The defence of a certayne poore Christen man who els shuldhaue [sic] bene condemned by the Popes lawe. Written in the hye Allmaynes tonge by a right excellent and noble prynce, and tra[n]slated into Englishe by Myles Couerdale.

Loue constrayneth me me ( Right vertuous Iudges ) to take vpon me the defence of this Christen man / whom I se here accused to haue deserued death . Nether do I suppose it can displease you which be Christen / that one Christen man doth shew a Christen worke vnto another . For allthough it might be estemed a straunge and vnwont thing / that I take vpon me to defende a man / who nether in name ner visure hath bene knowne vnto me till this present daye / nether I also beyng of his kynne : Yet must the band of Christen loue be consydered / which knytteth and coupleth vnto vs / not onely oure frendes and such as do vs good / but euen oure enemies also and them that do vs euell .

Inso much that by the commaundement of oure Sauioure / we are bounde with body / goodes and counsail to helpe all men without excepcion / what nede so euer they be in . How much lesse do ye suppose / that a Christen broder is to be forsaken / which stondeth in daunger of his life / and that for Christes doctryne sake / for the which no man ( excepte he were farre out of the right waye ) dylieuer refuse to ioperde his nec .

Neuertheles ( Righte deare Iudges ) in this company that stondeth hereby round aboute vs / mighte doutlesse many be founde / which coulde handle this matter with more apte wordes / with more grauite / conninge and eloquence / then I. To whom I was also purposed right gladly with all my hert to geue place . Notwithstonding as ye do se / amonge this greate multitude of people / there is yet none founde / that in suche a vertuous / fre / honest / profitable and nedefull matter / wolde laye to his handes . Where as we se yet daylie not a smal nombre / that willingly / and earnestly / and with greate diligence doth maynteyne open felonye / wicked periurye / shamefull aduoutrie slaunderous and venymous matters / horrible robbynge / manslaughter / murthure / and other beastly vyces : and that either for vayne fauoure sake / or els ( which is yet more shamefull ) for a filthie rewarde or lucre . Onely this innocent Christen man / which for the pure doctryne of Christ sake stondeth in parell of his life / hath not one / I will not saye to manynteyne him / but so much as ones to comforte him . Is not this a pitifull case ? O what a wicked tyme is this ? But alas / euen as the vngodlie & wicked are full of malicyous envye / so are the symple both fear full & soone persuaded .

As for me / my lordes / I haue not feared to take this matter in hand vpon confidence in your wisdome and worshippe / specially for asmuch as I considre it is not nedefull for me to vse many paynted wordes of glorious eloquence or vayne appearaunce / which nothinh to this matter apperteyneth : for asmuch as it consisteth not in persuasion / but in the trueth it selfe . It is a fre open matter / and ought also frely and openly to be handled . Here must be no disceate / no coloure / no cauillacion / but onely the trueth / which vnto vs in this matter shal be abundaunt and sufficient . Onely I besech you right worshipful Iudges / that ye will louyngly / diligently and paciēly geue audience . Not that I haue anye suspicion / as though ye were vnrighteously mynded agaynst this innocent man . For by certayne manifest tokens aneuydent signes . I haue parceaued all / ready / that ther is not one of you all : which is not mynded to discharge him . Not withstonding I suppose it ought by al meanes to be auoyded / that men do not thinke / ye haue quytte him more thoroww fauoure / then by vertue of the lawe .

For oure aduersarie in his complaynte hathe vsed suche cauillacion / yea euen for the nones and of set purpose / and hath myxte ther in so many and dyuerse vayne and fayned matters : Whiche amonge symple people mighte easely haue an appearaunce of the veryte /

That equyte requireth / and necessite constrayneth me / to confute all such with the trueth and substanciall reasons : To the intent that no dubte shulde remayne by anye man . Neuertheles I am not therfore so carefull to delyuer this mans life / whom I heare defende : Yea he himselfe for the honoure of Christ / yf nede requyre / doth not refuse to lese it . The onely doctryne of Christ is it / which I wold fayne declare to be without blemishe and vndefyled . The same onely / the same ( I saye ) haue I taken vpon me to maynteyne . For it am I mynded to do my best .

But now deare iudges afore I come to the head articles / I am aduysed to talke a litle with oure aduersary .

And now I speake vnto the / in the lōgh gowne / I meane euen the thou accuser / which / as I heare saye / art called an inquisitour of heresie . And first of all I demaunde of the / what moued the / to take that vnhappie officie vpon the ? What worshippe or profit thoughtest thou to optayne therby . Me thinketh ( to saye playnlie ) thou hast sought nothing in this matter / saue onely either filthie lucre / vayne pryde / or wicked tyrannye : Or happlie thou art so ydle from thine owne busynes / that thou canst handle straunge matters / and such as are no poynt of thy charge : Or els thou art so pure and cleare from thine owne vyces / that thou enquyrest after other mens offences / with such curiosite / as well besemeth such an holy Scrybe and ernest defendoure of the church of Rome . A wonder full holynes verely / yf it be so . And the same onely thing ( I suppose ) is yet lackyng vnto thy perfecte hiolynes / which hast destroyed certeyne innocent Christen men allready . O how swete a doctoure of diuynite is this ? Is not this a vertuous defendoure of the church .

But let vs put the case ( neuerteles without preiudice of trueth ) that this man whom thou accusest / be an heretike / and vtterly no Christen . Is it thy mynde / that he shal therfore in all the haist be ha●led vnto the hangman / and put to death ? dyddest thou euer rede / that Christ and his disciples commaundes to slaye such as receaued the faith : or that after they had receaued it / fell awaye from it agayne ? I suppose not . Neuertheles thou mightest wee l haue red / that the vnbeleuers ought gently to be instructe and taught like as they that are fallen / ought after a brotherly fashion to behelped vp agayne and exhorted : and that they which of an obstinate mynde will heare no exhortacion / ouhht to be eschued & auoyded / but not in all the haist put to death . Thou with thy bitter accusacion / thinkest to bring this Christen man in to daunger of his life . But how farre the same thy complaynte is from the wholsome doctryne of Christ and his disciples / mayest thou considere thy selfe .

Yff thou haddest bene mynded to make inquisicion for heresie / wherby thou nughtest helpe thy broder which is fallen and bring him from his errower vnto the right waye / then were thy diligence to be commended . But now for asmuch as thy desyre is to murther him like a beast / thy crueltie must be reproued . Nether can I discerne for what intent thou shuldest by right condemne him vnto death excepte it be for some other offence then lacke of faith . For either he hath neuer bene a Christen man ( which were teme●arious to affirme / for asmoch as he was baptised in Christ / & hath openly confessed Christ / were of noman doubteth ) Or els is he fallen awaye from Christ / which thou shalt neuer be able to proue . Now though thou couldest verifie one of these two acording to thy mynde / yet shal it be founde / that thou hast wrongfully accused him to haue deserued death .

Yf one shulde accuse a Iewe at the lawe that he were worthy to dye / because he holdeth nothinge of Christ / wolde not euery one saye / that he were a madde man ? Not that I wil excuse the wicked infidelite of a Iewe. But because that in this case / the iudgment appreteyneth not vnto man / but must be referred vnto god . There dwel Iewes now also in many partes of Christendome / not onely in safegarde / but occupie also / and that openly .

As for the Turkes which of a very vnsatiable gredynes towarde tyrannye / vexe vs horribly and all that we haue / yea spare no maner of age ner kynde / No man iudgeth it wronge to destroye them in battayll . But to murthur their wifes and children because they beleue not in Christ / do I take for a very beestly thinge : And specially out of warre in the tyme of peace / whan the Turkes them selues / in matters concernyng the faith / are nothinge cruell agaynst vs .

It is not mete / to make a deuorce of mariage / for only vnbeleues sake : so long as the vnbeleuyng husband refuseth not to dwell with the beleuynge wife / nether as long as the vnbeleuyng wife resuseth not to dwell with te beleuynge husbande . A Christen seruant is bounde to rendre to his vnbeleuynge master his due obedience / & that not to the eye sight / but from the hert / euen as yf he serued Christ himselfe : Much lesse than shal he take a pon him to haue power to hurte him . And thou thinkest that a man ought to be slayne / to whose charge thou canst laye no thinge saue onely enfidelite . Madd and vndiscrete art thou / Yf thou so beleuest : Yea desperate and vngodly / Yf thou beleuest no such thinge / & yet wilt thou persuade other men / to bring this innocent in ioperdye of his life . Notwithstondyng I know allready / what thou wilt saye therto .

I accuse no Iewe ( wilt thou saye ) no Turke / no heithen : What haue we to do with them that are with oute as . S Paul saieth . I do accuse a rennagate and Apostata : who though he be baptised in Christ / and louyngly receaued in to the wombe of oure mother the holy church / yet thorow the counsaill of the deuel / hath he not bene ashamed to fall from the right faifh and to cleue vnto certeyne mens heresies / agaynst the cammaundement of the church : Nother was he therwith satisfied / but thorow his false persuasion hath he gone aboute to bringe many moo / euen in to such like errous . Such one / as I suppose / ough to be hewen off from the body / as a corrupte membre : to the intent that the sore frett no farther .

