For god sayeth your sonnes and doughters shuld prophecy / and your yonge men shall se visyons . But they say only master doctor can vnderstand the scripture And vpon whit sondaye god gave knowlege of hys lawe to dyuerse nations with out annye excepcyons in ther mother tonge / by the vnderstandyng of one tunge . And of thys it is notabyll sithen the laye people in the olde lawe had ther lawe in ther mother tounge / that the lay englishe people in the newe lawe haue it as all other nacyons hathe / sythe Christ bowght vs as he dyd other and hath gevyn to vs the same grace as to other . For sainct Peter . Actu . xi . was reprevyd for he had baptysed Cornelij / and hys felows that were hethen men . And Peter answeryd and saide . Yf god have gevyn the same grace to them that he hatheto vs / who am I that maye forbyde god ? As who saythe it lyethe not in the power of men . Than who art thou that forbyddest the people to have gods lawe in ther mother tounge ? we saye that thou art Anticrist hym self . For Paule saith .i. Corin. x. I wyll every man to speake with tounges / more for sothe to prophesy / also he saythe howe shall he saye Amen apon thy blessyng that wortes not what thou sayst . Apon thys saithe doctor Lyre . Yf the people vnderstond the prayer of the prest it shall the better be ladde vnto god / and the more deuoutly answer Amen . Here youre awne master Lyre yf ye will not here Paul . Also Paule saithe in the same chapter . I wyll rather fyve wordes to be spokyn to the vnderstandyng of men then ten thousande that they vnderstande not . And .lxx. doctors with other mo before the incarnacion of Christe translatyd the byble owt of Ebrewe into Greke . And after the ascension many ●ranslated all the byble in dyuerse langages / as into spanyshetunge frenshetunge / and al mayne / italy and by many yeres have hade it . It was harde of a worthy man of Almayn that the same tyme was a flēmyng whose name was Iames Merland which translated all the byble into flemyshe . For whiche dede he was somonned be fore the pope of great malyce . And the boke was takyn to examinacion . And truely he approuyd it . And then it was delyverd to hym agayne into confusion of all hys enemys . Wurshupfull Bede in hys first booke callyd de gestis Anglorum . chapter . iij. rellyth that sainct Oswolde the Kyng of Northumberlande asked of the skottes an holy byshoppe Aidan to preache to his people / and the kyng him selfe interpretyd it in Englishe to the people . Sythen this blessyd deade of this Kyng is alowede of all holy Churche / whye not nowe owght it as well to be allowed a man to reade the gospell in Englisshe to the people / sythen that sainct Paule saithe if ower gospell be hydde / it is hydde in them that shal be dampned . A feareful sayenge . And he saithe also he that knoweth not shall not be knowyn of gode . And therfore venerabilis Bede ledde by the spirite of gode translated a greate parte of the byble into englyshe . Whose originalles ben in many abbeys in yngland . And Cistercienc . li. v. ca. xxiiij . saythe that the euuangely of Ihon was drawen into englyshe by the foresaid Bede whiche euuangely of Ihon and other gospels ben yet in manye places of so olde englyshe that skant can annye englyshe man reade them . For thys Bede reygnyd in the yere of owen lorde god .vij. hundred and .xxxij. Also Cisterciencis . li. vi . ca. i. saithe that kyng Alred ordyned open scolys of dyuerse artes in Oxforde and he turnyd the best lawes into his moder tounge and the psal ●er also / he reyhgned in the yere of owre lorde god viij . hundred .lxxiij. And sainct Thomas sayth super libr●● politicorum expounyng this worde barbarus / the barbarus is he that vndstondyth not that hereadyth in his mother tonge . Wherfore the apostle saith if I knowe not the vertue of that voyce to whome I speake I shal be to hym barbarus / that is to saye / he vndstandeth not what I saye / ne I what he saith And so all tho prestes that vndstonden not what they readyn by ther mother tonge be called barbarus / & therfore Bede dyd drawe into englisshe liberall artes leste englishe men shuld be come barbarus / hec Thomas . Also Lincoln . sayth in a sermon that begynnyth / Scriptum est delenitis . Yf any preste saye he canne not preache / one remedye is / resigne he vppe his būfyce . Resigne in no wise but apon a good pension Another remedy if he wyll not thus / recorde he in that weke that nakyd texte of the sondaye gospell that he have the grosse storye & tell it to the people / that is if he vndstond laten / & do he this every weke in the yere he shall profyt