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M. Item matrimonie is no sacrament. T.
Matrimonie is a similitude of the kyngdome of heuen / as
are many thynges mo / like as
it appereth by christ in the gospell.But who
institute it to be a sacrament ? Or who at hys mariage was
taught the sygnificacion of it? Who was euer bounde to
receaue yt in the name of a sacrament. I wold to christes
bloude that ye wold make a sacrament of yt vn to all men
and wemen that be maried and vn to all other / and wold at
euery mariage teach the people to know the benefyte off christ thorow the similitude off matrimonye. And I affirme that in
the popis church there ys no sacrament. For where no
significacion is / there ys no sacrament. A signe ys no
sygne vn to him that vnderstondeth nought therby: as a
speche is no speche vn to hym that vnderstondeth it not. I
wold too christes passyon that ye wold let them be
sacramentes whych christ institute and ordeyned for sacramentes . And then yff ye make of youre awne braynes .v. hundred therto I wolde not
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be so greatly greued / though I wold not geue my consent
vnto so greate a multitude / partely for the bondage / and
specially lest we shuld in time to come / the significacions
of them lost / fall in to Idolatrie agayne and make holy
werkes of them / after the ensample off the blyndnesse
wherin we be nowe / but I wold haue the worde euer liuely
preached out of the playne texte.
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M. Item that all holy orders be but mennes
inuencion. T. the office
of an apostle
/ bisshope / prest / deacon / and
wedowe / are of god:
But as concerninge the shauinge / the oylenge
and dyuersite of rayment
and many degrees sens added therto / proue that
they be not mens tradycions. But and ye wyll make
sacramentes of the oylynge / shauynge / sherynge / and
garmentes / put theyr significacions vn to them and let the
kynges grace compell them to kepe them and I admitte them
for sacramentes / and vntyll that tyme I hold them for the
false signes of ypocrites.
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M. Item that euery man and woman is a prest and
maye consecrat
the body of christe. T. in bodyly seruice if
the officer appoynted be
awaye / euery other person not only maye / but
also is bounde to helpe at nede / euen so moch as his
neyboures dogge. How moch moare then ought men to assiste
one a nother in the health of their soules / at all tymes
of nede? yf the man be awaye / the woman maye and is bounde
to baptise in tyme of nede / by the lawe of loue / which
offyce perteyneth vnto the prest only. Yf she be lady ouer the greatest ordeined by god / that she maie baptise / why
shulde she not haue power also ouer the lesse / to ministre
the ceremonies
which the po
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[06]pe hath added to / as his oyle
/ his salt / his spitell / his candel and cresomcloth? And
whi might she not praye all the prayars / except that Idole
the pope be greater then the very god? yf wemen had brought
a child to church and while the prest and other men taried
the childe were in ieoperdy / might they not baptise him in
the font / if there were no nother water by? And if other water were by / yet if that holpe better one mite / loue
requireth to baptise him therein. And then why might not
wemen twich all their other oyle? If a woman lerned in
christe were dreuen vn to an Ile where
christ was neuer preached / might she not there preach and
teach to ministre the sacramentes and make officers? The
case is possible / shew then what shuld let that she might
not? loue thy neyboure as thy selfe doeth compel. Nay / she
maye not consecrat. Whi? If the pope loued vs as well as
christ / he wold finde no faulte therwyth / though a woman
at nede ministred that sacrament yf yt be so necessary as ye
make it. In bodily welth / he that wold haue me one ace
lesse then hym selfe / loueth me not as wel as him selfe how moch moare ought we to loue one another in thynges pertaynynge vn
to the soule?
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M. Item that the host ys no sacryfyce. T. christ
is no moare
kylled. It is therfore the sacrament signe and
memoriall of that sacrifice
where wyth chryste offered hys body for oure
synnes and commaunded saynge / thys doo in the remembraunce
off me. We be not holpe with any visible dede that the
prest there doeth / saue in that it putteth vs in
remembraunce of christes deeth
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and passion for oure synnes. As the garmentes and straunge
holy gestures / helpe vs not / but in that they putt vs in
remembraunce of thinges that Christ sofered for vs in his
passion. Euen so the shewenge breakynge and eatynge of the
host / the shewenge and drinkynge of the cuppe of Christes
bloude / and the wordes and the consecracion / helpe vs not
a pinne ner ar gods serues / saue only in that they stere
op oure repentynge faith to call to mynde the deeth and passion of
christ for our synnes. And therfore to call it
a sacrifice / is but abused speach / as when we call one
that is new come home to breakefast & sett a capon
before him and saye / this is youre wellcome home /
meanynge yet by that speach / that it is but a signe of the loue of mine herte which reioyseth and is glad that he is come home
saffe and sounde. And euen so is this but the memoriall of
the very sacrifice of christ once done for all. And if ye
wold no nother wyse meane / ye shall haue my good wyll to
call it so styll / or iff ye can shewe me a reason of some
other meaninge. And therfore I wold
that it had bene called (as it in dede is and
as it was commaunded to be) Christes memoriall / though
that I doute not but that it was
called masse of this Ebrue worde Misach / whych
signifieth a pensiongeuynge / because that at euery masse
men gaue euery man a porcion accordynge vn to his power vn
to the sustentacion of the pore. Which offerynge yet
remayneth. But to a false vse and profyt of them that haue
to moch / as all other thynges are peruerted.
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Fynally it is the same thynge that it was when Christ
institute it / at his last soper. If it were then the very
sacrificinge of Christes bo
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dy / and had that same vertue and power wyth it that his very
passion after wrought / whi was he sacrificed so cruelly on the morow and not hold excused therwith / seinge he was there
verely sacrificed?
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M. Item that there remayneth bred and wine in
the sacrament. T.
improue it. What is that that is broken and
that the prest eateth with
his teth / ayre only? if a child were fed with
no nother fode he shuld wax haply as longe as his father.
Where of then shuld his body / his flesh and bones growe?
where of shuld that come (wyth reuerence I speake it) that
he pisseth and soforth? all by miracle wyll they saye.
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O what wonderfull miracles must we fayne to saue
antichristes doctrine / I might with as good reason saye
that the hoste is nether rounde ner white / But that as my
mouth is disceaued in the tast of bred / euen so myne eyes
ar in the syght of roundnesse and so is there nothynge at
all. Whych all are but the disputacions of men with
corrupte myndes with out spirite to iudge. Neuer the later
when the prest hath once rehersed the testament of our sauioure
theron / I loke not on bred and wine / but on
the body of Christ broken and bloud shed for my synnes /
and by that fayth am I saued from the damnacion of my
synnes. Nether come I to masse for any other purpose then
to fett forgeuenesse for Christes deethes sake / ner for
any other purpose saye I confiteor and knowlege my synnes
at the begynnynge of masse. And iff ye haue other doctrine teach vs
a reason & lead vs in light and we wyll
folowe. Christ sayth Ihon .vj. it is the spirite that
quikeneth / the flesh profiteth nothynge at all / the
wordes whych I speake sayth he / ar spirite and life. That
is / the
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fleshly eatynge and drinkynge of Christes body and bloud
profit not / as his carnall presens profited not / by the reason of his presens only as ye se by Iudas and the phareses and
the sowdiours that twiched him / and how his bodyly presens
did lett the disciples to vnderstonde spiritually. But to
eate and drinke in the spirite / that is / to herken vn to
his wordes and with a repentynge hert to beleue in his deeth
/ bryngeth vs all that Christ can doo for vs.
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M. Item that the masse auayleth no man but the
preest. T. if ye
speake of the prayars / his prayars helpe vs as
moch as oures him. If
ye speake of the sacrament / it helpeth as many
as be present as moch as him / if moued therby they beleue
in Christes deeth as well as he. If they be absent / the
sacrament profiteth them as moch as a sermon made in the
church helpeth them that be in the feldes. And how profiteth it the soules of the deed tell me vn to whom it is no signe?
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If ye meane the carnall eatynge and drinkynge / then it
profiteth the prest only / for he eateth and drinketh vpp
all allone and geueth no man parte with him.
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M. Item that a man shuld not be howseled tyll he
laye a dyenge.
T. That is to shamelesse a lye.
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M. Item that men and wemen shuld not spare to
twich it. T. a
perelous case. Why? because the pope hath not
oyled them. Neverthelesse
Christ hath annoynted them with his spirite
& with his bloude. But wot ye why? The pope thynketh if
they shuld be to busy in handelynge it / they wold beleue
that there were bred /and for that cause to strength their
feythes / he hath imagened lytle prety thinne manchetes
that shynne
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thorowe and seme moare like to
be made of paper or fine parchement then of
wheten floure. Aboute which was no smal question in oxforde
of late dayes / whether it were bred or none: some
affirminge that the floure with longe lyenge
in water was turned to starch & had lost
his nature. M. Item
that the sacrament shuld not be worsheped. T.
It is the sacrament of Christes body & bloud. And Christ calleth it
the new & euer lastynge
testament in his bloude & commaunded that we shuld so
doo in the remembraunce of him / that his body was broken
& his bloud shed for our synnes. And Paule commaundeth
therby to shew or preach the lordes deeth. They saye not
praye to it / nether put any fayth therin. For I maye not
beleue in the sacrament / but I must beleue the sacrament /
that it is a true signe and it true that is signified
therby (which is the onlye worshuppynge of the
sacrament / if ye geue it other worshuppe ye playnlye
dishonoure it). As I maye not beleue in Christes church /
but beleue christes church / that the doctrine which they
preach of christe is true. If ye haue any other doctrine /
teach vs a reason and lead vs in light / and we wyll folow.
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M. Item that a christen is not bounde to kepe
any lawe made by
man or any at all. T. you saye vntrulye: a
Christen man is bounde to obey tiranny / if it be not
agenst his faith ner the lawe of god / vntyll god delyuer
him therof. But he is no christen man that byndeth hym to
any thynge saue that whych loue and his neyboures necessite
requireth of them.
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And when a law made / is no lenger profitable / christen
rulars ought to breake it. But now adayes when tyrantes
haue gotten the
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simpell people vnder / they compell them to serue their lustes and wily tiranny / with out respecte of any comen welth.
Whych wily tiranny / because the trueth rebuketh it / is
the cause why they persecute it / lest the comen people
seynge how good they shulde be and felynge how weked they
are / shuld wythdraw their neckes from their vnrightwesse
yocke. As ye haue ensample in Herode / in
the scribes and Phareses and in many other.
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M. Item that there is no purgatory. T. beleue in
Christ and thou
shalt shortely finde purgatoryes ynow / as ye
now make other fele.
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M. Item that all soules lye and slepe tyll domes
daye. T. and ye in
puttynge them in heuen hell and purgatory /
destroye the argumentes wherewith Christ and paule proue
the resurreccion. What
god doeth with them / that shall we know when
we come to them.
The true fayth putteth the resurreccion which we be warned
to lokefore euery houre. The hethen philosophoures denyenge
that / did put that the soules did euer liue. And the pope
ioyneth the spirituall doctrine of christe and the fleshly
doctrine of philosophers to gether / thynges so contrary
that they can not agre / no moare then the spirite and the
flesh do in a Christen man. And because the fleshly mynded
pope consenteth vn to hethen doctrine / ther fore he
corrupteth the scripture to stablish it.