Haue I vnderstande thy mynde ? Thou hast nodded with thy heade . I perceaue that I haue not gessed amysse . Now well than / thou grauntest that he is baptised in Christ and louyngly receaued in to the wombe of oure mother the holy church I desire nomore . Thou art gone from the first steppe that tow stodest vpon . Wherby I hope / that vpon the other steppe wheron thou now stondest / thou wilt not longe contynue .

With few / but with true reasons now haue I declared vnto the allready / that one which was neuer no Christen / ought not to be slayne for onely vnbeleues sake / without other offences . But now wil I brefely shewe the what I suppose ought to be done with such as are Christened / and yet thorow heresie and errours concernyng faith / or thorow other synne and vyce / are fallen from Christ . For Christ is two maner of wayes denyed / not onely with worde / but also with dede / whyle there be many / that are euer ready to praise Christ with their wordes and yet in their dedes are so openly agaynst him / that therby it maye be easely perceaued / that / excepte the vayne bare wordes / they haue no Christen poynt in them . Yf thou now hast taken vpon the / at the Iudgment seate of thelawe to accuse all such as vnchristen / as verely they be in dede / whan shal thy accusacion then and complynte haue an end ? Yf thou meanest / that they ought immendialy to be slayne as soone as they fall / what place then shal repentaunce haue ? Who shall haue leysure than to do penaunce / or to amende ?

Wilt thou also be so shamelesse / as to denye forgyuenesse of synnes vnto them that truly amende ? Or canst thou be so cruell / that thou wilt loke for no conuersion / But immediatly destroye the man boeth body and soule ? Hou canst thou knowe ( thou vnreasonable man ) whan / how / or by what meane / god as a mercifull father / wil call synners agayne vnto true faith and repentaunce / who vpon Peters question / commaund him to forgeue his neghboure seuen and seuentie tymes ? Beleuest thou him to be so vnmercifull / that what he commaundeth a man to do / he will denye the same / to such as praye vnto him ? Awaye / awaye I saye with this thy vnconuenient and blasphemous opynion . God saieth : I wil not the death ofsymer / but rather that he conuerte / and lyue . Thou cryest : An heretike ought to be brent . And why so I praye the ? lest he shulde conuerte / and so lyue . With this voyce discouerest thou thy selfe allready / that thou art achilde of the deuel / which is amurthurer from the bekynnyng . I preceaue thou hast chaunged thy coloure for veri anger . I haue touched thy holynesse to sore . Perdon me yf I haue done amysse I wold haue dealth more frendly with the / yf thou with this thy vndiscrete and vnreasonable accusation / haddest not be wrayed thy selfe .

But lest thou shuldest thinke that I fauoure such as denye Christ in worde or dede / or such as blaspheme god / beyng oft exhorted / well & truly taught / yea conuycte with substanciall reasons out of the scripture / & yet will neuer leaue their vnconuenient and false opynion : lest thou shuldest thinke ( I saye ) that I fauoured any such / I wil declare myne opynion / & that not out of myne owne brayne / but such an opynion as is past all dowte / certeyne and sure / yea euen spoken by the holy mouth of Christ him selfe .

Yf hewill not heare the church ( saieth Christ ) than counte him as an heithen and open synner . Hath not Christ with these wordes declared / that scuh as are dishobedient vnto his church and congregacion / ought to be excluded from the felashippe of the good ? Why lachest thou so hartely / as though it were but a trifle a man to be excluded from the felasshippe of sayntes ? Methyinkeh thou wotest not well what matter it maketh / whan by the auctorite of the keyes / one is separated out of the church . Verely I saye vnto you ( saieth the lorde ) what soeuer ye bynde vpon erth / shal also be bound in heuen . ●oo / there hast thou no vayne opynion / but an assured iudgēmt out of the mouth of oure Sauioure himselfe .

The Apostel Paul commaundeth to eschue an heretike / after that he is sufficiently warned . And the man which kepte his stepmother / delyuereth he vnto the deuell that the sprete maye be saued at the latterdaye . Dyd he therfore condem him vnto death / because he wrythet to delyuer him vnto Satan / to the destruction of the flesh . That be farre from the ecxellent loue of Paul / that he wolde not rather helpe vp a brother that were fallen / than vtterly to cast him a awye ? The conclusion also of the matter / which folowed therof / declareth it selfe / that he meant not to haue him slayne / but to haue him pourged out as an old leuen to the intent that he shulde not sowre the whole lompe of dow / and that at the last he might amende / as he dyd in dede . For in the seconde Epistole to the Corinthians he commaundeth / that for asmuch as the same man came to knowlege and repentaunce / they shulde vith all louynge kyndnesse take him vp agayne / forgeue him his offence / and conforte him in his heuynes / lest he shulde be swalowed on ( or fall in despayre ) thorow ouer much sorowe . All which thinges coulde not haue come to pas / yf the man in all the haist had afore bene preuented with death . O the right godly pacience and long suffringe of oure Sauioure / who as a god shepherde leauynge the nyne & nyentie shepe in the wildernisse / seketh it that is lost : not to cast it vnto the wolffe to be dedeuoured / but louyngly to bring it agayne in to his shepe folde .

Now vnderstondest thou / that myne opinion ( yea the opynion of Christ ) is confirmed with scriptures / with examples and by Paul him selfe . Nether can it helpe the / though thou obiectest vnto me the parable of the gospell / wher in the housholder commaundeth his stewarde to hew downe the vnfrutef●ull tre / yf it bringe no more frute . For such knowledge of tyme must onely be refered vnto god / as vnto him that onely knoweth the hertes of all men . Els had noc Christ forbydden to plucke vp the wedes afore the haruest .

Yet must I declare vnto the / what bodely hinderaunce must growe and folowe out of this sentence of excomunicacion / to him that is condemned ther in : lest thou shuldest thinke my mynde were to iudge no forther / but with bare wordes onely to haue him excluded from the communyon of the Christen .

Thou hast hearde the fearfull thonder bolt of oure Sauioure : what so euer ye bynde vpon earth / shal also be bound in heauen . Thus is he then allready put out of the boke of life / and lyuinge dead . Beleue me / it is an heuye punishment . I wote not where to fynde a sorer . But they that in their hartes are more moued with wordly matters / let them heare this that foloweth .

All honest vertuous personnes shal eschue him . Howbeit such a one as hath so denyed Christ / that he hath also cast from him all sham fastnesse and honesty / might peraduenture not greatly care therfore . From all worshipe ( yf he were in anye ) and worshipfull offices shal he be deposed . All Christen shal abhorre him / and ernestly hate his infidelite / and yet loue his parsone / as it becometh the disciples of Christ : to the intent it maye appeare / that such punishment is layed vpon him / not of malyce or euell will / but done all to the intent / that he thorow such temporall correction / might conuerte / and be reserued vnto Christ the lorde for euer .

Haue I sayde ynough now to thy cruelite with this my declaracion ? Or is not this sufficient ? Take hede / I aduyse the / that in iudging other men to sore-thou condemne not thy selfe . For I trust I will shortly bringe to pas / that it shal be manifest and open vnto euery man / hou that thou thy selfe art euen te same heretike / to whom the forsayde punishment by right and reason belongeth .

Now turne I me agayne vnto you ( Right prudent iudges ) hauyng no small confidence in youre syngular worshipe and grauyte / forasmuch as I knowe that ye will geue no sentence / but such as accordeth with equyte / and serueth to the honoure of Christ : yea right glad I am to se / that the same lieth now in youre auctorite .

And because I purpose not to holde you vp long with vayne wordes / I will now come to the matter / which I suppose concerneth not onely him that here stondeth vpon life and death / but euery one of vs also that seke the honoure of Christ . I will bring in no new thing / or that hitherto hath not bene heard . For in this matter / wher we haue now continually gone aboute more then twentie yeares / what can be spakon that hath not bene offt spoken afore ? What can be mencioned / that hath not affore bene preached openly / and ( as they saye ) vpon the house toppes ? I suppose it not nedefull to teach you in this matter / but onely to put you in remembraunce and to exhorte you ? Wherfore I beseche you / ye will but euen paciently heare me / acording as ye haue hitherto done alreadye .

I perceaue ( right deare iudges ) that oure aduersary hat grounded his whole accusacion her vpon / that he will saye : how that this Christen man is fallen from the holy Christen church . Wherfore I se well / I must first endeuoure my selfe to declare vnto you the true description of the church . Which yf it be well knowne & vnderstonde / I perceaue that all the rest maye lightly be discussed / and preaduenture the sooner brought to an end .

As touching this : we beleue an holy Chatolike or generall churche / which is the feloshhippe of saynctes . Here ye se ( righ deare iudges ) with how few wordes the true description of the church is set forth before oure eyes .