moche . For thus preachyd ower lorde sayinge / Ihon .vi. The wordes that I speake to yowe be spirit & lyfe . Yf he do not vndstonde laten go he to one of his neyghbours that vndstondeth / which wyll charctably expoune it to hym / and thus edifye he his floke . Vpon this argueth a greate clarke & saith / yf it be laufull to preache that naked texte to the peple / it is also lefull to wryte and read it to them . Also syre Wylliam Thorisby archebishope of Yorke did do drawe a tretyse in englyshe by a worshypfull clerke whose name was ●●●●ryke / in the whiche were conteyned the articles of byleve / the .vij. dedly synnes / the .vij. workes of mercy / the .x. commaundmentes . The same treatise is ī● church over agaynst London stone at this houre And sent them in small pagynes to the comm●n people to lerne it and to knowe it / of which yet manye a copye be in yngland . Also Richerd the heremyte of Hampole drewe into englyshe the psalter with a glose & the lessons of dirige and many other treatyces / by the whiche many englyshe men have ben greatly edyfyed And they be cursed of gode that wolden let the people to be lewder than they be . But many men nowe be lyke vnto the frendes of Hiob / that whyles they enforsed to deffende god they offendyd in him greuously . And thowgh suche as be slayne do myracles / n●●●●theles they ben stynking matters . This sayth Richerd the heremyt expounyng this verse / Ne auferas de oremeo verbum veritatis vsque quaque . This prophesye of Christ must be fulfilled take hede And Christ sayth that men shuld deame themself to do greate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seruice to god in kylling of his people . Arbitratur se obsequium prestare deo . &c. Also a man of London whose name was Wyrynge hade a byble in englyshe of northen speache whiche was seyn of many men & it semyd to be . CC. yeres olde . Also it is knowen to many men in the tyme of kyng Richerd the .ij. that into a parlyament was putt a bylle by th assent of .ij. archebysshoppes & of the clergy to adnulle the byble that tyme translated into englyshe with other englysshe bookee of thexposicion of that gospels whiche when it was harde & seyn of lordes & of the comons . The duke of lancaster Ihon answered ther to tyght sharply saying this sentence / we wyll not be refuse of all other nacions . For sythe they have godes lawe whiche is the lawe of ower belefe in ther owne langage / we wyll have owres in englysshe who so ever saye naye . ●●pocrisie is the nature of all bisshoppes . And this he affer●●●● with a greate othe . Also Thomas Arundell ar●●●bysshoppe of Caunterbury said in a sermon at west mester / or that buryeng of Quene / Anne / that it was more ioye of her than of any woman that ever he knewe For she an alien borne hadde in englysshe all the . 〈◊〉 gospels wyth the doctors vpon them . And he said that she had sent them to hym to examyn / and he said that they were good and trewe . And he blamyd in that sermon sharply the negligence of the prelats / and other men / In so moche that he saide that he wold leave vppe the office of Chaunceler and forsake wordly busynes / and gyue hym to fulfyll his pastorall office / for that he hade seyn / and redde in tho bookes . Neuer trust bishop as longe as he kepeth his possessions And after this promyse he became the most cruell enemy that myght be agaynst englyshe bookes . And therfore as many men sayne god smot hym with a cruest ' dethe as he didde also Rycherd flemyng byshoppe of lyncolne . And yet ower bysshoppes ben so indurate and so farre strayed from god that they have no grace one to beware of another / but prowdly agaynst all reasons and euidence of gods lawes / and doctors sentences / they brenne goddes wordethe whiche hathe brought thys realme to vndoynge for ever but if godes grace be the more / Wher is that auncient blode that was in england in these dayes . for thys cruell deade is cause of pestilence / hungers / warres / and that also thys realme shal be conqueryd in short tyme / as sainct Edward the kyng and confessor prophesyethe in his booke that begynnith thus / Sanctus Edwardus rex vidit spiritualibus oculis . ercete . And therfore it were good to the Kyng and to other lordes to make some remedy agaynst this constitucyon of Antechrist that saythe it is vnlawfull to vs englyshe men to have in englyshe goddes la●●●●d therfore he brennythe and sleythe them that ●●●●teyne thys good deade / Et nunc reges intelligite erudimini qui iudicatis rerram . and that is for default that the kyng and lordes knowen not ne wyll not knowether owne office