Moses
sayth in Deute. / the
secret thynges perteyne vn to the lorde / and
the thynges that be opened pertayne vn to vs / that we doo
all that is written in the boke. Wherfore Sir if we loued
the lawes of god and wold occupye our selues to fulfill
them / and wolde on the other syde be meke and lett god
alone with his secretes and
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sofre him to be wiser then we / we shuld make none article
of the faith of this or that. And agayne / if the soules be
in heuen / tell me whi they be not in as good case as the
angelles be? And then what cause is there of the resurreccion?
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M. Item no man shall praye to sayntes. T. when
ye speake with
saintes that be departed / it is not euell to
put them in remembraunce
to praye for you. M. whi doo they not heare vs?
T. if they loue you
so feruently and be so greate with god / whi
certifie they you not /
that they so doo? M. so they doo in that we
fele oure peticions
graunted. T. God saued the old Idolatres with
worldly saluacion and gaue them their peticions / which
they yet axed of their Idoles / as ye se thorow out al the
old testament. God heareth the crowes / foules / beestes
and wormes of the erth / as the texte saith / men and beestes doeth god saue / which bestes yet praye not to god. The Iewes and turkes doeth god saue in this worlde and geueth them their
worldly peticions. Which yet worshepe not god / as his
godly nature is to be worsheped but aftir their awne
imaginacion: not in the spirite with faith hope and loue /
but with bodyly seruice as the pope doeth. As the popish
serue S. Appoline for the toth ache and ar healed: euen so
the Iewes and turkes be healed and pray not to hir / but serue god aftir a nother maner for the same disease. So that God
doeth saue in this worlde all that kepe the worldely lawes
worldly / that is to
wite / outwarde in the body for bodyly rewarde and not in
the herte of loue that springeth out of the mercy that God
hath geuen vs in christe which same / though they be turkes
/ if they breake the worldly lawes / he rebuketh them / as
the ni
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niuites and punisheth them diuersly. And if they knowlege
their synne and mende / he healeth them agayne. But and if
they harden and synne as beestes and will not amend / he
destroyeth them vtterly / as the sodomites. And yet all soch
haue no parte in the life to come.
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But with his childern in whose hertes he writeth the faith of
his sonne Iesus & the loue of his lawes / he goeth
other wise to werke
his lawes in their wil: & their peticions
are his honoure and their neyboures welth: and that he will
prouide them of al thinges necessarie vn to this life and
gouern them that their hertes be not ouercome of euell. And
he heareth them vnto his honoure and their euerlastynge
saluacion / and purgeth them and teacheth them thinges wherof the popish and all they whose hertes the god of this world hath
blynded
to serue god with workes haue no fealynge.
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And when he saith that the emproure and that
counsell which decreed that images for the abuse shuld be
put out of the church / were heretikes / it is moch easier
so to saye than so to proue. Vnderstond there fore / that
images were not yet receaved in the church in the
tyme of S. Hierom / at the least waye generally
/ whether in some one place or no I can not tell. For .s.
Hierome reherseth of one Epiphanius a bisshope in the
contre of Cipirce and that the most perfecte
of al the bisshopes of his tyme / how that the
sayd Epiphanius
and the bisshope of Ierusalem went to gether to
bethel / and by the waye they entred
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in to a church for to praye and there found a
vayle hangynge before the dore and an image
paynted theron / as it had bene of christ or some saint.
For the bisshope was so moued
therwith / because saith Saint Hierom / that it
was contrary to the
scripture / that he cutte it and counseled to
bury some dede therin and sent a nother cloth to hange in
the sted. And aftirward when
they ware crepte in a litle and litle: there was no
worshepynge of them / at the least waye generally vntyll the
tyme of S. Gregory.
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In so moch that when Cirenus the bisshope of Masilia offended
with the supersticiousnesse of the people burnt
them / Saynt Gregory
wrote that he shuld not destroy the images /
but teach only that the people shuld not worshepe them. But
when it was so ferre come that the people worsheped them
with a false faith (as we now know no nother vse) and were
no longer memorials only / then the bisshopes
of grece and the emproure gathered them to
gether / to prouide
a remedye agenst that misheue and concluded
that they shuld be put doune for the abuse / thinkynge it
so most expedient / hauinge for them / first the ensample
of God whom a man maye boldely folowe / which commaunded in
the beginnynge of all his preceptes / that there shuld be
no image vsed to worshepe or pray before / not for the
image it selfe / but for the wekenesse of his people: and hauinge agayne before theyr eyes / that the people were fallen vn
to Idolatrie and imageseruinge by the reason of them.
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Now answere me / by what reason canst thou
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make an heretike of him / that concludeth nought agenst god
/ but worketh with god and putteth that blocke out of the
waye / where at his brother the price of christes bloud
stombleth and loseth his soule. They put not doune the
images for hate of god and of his saintes / no moare
then Ezechias brake the brasen serpent for
enuye of the greate miracle that was wrought by it / or in
spite of god that commaunded it to be kepte for a
memoriall. But to kepe the people in the true faith only.
Now seinge we maye be all with out images and to put them
doune is not agenst Gods commaundement but with it / namely if they be abused / to the dishonoure of god and hurt of oure
neybours / where is charite / if thou which knowest the
trouth and canst vse thine image well / wilt not yet
forbere thine image and sofre it to be put out of the waye
/ for thy weake brothers sake whom thou seist perish
therthorow? ye and what thynge maketh both the turke and
the Iew abhorre our faith so moch as our imageseruice? But the
pope was then glad to fynde an occasion to picke a quarell
with the emproure / to gett the empire in to his awne handes
which thynge he brought to passe with the swerd of fraunce
and dame so hye that euersens he hath put his awne auctorite
in stede of gods worde in euery generall counsell & hath
concluded what him liste / as agenst al gods worde and
agenst al charite he condemned that blessed dede of that
counsell and emproure.
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M. they blaspheme our lady and all saintes. T.
that is vntrue. We
honoure our blessed lady and all holy saintes
and folow their faith
and liuynge vn to the vttemost of oure power
and
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submitte our selues to be scolars of the same scole.
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M. they maye not abyde salue regina. T. for
therin is moch blasphemie
vnto our blessed lady / because christ is our
hope and life only and not she. And ye in asscribynge vn to
hir that she is not /
dishonoure god and worshepe hir not.
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M. they saye if a woman beinge aliue beleue in
god and loue him as moch as our lady / she maye helpe with
hir prayars as moch as
our lady. T. tel whi not. Christ when it was
told him that his mother
and his brethern sought him / answered / that
his mother / his sisters and his brethern were al they that
did his fathers wyll. And vn to the woman that saide to
christ / blessed be the wombe that bare the and
pappes that gaue the sucke / christ answered /
Naye blessed are they that heare the worde of god and kepe
it. As paul saith .1. Corin. ix. I haue nought to reioyse
though I preach / for necessite lieth vppon me / and wo is
me / if I preach not. If I doo it vnwillyngly / an office
is committed vn to me / but and if I do it with a good wil / then I haue a rewarde. So now carnall bearynge of christ and
carnall geuynge him sucke make not our lady greate. But our
blessed ladies greatnesse is hir faith and loue wherin she
exceaded other. Wherefore if God gaue his mercy that a
nother woman were in those .ij. poyntes equall with hir /
whi were she not like greate and hir prayers as moch herde.
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M. Item that men shuld not worshepe
the holy crosse. T.
wyth no false worshepe and supersticious fayth
/ but as I haue said /
to haue it in reuerence for the memoriall of
him that died theron.
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M. Item Luther hateth the festes of the crosse
and of corpus
Christi. T. not for enuy of the crosse whych
synned not in the deeth of Christ ner of malice towarde the
blessed body of christ but for the ydolatrye vsed in those
festes.
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M. Item that no man or woman is bounde to kepe
any vowe. T.
lawfull vowes ar to be kepte vntyll necessite
breake them. But
vnlawfull vowes ar to be broken immediatly.
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M. Marten appelled vn to the nexte generall
counsell that shuld
be gathered in the holy gost / to seke a longe
delaye. T. of a trouth
that were a longe delaye. For shuld Marten liue
/ tyll the pope wold gather a counsell in the holy gost or
for any godly purpose / he were like to be for euery here
of his heed a thousand yeres olde.
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Then bryngeth he in the inconstauncie of Marten
/ because he saith in his later boke / how that he seith
further then in his firste. Paraduenture / he is kynne to
oure doctours whych when with preachynge agenst pluralities
they haue gotte them .iij. or .iiij. benefices / allege the
same excuse. But yet to saye the truth the very appostles
of Christ lerned not all trouth in one daye. For longe after the ascencion they wist not that the hethen shuld be receaued vn to
the faith. How then coude Marten (brought vppe in the
blyndnesse of youre secte aboue .xl. yeres) spie out all
youre falshed in one daye.
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M. Marten offered at wormes before the emproure
and all the lordes of germanye / to aby
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de by his boke & to dispute / which
he might well doo / sith he had his safe
conducte that he shuld haue
no bodyly harme. T. o mercifull god / how fome
ye out youre awne shame? ye can not dispute excepte ye haue
a man in youre awne daunger to doo him bodyly harme / to
diote him aftir youre facion / to tormente him and to
murther him. Yf ye might haue had him at youre pleasure /
ye wold haue disputed wyth him: first wyth sophistrie
and corruptynge the scripture: then with
offerynge him promocions : then with the swerde. So that ye
wold haue bene sure / to haue ouercome him with one argument
or other.
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M. He wold agre on no Iudges. T. What iudges
offered ye him /
saue blynde bisshopes & cardenales /
enimies of all trouth / whose
promocions and dignites they feare to be
plucked from them / if the trouth came to light / or soch
Iudases as they had corrupte with money to mayntene their
secte? The appostles might haue admitted as well the hethen
bisshopes of Idoles to haue bene their iudges as he them.
But he offered you autenticke scripture and the hertes of the whole worlde. Whych .ij. iudges / iff ye had good consciences and trust in god / ye wold not haue refused.
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iiij.
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The fourth chapter is not the first poetrie that he hath
fayned.
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V.
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In the ende of the fifte he vntrulye reporteth / that Marten
saith /
no man is bound to kepe any vowe. Lawfull
promises are to be kepte
and vnlawfull broken.
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vj.
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In the beginnenge of the . vj. he
discrybeth marten aftir the
ensample of his awne nature / as in other
places he discribeth god
aftir the complexion of popes cardenals and
worldly tirantes.
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M. Marten will abyde but by the scripture only.
T. and ye will
come at no scripture only: And as for the old
doctours ye wyll heare
as litle / saue where it pleaseth you / for all youre
crienge / old holy fathers. For tel me this / whi haue ye in
englonde condemned the
vnion of doctours but because ye wold not haue
youre falshed disclosed by the doctrine of them.
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M. they saye / that a christen man is
discharged of al lawes spirituall
and temperall saue the gospell.T. ye iugle /
we saye that no christen man ought to bynde his brother
violently / vn to any lawe wher
of he coude not geue a reason out of christes
doctrine and out of the lawe of loue. And on the other syde
we saye / that a christen man is called to sofre wronge and
tiranny (though no man ought to bynde him) vntill god rid
vs therof: so fer yet as the tiranny is not directly agenst
the law of god and faith of Christe / and no further.