Wherby we maye euidently percaue / that the holy Catholike church is nothing els but a feloshippe of saynctes . And the same is also the bryde of Christ without spot or wrynckle / purified thorow the bloude of the brydgrome himselfe : euen the heauenly hierusalem / in to the which / no vncleane persone commeth : the most holy temple / wher into is entred oure bishope Iesus Christ / who is a prest for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech . This I saye / is the church buylded vpon the roke / agaynst the which nether the windes / ner the waues of waters / no ner the gates of hell / can preuayle : the head and fundacio wheoff is Christ himselfe .

To this church pertayne all they / that syns the begynnyng of the worlde haue bene saued / and that shal be saued vnto the ende therof . For they are the lyuinge stones of this heauenly hierusalem and of this most holy temple .

Know ye not ( saieth . S. Paul ) that ye are the tempel of God / and that the sprete of god dwelleeh in you ? Yf anye man defyle this temple / him shal god destroye : for the temple of god is holy / the same temple are ye .

Euen this church / doth this Christen brother of oures beleue stedfastly ● yea and in this church also beleueth he forgyuenesse of synnes / ond after the resurrection of the flesh an euerlasting life . Why saiest thou than / that he is falelen awaye from the church ? To the speake I now / thou vnreasonable accuser : What hast thou yet more to laye to his charge ? He beleueth in god the father allmightie maker of heauen and arth / and in Iesu Christ his onely begotten sonne oure lorde / which was conceaued of the holy goost / borne of Marye the virgyn / suffred vnder Pontius Pilate / was crucified / dead and buried / descended vnto hell / on the thirde daye rose agayne from death / ascended vnto heauen / sitteth at the right hand of god the father allmightye / from thence shal he come to iudge the quycke an dead . He beleueth also in the holy goost / and al the rest that we mencioned afore of the church . He beleueth likiwise all that is written by the prophetes and other olde fathers of the olde testament . In like maner beleueth he all that in the gospels is written of the actes and doctryne of Christ . He confesseth also that the doctryne of the Apostles and disciples of Christ is not to be dowted vpon . Moreouer he beleueth that whatsoeuer the holy fathers of the new testament haue written / is true / so farre as it is not contrary to the doctryne of Christ and of his Apostles .

With this true and fre confession of faith / I suppose thou art so satisfied / that now thou wilt not sticke with all expedicion to quyte this Christen man / and faithfully to commytte him vnto the iudges as a right membre of the church : and for asmuch as thou hast vnaduysedly accused him as an heretike and as a rennegate from the church / & hast done him wrong / I hope thou wilt therfore aske him forgeuenesse . But I se well / thou shakest thy heade / bytest thy tethe one vpon another / and art be come ( as me thinketh ) nothing the mylder . Wherfore beholde I besech you / how shameles this man is / yf I maye call such one a man / which so vnmāly dealeth / that I suppose he hath forgotten / that he himselfe is a man . I doute not right deare Iudges / but the same fre confession of this Christen man is sufficient ynough to quyte him / and that in youre iudgment he neadeth no farther clearyng of himselfe . Notwithstonding lest oure aduersary shulde reporte / that I haue sayde nothing to the ordely rehearsall of his accusacion / but wittingly passed ouer it : or how that I am so short of memorye / that I haue forgotten what he hath layed for him selfe : therfore wil I rehearce it all agayne : to the intent that whan I haue repeted his vnhonest complaynt / and confuted it / euery man maye vnderstond / that he is smytten with his owne swerd . Ye haue perceaued / I suppose / that his whole accusacion consisted in eight principall articles / which I will now repete in ordre / that yf any thing ther in haue bene forgetten / it maye be called vnto remambraunce agayne .

This heretike ( saith oure aduersary ) doth affirme .

First / that the bishope of Rome is not the head of the church ner the true vycar of Christ .

Secondly : that the masse is no sacrice ner ought to be vsed for other .

Thirdly : that the supper of the lordt ought to be mynistred in fourmes both of bread and wyne / and that also vnto the laye people .

Fourthly : that ther is no purgatory / and that suffragies for the deed are in vayne / and supersticious .

Fyfthly : that it is not necessary to call vpon saynctes .

Sixthly : that auricular confession was nether commaunded ner institute of Christ and his disciples .

Seuenthly : that on the daies prohibited and forbidden by the church of Rome / it is no synne to eate flesh .

Eightely / and fynally / he saieth planely / that prestes maye mary .

These ( ye deare Iudges ) are the foule misdedes : these are the horrible vyces : these are the detestable blasphemies : her off cometh the great vproure & horrible noyse of heauen and erthe / wher thorow it is to be feared / that the foure elementes wil come together / and that the world wil returne in to his ol darcknes and confusion agayne .

And why do not we all rent oure clothes / and stoppe oure eares after the maner of the Iewes / & crie ewith loude voyce ? He hath blasphemed : Crucifie / Crucifie . Such a matter might happly be laught at / yf it were shewed in the waye of ieasting / and to make the people a pastyme with all . But for asmuch as the matter is now handled in Iudgment / and brought so farreforth / that this Christen man is like to suffre death therfore / Me thinketh euery faithfull Christen man ought from the ground of his hert to bewayle it .

But now let vs examen the first article / and pondre well / what is to be holden of the bishoope of Romes power . All Christen men do confesse / that the holy Catholike ( or vniuersal ) church / is the feloshippe of saynctes .

And this is the one onely church / wherin is but one lorde / one faith / one baptyme / one god and father of all thinges . But for asmuch as we saye : I beleue an holy vniuersall church / we do confesse / that the same is not visible ner corporall . Notwithstonding in the scripture / ther is named yet another church which is bothe visible and corporall .

Whervnto the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen are committed / which the lord also meaneth whan he saieth : Tell it vnto the church . In the which church all they are comprehended / that are named Christen / good and euell / wherin also the tares groweth with the wheate vntill the tyme of the haruest .

Neuertheles this is not an one onely church / but destributed in to many partes : for it were vnpossible to haue / in one place an one onely congregacion of all Christen together / seyng they dwell so farre one from another / & be of so sondrie lanhages & maners . Therfore the Apostles as we do rede / haue in all partes ordyned as many churches / as they thought necessary acording to the nature of the countrees : And gaue vnto euery church their peculiar bishoppe / to kepe the lordes flocke : whom the also called prest or elder : geuyng them a tytle of reputacion / either because of their age / or by reason of their excellent grauyte & vertuous conuersacion . To such men was committed the care of Christes flock and the mynistracion of gods worde / to rule the people / and to fede the flock of Christ with all .

As for hye bishope / vnder Christ they knew none . They had al like auctorite . Euery one had the ouersight of the flock that was committed vnto him . But whan anye doubte arose / they vsed not to shew it vnto one alone as to the head / or to them all ( which was vnpossible ) but vnto certeyne : who whan they had called vpon the name of the lorde / knew in the holy goost / what was to be done / as we maye openly se in the Actes of the Apostles . Wherfore me thinketh it a great wonder that euer the church of Rome came in such reputation / that it hath hither to bene taken of many for the head of all churches / yea for the one onely Catholike or vniuersall church : considering that in holy scripture it hath no testimonye that maye truly be alledged to any such purpose . For we haue declared now allready / that ther is not one onely visible church : which thing appeareth euidently out of the wordes of Christ / whan he saieth tell it vnto the church . Shulde he now runne from hierusalem vnto Rome / to tell his brothers faulte ? Therfore be there many churches or congregacions / wherin the children of god in this vayle of misery are myxte among children of the deuel / which inconuenience also they daylie complayne of

But let vs se with what reasons or rater cauillacions / oure aduersary goeth aboute to maynteyne this his Romshe church / & his graundsyre pope or bishoppe of Rome . We reade in the gospell / that Christ asked his disciples : who saye ye that I am ? Peter ansuered & sayde : thou art the sonne of the lyuinge god .

Whervpon Iesus sayde vnto him . Blessed art thou Simon Ionas sonne / for fleshe and bloude hath not opened that vnto the / but my father which is in heauen . And I saye vnto the : Thou art Petrus ( that is / apperteyning to the stonye rocke ) and vpon this rocke will I buylde my church / and the gates of hell shal not preuayle agaynst it . And I will geue the the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen : & what soeuer thou byndest vpon erthe / shal also be bounde in heauen : And what soeuer thou loosest vpon erthe / shal be loosed also in heauen .

This promes of Christ / which we also beleue stedfastly to be fulfilled / taketh oure aduersary vpon him to wraist vnto his opynion . How now ( saieth he ) dyd not Christ playnlie saye : Thou art Petrus / and vpon this rock wil I buylde my church : and I will geue the the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen ?

Who I praye the / denyeth that the church is buylded vpon a strong rocke ? who will not graunt / that the keyes were committed vnto Peter ? Neuertheles we will seke the true vnderstonding of this promes . Whan Peter had consessed Christ to be the sonne of the lyuinge god / the lordt sayd vnto him : blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Ionas / for fleshe and bloud hath not opened that vnto the but my father which is in heauen . Wherby Christ ●s the gifte of god / and commeth of the father of heauen . Now foloweth the promes for the faithers sake : and I saye vnto the / that thou art Petrus / here geueth he him another name / not Simon Ionas sonne / but Petrus / as one that cleueth or belongeth vnto the rocke .