in meantenance of god & hys lawe . For as sainct Austen saithe the Kyng with hys knyghtes representyn the godhede of Christe and prestes the manhode of Christe / Rex est vicartus diuinitatis / et sacerdos est vicarius Christi humanitatis / hec Augustinus in de questionibus veteris et noue legis . ca. xci . And if the kyng wold desyer to knowe perfetly his office / he maye fynde men to shewe to hym bookes that truely and perfetly shall informe hym to doo his office to the plesaunce of god . But thys canne not he lerne of byshoppys for they enforme hym after Antichristes lawe and ordenaunce for hys lawes nowe reignen . Bishops will notte ache against their God their bely . Yet agaynst them that sayn the gospell in englyshe wold make men to erre / wore they well / that we fynde in latyn langage more he retykes then of all other langages / for the decre . saythe .xxiiij. xciij . Quidam autem heretici / that there be founden syxty laten heretykes . And if men shuld hate any langage for heresy than must they hate laten But gode forbede that any langage shuld be hated for heresy sythen manye heretykes wer of the disciples of the Appostles . For sainct Ihon saithe they have gon owt of vs but they were not of vs . And Paule saithe it behovythe heresys to be / How Antichrist is cause of al heresies . & antichrist makythe many mo heretykes then there shuld be for he stoppythe so the knowyng of godes lawe / & punysheth so them that he knowyth that have it / that they dare not comen therof openly to have trewe informacion / and thys makyth laye men that desyren & lovē to knowe godes law to goo to gy●●●● in pryvyte / and conceyven by theyr owne w●●●●● many tymes heresys the whiche heresies in 〈◊〉 tyme shuld be destroyed / yf men myght have free comenyng openly / and but if this maye be hade moche of the people shall dye in heresy / for it lyethe 〈◊〉 in Antichristes power to destroye all englysshe bookes / for as fast as he brennethe / other men shall drawe / and thus the cause of heresy and of the people that dyethe in heresy is the frowardnes of byshoppes that wyll not suffer men to haue opyn comounyng and fre in the lawe of gode and therfore they be cowntable of as many sowlys as dyen in thys default / and are traytors to gode in stoppyng of his lawe the whiche was made in saluacion of the people . Is not this turninge the rotys of the tres vpward ? And nowe they turne his lawe byther cruell constitucyons into dampnacion of the people as it shal be provyd apon them at the daye of dome for godes lawe saithe / Stabunt iusti in magna constancia aduersus eos qui se angustianerūt / et qui abstulerunt labores eorum . &c. For that that other men laborem they brennen / Reade Sapien vi . and vij . and if owre clergy wold study well this lessen of sapience to that ende / they shuld mowe rede therin theyr oune dampnacion / but if they amend this defaulte with other defaultes . Saithe not the holy man Ardemakan in the booke of questions that the wurshupfull sacrament of the alter maye be made in eche comen langage : For he saithe so diden the appostles . But we covett not this / but that Antechrist geue vs leaue to haue the lawe of ower beleue in englishe . Also they that haue comonyd moche with the Iewes / saye that they haue in every lande that they be borne in / the byble in ther mother tounge / that is Ebrewe . And they be more practyse therin than annye men / ye 〈◊〉 the lewde men as the prestes . But it is redde in ther synagoges amonges the people of ther prestes to fulfyll ther prestes office and to the edification of the poraile / that for worldly busines and slew the maye not studye it . Also the .iiij. evangelistes wrote the gospell in diverse langages / as Mathewe in Iurye / Marke in Italy / Luke in Achaie / and Ihon in Asie . And all these wrotte in the langages of the same contr●ys / also Thobye saithe Chap. xiij . that gode disperged / spred / or scaterid that Iewes abrode among the hethen people that they tellynge vnto they in the merveylles of godde : they shuld knewe that there were none other gode / but gode of Israell . And gode ordyned his people to beleve his lawe wrytten among them in ther mothertounge / vt pater . Ge. xvij . and Exo. xiij . In so moche the boke of Iudithe is wrytten in Calde speche / vt peter per Hieronimum in prologo eiusdem . Also the bookes of Daniel / and of Esdre ben wrytten in Calde / vt pater per Hieroni. in prologis eorundem / also the booke of Iohelis in Arabyke and Syre speche / vt pater per Hieroni. in prologo eiusdem . Also Ezechiest the prophet prophesyed in Babylon / and lefte his prophesye vnder the mother tounge of Babylon / vt pater per Hieronimum in prologo eiusdem Also the prophesye of Isaie is translated into the tounge of Ethiope / as Hierom̄ . concludyth in primo prologo Gene. Then sythen the darke prophesyes were translated amonges the hethen people that they myght have knowledge of gode and of the incarnacion of Christ / moche more it owght to be translatyd to englyshe people that have receivyd the faythe and bounden them selfe to kepe it apon payne of dampnacion / Mat. xxviij . sythen Christ comm●unded his Apostles to preache his gospell 〈◊〉 all the worlde and exceptid no people nor lanage . Also Origen translated the byble owt of Ebrewe into Greke with helpe of other in the yere of owre lorde God . CCxxxiiij . Also Aquila translated it in the tyme of Adrian the emperowre in the yere of oure lorde . C. xxiiij . / also Theodosion transla it in the tyme of th emperowre Contede .luij. yere after Aquila / also Simacus translated it in the tyme of th emperowre Serene .xxx. yere after Theodosion .viij. yere after Simacus it was translated the auctor vnknowen in the tyme of Alexander the emperowre / And Ierome translated it into latyn / vt in cronicis Cistercienc . li. ij . ca. xxxij . And after that Ierom hade translated it into laten / he translated moche to women of the bible . And to the maydens Eustochia and Paula / he translated the bookes of Iosue of Iudicum and Ruth / and Hester / and Ecclesiastes / Ieremy / Isaie and Daniell / and the .xij. prophetes / and the .vij. canonyke epystylles vt pater in prologo corundem . And so all men maye se here by Ieron that it was neuer his entent to bynde the lawe of god vnder his translacion of laten but by his owne dede gevythe leaue to translate it into every speche for Ierom wrytythe in his .lxxviij epystle to this man Atleta / that he shuld enforme his daughter in the bookes of the olde lawe and the newe / Also in his .lxxv. epistle he wrytythe to the virgyn Semetriadis / that she shuld for to encrease her selfe in vertue rede nowe apon one booke / and nowe / apon another . And he specifiethe vnto her that she also reade the gospell / and the epistylles of the Apostles . And thus Thenglyshe men desyre to have the lawe of gode in englyshe / But my lordes say that 〈◊〉 maketh me heretikes & peruerteth soules . sythen it ●s callyd the lawe vndefyled conuertyng sowlys in to clennes / lex dni immaculata conuertens animas / but Antechrist saithe that it is corrupte with litterall lettre that it sleyth sowlys takyng his auctorite of Paule / that saithe / litera occidit spiritus audem viuificat . That is the Lettre of the ceremonyes of the olde lawe sleyth the Iewes / and them that nowe vsen them / but the spirite of the newe lawe quykenethe trewe Cristen men / sythen Christ saithe my wordes ben spritte and lyffe . Also we take ensample of holy virgyns to love to reade the gospell as they diden / as Ratheryn / Cecyle / Lucye Agnes / Margaret / whiche alegyd the holy gospell to the infidels / that slewe them for the keping therof . Of these foresaid auctorites it is provyd laufull / that bothe men and women laufully may reade and wryte gedes lawe in theyr mother tunge / and they that forfenden this they shewe them selfes heyers and sonnes of the first tormentors / and werse / for they shewen them selfes the veraye disciples of Antichrist / whiche hathe and shall passe all the malyce of tyrauntes that haue ben before in stoppyng and pervertynge of godes lawe whiche deade engendrythe greate vengeaunce to fall in this realme / but if it be amendid For Paule saithe Roma . 1. The wrathe of gode is shewyd from hevyn vpon cruelnes and vnryghtfulnes of these men that with holden the trowthe of gode in vnright wysnes / Reuelatur enim ira dei super omnem impictarem et iniusticiam hominum eorum qui veritatem dei in iniustitia detinent . Now gode of hys mercy geve vnto ower kyng / and to ower lordes grace of trewe vnderstandyng to amende this default principally and all other / then shall we 〈◊〉 we easely to be amendid . For vntyll it be amend●● there shall neuer be rest and peace in thys realme Who that fyndythe or redythe this lettre put it furthe in examinacion & suffer it not to be hydde or destroyed / but multyplyed for no man knoweth what proffyt maye come therof . For he that compilede it / purpo●yth with goddes helpe to mayntayne i vnto the deathe / yf neade be . And therfore all christen men and women / praye that the worde of god maye be vnbounde / and delyvered from the power of Antichrist / and renne amonge his people .