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M. marten was the cause of the destruccion of
the vplondish people
of germanie. T. that is false for then he coude
not haue escaped him selfe. Marten was as moch the cause of
their confusion / as
Christ of the destruccion of Ierusalem. The
duke elector of saxon cam from the warre of those vplondish
people and other dukes with him / in to Wittenberge where
Marten is / with .xv. hundred men
of armes / so that Marten if he had bene gyltie
/ coude not
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haue gonne quite. And therto all the dukes and lordes that
cleaue vn to the worde of god thys daye / were no lesse
combred with their comen people then other men.
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Then after the lowdest maner he setteth out the cruelnesse
of the emproures soudioures whych they vsed at Rome: but he
maketh no mencion of the treason which holy church wrought
secretly / were with the men off warre were so set on
fire.
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viij.
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M. what good dede will he do / that beleueth
marten / how that
we haue no frewill to do any good with the
helpe of grace?T. O poete with out shame.
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M. what harme shal he care to forbere / that
beleueth luther / how
god alone / with out oure will worketh all the
misheue that they
doo.T. O naturall sonne of the father of all
lies.
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M. what shall he care / how longe he liue in
synne that beleueth luther / that he shall after thys life /
fele nether good ner evell in
bodye ner soule vntyll the daye of dome?T.
Christ and hys appostles taught no nother / but warned to
loke for christes cominge agayne euery houre. Which cominge
agayne / because ye beleue will neuer be therfore haue ye
fained that other marchaundice.
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M. Martens bokes be open / if ye will not
beleue vs. T. Naye / ye
haue shutt them vpp and therfore be bold to
saie what ye liste.
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M. they liue as they teach and teach as they
liue. T. but nether
teach ner liue as other lye on them.
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ix.
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M. though the turke offer pleasures vn to the
receauers and deeth vn to the refusers of his
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secte (as the pope doeth) yet he sofereth none to breake
their promises of chastite dedicat to god (though haply
they vse no soch vowes / and as the pope wyll not excepte it
be for monye) but luther teacheth to breake
holy vowes.T. luther teacheth that vnlawfull vowes
grounded on a false fayth vnto the dyshonourynge of god are
to be broken and no nother. And agayne constrayned seruice
pleaseth not God. And thridly youre pope geueth licence and
his blessynge to breake all lawfull vowes / but with the
most vnlawfull of all will ye not dispence.
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Then he bringeth forth the ensample of the hethen / to
confirme the popis chastite. And no wronge / for the same
false imaginacion that the hethen had in theirs / hath the
pope in hys. Vnderstonde
therfore / If thou vow ane indifferent thynge /
to please god in hys awne person / he receaueth not thyne
Idolatrie: for hys pleasure and
honoure is / that thou shuldest be as he hath
made the / and shulde
receaue all soch thynges of hys hand and vse
them as ferforth as they were nedfull and geue him thankes
and be bounde to him: and not
that thou shuldest be as thou haddest made thy
selfe / and that he shulde receaue soch thynges off the to
be bounde to the / to thanke the and rewarde the. And agayne
/ thou must geue me a reason of thy vow out off the worde of
God. Morouer when thou vowest lawfully thou maist not do it
precyselye / but all waye excepte / yf thyne awne or thy
neyboures necessite required the contrary. As yf thou
haddest vowed neuer to eate flesh or drinke wine or stronge drinke / to tame thi flesh / and thou after warde fellest in disease
so that thy body in that behalfe were to tame or that there
coud no no
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ther sustinaunce be gotten. Then thou must interpret soch
cases excepte / though thou madest no mencion of them / at
the makinge of thi vow. Some man wold saye / other shifte
might be made: what then? If other drinke as whote as wine
& of the same operacion / and other meate of the same
power and vertue as flesh is / must be had / whi shuldest
thou forswere wine or fleshe / seinge it is now no lenger for
the taminge of thy bodi. And so forth of al
wother / as I haue aboue declared.
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And when he bringeth in the apostles / marters /
confessoures and .xv. hundred yeres / it is cleane
contrary. For they had no soch false imaginacion of
chastite or of any other worke: but they vsed it to serue
their neyboure and to avoyde trouble in time of persecucion
and to be eased of that burthen that was to heuy for their weake shulders and not to compell god to thanke them for the
liberte for which they be bound to thanke him.
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x.
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In the tenth he inveyeth and rayleth agenst that which
nether he ner any fleshly mynded papiste can vnderstonde /
as they haue no
power to consent vnto the lawes of god. Which
herein appereth /
that they compell their brethern which be as
good as they to do & beleue what they lust and not what
god commaundeth. He affirmeth that marten saith how that we
do no synne oure selues wyth oure awne wylle / but that god
synneth in vs and vseth vs as a deed instrument and forseth
vs ther vn to and damneth vs / not for oure awne deedes but
for hys / and for hys awne pleasure / as he compelleth vn to
synne for hys pleasure or rather he for hys pleasure synneth
in vs. I saye / that a man synneth voluntaryly.
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But the power of the will and of the dede is off god and
euery will and deed are good in the nature of the dede and
the euelnesse is a lacke that there is / as the eye /
though it be blinde is good in nature in that it is soch a
member created for soch a good vse: but it is called euell
for lacke of sighte. And so are oure dedes euell because we
lacke knowlege and loue to referre them vn to the glorie of God.
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Which lacke cometh of the deuell that blyndeth vs with
lustes and occasions that we can not se the goodnesse and
rightwysnesse of the law of god and the meanes how to
fulfill it. For coud we se it and the waye to doo it we
shuld loue it naturally as a chyld doeth a fayre
apple. For as a child when a man sheweth him a
fayre apple and wyll not geue it hym wepeth / so shuld we
naturaly morne when the members wold not come forwarde to
fulfyll the law acordynge to
the desyre of oure hertes. For paule saith .ij.
Cor. iiij. if our gospell be hid / it is hyd vnto them that
perish / amonge which the God of this world hath blinded
the wittes of the vnbeleuers / that the light of the
glorious gospell of christ shuld not shyne to them. And christ saith that the briddes eate vpp the seed sowen vppon the
waye and interpreteth by the seed the worde / and by the
foules / the deuell. So that the deuel blindeth vs with
falshed and lies which ys our worldly wisdome / and
therwith stoppethout the true light of gods wisdome / which
blindnes is the euellnesse of all our dedes.
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And on the other syde / that a nother man loueth the lawes
of God
and vseth the power that he hath of God well /
and referreth his wyll
and hys dedes vn to the honoure off God / cometh off the
mercy off God which hath oppened hys
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wittes and shewed him light to se the goodnesse and
rightwysnesse of the law of god and the waye that is in
Christ to fulfill it. Wherby he loueth it naturally & trusteth to doo it. Why doeth god open one mans eyes and not a
nothers?
Paul Roma. ix. forbiddeth to aske that why. For
it is to depe for mans capacite. God we se is honoured
therby and his mercy sette out & the moare sene in the
vesels of mercy. But the popish can sofre god to haue no
secret hid to him selfe. They haue serched to come to the
botome of his botomlesse wisdome / and because they can not
attayne to that secrete and be to proude to let it alone / and to graunt them selues ignoraunt with the appostle that knew no
nother then Gods glorye in the electe / they goo and sett
vpp frewyll with the hethen philosophers & saye that a
mans frewyll is the cause why god choseth one & not a
nother / contrary vn to all the scripture.
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Paul saith it cometh not of the will ner of the dede / but
of the mercy of god. And they saye that euery man hath at
the least waye power in his frewyll / to deserue that power
shuld be geuen him of god to kepe the lawe. But the
scripture testifieth that Christ hath deserued for the
electe euen then when they hated god / that there eyes shuld be opened to se the goodnesse of the lawe of God and the waye to fulfill it / and forgeuenesse of al that is passed where by
they be drawen to loue it and to hate synne.
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I axe the popish one question whether the wyll can preuent a
mans wytte and make the witt se the rightwesnesse of the
law and the waye to fulfil it in christ? If I must first se
the reason why yer I can loue how shall I wyth my wyll doo
that good thynge that I know not of? how
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shall I thanke god for the mercy that is layed vpp for me
in christ / yer I beleue it? For I must beleue the mercy yer I
can loue the worke. Now faith cometh not of
oure frewyl / but is
the gyft of god geuen vs by grace yer therbe
any wyl in our hertes to doo the lawe of god. And whi god
geueth it not euery man I can geue no rekeninge of his iudgementes. But
well I wott / I neuer deserued
it ner prepared my selfe vn to it / but ran a nother waye
cleane contrary in my blyndenesse / and sought not that waye
/ but he sought me and found me out and shewed it me and
therwith drew me to him. And I bow the knees of myne herte
vn to god nyght and daye / that he wyll shew it all other
men. And I sofre all that I can to be a seruant to open
theyr eyes.
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For well I wott they can not se of them selues before God
haue
preuented them wyth his grace. For Paul sayth
Philip. 1. he that began
a good werke in you shall continue or bringe it
vn to a full ende / so that God must begynne to worke in
vs. And Philip. ij. God it is that worketh both the
willynge and also bryngynge to passe. And it must nedes be
/ for god must open mine eyes & shew me some what &
make me se the goodnesse of it / to draw me to him / yer I can loue / consent or haue any actuall wyll to come. And when I
am willynge / he must assiste me and helpe to tame my flesh
/ & to ouercome the occasions of the worlde & the
power of the fendes.
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God therfore hath a speciall care for his electe
/ in so moch that he wyll shorten the weked dayes for their
sakes in which no man / if they shuld continue / might
endure. And Paul sofereth all for the electe .ij. Timothe
.ij. And gods sure fundacion stondeth sayth Paul / god
knoweth his. So
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that refuse the trouth who shall / god wyll kepe a numbre
of his mercye / & call them out of blyndnesse / to
testifie the trueth vn to the rest / that their damnacion
maye be with out excuse.
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The turcke / the Iew and the popish bild vppon frewyll and
asscribe their iustifienge vn to their workes. The turke
when he hath synned / runeth to the purifienges or
ceremonies of Mahomete / and the Iew to the ceremonies of
Moses / and the pope vn to his awne ceremonies / to fette
forgeuenesse of their synnes. And the christen goeth thorow
repentaunce towarde the lawe / vn to the faith that is in
Christes bloude.
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And the pope saith that the ceremonies of Moyses iustified
not / compelled with the wordes of Paul. And how then shuld
his iustifie? Moses sacramentes were but signes of promises
of fayth / by whych fayth the beleuers ar iustified / and
euen so be Christes also. And
now because the Iewes haue put out the significacions of
their sacramentes and put their trust in the workes of them
/ therfore they be Idolaters / and so is the pope for like
purpose. The pope sayth that Christ dyed not for vs but for
the sacramentes / to geue them power to iustifie. O
Antichriste.
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xj.
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His . xj. chapter is as true as his storie of
vtopia and all his other poetrie. He meaneth doctoure Ferman
person of hony lane. Whom after they had handelled after
their secret maner and disputed wyth secretly and had made
him swere that he shuld not vtter how he was dealte wyth /
as they haue made many other / then they contriued a
maner of dispicions had
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with him / with soch opposicions / answerynges &
argumentes as shuld serue only to sett forth their
purpose. As master More thorow out all his boke
maketh / quod he / to dispute and moue questions after soch
a maner as he can soyle them or make them appere soyled /
and maketh him graunte where he listeth and at the last to
be concluded and led wother Master More wyll haue him.