And vpon this rocke ( saieth he ) wil I buylde my church : as though he shulde saye : blessed art thow / for asmuch as thorow gods reuelacion / thou confessest / that I am the sonne of the lyuynge god . And therfore art thou Petrus / that is / thou belongest vnto the rocke . And vpon this rocke whervnto thou eleuest now by thy confession / wil I buylde my church . For where as the church of god was norished first in hope of the redempcion for to come / and after that the lawe came as a scoolmaster / stode much in outward ceremonies and commaundementes of the lawe : now that the perfecte tyme is come / I wil buylde my church vpon my selfe / as on the strong rock that whosoeuer beleueth in me / shal not perishe / but haue euerlasting life . Yf he had sayde Super Petrum / it might happlie haue bene vnderstonde of Peter : but seyng he saieth Super haue petram / we will search the scripture / whether this rock maye signifie anye thing els saue onely Christ himselfe .

It is written : beholde / I laye in Sion a stombling stone / and a rocke that men shal be offended at . And whosoeuer beleueth on him / shal not be confounded : which scripture Paul and Peter also declare in maner with the same wordes . And in another place saieth Paul ? they dranke al of the spirituall rocke that folowed them / which rocke was Christ . And in the Actes of the Apostles : this is the stone that was refused of you buylders / and is become the head couer stone / / nether is ther saluacion in anye other . Loo / here is a true & sufficient interpretacion of this rocke .

For as the Apostel Paul saieth : no man can laye another fundacion then that is layde all ready / namely Christ Iesus . This much haue I sayd touching the fundacion of the church .

Now will we come to the keies .

And I ( saieth the lorde ) wil geue the the keies of the kyngdome of heauen . The storie now of the gospell declareth / that this auctorite of the keies / was not geuen onely vnto Peter / but vnto all the Apostles alyke . And whan he had so spokon ( saieth the Euangelist ) brethed he vpon them / and sayde ▪ receaue ye the holy gost . Whose synnes ye forgeue / to them are they forgeuen : and whose synnes ye reteyne / to them are they reteyned . These are other wordes / then the lorde spake afore vnto Peter alone / and yet is it all one meanyng . For what this bynding els saue onely reteyning of synnes ?

And what eles is loosyng / saue onely remytting of synnes ? Wherfore not onely Peter / but al disciples also yea al such as haue the holy goost / haue fre autorite to vse the keyes .

Yet hath oure aduersary one reeson / wher by he thinketh to proue that Christ gaue the superiorite vnto Peter / nālye because that in the end of . S. Ihons gospell / the lorde Iesus sayde vnto him .

Symon Ioannes / louest thou me more then these ? Peter ansuered him : yea lorde thou knowest that I loue the.

Iesus sayd vnto him : fede my shepe / & that same spake he thre tymes . Out of this will oure aduersary conclude / that the whole flock of Christ was committed vnto Peter to be fed : and because the lorde sayd I haue prayed for the that thy faith fayle not / he will that we shal therby vnderstonde the church of Rome . Yf he now will haue that vnderstonde of the church of Rome / as of Peters habitacion to come / then out of Christes commaundment which foloweth immediatly after / let him lerne / that vnto the church of Rome ther was geuen no preemynence more then to other churches / but that there is equalite . And thou ( saieth Christ ) whan thou art conuerted / strength thy brethren : he saieth not / strength thy shepe / as the chefe shepherde : nether thy childern / as the most holy father ) but strength thy brethren . And as oft as ther arose any contencion among the disciples for the superiorite / Christ allwaye rebuked them / and sayde / that they were brethren . Therfore saieth - S. Paul also : vnto euery one of vs is geuen grace acording vnto the measure of the gifte of Christ . And immediatly after it foloweth : and he himselfe made some Apostles / some prophetes / some Euangelistes / some shepherdes and teachers / to the edifieng of the sayntes / to the worke & ministracion . &c.

In this rehearsall of ministracions / where nameth he one of them to be head among the Apostles ? What is become of the name of the chefe shepherde ? It foloweth also : let vs folowe the trueth in loue / and in all thinges growe in him which is the head / euen Christ . Here se we that all sayntes are membres of one body / whose head is Christ himselfe . Nether is here mencion made of any other head . And in another place saieth Paul : they which samed to be som what and greate / added nothing vnto me . But contrarywise whan they sawe / that the gospell ouer the vncircuncision was committed vnto Peter ( for he that was mightie in Peter in the Apostelshippe one the circuncision / the same was mightie in me amonge the heithen ) whan the grace that was geuen vnto me / then Iames / Cephas and Ihon / which sewed to be pylours / gaue vnto me and Bernabas the right handes of that feloshippe ? that we shulde be Apostles amonge the heithen / and they in the circuncisoō .

What can be founde more playne ? S. Paul saieth / that he had commission of the Apostelshippe among the heithen / as Peter had among the circumcision . Thus after oure aduersaries doctryne / we must haue two heades / ard two chefe shepherdes : the one amonge the Iewes / the other omong the heithen . And why do not the Romaynes boast them selues of . S. Paul / whom euery man reputeth an Apostel of the heithen / of whom they come ? But let them heare the rest of the texte / where it sayeth that Iames Cephas and Ihon semed to be pylours . Why calleth he Cephas or Peter a pyloure like the other ? Wherfore doth not he calle him the foundacion of the church ? Why nameth he him not the chefe among the Apostles ? They gaue me ( saieth he ) and Barnaba the right hand of that feloshippe . Here he affirmeth / that they were receaued of them as companyons . All which thinges declare no superiorite / but a brotherly equalite among the Apostles .

But let vs graunt / that Peter was the chefe among the Apostles / the chefeshepherde of the lordes flock / and the true vycare of Christ vpon erth ( though we nede none such / for asmuch as Christ hath promised vs to be with vs vnto the end of the world / nether is his kyngdome of this world ) but put the case that it so is / why will the bisshoppes of Rome yet vse any such title ? What excellent thing soeuer was in Peter / that same receaued he at the grace of god thorow his faith & loue . The same grace lacked not Paul & the other Apostles : for though Peters shadow dyd heale many / yet helped Pauls napkyn not a fen thorow like working of the lorde / which confirmed his worde with such tokens . But what is that to the bisshopes of Rome ? Doth the same proue / that Peter & Paul preached at Rome : As for Peter it is not very certeyne that euer he came there . But let vs graunt that he was at Rome / & bisshope there also . Shal therfore all the bisshoppes of Rome comming aster / inheret likewise the grace that Peter had ? O how blessed an estate hath the bisshope of Rome / yf euen the same grace of god that was in Peter / be adioyned to his office ? Yf he might inheret the faith & loue of Peter / doutles he shulde also opteyne like grace . But euery man knoweth / that these thinges were gistes of grace in Peter and in the other Apostles / consideringe that vertues or vyces come not to inheritaunce : But euery soule that synneth / the same shall dye : vertue also doth seldome take place in the successours .

Why do the Romishe than boast them selues so sore ? Do thei it onely because that Prter was at Rome ? That were euen as yf a shoomaker dwelling in a house ( wherin a great lerned man dwelt somtyme ) wolt boast himselfe to haue opteyned some sciences of his predecessoure by reason of that dwellyng place . Yea it were euen as yf a poore felow entring in to an office / wherin had bene a riche man afore ( to whom greate dettes were owinge / not concernyng the office ) wol requyre of dewtie the same his predecessours dettes / because he succedeth him in the office Euen like argumentes in a maner doth oure aduersary vse / wherby he goeth aboute to make the bisshope of Rome like vnto Peter in auctorite . Peter / saieth he was ordened chefe shepherde of Christes flock : to him were committed the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen : And the same Peter was somtyme bisshope of Rome / therfore all bisshopes of Rome / are the chefe shepherdes and haue the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen . Though this be but a small argument / yet hath god permitted that thorow the craffte of the deuel / it is so suncke in to many mens myndes / that who so euer vndertaketh but with a worde to do ought ther agaynst / must stonde in daunger of his life . Now is it manifest that for the mayntenaunce of his opynion / he ( namely oure aduersary hath nothinge / excepte we graunt him / that Peter was bishope of Rome . Yf that now alone be sufficient for the establishing of such exceadinge greate auctorite / I referre it to the discretion of you that be Iudges . Now will we speake of the masse .

This name Masse / was doutlesse in the Apostles tyme nether vsed ner heardof . Nether can there any certeyne occasion be shewed whence this name shuld come . But certeyne it is / that all the preparacion aboute it / was institute and ordened to the intent / that the supper and death of the lorde might be had in remembraunce : which maye easely be perceaued by the vestimentes and other thinges perteyning to the masse . Now in the prymityue church was not the supper of the lorde kepte afore none / as now the vse is / but in the euenyng after supper as Christ himsefe kepte it . Neuertheles thorow the misbehaueouae of certeyne filthie persones / which with their dronkennes dishonoured this holy supper / arose great slaunder and offence / which . S. Paul to the Corinthians doth ernestly rebuke . And therfore thought the holy fathers it shulde not be agaynst the ordinaunce of the lorde . Yf men kepte this holy supper afo●●●oone / fasting : wherby such inordi●●●e people might somwhat be withdrawen from their inconvenience . Which the considred / thei might well do / for asmuch as they altred nothing of the principall matter .

And at the first / was no more added thervnto / saue onely the Pater noster / the prayer of the lorde . But afterward in proces of tyme by addyng more and more it grew tho the poynt that it is now at . And besydes that with such additions they thought to garnishe the supper of the lorde ( peraduenture of a good intent ) they haue allmost vtterly lost the principall poyntes of the remembraunce of the supper . So that now the right name of it is altred / and no more called the lordes supper / but is called Messe / which name is both straunge and vnknowne in the scripture : yea and that worse is / it is named a sacrifice / that maye be done for other folkes . Wherof then spronge the slaunderous market of byeng and sellyng of masses in churches : here of was renewed the daungerous ydolatrie / that we ranne vnto the masse as to a speciall worck / thinkyng there to fetch all saluacion / which we shulde haue loked for onely at Christes hande .

But let vs loke / wherfore they call it a sacrifice . Euen because ( saie they ) that in the masse / Christ the sonne is offred vp vnto god his father . O what a greate blasphemy is this / yea to be abhorred of al vertuous men . Who wold thinke it possible / that men mortall and synfull / coulde euer haue bene so in a lapert or rather mad / as to presume with their vncleane handes / to offre Christ the lorde vnto his father yet ones agayne ? Christ ( saieth . S. Paul ) is entred in to the very heauen / for to appeare now in the sight of god for vs : not to offre himselfe offten / as the hye prest entreth in to the holy place euery yeare with straunge bloude : for then must he haue offt suffred sens the world beganne . And afterward it foloweth : thus was Christ offred vp ones for all to take awaye the synnes of many : but they will saye : Christ is not so sacrificed in the masse / that he dieth agayne vpon the crosse / but it is for the remembraunce of the same sacrifice that ones was made . Whi do they than call it a sacrifice / seyng it is but a remembraunce of a sacrifice ? And why saie they that it maye be done for other seyng that of it selfe it is no such worke / but onely a remembraunce of the supper and passion of oure lordt Iesu Christ ? Which saieth : take and eate / this is my body . And of the cuppe he saieth : drynke ye all therout . And as afft as ye this do / then do it to the remembraunce of me . He saieth not offre my body and my bloude . Wherfore let the rihht & true remembraunce of the lordes Supper remayne in the congregacions / and let vs shew the lordes death vntill he come .

Now yf we be disposed to offre / let vs offre oure owne bodies / a quycke / holy and acceptable sacrifice vnto god / which is euen the reasonable waye to serue him . We reade in the scripture / that no vyce was ponished so sore / as the abuse of gods seruyce . Wherfore me thinketh all vertuous men shulde hartely praye / that the abuse of the masse were put downe in the churches . For yf we wilfully synne after the knowlege of the trueth / there remayneth no more sacrifice for synnes . & c. ? But I willet the masse go / and treate of both the kyndes in the lordes holy Supper / whiche shulde also be geuen vnto the laye people .

It is past all doubte by euery man / that Christ in the holy Supper gaue his disciples both the kyndes . Therfore it is manifest / that their opynion is not euell / which wolde haue the chalice distributed vnto euery man . And me thinketh the other do erre sore / that holde the contrary / and specially because they put such difference betwene prestes and laye people / not consideryng the prestly office that is committed vnto all faithfull beleuers . For in the lawe of Moses / the office of prestes was to offre and praye for the pople . But now for asmuch as Christ beyng ones offred vp for vs / hath abrogate all other sacrices / and not onely permitted but also commaunded all men to praye : I can not sewhat difference can be betwene prestes and laye people / excepte the gouernaunce of the church and minystracion of gods worde . For. S. Peter in his Epistel saieth : and ye also as lyuing stones / are made a spirituall house / an holy presthode / to offre vp spirituall sacrifices / acceptable to god thorow Iesus Christ . And euen there also saieth . S. Peter : but ye are the chosen generacion / the royall presthode / the holy nacion . etc. Here wryteth . S. Peter not onely vnto bishoppes and prestes / but to the straungers that were dispersed and scatred abrode in Ponto / Galatia etc. And calleth them alltogether an holy and royall presthode .

S. Paul also wryting of this holy supper of the lorde to the commen congregacions at Corinthum / maketh mencion not onely of the bred / but also of the cupen . Yf the cuppe then at that tyme / was commen vnto all Christen men / why is it now withdrawen from the laye people ?

The holy fathers ( saieth oure aduersary haue with good conscience brought the supper to this ordenyng that it now is in : and that mihht they well do / as we reade that in the Apostles tyme certeyne thinges were ordyned / wher of no mencion is in the gospell . Among which this is one in the Actes of the Apostles / where they commaunded to absteyne from thinges offred vnto Idolles / and from bloude and from strangled : whiche commaundement the Apostles estemed necessary . Whervnto I answere brefely / that the Apostles gaue no such commaundement for that intent that it shulde allwaye so contynue / seynge they them selues afterward kepte it not . Neuertheles they hauynge respecte vnto the tyme / thought to avoyde the offendyng of the weake . But whan the gospel was more clearlye come to light / they ceassed from such commaundmentes as thinges not necessary the verite beyng knowne . Euen out of this occasion dyd Paul circumcyse Timothy / wher as neuertheles afterward whan the Iewes wolde nedes haue had him to circumcyse Titus also / he wold not geue place vnto them one houre . Euen so me thenketh shulde it he now likewise : For though the cuppe of the lorde be witholden from the laye people for certeyne causes which be but trifles / yet now for asmuch as it is euydent ( to all such as will know it ) that the memoriall of Christes holy supper was institute by himselfe vnder both the fourmes of bred and wyne / let vs forsake oure owne foolishe intentes / and turne agayne to the infallyble ordynaunce of Christ ? yea let vs aknowlege / that Christ / who is wyser then all angels or men / dyd not fornaught or without cause ordeyne this remembraunce vnder both fourmes of bred and wyne : and that yf ther were anye daunger for the laye people to haue the vse of the chalyce ( as our aduersaries make a bablyng ther of ) he coulde haue knowne it afore well ynough : howbeit in the outward vse of the sacrament without faith / consisteth but small saluacion / as it well hath apeared in the traytour Iudas . For as soone as he had receaued this sacrament with the other disciples at the hande of Christ immediatly went he forth / xecuted his treason / dispayred / & hanged him selfe . For yf the outward vse of the bred and wyne were necessary to saluacion / it shuld not go well with them that maye not awaye with wyne . Therfore the right and wholsome remembraunce of the supper of the lorde / is it that is done in faith : namely / whan we beleue that the body of Christ was geuen for vs and that his bloude was shed for vs But for asmuch as Christ wolde haue the same remembraunce kepte with outward vsyng of bred an wyne / therefore must so greate a sacrament in nowise belest vnmynistred / but still obserued / acording as Christ himselfe hath ordyned it / wothout all mens inuencions . But now will we speake of Purgatory .

The opynion of Purgatory / I suppose / is taken out of the bokes & wrytinges of the Heythen / for asmuch as in the holy scripture of the olde & new Testament we haue no maner of recorde for the confirmacion of anye such thing . Christ and his Apostles haue taught much and euidently of the eternall saluacion of the faithfull / and damnacion of the vnfaithfull : but nothing of purgatory . Wherfore I thinke it not nedefull to invoke sore agaynst it / considerynge it is a thing that hath no ground / and must nedes fayl of it selfe . Oure aduersary neuertheles had certeyne argumentes / but so feble / and so wyde from the purpose / that I am allmoss ashamed to repete them . We rerde in the boke of the Machabeus sent to Ierusalem twelue thousande peces of syluer / to offre for the synnes of the deed / because he had a good and deuoute mynde concernyng the resurrection . Now I praye the what doth that to purgatory ? Who saieth / that it is not a good and deuoute thing to remembre the resurrection ? And wher as the Authour of the boke addeth these wordes : therfore is it an holy and wholso-some cogitacion to praye for the deed / that they might be delyuered from synnes : the same wordes do not I so esteme / that they ought to be taken for a certeyne / for asmuch as the authour of the same boke is vnknowne / and the boke it selfe not approuide with any testimony of holy scripture .

Furthermore / in the gospell / where as Christ counseyleth vs to agree with oure aduersary whyle we are in the waye with him / afore we come to the iudge / left the iudge delyuer us to the officer / and the officer cast vs in preson / whence thou shalt not come forth ( saieth Christ ) till thou hast prayed the vttemost farthing . With these wordes will Christ declare / that a gentle agrement is profitable / though it be done with some losse . For yf we will not agree with our aduersary by the waye / but feare a litle losse / it is to be feared / that the iudge will cast vs in person / and put vs to sharper payment yea and more intollerable / then perauenture the other was / wherwith oure aduersary wolde haue bene satisfied . But the person doth oure aduersary call here purgatory / and that which is spoken concernyng the busynesses of this world doth he take vpon him to wrest vnto the world to come / as though a man might feyne out of the wordes of Christ what he list .