Wherfore I wyll not reherse all the argumentes / for it
were to longe / and is also not to be beleued that he so made them or so disputed with them / but that they added and pulled
awaye and fayned as they liste as their gise is. But I wyll
declare in light that which Master More ruffeleth vpp in
darkenesse / that ye maye se their falshed.
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First if ye were not false ypocrites / why had
ye not disputed openly with him / that the world might haue
hearde and born recorde / that that whych ye now saye of
him were true? what cause is there that the laye people
might not as well haue hearde his wordes of his awne mouth
/ as reade them of youre wrytynge / excepte ye were
iuglynge spirites that walke in darkenesse?
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When Master More saith the church teacheth that men shuld
not trust in their workes / it is false if he mene the
popis church. For they
teach a man to trust in domme ceremonyes and
sacramentes / in penaunce and all maner workes that come
them to profite / whych yet helpe not vnto repentaunce ner
to fayth ner to loue a mans neyboure .
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Master More declareth the meaninge of no sentence he
describeth the propir significacion of no worde ner the
difference of the significa
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cions of any terme / but runneth forth confusedly in vnknowen
wordes and general termes. And were one worde hath many
significacions he maketh a man some time beleue that manye
thinges are but one thynge / and some time he leadeth from one
significacion vn to a nother and mocketh a mans wittes. As
he iugleth with thys terme church / makynge vs in the
begynnynge vnderstonde all that beleue and in the
conclusyon the prestes only. He telleth not the office of
the lawe / he describeth not his penaunce ner the vertue
therof or vse / he declareth no sacrament / ner what they
meane ner the vse ner wherin the frute off confession stondeth / ner whence the power of the absolucion cometh / ner wherein it
resteth / ner what iustifienge meaneth / ner the ordir ner
sheweth any diuersite of faithes / as though all faithes
were one faith and one thinge.
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Marke therfore / the waye towarde iustifienge or
forgeuenesse of sinne / is the lawe. God causeth the lawe
to be preached vn to vs and wryteth yt in oure hertes and
maketh vs by good reasons fele that
the lawe is good and ought to be kept and that
they which kepe it not are worthy to be damned. And on the
other syde I fele that there ys no power in me / to kepe
the lawe where vppon it wold shortly folow that I shud
dyspeare / if I were not shortly holpe.
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But God which hath begon to cure me and hath layde that
corosy vn to my sores / goeth forth in hys cure / and
setteth hys sonne Iesus before me and all hys passyons and
deeth / and saith to me: thys is my dere sonne / and he
hath prayed for the and hath sofred all thys for the / and
for hys sake I wil forgeue the al that thou hast done
agenst thys good lawe / and I wyll heale
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thy flesh and teach
the to kepe thys lawe / if thou wilt lerne. And
wyll beare wyth the and take al a worth that thou doest /
tyll thou canst doo better. And in the meane season / not
wythstondynge thy wekenesse / I wyll yet loue the no lesse
then I doo the angels in heauen / so thou wylt be delygent
to lerne. And I wyll assiste the and kepe the and defende
the and be thy shilde and care for the.
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And the herte here begynneth to mollyfye and wax softe and to
receaue health and beleueth the mercy of God and in
beleuynge is
saued from feare of euerlastynge deeth and made
sure off euerlastynge lyfe / and then beinge ouercome wyth
thys kindnesse / begynneth too loue agayne and to submitte
hyr selfe vn to the lawe of God to lerne them and to walke
in them.
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Note now the ordyr / first God geueth me light to se the
goodnesse and ryghtwysnesse off the lawe and mine awne
synne and vnryghtwesnesse. Out of whych knowlege springeth
repentaunce.
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Now repentaunce teacheth me not that the law ys good / and I
euell / but a lyght that the spyryte off God hath geuen me
/ out off whych lyght repentaunce springeth.
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Then the same spirite worketh in myne herte trust and
confidence to beleue the mercye of God and hys trueth /
that he wyll doo as he hath promised. Whych beleffe saueth
me. And immediatly out of that trust springeth loue towarde
the lawe of god agayne. And what soeuer a man werketh of
any other loue then thys it pleaseth not God / ner is that
loue Godly. Now loue doeth not receaue thys mercy but
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fayth only / out of which fayth loue springeth / by which
loue I power out agayne vppon my neyboure that goodnesse
wych I haue receaued of God by fayth. Here of ye se that I can not be iustified wyth out repentaunce and yet repentaunce
iustyfieth me not. And here of ye se that I can not haue a
faith to be iustified and saued / excepte loue springe
therof immediatly / and yet loue iustifieth me not before
God. For my naturall loue to god agayne doeth not make me first se and
fele the kyndnesse of God in christ / but fayth thorow
preachinge. For we loue not God first / to compel him
to loue agayne: but he loued vs first and gaue
hys sonne for vs / that we might se loue and loue agayne /
sayth sent Ihon in hys first epistle . Whych loue of God to
vs warde we receaue by Christ thorow fayth saith Paule. And
thys ensample haue I sett out for them in dyuers
places / but their blinde popysh eyes haue no
power too se it / couetousnesse hath so blinded them. And
when we saye fayth only iustifyeth vs / that ys to saye /
receaueth the mercye wherewyth God iustifyeth vs and
forgeueth vs / we meane not fayth whych hath noo repentaunce
and fayth whych hath no loue vn to the lawes off God
agayne and vn to good werkes / as wyked
ypocrytes falsly belie vs.
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For how then shulde we sofre as we doo all mysery / too call
the blynde and ygnoraunte vn to repentaunce and good werkes
/ whych now doo but consent vn to all euell and studye
mischeue all daye longe / for al theyr preachynge their
iustifyenge of good workes.
Let Master Moore ymproue thys wyth hys
sophystrye and sett forth hys awne doctryne that we maye
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se the reason of yt and walke in light.
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Herof ye se what faith it is that iustifyeth vs.
The faith in christes bloude of a repentinge herte towarde
the lawe doeth iustifie vs onli and not all maner faythes.
Ye must vnderstond therfore / that ye maye se to come out
of Mores blinde mase / how that there be many faithes and
that all faythes be not one fayth / though they be all called with on generall name. There is a story fayth with out felynge in the
herte / where with I maye beleue the hole story of the
byble and yet not sett myne herte ernestly therto / takynge
yt for the fode of my soule / too lerne to beleue and trust
God / to loue him / dreade him and feare him by the
doctrine and ensamples therof / but to seme lerned and to
know the story / to dispute and make marchaundice /
after as we haue ensamples ynowe. And the faith
wherwith a man doeth miracles / is a nother gyft then the
fayth of a repentinge herte to be saued thorow christes
bloude / and the one no kynne too the other though Master More wold haue
them so appere. Nether is the
deuels fayth and popis faith (where wyth they beleue that
there ys a god and that chryst ys and all the story off the
byble and maye yet stonde wyth all wekednesse and full
consent too euell) kynne vnto the fayth of them that hate
evell and repent off their mysdedes and knowlege their
synnes and be fled with ful hope and truste off mercye vn to
the bloude off Christ.
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And when he sayth / yf fayth certyfye oure
hertes that we be in the fauoure off God and oure synnes
forgeuen and become good yer we doo good werkes / as the tre
must be first good
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yer it
bringe forth good frute / by christes doctrine
then we make good workes but a shadowe where with a man is
neuer the better. Naie Sir we make good werkes / frutes
where by oure neyboure is the
better and wherby God is honoured and oure
flesh tamed. And we make of them sure tokens where by we
know that our faith is no fayned imaginacion and deed
opinion made with captiuynge oure wyttes after the popis
tradicions / but a lyuely thinge wrought by the
holygoste.
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And when he disputeth / if they that haue faith
/ haue loue vn to the law and purpose to fulfill it / then
fayth alone iustifieth not / how will he proue that
argument? he iugleth with this worde alone: and wold make
the people beleue that we said / how a bare faith that is
with out all other companye / of repentaunce / loue and other vertues / ye and with out gods spirite to / did iustifie vs / so that
we shuld not care to doo good. But the scripture so taketh
not alone ner
we so meane / as Master More knoweth well
ynough. When an horse bereth a sadell and a man therin / we
maye well saye / that the horse only and alone bereth the
sadell / and is not holpe of the man in beringe therof. But
he wold make men vnderstonde that we ment / the horse bare
the sadell emptie and no man therin: let him marke this to
se his ignoraunce / which wold god were not coupled with
malice. Euery man that hath witte / hath a will to and then by master mores argument / witte only geueth not the light of
vnderstondynge . Now the conclusion is false and the
contrary true. For
the witte with out helpe of the will geueth the light of the
vnderstondynge / nether doeth the will worke
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at all / vntyll the wytt haue determined thys or that to be
good or bad. Now what is faith saue a spirituall lyght of
vnderstondinge and an inwarde knowlege or felynge of marcie.
Out of whych knowlege loue doeth springe. But loue brought
me not that knowlege / for I knew yt yer I loued. So that
loue in the processe off nature to dyspute from the cause to
the effecte helpeth not at all to the felynge that God is mercifull to me no moare than the louynge herte and kynd behavoure of
an obedyent wyfe to hir husbonde / maketh hyr se hys
loue and kyndenesse to hir / for many soch haue vnkynde
husbandes. But by hys kynde dedes to hir doeth she se his
loue. Euen so my loue & dedes make me not se Gods loue
to me in the processe of nature: but hys kynde dedes to me
/ in that he gaue his sonne for me maketh me se his loue
and to loue agayne.
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Oure loue and good werkes make not god first loue vs / and
chaunge hym from hate to loue / as the Turke / Iew and
vayne popish meane but hys loue and dedes make vs loue and
chaunge vs from
hate to loue. For he loued vs when we were
euell and hys enimies as testifieth Paul in dyuers places
and chose vs to make vs good and to shew vs loue and to
draw vs to hym / that we shuld loue agayne.
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The father loueth hys chyld / when yt hath no power to doo
good and when yt must be sofered to runne after the awne
lustes wyth out lawe / and neuer loueth yt better then then
/ to make yt better and too shewe yt loue / to loue agayne.
Yf he coude se what ys wrytten
in the fyrst pistle of Ihon / though al the
other scripture were layed aparte / he shuld se all
thys.
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And ye must vnderstonde / that we some
tyme dispute forwarde / from the cause to the effecte and
some tyme backwarde from the effecte to the cause / and
must beware that we be not therwith begyled / we saye somer
is come and therfore all is grene / and
dispute forwarde. For somer is the cause of the
grenesse. We saye the trees be grene / and therfore somer
is come / and dispute backwarde
from the effecte to the cause / For the grenetrees make not
somer / but maketh somer knowen. So we dispute backwarde
/ the
man doeth good dedes and profitable vn to his
neyboure / he must therfore loue god: he loueth god / he
must therfore haue a true fayth and se mercye.
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And yet my workes make not my loue ner my loue my fayth ner
my fayth Gods mercye: But contrary / Gods mercye maketh
my fayth and my fayth my loue and my loue my workes. And if
the pope coude se mercy and worke of loue to his neyboure
and not sell his workes to god for heuen after Master Mores
doctrine / we neded not so sotle disputynge of fayth.
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And when Master More allegeth Paul to the Corinthians / to
proue that fayth maye be wyth out loue / he proueth
nothynge / but iugleth only. He sayth it is euident by the
wordes of Paul / that a man maye haue a fayth to doo
miracles wyth out loue and maye geue all his good in almes
with out loue / and geue his body to burne for the name of
Christe / and all with out charite. Well I wyll not stycke
wyth him: he maye so doo wyth out charite and wyth out
fayth therto. Then a man maye haue fayth wyth out fayth. Ye verely because there be many differences of fayth / as I haue
sayde /
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and not all faythes one faith / as master More iugleth. We
read in the
workes of S. Cipriane / that there were marters
that sofred marterdom for the name of christ al the yere
longe / and were tormented
and healed agayne and then brought forth
afreshe. Which marters
beleued / as ye doo / that the payne of their
marterdome shuld be a deseruinge and merite ynough / not
only to deserue heuen for them selues / but to make
satisfaccion for the synnes of other men therto / and gaue
pardons of their merites after the ensample of the popis
doctrine and forgaue the synnes of other men which had openly denyed christe / and wrote vn to Cipriane / that he shuld receaue
those men that had denied christe in to the congregacion
agayne / at the satisfaccion of their merites. For which
pride Cipriane wrote to them & called them the deuels
marters and not Gods. Those marters
had a faith without faith. For had they beleued
that all mercy is geuen for christes bloudeshedynge / they
whold haue sent other men thither / and wold haue sofered
their awne marterdom for loue of their neyboures only / to
sarue them and to testifie the trueth of god in oure
sauioure Iesu / vnto the worlde / to saue at the least waye
some / that is to wete / the electe / for whose sake Paule sofereth al
thinge and not to winne heuen. Yf I worke for a worldely
purpose / I get no rewarde in heuen: euen so if I worke for
heuen or an hier place in heuen I gett there no rewarde. But
I must doo my worke for the loue of my neyboure / because
he is my brother and the price of Christes bloude and
because christe hath deserued it and dysyreth it of me /
and then my rewarde is greate in heuen.
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And all they whych beleue that their
synnes be forgeuen them and they receaued as the scripture
testifieth / vn to the enheritaunce of heuen for Christes
merites / the same loue christ & their brethern for his
sake and doo all thynge for their sakes only / not once
thynkinge of heuen / when they worke / but on their bretherns neade. When they sofre them selues aboue might / then they comforte
their soule with the remembraunce of heuen / that this
wrechednesse shall haue an ende and we shall haue a
thousandfold pleasures and rewardes in heuen / not for the
merites of oure deseruynges but geuen vs frely for
Christes. And he that hath that loue hath the right faith.
And he that hath that faith hath the right loue. For I can
not loue my neyboure for Christes sake / excepte I first
beleue that I haue receaued soch mercy of Christe. Ner can I beleue that I haue receaued soch mercy of Christ / but that I must
loue my neyboure for his sake / seinge that he so
instantly desyreth me.
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And when he allegeth S. Iames / it is answered
him in the mammon / and S. Augustine answereth him. And
saynt Iames expoundeth him selfe. For he saith in the first
chapter / God whych begatt vs
of his awne wyll with the worde of trueth /
which-worde of trueth is his promises of mercye and
forgeuenesse in oure sauioure Iesus / by
whych he begatt vs / gaue vs life & made vs a new
creature thorow a fast fayth. And Iames goeth and rebuketh
the opinion & false fayth of them that thynke it ynough
to be saued by / iff they beleue that there is but one god
and that Christ was borne of a virgen and a thousand thynges
whych a man may beleue. And yet not beleue in Christe / to
be saued from
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sinne thorow him. And that Iames speaketh of a nother fayth
then at the begynnynge appereth by his ensample. The
deuelles haue fayth saith he: ye but the deuels haue no
fayth that can repent of euell or to beleue in Christ / to be saued thorow him / or that can loue god and worke his will of
loue. Now Paul speaketh of a faith that is in Christes
bloude to be saued therby / which worketh immediatly thorow
loue of the benefite receaued.
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And Iames at the beginninge speaketh of a faith that bydeth
trienge sayenge / the trienge of youre fayth worketh or
causeth paciens. But the faith of the deuels wyll byde no
trienge / for they wyll not worke gods wyll because they
loue him not. And in like maner is it of the fayth of them
that repent not or that thynke them selues with out synne.
For except a man fele out of what daunger Christ hath delyuered him / he can not loue the worke. And therfore Iames saith
right / that no soch faith that wyll not worke can
iustifie a man.
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And when Paul saith faith only iustifieth: and Iames / that
a man is iustified by werkes and not by fayth only / there
is greate difference
betwene Pauls only and Iameses only. For Paules
only is to be vnderstonde / that fayth iustifieth in the
hert and before god / wyth out helpe of werkes / ye and yer
I can worke. For I must receaue life thorow fayth to worke
wyth / yer I can worke. But Iames only is
this wise to be vnderstonde / that faith doeth
not so iustifie / that no thynge iustifieth saue fayth /
For dedes doo iustifie also. But fayth iustifieth in the
herte and before god / and the dedes before the world only
and maketh the other sene as ye maye se by the scripture.
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For Paul saith Roma. iiij. if Abraham
haue workes / he hath wherof to reioce / but not before
god. For if Abraham had receaued
those promises of deseruynge / then had it bene
Abrahams prayse
and not gods / as thou maist se in the texte: nether had god
shewed Abraham mercy and grace / but had only geuen him his
dutie and deseruinge. But in that Abraham receaued all the
mercie that was shewed him / frely thorow fayth / out of the
deseruinges of the seed that was promised him / as thou
maist se by Genesis and by the gospell
of Ihon / where Christ testifieth that Abraham
saw his daye and reioysed / and of that ioye nodoute wrought
/ it is gods prayse / and the glory of his mercye. And the
same maist thou se by Iames / when he saith Abraham offered
his sonne / and so was the scripture fulfilled / that
Abraham beleued / and it was rekened him for rightwysnesse
and he was therby made gods frende.
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How was it fulfilled? before god? Naye / it was fulfilled
before god manye yeres before / & he was gods frende
many yeres before / euen from the first appoynttment that
was made betwene god and him. Abraham receaued promises of
all mercie and beleued and trusted god & went &
wrought out of that faith. But it was fulfilled before vs
which can not se the herte / as Iames sayth / I wyll shew
the my fayth out of my workes / and as the angell said to Abraham / now I know that thou dreadest god. Not but that he knew it
before / but for vs spake he that / whych can se nought in
Abraham moare then in other men / saue by his workes.
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And what workes ment Iames?
verely the wor
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kes of mercye .
As if a brother or a sister lacke rayment or
sustinaunce and ye be not moued to compassion ner fele
their diseases / whate fayth haue ye then? No faith (be
sure) that feleth the mercye that is in Christe. For they
that fele that / be mercifull ageyne and thankefull.
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But loke on the werkes of oure spiritualtie which wyll not
only be iustified with werkes before the world / but also
before god. They haue had all christendome to rule this
.viij. hundred yeres / and as they only be annoynted in the
heed / so haue they only bene kynge and emproure and haue
had al power in their handes and haue bene the doers only
and the Ieders of those shadowes that haue had the name of
princes / and haue led them whother they wolde and haue
brethed in to their braynes what they listed. And they haue wrought the world out of peace and vnite and euery man out of his
wellfare
and are become alone well at ease / only fre / only at
liberte / only haue all thynge and only do nought therfore /
only laye on other mennes backes and beare nought them
selues. And the good werkes of them that wrought out of
faith and gaue their goodes and landes
to finde the pore / them deuoure they also
alone. And what workes preach they? Only that ar to them
profitable and wherby they raigne in mens consciences as
god: to offer / to geue to be prayed for and
to be deliuered out of purgatory and to redeme
youre synne of them / and to worshepe ceremonies and to be
shryuen and so forth.
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And when Master More is come to him selfe & sayth the
first fayth and the first iustifienge is geuen vs with out
oure deseruinge. God be thanked / and I wold fayne that he
wold de
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scribe me what he meaneth by the seconde iustifienge. I know
no moare to doo / then when I haue receaued all mercy and
all forgeuenesse of Christ frely / to goo and powre out the
same vppon my neyghboure.
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M. Dauid lost not his faith / when he committed
adultery. T. No /
and therfore he coude not continue in synne /
but repented assone
as his faulte was told him. But was he not
reconsyled by fayth only / and not by dedes? sayd he not
haue mercy on me lorde for thy greate
mercye and for the multitude of thy mercies put
awaye my synne.
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And agayne / make me heare ioye & gladnesse / that the
bones which thou hast broken maye reioyse. That is latt me
heare thy voyce that my synne is forgeuen and then I am
saffe and wyll reioyse . And afterward he knowlegeth that
god delyteth not in sacrifices for synnes / but that a
troubled spirite and a broken herte is that whych god
requireth. And when the peace was made / he prayeth boldly
and familiarly to god / that he wold be good to Sion and Ierusalem / and sayth that then last of all when god hath forgeuen vs
of mercy / and hath done vs good for our euell / we
shall offer sacrifice of thankes to him agayne. So that our
dedes are but thankesgeuynge. When we haue sinned / we goo
with a repentynge herte vn to Christes bloude / and there
wash it of thorow faith. And oure dedes are but thankes
geuenge to god to helpe oure neyboures at their
nede / for which oure neyboures and ech of them owe vs as
moch
agayne at oure nede. So that the testament of
forgeuenesse of
synnes / is bylt vppon faith in christes bloude
and not on workes.
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Master More wyll runne to the pope for forgeuenesse a pena
& culpa.
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By what merites doeth the pope that?
by Christes. And Christ hath promised all his merites to
them that repent & beleue and not geuen them vn to the
pope to sell. And in youre absolucions ye oft absolue wyth
out ioynynge of penaunce. He must haue a purpose to doo good
werkes wyll ye saye. That condicion is sett before him to
doo / out of the mercy that he hath receaued & not to receaue mercie out of them. But the popish can not repent out of
the hert.
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And therfore can not fele the mercie that faith bryngeth /
& therfore can not be mercifull to their neyboures to
doo their werkes for their sakes. But they fayne them a
sorow for their synne in whych they euer continue and so
morne for them in the mornynge that they laugh in them yer
middaye agayne. And then they imagen them
popish dedes / to make satisfaccion to God and
make an Idole of him.
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And fynally that good workes / as to geue almes
and soch like / iustifie not of them selues / is manifeste.
For as the good which are taught of god doo them well / of
very loue to god and Christ and of their neybours for
Christes sake / even so the euell doo them of vayne glorie
and a false faith wykedly / as we haue ensamples in the
phareses / so that a man must be good yer he can doo good. And so is it of the purpose to doo them: Ones purpose is good and
a nothers evell: so that we must be good yer a good purpose
come. How then / to loue the law of god and to consent
therto and to haue it written in thine hert and to professe
it / so that thou art ready of thyne awne accorde to doo it
and wyth out compultion / is to be righteous: that I graunt
and that loue maye be called rightwysnesse before God
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passiue and the life and quickenesse of the soule passiue. And
soferforth as a man loueth the law of god / so ferforth he
is righteous / and so moch as he lacketh of loue toward his
neiboure after the ensample
of Christe / so moch he lacketh of rightwysnesse. And that
thynge whych maketh a man loue the lawe of god / doth
make a man righteous and iustifieth him effectiuely and
actually and maketh him alyue as a worke man & cause
efficient. Now what is it that maketh a man to love? verely
not the dedes / for they folow and springe of loue / if they
be good. Nether the preachynge of the law / for that
quickeneth not the herte Gala. iij. but causeth wrath Rom.
iiij. and vttereth the synne only Romanorum .iij. And therfore sayth Paule that rightewysnesse spryngeth not out of the dedes of
the law in to the herte / as the Iewes and the pope meane:
but contrary the dedes of the law sprynge out of the
rightwysnesse of the hert if they be good. As when a father
pronounceth the law / that the child shall goo to scole /
it saith naye. For that killeth his hert and all his lustes / so that he hath no power to loue it. But what maketh his herte aliue
to loue it? verely fayre promises of loue and kindnesse
/ that it shall haue a gentle scolemaster and shall playe
ynough and shall haue many gaye thynges and so forth. Even
so the preachynge of fayth doth worke loue in oure soules
and make them aliue and draw our hertes to God. The mercye
that we haue in Christ doeth make vs loue only and only
bryngeth the spirite of life in to our soules.