In like mane ralledgeth he the testimonye of . S. Paul . i. Corintr . iij. Wher he saieth / that the fyre shal proue euery mans worke what it is . And yf anye mans worke burne / he shall suffre losse : but he himselfe shal be saued / neuertheles as thorow the fyre . Here expoundeth he fyre to be purgatory / where as . S. Paul by a symilitude doth saie / that our workes shal be tried like as gold / syluer / and other metall is tried in the fyre .

But who can suffre such iuglyng ? Let him shew vs the leest lettre in the scripture / that playnlie proueth purgatory . Yf we must pourge our synnes thorow purgatory / I praye the then for what intent dyed Christ ? Wherfore shed he is bloud ? Yf god be with vs / who will be agaynst vs ? Who spared not his owne onely sonne / but gaue him for vs all / & how shulde he not geue vs all thinges with him : Who will accuse the electe of god ? It is god that maketh them righteous / who will condemne them : Now sewe that the faithfull are made aighteous / and shal not be condemned . And who is so vngodly as to thinke / that the righteous god doth after this world punishe one vncondemned .

Let this litle / but trew / be sufficent / to ouerthrow the vayne inuencion of purgatory . And what nede was it / with this weake feare of payne / to witdrawe symple people from the holloue of Christ / who neuertheles in this world hath promised trouble euen vnto his faithfull / to make them fele som what of the punishment of mouch synne : but after death an whole / frey parfite ioye and saluacion / which we vndowtedly loke for in the blessed hope haue thrust vs downe / and therfore feyned they this horrible bogg of purgatory : to the intent that we dispayring in the assured and infinite mercie of god which cometh thorow Iesus Christe / mighte renne to their churches ( yea to their chistes ) to be fre from our synnes with vnreasonable money / whose iudginent tarieth not behinde . Let noman therfore be moued by those disceatfull spretes / which ( as they saye ) do apeare vnto men and desire their helpe / prayeng / that masses / pilgremages & other like supersticious ceremonies māye be done for them / for euen the same night bogges / like as they in old tyme were among the heithen / so are they now also among the turkes . Nether is it wonder yf the deuel can disguyse him in the fourme of a dead man / seyng he can transfigure himselfe in to an aungel of light . But to the intent that the vnprofitable purgatory do vs no harme in oure heades / we wil go forth farther .

The inuocacion of sayntes hath euen such a foundacion as purgatory hath / namely none at all . But a wonderfull thing is it to expresse / how the ymaginacions of men haue euer bene enclyned to ydolatrie : and therfore is it not for nought that the first precepte among ten / was so well beaten in to the Iewes / that they shulde honoure but one god / and haue no straunge goddes . Now to haue a straunge god / what is it els / saue to put hope and trust in a creature / and not in god the maker onely ? Christ saieth : come to me all ye that laboure and are ouercharged / & I will refreshe you . And what soeuer ye aske the father in my name / he wil geue it you . Is that trew ? I suppose no man will denye it . Yf it be trew them / why do not we beleue it ? Wherfore call we not vpon god the father / thorow his onely be gotten sone Iesus Christ / seyng we are sure that he denieth vs no petycion . But we will se the argumentes of oure aduersarye / wherbye he goeth oboute to proue the inuocation of saynctes . We beleue ( saieth he ) the promes of Christ : but because we trust not to oure owne strength / therfore seke we aduocates to pray vnto god for vs : like as it is in great prynces courtes / where matters are dispatched by the counselours whom the prince loueth . O what a grosse likenesse is that ? hath a prynce mortall anye thing in this poynt that maye be resembled vnto god ? Two speciall causes ther be / wherfore one must haue to do with lordes vpon erth thorow mediatours & aduocates / namely ignoraunce of the lordes / & mutabilite of their myndes . For they can not know what one desyreth / excepte some body tell them . It is also vncertayne / whether they will graunt that one desyreth of them or no. But so is it not with god . Christ saieth your father knoweth wher of ye haue nede / afore ye praye vnto him . And what so euer ye praye vnto the father in my name / he will geue it you . Here is it euydent / that nether ignoraunce ner chaunheablenesse of mynde hath place with god . This symilitude also concernyng the great prynces of the world / is false / like as it is false that they saye they beleue the promes of Christ . For yf they constauntly beleued that they shuld be heard thorow Christ / they wold seke no help of other . But seyng they confesse that they trust not their owne erroure / in that they vnderstond not / that this promes was made not thorow our deseruyng / but thorow the deseruyng of Christ . And where they will kepe them selues from beyng to bold of god / they fall to their owne hurt in to the head synne of desperacion or infidelite . And yf they contynue therin / they nede not loke to opteyne any thing of god / as . S. Iames testifieth / who exhorteth vs to praye in faith / and not to dowte . For who so dowteth ( sayeth he ) is like vnto the wawes of the see / that are tossed and blowne of the wynd . Let not such a man thinke / that he shal receaue any thing of the lorde .

In matters of the world / it is not accompted no god witt for a man to leaue a thing certayne for a thing vncertayne / and as the dogg dyd in Esopes fables / to let the flesh fall / and to folowe the shadow ther of . And how much more vndiscrete a thing maye it be estemed / whan in such a greate matter concernyng euerlasting saluacion / one forsaketh it that without contradiction is true / & foloweth another thing / wher it maye be dowted whether it be true or no. That we are heard thorow Christe / we be certayne / whyle we are so taught of the verite it selfe . But how can we be sure that oure prayer is heard for any sayntes sake / seyng that of the inuocacion of saynctes there is no mencion made in the scripture / but the contrary is euydentlie declared in many places . Christ answereth the deuell after this maner : thou shalt worshippe the lorde thy god / and him onely shalt thou honoure . And what nede we many probacions ? Let him shew vs one place in the scripture / where one saynt called vpon another . Yf the inuocacion of sayntes were profitable / why dyd not Moses call vpon Abraham Isaac & Iacob / seyng he heard god him selfe saye . I am the god of Abraham / Isaac and of Iacob ? Why dyd not Dauid and the other prophetes call vpon Moses / as the chefe prophet of god ? And wher / fore dyd not the Iewes that came after call vpon Dauid / who had such good recorde of god himselfe / that he sayed / I haue found a man after myne owne hert / which shal accomplishe all my will .

And after the commyng of Christ why dyd not the Apostles call vpon Ihon the baptist / concernyng whom they had heard these wordes of oure Sauioure : among such as are borne of women arose none greater then Ihon the baptist .

It is not lickelye ye deare Iudges / that these holy men of whom I now haue made mencion / were so negligent / or so vnkynde of stomake toward vs / that yf they had knowne and bene persuaded that the inuocacion of sayntes were for oure saluacion or acceptable to god / they wolde not let vs knowe therof . Therfore do I esteme it a daungerous thing / without scripture yea agaynst the open scripture / to set vp the inuocation of sayntes / as a seruyce acceptable to god . Nether can I alowe the obiection of those / that go aboute to menteyne such opynions by olde and long custome / or by miracles . For as touching custome / yf all were to be commended that hath bene long and of old tyme vsed / then the blasphemous vse of the heithen with their ydols must be set vp agayne / which with one consent of so many nacions endured many yeares afore the commyng of Christ .

Thus mighte advowtrie al so and other vyces be manteyned / seyng they be committed so oft and in so many places . But what is lesse commendable / than to go aboute thorow an euell custome to set vp / a thing that is openly agaynst the lawe of god / yea men in their lawes will suffre no such euell customs we to take vpon vs to be iudges ouer gods worde

Concernyng miracles which god so greatly worketh in his sayntes / who wolde not higlye wonder at such / as at a syngular gift of god ? Not withstonding it is manifest also / that to do miracles add wonders / is not allwaye a sure probacion of holynesse / seyng we reade not euer that Abraham / Isaac / Iacob / Dauid and Ihon the baptist dyd miracles . Must they therfore not be holy / and shuld we therfore despise them ? Or why call we not Iudas the traytour / as a saynt / that dyd miracles with the Apostles and healed many people / as we maye perceaue out of the historie of the gospell ? But let vs heare the sentence of Christ : many ( saieth he ) shal saye vnto me in that daye : lorde / lorde / haue not we profecied in thy name ? Haue not we cast out deuels in thy name ? Haue we not done great vertues in thy name ? Then wil I confesse vnto them / I neuer knewe you . Departe frome all ye euel doers . What can oure aduersarys boast now of sayntes miracles / seyng we reade that vngodly and damned persones haue done many great actes in the name of Christ ? And. S. Paul also prophecieth to the Thessalonians / sayeng that the wiked shal come / namely the childe of perdicion / whose commyng is after the workyng of the deuell / with all maner lyeng powers / tokens and wonders . Wherfore let vs not beleue euery sprete / but proue them whether they be of god / or no. And let vs not be so vnaduysed as to ascrybe vnto sayntes and to their merites / the honoure that onely apperteyneth vnto god .