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And therfore saith Paul / we be iustified by fayth and by
grace with out dedes: that is / yer
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the dedes come. For faith only bringeth / the spirite of
life and deliuereth our soules from feare of damnacion /
which is in the law and euer maketh peace betwene god and
vs / as oft as there is any variaunce betwene vs. And finally when the peace is made betwene god and vs and all forgeuen
thorow faith in Christes bloude / and we begynne to loue
the lawe / we were neuer the nere excepte faith went with
vs / to supplye out the lacke
of full loue / in that we haue promises / that
that litle we haue is take aworth & accepted tyll moare
come. And agayne when our frailtie
hath ouerthrowen vs and feare of damnacion
invadeth our consciences / we were vtterly lost / if fayth
were not bye to helpe vs vpp agayne / in that we are
promised that when soeuer we repent of euell and come to
the right waye agayne / it shalbe forgeuen for Christes
sake. For when we be fallen / there is no testament made in
werkes to come / that they shal saue vs. And therfore the
werkes of repentaunce or of the sacramentes can neuer quiet
our consciences and
deliuer vs from feare of damnacion. And last of
all in temptacions tribulacion and aduersites / we perished
dayly excepte fayth went with vs to deliuer vs / in that we
haue promises / that god wyll assiste us / cloth vs / fede
vs and fight for vs and rid vs out of the
handes of oure enimies. And thus the
rightewysse liueth euer bye faith / even from faith to faith
/ that is / as sone as he is deliuered out of one
temptacion a nother is sett before him to feighte agenst and to ouercome thorow fayth. The scripture sayth / blessed is the man
whose transgression is forgeuen & his synnes hid /
and vn to whom the lorde rekeneth not vnrightwysnesse. So
that the only right-
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wysnesse of him that can but synne and hath nought of hym
selfe to make amendes / is the forgeuenesse of sinne / which faith
only bringeth. And as forforth as we be
vnryghtwese / faith only iustifieth vs actiuely and else
nothinge on our partie. And as ferforth as we haue synned /
be in sinne or do synne or shall synne / so ferforth must
fayth in christes bloud iustifie vs only and else nothynge.
To loue / is to be rightwesse so ferforth as thou louest / but not to
make rightwesse / ner to make peace. To beleue in
christes bloud with a repentinge hert is to make rightwesse
and the only makynge of peace and satisfaccion to godwarde.
And thus because termes be darke to them that be not
experte and excercysed / we all waye sett out our meanynge
wyth clere ensamples / reportynge our selues vn
to the hertes and consciences of all men.
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M. the blasphemous wordes of luther seme to
signifie / that both saynt Ihon baptiste & oure ladie
were synners. T. Ihon baptiste sayde too christ .Mat .iij.
I had nede to be baptised of the and comest thou to me?
wherof did Ihon confesse that he had nede to be washed and
purged by chryste / off hys holynesse and good dedes? when Ihon sayd / behold the lambe off god that taketh a waye the
synne of the worlde / he was not off that sorte ner had any
synnes to be taken
awaie at any time / ner any parte in christes bloude whych
dyed for synners only. Ihon came too restore all thynge
sayth christ. That is / he came to enterpret the law of God
truly and to proue all flesh synners / too send them to
Christe / as paul doeth in the begynnynge off the Romans.
Whych law if Master More coude vnderstonde how spirituall yt
ys and what yt requireth off
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vs / he wolde not so dyspute. And yf there were no
imperfectenesse in oure ladies dedes / whi did christ rebuke
hyr Ihon .ij. when he ought rather to haue
honoured hys mother / and why did he make hir
seke him .iij. dayes. Chrisostimus dare saye / that our
lady was now & then taken wyth a litle vayne glorie.
She loked for the promises off hym that shulde come and
blesse hyr / from what? She beleued to be saued by christ /
from what? Thys I graunt / that our lady / Ihon baptiste /
Isaac / Iacob / Ioseph / Moses and many lyke / dyd neuer consent too synne / to folow it: But had the holy gost from the
bygynnynge.
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Neuer the later whyle they folowed the spirite and wrought
theyr best / yet chaunces met them by the waye and
temptacyons / that made theyr werkes come some tymes
vnperfectely too passe / as a potter that hath hys craft
neuer so well / meteth a chaunce now and then / that maketh
hym facyon a pott amisse. So that I thinke the perfectest
of them all as we haue ensamples off some / were compelled
to saye wyth Paull / that good that I wold / I doo not and that euell that I wolde nott / that I doo. I wolde not sweere on
a boke
that yf our lady had bene let slipp as woother
were and as harde apposed wyth as present deeth before hyr
eyes / that she wolde not haue denyed some thynges that she
knewe true. Ye but she was preserved by grace that she was
not. No but though she were kepte by
grace from the outwarde dede / yet yf theyr
were soch wekenesse
in hyr flesh / she had synne. And the grace was
/ that she knew it and was meke too beleue in chryst / too
haue yt forgeuen hyr and too be preserued that yt shulde
not bud forth. Ihon the euangelyst /
when he was as
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holy as euer was Ihon the baptyst said / yf we saye we haue
no synne / we dysceaue oure selues.
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Then he compareth faith and dedes too gether and
wyll that fayth shulde stonde in no beter seruice off ryght
then dedes. Yes / for the dedes be examined by the law / and
therfore yt ys not ynough too
doo them only / or to doo them wyth loue: but I
must doo them wyth as greate loue as christ dyd for me / and
as I receaue a good dede at my nede. But fayth ys vnder no
lawe / and therfore be she neuer so feble / she shal receaue
acordynge too the trueth off the promyser.
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M. what thynge coude we axe god of ryght because
we beleue
hym? T. verely all that he promyseth / maye we
be bold to axe of
right and dutye and by good obligation.
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M. Ferman said that all workes be good ynough in
them that god hath chosen. T. I am sure yt ys vntrue / for
their best be not good ynough / though God forgeueth them
their euell of hys mercye / at the repentaunce of theyr
hertes.
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Then he endeth in hys scole doctryne contrary vn to all the
scripture / that god remitteth not the synne of his chosen
people / because
that he hath chosen them or of hys mercye / but
off a towardnesse that ys moare in one then in another
sayenge God sawe before that Peter shuld repent and Iudas
wolde dyspeare / and therfore chose Peter. If God chose
Peter because he dyd repent / why chose he not Iudas to /
which repented as moch as he and knowleged hys synne and
brought the money agayne? O thys
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blyndenesse / as god
had wrought nothynge in the repentaunce of
peter. Sayd not christ before / that peter shuld faull. And
sayd he not that he had prayed for hym that he shulde be
holpe vpp agayne? Christ prayed a stronge prayer for peter
to helpe hym vpp agayne and sofred a stronge deeth
therto. And before his deeth he committed them
vn to hys father saynge I haue kepte them in thy name &
I departe / kepe them now from euell. Peter had a good hert
too god and loued his lawe and beleued in christe and had
the spirite of god in him which neuer left him for all his
faull. Peter sinned of no malice / but of frailtie & soden
feare of deeth. And the goodnesse of God wrought hys
repentaunce and all the meanes by whych he was brought vpp
agayne at christes requeste. And Iudas was neuer good ner
came to christ for loue of his doctrine / but of
couetousnesse / ner dyd euer beleue in christe.
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Iudas was by nature and birth (as we all be)
heyre of the wrath of god / in whom the deuel wrought hys
will and blynded hys hert with ignoraunce. In which
ignoraunce and blyndnesse he grue / as he grue in age and
fell deper and deper therin / and therby wrought all hys
wekednesse and the deuels wyll and perished therin. From
whych ygnoraunce god purged peter off hys mercye and gaue hym
light and hys spirite too gouern hym / and not
of any towardnesse that was in peter off his awne byrth:
but for the mercy that we haue in the birth of chrystes
deeth.
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And how wil M. More proue that god choseth not off hys
goodnesse but off oure towardnesse?
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what good towardnesse can he haue and endeuoure that is all
to gether blynde and caried awaye at the wyll of the deuell
/ tyll the deuell be cast out? Ar we not robbed of all
towardnesse in Adam and be by nature made the childern of
synne / so that we synne naturally and to synne is our nature? So that as now / though we wold doo well / the flesh yet
synneth naturally nether ceaseth to synne / but so ferforth
as it is kepte vnder with violence: euen so once our hertes
synned as naturally wyth full lust and consent vn to the
flesh / the deuel possessynge our hertes and kepynge out
the light of grace. What good towardnesse and endeuoure can
we haue to hate synne / as longe as we loue it? what good
towardnesse can we haue vnto the wyll of god / whyle we hate it and be ignoraunte therof. Can the wyll desyre that the witte seith
not? Can the will longe for and sigh for that the wytt
knoweth not of? Can a man take thought for that losse that
he wotteth not of? what good endeuoure can the turkes childern / the
Iewes childern and the popis infantes haue / when they be
taught all falshed only wyth lyke persuasions of worldly
reason / to be all iustified with
werkes? It is not therfore as Paul sayth / of
the runnynge or willynge but of the mercye of god / that a
man is called and chosen to grace.
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The first grace / the first fayth and the first iustifienge
is geuen vs frely sayth Master More. Whych I wold fayne wete
how it wyll stond with his other doctrine / and whether he
meane any other
thynge by chosynge then to haue gods spirite
geuen me and fayth to se the mercie that is layd vpp for me
and to haue my synnes forgeuen with out all deseruynge and
preparynge
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of my selfe God did not se only that the thefe that was
saued at christes deeth / shuld come thither / but god
chose him to shew his mercie vn to vs that shuld aftir
beleue / and prouided actually and wrought for the
bringynge of him thither that daye / to make him se and to receaue the mercie that was layed vpp for him in store / before the
world was made.
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xij.
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In the .xij. in chafinge him selfe to hepe lye vppon lye /
he vttereth his feleable blindnesse. For he haxeth this
question wherefore serueth exhortacions vn to fayth / if
the hearers haue not libertye of their frewyll / by which
to gether with gods grace a man may laboure
to submitte the rebellion of reason vn to the
obedience of faith and credence of the worde of God.
Whereof ye se / that besydes his graunt that reason
rebelleth agenst faith / contrary to the doctrine of his
first boke / he will that the will shall compell the witte to
beleue.
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Which is as moch to saye that the carte must
draw the horses and
the sonne begett the father / and the auctorite
of the church is greater then gods worde. For the will can
not teach the witt ner leade hir / but foloweth naturally:
so that what soeuer the witt iudgeth good or euell / that
the wyll loueth or hateth. If the witte se and leade
streight / the will foloweth. If the witt be
blinde and lead amisse / the will foloweth cleane out of
the waye. I can not loue gods worde before I beleue it /
ner hate it / before I iudge it false and vanite.
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He might haue wiselier spoken on this maner / where fore
serueth the preachynge of faith / if the witt haue no power
to draw the will to loue that which the witte iudgeth true
and good. If
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the will be nought / teach the witt better and the will
shall alter and turne to good immediatly. Blindnesse is the
cause of all euel and light the cause of al good: so that
where the faith is right there the herte can not consent
vnto euell / to folowe the lustes of the fleshe / as the
popes faith doeth. And this conclusion hath he halfe a dosen tymes in his boke / that the will maye compell the witt and
captiuate it / to beleue what a man lusteth. Verelye it is
like that his wittes be in captiuite
and for vauntage tangled with oure holy fathers
sophistrie.
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His doctrine is aftir his awne felynge and as the profession
of his herte is. For the popish haue yelded them selues /
to folowe the lustes of their fleshe / and compell their
witte to absteyne from lokynge on the trouth lest she shuld
vnquiet them and draw them out of the
podell of their filthie voluptuousnesse. As a
carte that is ouer laden goinge vp an hill draweth the
horses backe / and in a tough mire maketh them stonde
styll. And then the carter the deuel which driueth them is
euer by and whistelleth vn to them and biddeth them captiuatt their vnderstondynge vn to profitable doctrine for which they shall haue no persecucion but shall raigne and be kynges
and enioye the pleasures of the worlde at their awne
will.
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xiij.
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In the .xiij. he saith that the clergie burneth no man. As
though the pope had not first found the lawe / & as
though al his preachers babied not that in euery sermon /
burne these heretikes burn them
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for we haue no nother argument too conuince them and as
though they comppelled not both kinge and emproure to swere that they shall so doo / yer they croune them.
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Then he bryngeth in prouisions of Kynge Henry
the . v. Of whom I axe M. More whether he were ryght heyre
vn to englonde or held
he the lande wyth the swerde as an hethen tyraunte / agenst
all ryght. Whom the prelates / lest he shulde haue had
leyser too herken vn to the trouth / sent in to fraunce /
too occupie hys mynde in warre / and led him at their wil.
And I axe whether his father slew not his lege kinge and
true enheretoure vnto the croune and was therfore set vpp of
the bisshops a false kinge to maynetene theyr falsehed? And
I axe whether after that weked dede / folowed not
the destruccion of the comenaltie and
quenchynge of all the noble bloude.
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xiiij.
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In the .xiiij. he affirmeth that Marten luther saieth it is
not lawfull
to resiste the turke. I wondre that he shameth
not so to lye seynge
that marten hath written a singular tretice for
the contrarye / besydes that in many other workes he
proueth it laufull / if he invade vs.
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xvj.
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In the .xvj. he allegeth counsels. I axe whether counsels
haue auctorite to make articles of the faith with out gods
worde / ye and of thynges improued by gods worde?
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He allegeth Augustine / Hierom and Cipriane. Let him put
their workes in english and S. prosperus with them. Whi
damned they the vnion of doctoures / but be cause the
doctours are agenst them.
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And when he allegeth marters / lett him
shew one and take the calfe for his laboure.
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And in the end he biddeth bewarre of them that liue well in
any wise. As though they whych liue euell can not teach
amisse. And if
that be true then they be of the surest
syde.
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M. when Tindale was apposed of his doctrine /
yer he went ouer
se/ he said and sware / he ment no harme. T. he
sware not nether was there any man that required an oth of
him: but he now swereth by him whom he trusteth to be saued
by / that he neuer ment or yet meaneth any other harme then
to sofre all that god hath prepared to be leyd on his backe
/ for to brynge his brothern vn to the light of our sauiour
Ihesus which the pope thorow falshed and corruptynge soch
poetes as ye are (ready vn to all thynge for vauntage) leadeth in the darkenesse of deeth.
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M. Tyndale doeth know how that S. Augustine
& S. Hierom doo proue with holy scripture that
confession is of necessite vn to saluacion.
T. that is false if ye meane eareconfession.
Whi allege ye not the places where? But ye knowe by S.
Hierom and other stories and
by the conuersation with Erasmus / how it come
vpp and that the
vse was once ferre other then now.
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M. I meruell that Tyndale denieth purgatory / excepte he
entende
to goo too hell. T. he entendeth to purge here
vn to the vttermost
of his power and hopeth that deeth wyll ende
and fynish his purgacion. And if there be any other
purgynge / he wyll committe it to god and take it as he
findeth it / when he cometh at it / & in the meane tyme
take no thought therfore / but for this that is present
where with all sayntes were purged & were taught so to be. And Tyndale
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maruelith what secret pilles they take to purge them selues
which not only wil not purge here with the crosse of christe / but also bye out their purgatory there of the pope / for a
grote or .vj. pens.
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xviij.
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M. the clergie doeth nothynge vn to the
heretikes but as the holy
doctours did. T. yes ye put them in youre
presones and diote them
and handle them after youre facion as temporall
tirauntes / and dispute with them secretly & wil not
come at light. And ye sle them
for rebukynge you with Gods worde / and so did not the old
holy
doctours. If a man sle his father / ye care
not. But if any man twich one of you though he haue neuer so
greate an occasyon geuen hym / ye curse him / and yf he wyll
not submitte him selfe vn to youre punishement / ye leaue
him vn to the temporall power whom ye haue hyred with the
spoyle of his goodes to be youre hangman / so that he must
lose hys lyfe / for geuinge one of you but a blow on the
cheke.
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M. Saynt paul gaue .ij. heretikes vn to the
deuell whych tormented their flesh which was no small
punishment and haply he
slew them.T. O expounder of the scripture like
hugo charensys which expoundeth hereticum hominem deuita /
take the heretike out of his life. We reade of no payne
that he had whom the Corinthians
excomunicat and gaue to sathan / to sle hys
flesh / saue that he was asshamed of hym selfe and repented
/ when he saw hys offence so ernistly taken and so
abhorred. But ye because ye haue no power to delyuer them
to sathan to blynde theyr myndes / ye deliuer them to the
fyre to destroy their flesh / that no moare is sene of them after then the asshes.
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The table of the boke
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A.
- Abiure / whi manye abiure and faulle. Note 114
- Abraham 134
- Accusars 104
- Albe / what it signifieth 73
- Allegoryes can proue nothynge. 92
- Alone fayth iustefyeth. 198
- Altare / and what it signifieth 73
- Amice / and what it signifieth 73
- Answeres vn to M. Mores first boke 79
- Antichrist / a sure token that the pope ys antychryst 100
- Apostles lefte nothynge vnwriten that is of necessite to be
beleued. 24
- Appearaunce of godlinesse 104
- Argumentes that the pope ys not the true church of christ 38
- Argumentes wherwith the pope wold proue hym silfe the church are solued. 39
- Austynes auctoryte whych sayth / I had not beleued the gospell
excepte the auctorite of the church moued me / is
expounded. 47
- Austyne complayned in hys tyme that the condicyon of Iewes was more easye then oures for the multitude of ceremonyes.
74
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B.
- Balam the false prophete 14, 22, 140
- Baptyse / why wemen baptyse 96
- Bartholomewe. Note the storye. 91
- Bysshopes / why they were so called 16
- Bysshopes / & elders or prestes were all one thynge in the apostles tyme. 16
- Bodelye excercyse must be referred vnto the tamynge of my
flesh onlye. 80
- Brasen serpent 66
- Breed remayneth in the sacramente. 179
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C.
- Candels / and what they signifie 73, 81
-
Canonisinge 121
- Ceremonyes / how they sprange emonge vs 68
- Ceremonies of the masse 73
- Ceremonies are the cause of oure depe ignoraunce in the
scripture. 74
-
Christen man or true membre of christes church sinneth not
and how yet he is a synner. 30
- Christen man can not erre / and how he maye yet erre. 31
- Christen / how farre a christen man is bounde to suffre 188
- Christes benefites towardes vs are figured by matrimonye. 154
-
Christes memoriall 178
- Church is vsed in thre significacions. 10–12
- Church in his thirde significacion is taken two maner of wayes.
12
- Church / whether it were before the gospell or the gospell before the church 23
-
Church / whate the verye church is 28
- Church / whether it can erre 28
- Church hath a double interpretacion. 52
- Church / the church must shewe a reason of their doctryne. 97
- Church is taken two maner of wayes. 105
-
Church is double. 112
- Chrisostomus 208
- Churlysh 104
- Circumcysion 64
- Cirenus burnt the images. 184
-
Ciprian rebuked the false martyrs that trusted in their awne merites. 200
- Clargye hurte no heretikes. 214
- Colet deane of poules shulde haue bene condem
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-
ned of heresye for
translatinge the pater noster in to englysh. 168
- Consecrate 177
- Confession / eareconfession destroyeth the benefite of
christes bloude. 172
- Confirmacion / and why it was institute. Note 71
- Congregacion is better to be vsed then church and why he so
translated it in the new testament. 13
- Corporescloth what it signifyeth 73
-
Covetous 103
- Covetousnesse 51 Counsels 115
- Counsell / a generall counsell gathered in Grecia by the emperoures
consent dyd put doune all images. 184
-
Counsels generall are in captivite. 159
- Crosse 186
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D.
- Dauid 35
- Dauid lost not his faith in committinge advoutrye. 204
-
Deacons 151
- Dishonoure what it is to dishonoure God / christ a rular or a mannes neyghboure 56
- Disobedient 103
- Dunce 46, 131
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E.
- Elder is rather to be vsed then preast and why in the new testament
he translated it senior. 15
- Elders or preastes and bisshopes were all one thynge in the
appostles tyme. 16
-
Elders / why they were so called 16
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-
Eleccion and the maner and ordre of it
33
- Elias 89
- Epiphanius bisshope of cipresse did cutte an image in peces. Note
183
- Erasmus hath improved manye workes which were falselie ascribed to holye doctoures. 135
- Euticus was raysed from deeth by S. Paules merites sayeth
Master More. 146
-
Ezechias brake the brasen serpent. 125, 184
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F.
- Fayth / what fayth saveth 28
- Faith and synne can not stonde to gether. 30
- Faith is ever assayled and fought withall. 32
-
Faith / there are two maner of faithes an historicall faith
and a felinge faith. 48
- Faith that dependeth of a nother mannes mouth is weake. 50
- Faith / hope and love or charite are thre sisters inseperable in this life. 94
-
Faith is double. 113
- Faith that saueth 134
- Faith 173
- Faith cometh not of oure frewyl. 192
- Faith that iustefyeth 197
-
Faith alone iustefyeth. Note 198
- Faith / David lost not his faith in committinge advoutrye. 204
- Fayth / the ryghtwyse man lyveth by faith. 206
- Faith is vnder no lawe. 209
- Faithfull / a faithfull man or true membre of christes church sinneth
not: and how yet he is a sinner. 30
- Faithfull man can not erre / and how he maye yet erre. 31
- False faith proved by a sure token. 82
- False worshepinge 59, 65
- Fanon what it signifyeth 73
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-
Fastynge to tame the flesh 67
- Father careth most for the yongest. 88
- Favoure he vsed in his translacyon & not grace and why. 20
- Ferman / doctoure fermans handelinge 194
- First frutes what they signified 64
- Flappe on the amice & what it signifieth 73
- Flappes on the albe & what they signifye 73
- Flesh / the new life doth tame the flesh and serue her
neyghboure. 111
- Frewyll / the choyse of a mannes wyll doth naturallye folowe the iudgement of a mannes witte / whether he iudge right or wronge. 34
-
Frewyll is made fre by grace. 174
- Frewyll can not preuent grace nether prepare vs vnto it. Note
175
- Friars serve god with their awne invencions one in white a nother in
grey. 105
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G.