Whan Peter and Ihon at the gate of the temple / had made the lame man whole / and the people ranne to them wonderyng / Peter sayd vnto them : ye men of Israel / why wonder ye at this thing / or why loke ye so vpon vs / as though we thorow oure power or vertue had made this man go . And afterward it foloweth : throw the faith in his name ( namely Christes ) hath he vpon this man whom ye se and know / confirmed his name . And faith thorow him hath geuen this man healt before youre eyes . Where are now the miracles which they saye are done thorow the merites of sayntes ? Peter and Ihon pilorus of the church confesse playnlie / that this lame man was not made whole thorow their power or vertue / but in the faith thorow Christ . O eternall god / in what an horrible depe pitt of Idolatrie are we fallen ? How farre haue we erred from the true faith of Christe ? We shal not lightly fynd any tyme wher in the heithen haue honoured their goddes with so greate supersticiousnesse / as some Christen honoure their sayntes . Euery occupacion hath his advowrie / euery lande their owne defendoure / and euery sicknesse a peculiar phisician . There be some sayntes also whom they do not honoure to haue profit by them but because they shulde do them no harme . To certayne peculiar sayntes committe they their matters of warre / their marchaundise / & their causes of mariage . The husband men also haue their owne helpers : one increaceth the sede / another kepeth the vynyardes / the shepe / the kyne / the geyse : yea the filthye swyne haue likewise their owne propre herde . To him offre the foolishe people allmaner of thinges / but for the most parte waxe so that here in they are allmost become like vnto the Egiptians / who worshipped such bestes themselues for their goddes .

These sayntes now are all honoured / they are all called vpon : onely mercifull Christ is not regarded . And though they somtyme name him with bare wordes / yet is all their trust in the sayntes . Nether are they satisfied in such straunge honouryng of sayntes / but make also a wonderfull difference of holy places . Here of cometh it that they thinke Mary the mother of Christ to be more gracious in one place / than in another . Now pilgremages also mynishe son that the reputacion of the olde . They runne to Compostell in Spayne to visite . S. Iames : to Ihon in douchland to salute oure lady / and in many othrr places to sayntes graues ( as the kytes flie to the carion ) & honoure many deed bodies vpon erth whose soules are in hell . I passe ouer the foolishe supersticion that they vse with deed saynctes rayment / as cotes hosen shues / & regarde litle the poore sayntes / that lyue with vs as brethren in Christ vpon erth / & haue greate nede of such apparell . Yet wold I esteme it a lesse errour / yf they worshipped not also the ymages that haue no vnderstondyng & are made with mens handes / of gold / syluer / stone & wodde : yea very litle it fayleth that they worshippe not with al / euen the wormes the wormes that gnaw the bodies of such blessed saynctes of wodd . To such ymages ascrybe they wondere & miracles . Of some one they saye / that it had spoken . Of another they say / that by his owne vertue he is gone from one place to another . They daye shulde be to long for me / yf I wolde saye all that might be spoken of this vnreasonable matter . Summa they leaue nothing be hynde that belongeth to full ydolatry

We maye well saye / that the Indianes had much more right to worshipe the. Sonne / such a deare / profitable / wonderfull & excellent creature / then these mad folkes haue to worshippe such a rotten worme atem ydoll . Now though we disalowe such ydoatrie / such peruerse honouryng & wrong & inuocacion of sayntes / let no man thinke / that we therfore wil withdrawe from them anye thing of their true worshipe & reputacion . Sayntes haue nothing that they haue not receaued Paul saieth : what is Paul ? What is Apollo ? Euen ministres they are / by whom ye are to the beleue / and that accordyng as the lorde hath geuen vnto euery man . And afterward it foloweth : therfore let no man reioyce in men / for all is yours / whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world : whether it be life or death / whether it be thinges present or for to come : all is yours but ye are Christes / and Christ is gods . Wherfore all grace which commeth thorow Chriin the holy goost / ascrybe we vnto god as vnto him that onely geueth it . And hartely we beseke him that vnto vs poore synners also he will graunt this infynite mercye / to the intent that we maye forsake oure synnes / and be holy before him thorow Iesus Christ his onely begotten sone / who vpon the crosse hath delyuered vs not with a small pryce / but with his owne bloude . Reason it is / that sayntes haue their due honoure / but faith and inuocacion belonget onely vnto god . Let us go therfore with confidence vnto the seate of grace / that we maye receaue mercy & fynde grace to helpe in the tyme of nede . For we haue not an hye prest which can not haue compassidn on oure infirmities / but was in all poyntes tempted as we are but without synne / beyng euer able also to saue them that come vnto god thorow him / and lyueth euer to make intercession for vs . Nether is ther vnder heauen geuen vnto men anye other name / wherin we must be saued . For ther is but one god / and one mediatoure be twene god and man / namely the man Iesus Christ / which gaue himselfe a redempcion for all . To him be honour and praise for euer .

My purpose was ( Right deare Iudges ) to haue defended this Christen man cause with few wordes . Neuertheles the sotyl complaynt of our aduersary hath hyndred me ( as ye se ) fro makyng of myne answere . Wherfore the faulte of so lang communicacion ought reasonably to be imputed not vnto vs / but to the vnrighteous accuser .

And now wyll I take in hand the sexte article / namely auricular confession : which I suppose was first ordyned for this purpose / that the symple vnlerned people shulde go to the prestes to seke counsaill / yf they had anye greuous thing in their mynde either cocernyng eny dowte in the beleue / or concernyng synne which vexeth a mans conscience : To the intent that the prestes as they that be lerned and haue experience in the scripture / might strenght such as be weake in faith / warne the vnrulye and misnurtoured / comforte such as be sory and penitent for their synnes : summa / as true phisicians to geue due medycines for euery sicknesse . Which ordynaunce yf it were right kepte / and as I now haue sayde / I suppose no man could reproue it . But now forasmuch as they commaunde / that euery person shal ones in the yare confesse all his synnes to his owne prest not onely such as he hath committed in dede / but also what soeuer is come in to his thought / yea and to declare the state / place / tyme and circumstaunce of the persones / considering likewise that they proclame the same out as a commaundment of god vnder payne of eternall dammacion / I maye saye that it is no wholsome confession of synnes / but rather a shamelfull tormenting of mens consciences . Nether can I beleue ether / but that it was brought in by the speciall craft and sotiltie of the deuel / to tangle poore men with a new snare / and vttarlye to bring them from the wholsome and necessary confession of synnes . It is written in the psalme : I sayde / I wil euen agaynst my selfe / confesse myne offence vnto the lorde / and thou for gauest me the vngodlynesse of my synne . For the same shal all saynctes praye vnto the in due season . Without such confession of synne shal noman be saued . For they that desyre to be partakers of the grace of Christ / must afore al thinges know and confesse / that they are synners and worthy of eternall punishment . Such a confession yf it come from the hert / is wholsome & frutefull . Afterward verely foloweth a broken hert / which god will not dispise .

Oure aduersary wolde proue out of the gospell / that this confession to the prest / is commaunded of Christ / because that whan he clensed the lepars / he bad them go shew them selues to the prestes . Here doth oure aduersary make a colde interpretacion . Shew youre selues / saieth he / is asmuch to saye / as confesse youre synnes . But the wordes that folowe after in the gospell / wil not suffre such a slender exposicion . And offre the gift ( saieth Christ ) that Moses commaunded / for a witnesse vnto them . This was the very cause why they were commaunded to go vnto the prestes : namely / that of them / as of those to whom the knowlege of leprosie was committed / they might be iudged cleane : to the intent it might be knowne / that Christ had truly clensed them . Ther frre for a witnesse agaynst such as resisted him / bad he the lepers offre the gift that Moses had commaunded in the lawe .

Out of . S. Iames epistle taketh our aduersary these wordes : knowlege your synnes one to another / and praye one for another / that ye maye be saued . Here doth he as he dyd afore / and will haue this worde one to anoher / to be asmuch to saye as to a prest .

Neuertheles the wordes be so playne / that they nede no long interpretacion . For. S. Iames willeth / that euery one shal knowlege himself as a synner toward his neggboure / & so one to praye for another / that they maye fulfill brotherley loue and be saued . I abhorre ( most prudent Iudges ) to expresse / what greate harme the straite confession hath brought to passe among the symple people . For seyng they thinke that they can not be saued / exerpte they confesse euery thing as narowly as the sameshrist tradicion byndeth / and yet leaue it vndone somtyme for shame / and sometyme thorow forgetfulnesse / no doute they fall in to despayre / and are euer ( yea aslong as they lyue ) farre from holy hope . It is manifest also how vnreasonably certayne prestes behaue themselues in hearing of confessions / to the greate destruction of soules . Some / for all yght occasion / will not absolue a penitent / no though he be very sory for his synnes . Some aske questions of yong people concernyng wanton and filthie mattters / nothing regarding their innocent myndes . And where as they shulde ernestly desyre to helpe with some wholsowe medycine / they make deedly woundes in weake consciences .