-
God dwelleth not in any place. 62
- God dwelleth in the temple & how. 86
- God seketh vs and we not him. Note 112
- Gospell / S. Ioans gospell 60
- Gregorye 184
-
Grekes 133
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H.
- Handes / what the castinge abrode of the preestes handes
signifieth 73
- Headye and prone to all mischefe 104
- Heliseus healed Naaman / and his bones raysed vpp a deed
man. 83
- Heretikes be faullen out of the mist. 114
- Hyeminded and proude 103
- Hierome 183
-
Holidaye 66
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- Holye straunge gestures 85
- Holye water / what it signifyeth 70
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- Honouringe and what the worde meaneth 55
- Honoure / what it is to honoure god / what to honoure rulars and what to honoure a mannes neyghboure 55–56
- Horsye was giltye of hunnes deeth. 168
- Hunne was slayne preuelye in preson. 168
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I.
- Idolatrye or imageseruice whence it springeth 63
-
Idolatrye / a sure token of Idolatrie. Antistrephon in morum
82
- Iewes thynke they can not erre. 52
- Images 57
- Images 183
- Image / Epiphanius did cut an image. 183
-
Images / Cirenus burnt images. 184
- Images / a generall counsell gathered in grecia by the emperours consent did put doune all images for the abuse. 184
- Ipswych / the mayde of ipswych 89
- Iudas 14, 149, 210
-
Iudases parte is also played in the masse. 74
- Iudges 146
- Iustefyinge / and the ordre therof 195
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K.
- Kent / the mayde of kent 90
-
Kynge henrye of windsore 121
- Kynge henrye the fifte 212
- Kinge Ihon 11
- Kinge willyam 11
- Knowlege / he vsed not confession and why. 21
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L.
- Latria 123
- Lecherye 50
- Love / he vsed in his translation loue rather then charite
and why. 19
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-
Lovers of them selues 103
- Lovinge lustes 104
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M.
- Marten Luther appelled. 186
-
Martens inconstaunce 186
- Marten offered to dispute. Note 186, 187
- Marten wold not receyve their iudges. 187
- Marten wyl abyde but by scripture only. 187
- Marters / the pope hath no marters. 112
-
Marters that sofered al a yere longe 200
- Masse with the ceremonies are declared. 73
- Masse 95
- Masse 179
- Master More destroyeth the resurrexion. 117
-
Master More dryveth vs from god. 119
- Master More is agenst the popes profite. 120
- Master More condemneth the latyn texte of heresye. 15
- Master More feleth. 141
- Matrimonye 176
-
Mercye wayteth ever on the electe. 34
- Michael wayeth the soules. 165
- Miracles 83, 131
- Miracles / how to know true miracles and how to knowe the
false 90
-
Miracles / the cause of false miracles 128
- Moses bodye was hid of god. 124
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N.
- Noe and Noes floude 133
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O.
- Officers / a true officer in the sight of god 57
-
Orders 177
- Orestes / was the sonne of Agamemnon kynge of Grecia / which slewe his awne mother because she conspired with Egistus vn to the deeth of agamemnon and after he fell mad / and vsed
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-
daylye to goo in to the place where men were wont to playe
stage playes and there wolde he laugh and be as merye as
though he had sene all the sporte in the worlde. At the last
his frendes pitiynge him / counseled all coninge phisicions
and with their diligence restored him vn to his helth agayne.
When he was hole his frendes came to visite him and reioysed
of his helth. But he sayed O deare frendes ye have vndone
me: for before I was in all ioye and pleasure and now I se
nought but all miserye & vanite. 91
- Ornamentes 65
- Oure ladye 185
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P.
-
Panutius resisted in generall counsell and wolde not consent
that prestes shulde haue no wyves. 166
- Parliamentes are in captiuite. 159
- Paschall lambe 64,85
- Payne of synne 143
-
Pax and what it signifyeth 70
- Pena et culpa 205
- Peters fayth fayled not. 37
- Phisicyons / and how they helpe 118
- Piler of fyre 86
-
Pilgrimages 62, 84
- Pitye 85
- Place whether god sette more by one place then a nother 87
- Pope whether the pope and his secte be christes church or no 38
- Pope / a sure token that the pope is antichrist 100
- Pope hydeth the scripture. 114, 136
- Pope / the pope is antichrist. 95
-
Pope / the pope hath no marters. 112
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-
Pope / why he felle 130
- Pope is not to be beleued with out scripture & why he is not the
true church. 137
- Popes leuen savereth not. 143
- Pope and Luther are compared to gyther / iudge reader which is the better. 171
- Prayers of an evell preest profite not. 149
- Predestinacyon 139
- Prelates / they can not spede well that trye oure prelates doctrine by
the scripture. 96
- Preest / prayers of an evell preest profite not. 149
- Preestes 151
- Preestes maye haue wyves. 152
- Preestes / why they maye not haue wyves / apparent reasons of godlinesse 154
- Preestes maye haue no wyves and whye. 161
- Preestes whether it were best that preestes were gelded or not
165
- Processions are abused with songes of ribaudrye. 125
- Promisebreakers 104
-
Proude 103
- Purgatorye that fearfull fyre 26
- Purgatorye is as hote as hell and yet it is quenched with
thre halfepence. 26
- Purgatorye 120, 141, 143, 181
-
Purgatorye as hote as hell 141
- Purgatory / tindale denieth purgatory. 214
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R.
- Raylars 103
- Reliques 123
- Repentaunce he vsed / not penaunce & why. 21
-
Repentaunce 173
- Resurrexion Master More destroyeth the resurrexion. 117
- Riches bestowed on images or reliques. 61
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S.
- Saboth may be chaunged to a nother daye. 96
-
Sacramentes haue significacions. 27
- Sacramentes 63
- Sacrament of the altare / and how it must be receyved 164
- Sacrament 173
- Sacrament / touchynge of the sacrament 180
-
Sacrifices 64, 82, 150, 178
- Salt what it signifieth 74
- Salue regina 185
- Sayntes 182
- Scripture / what if there had bene no scripture writen. Note
133
-
Sectes / whether the best sectes prayde to sayntes or not
126, 127
- Siloe 87
- Synne 174
- Synne agenst the holye gost. Note a proper exposicyon. 22
- Snares / the popes snares 162
-
Solucions vnto M. Mores first boke 79
- Soules slepe 181
- Stole / what it signifieth 73
- Supersticiousnesse 60
- Sweringe 148
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T.
- Talmud 46
- Temple 67, 84
- Teynterden steple 77
-
Thomas hitton of Maydestone 112
- Thomas of canterburye 11, 130
- Thomas de aquino 131
- Tindale fealeth. 141
- Tindale swereth. 214
-
Tindale denyeth purgatorye. 214
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-
Tot quottes 51 Tradicyons 92, 93
- Translacyon / whether there be an old lawfull translacion and why it is not had 169
-
Turkes 52
- Turkes why they felle 129
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V.
- Vnbelefe onlye condemneth. 174
- Vngodlye 104
-
Vnions 51
- Vnio dissidentium is condemned & why. 188
- Vnthankefull 103
- Vowes 186, 189
- Vowes must be condicioned. 161
-
Vse of creatures inferiours to man 58
- Vse of signes and ceremonies 54
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W.
- Water that the preest mingleth with wyne 95
- Wedowes 156
- Wemen 16
- Wemen / why they maye baptise 96
- Welch men praye when they goo a stelinge. 125
- Wyl whether it maye captiuate the witte 211
-
Wilde Irish 125
- Witches 127
- Witte leadeth the wyll. 211
- Workes how they please god 174
- Workes 198
-
Workes how they iustefie 202
- Workes of them selues iustefye not. 205
- Workes are vnder the lawe. 209
- Worshepinge & what the worde meaneth 55
- Worshepinge of sacramentes / ceremonies images / reliques and so forth 57
- Worshepinge of the holye crosse 58
- Worshepinge of images 59
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-
Worshuppinge of god trulye 80
- Worshuppinge of sayntes 79
-
Worshuppinge of sayntes trulye 79
- Worshuppinge of the sacrament 180
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Finis
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COMMENTARY
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As a reformer, Tyndale argues most forcefully sola
scriptura. Every octavo page of Answer to More
has three or four biblical references, totalling nearly a thousand. Direct
quotations from Tyndale's NT are cited by reference to the old-spelling edition
of Wallis and the modern -spelling edition of Daniell. Direct
quotations from Tyndale's OT are cited by reference to the old-spelling edition
of Mombert for the Pentateuch and the modern-spelling edition of Daniell from
Genesis through 2 Chronicles plus Jonas. Other OT references are based on the
King James Version. Since there are no verse numbers in Tyndale's biblical
translations, we use those of the KJV.
In arguing against More, Tyndale appeals to non-scriptural authors ,
especially to the Fathers of the Church. Within the Commentary ,
references are made to editions first in the original language, then in a
translation. Following the example of Tyndale in promoting the
vernacular, we usually give titles in English when there is a published
translation; we keep Moriae encomium because of the pun
on More's name. References to Greek and Roman literature are based on the Loeb
Classical Library. For the Fathers, we use Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina
or "CCL" when available; otherwise "CSEL" and "PL." Where the Toronto edition of
Erasmus is still in progress, we say "not yet in CWE." When the American edition
of Luther does not give an English translation, we say "not in LW" Proper names
appear in various forms because they are spelled as found in the source
indicated; e.g., "Maarten van Dorp" from CWE and "Martin Dorp" from CWM
(14/28n). Abbreviations in Answer and other 16c books
have been expanded except for the ampersand (&). Exact quotations from the
Bible, Dialogue Concerning Heresies (CWM 6), and Confutation of Tyndale (CWM 8) are cited by the reference
; allusions are introduced by "cf." For other works, the reader
can tell from the context the difference between direct and indirect quotes.
George Joye clouded the issue of authorship by
attributing Tyndale 's Answer to More to John Frith. To avoid a like confusion, we state that, in
general, annotations were made by: Anne O'Donnell for
the Bible, Unio Dissidentium, Erasmus, More, and the
English setting ; by Jared Wicks (JW) for
Luther, Zwingli, and the
Continental
setting. After she completed her doctoral studies,
Jennifer Bess (JB) turned the cross-references to
the other independent works of Tyndale into short essays. Although
the Commentary has been severely pruned, it is still full because its roots
reach down to the Scriptures and the Fathers and its branches spread out to the
humanists and the reformers.
TITLE PAGE AND PREFACE
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FOUNDATIONAL ESSAY
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ANSWERS TO THE SECOND BOOK
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ANSWERS TO THE THIRD BOOK
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ANSWERS TO THE FOURTH BOOK
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