But what shal I saye ? Haue they not oft and wilfully thorow their constrayned confession / abused the chaist symplicite of honest wemen and virgyns / to their owne vnchastite and wantonnesse ? Some of them openly tolde abrode / the thing that hath bene committed to their fidelite in confession : and therby haue they brought much malyce to passe / yea and somtyme murthur also . Such are the swete frutes of this fayned confession : yea and that as euell is / they preach the same to be a worke / for whose sake god forgeueth synnes and therby haue they robbed Christ of his honoure / like blasphemous men as they be . Wherfore considering this tre was not planted by the father of heauen / but by the children of the deuel / to search out craftely the priuyties of mens hertes / me thinketh it shulde be pluckte vp by the rootes / and men brought agayne to the right and wholsome confession of their synnes .

The rest is / that I make answere touching the difference of meates / and concernyng the mariage of prestes : Which two poyntes I purpose not to sonder / far asmuch as Paul ioyneth them together in his first epistle to Timothy / where these be his wordes : the sprete speaheth euidently / that in the later tymes some shal departe from the faith / and shal geue hede vnto spretes of erroure and deuelishe doctrynes of them which speake false thorow ypocrisie & haue their conscience marked with an hote yron / forbydding to mary / and commaunding to obsteyne from the meates which god hath created to be receaued with thankesgeuyng of them which beleue and know the trueth . For euery creature of god is good / & nothing to be refused / that is receaued with geuynge of thankes : for it is sanctified by the word of god and praier ( I suppose deare iudges ) that as touching these matters / Paul hath with these wordes sufficienthly answered for vs / seyng he saieth euidently / that they which forbyd to mary / and commaunde to absteyne fro meates / are departed from the faith and folow the deuels doctryne .

Paul also him self wrythet thus to the Corinthians : what so euer is solde in the flesh market / that eate / and aske no question for conscience sake . For the erth is the lordes / and all that is therin . And to the Colossians he wryteth : let no man therfore trouble youre consciences aboute meat or drynke / or for a pece of an holy daye / or new Moone / or of the Saboath daies / which are the shadow of thinges that were for to come / but the body it selfe is in Christ .

And afterward it foloweth : yf ye be deed then with Christ from the ordinaunces of the world why are ye holden with such tradicions / as thoug ye liued after the world ? As whan they saye / Touche not this / taist not that / handle not that : All which thisges do hurte vnto men because of their obuse / which commeth onely of the commaundmentes and doctrynes of men . etc. All this doth Christ confirme / whan he saieth : what soeuer entreth in at the mouth / defyleth not the man . And what can be more clearly spoken ? But so false and vnrighteous is the iudgment of such vnreasonable men / that yf a Christen man do taist but a litle flesh vpon a daye prohibited by them / Immediatly without any farther advisement / they proclame him to be an heretike / and cast in his tethe such a tradicion of fasting / as though a mans saluacion depended vpon the difference of meates : and yet the ypocrites them selues / though they eate no fleshe / are neuerthelesse so full of flesllye desyres / that they can vnderstond nothing but fleshlye / & somtyme are not ashamed to vtter their fleshely lustes with excesse .

Euen as greate wrong do they thorow their damnynge of prestes mariage . But to the intent that men shulde iudge them to be excellent manteyners of chastite / they prayse virginite out of measure / which in very dede is a singu gift of god / but keuen vnto few . Neuerthelesse that they go aboute to manteyne / not virginite / but a state to liue vnmaried / it appeareth playnlie by this / that whan a prest taketh a wife / they wil not onely haue him deposed from his mynistracion / but iudge him worthy to be put to death also . But yf he agaynst all honestie / take an harlot / or kepe another mans wife / he is suffred / as a profitable membre of the church ( of Rome I meane ) . O what an horrible wickendesse is this ? Yet was ther neuer a people so wilde or vnnaturall / but they had an ordynaunce concernynge mariage / and keping of concubynes . Onely Romishe prestes maye in this matter do as they lust themselues .

They take harlottes at their pleasure / whan they will / and where / and aske no question for conscience sake / so that they paye the bishope the whore toll .

And euen with like audacyte put they them awaye from them agayne / and shame neuer a whitt . Yet are they not satisfied with such vnmeasurable libertie / but haunt other mens wifes / and defloure virgynite . No thing can be safe from them : with their filthie wantonesse defyle they euery thing / the angelicall defenders of chastite : all which is so manifest / that it can not be hydd .

But lest I be reputed more to be an accuser of Romishe prestes / then a defender of this Christen man / I will passe ouer many thinges that might be spoken concernyng this matter / and content me with the iudgment of Pāul / who saieth : yf they can not absteyne / let them mary / for it is better eo mary than to burne . Wherfore let this iudgment remayne / let troubled consciences be helped / and the mynistres of the church restored agayne to an honest conuersacion : lest yf we contynue in this synne / we fall in to that horrible iudgment / wherwith god will iudge fornicatours and aduoutres .

Now / thou vnreasonable accuser / hast thou a sufficient answere to all the poyntes of thy complaynte ? and I wold hope that thy madnesse shulde therbye be mitigate / yf I feared not that the light of thy body were darkened for very malyce . Now yf the light that is in the be darknesse / how grerte wil the darknesse it selfe be / euen thou thy selfe / I saye knowest well / that all that I haue sayde / is true . And why resisted thou than the open trueth . Thou vnhappy man / art thou so farre vnaduysed / that thou canst not pondre / how weake a groud thou hast in this vngodly matter / and agayne how mightie and invyncyble an aduersary thou hast / namely Christ Iesus the onely begotten deare sone of god . Thy furye hath now raged ynough agaynst this innocent Christen man , Ceasse now at the last from peruerting the right waye of the lorde . Alas man / how oft hast thou in this thy enuyous complaynte / denyed the faith openly / in that thou hast dyuerse tymes sayde / that onely faith maketh not righteous before god ? I praye the / art thou not ashamed of so detestable a lye ? Doth not the scripture teach euidently / that fait onely iustifieth in the fight of god : Who euer denyed this / yf he were not mad / and such one as thou art ? Thou bostest of great workes / wher of thou thy selfe hast not touched one with thy litle fyngre . And who knoweth not / that faith and charite can not be separated . Yf charite then hang vpon faith / and can not be ydle / but allwaye occupied / how shulde not the workes of charite and loue folow afterwarde of theim selues ? Yea the same workes are now not oures ( lest any man boast himselfe ) but Christes / who worketh in vs thorow faith / as in his owne membres .

Thou takest to recorde the Epistle of . S. Iames / whose wordes are these : faith without workes is deed . Here thou reioycest as though thou haddest gotten the vittory / and tryumphest as though thou werest ouer the hedge all ready . S. Iames saieth / that faith without workes is no faith / for faith loue or charite can not be sondred . Thinkest thow that one can loue another / to whom he geueth no credence Or that one can put all his hope and trust in him whom he loueth not S. Paul saieth : yf I had all faith / so that I coulde remoue hilles / and hadde not loue / I were nothing . The same putteth he for a thing vnpossible / and declareth therbye / that faith can not be without loue or charite . Therfore will we discerne these thre thinges ( faith hope and charite ) one from another / but so / that they remayne vnseparated . Faith onely iutifieth before god : loue or charite worketh toward hir neghboure : hope doth paciently wayte for the promes of god / and shal not be confounded . Thou saiest we lacke good workes / ( not such as come of loue / or that Christ shal requyre of vs at the daye of iudgment ) but to go a pilgremage / to set vp candils before ymages / to nombre vp what we pray / to tell ouer a payre of beedes / to put deffence in clothing / in meates / in prayers / in titels or names / wher one had rather be called a charter house monck or a barfote frere / then a Christen man . These and such like sklender and childishe workes requyrest thou of vs : which though one had done them alltogether / it were euen asmuch as though he in the meane season had rydden vpon a sticke with boyes in the strete .

But declare thou vs thy faith out of such workes / as belong to a Christen man / and we wil shew the oure workes put of faith . Seist thou how this Christen mam ( whom thou accusest ) stondeth here so weake & fleble thorow the stynck and tedyousnesse of the preson / that he can scace stond vpon his legges . And why : I praye the. Hath he committed anye euell dede ? No. For yf he haue done ouhht that deserueth death / or so the Iudges haue the law / they haue the swerde / let them execute it / I wil make no request agaynst it . Wherfore is it than ? I wil tell the. Euen because he hath frely preached the gospell of Christ and the grace that is geuen vs thorow him ( for he beleued / therfore hath he spoken ) and hath taught that what soeuer is agaynst the gospell ought to be put dawne / to the intent that the kyngdome of god might come vnto vs / & that his name might be santified : thus of a feruent loue hath he endeuored himselfe to instructe all men and to bring them to the true knowlege of god / and of his sone Iesus Christ Summa / his mynde was so set to serue his negboure / that he hath not abhorred the darck dongeon and preson / to be desolate and alone / in honger and thirst / yea & in daunger of death .

Such are the workes of a Christen man / which must not be ascrybed vnto vs / but vnto the lorde that worketh them in vs . Such true fasting is accepted of the lorde such true obedience belongeth to his sayntes .

Now forasmuch as I haue sufficiently declared that oure aduersaries complaynte is cleane agaynst equyte / ther is no more to be requyred saue onely that ye / Right deare Iudges ( whose mynde is to do euery man right ) quyte this Christen man acording to youre beneuolence .