‘¶Quū venerit paracletus quem ego mittam vobis spiritū veritatis qui a patre procedit ille testimonium perhibebit de me.’ These wordes be y e wordes of our sauiour christ Jesu in y e gospell of John. and red in the seruyce of this present sonday. thus moche to say in englysshe. whā the cōforter shall come. whom I shall sende vnto you the spyryte of trouthe y t yssueth from my father. he shall bere wytnesse of me.
FUll often whan the daye is clere and y e sonne shineth bryght ryseth in some quarter of y e heuen a thyk blak clowde. y t darketh all the face of y e heuen. & shadowyth from vs the clere lyght of y e sonne. and stereth an hydeous tēpest. & maketh a greate lightnyng. and thonderyth terribly. so y t the weyke soules. and feble hertes be put in a great fere & made almost desperate for lak of comforte.
¶In lyke maner it is in the chirche of christ. whan the lyght of fayth (that shyneth from y e spūall sonne almyghty god) hathe ben clere & bryght a good season. hath rysen many a tyme som blak clowde of heresy. & stered suche a tempest & made suche a lyghtnynge and so terribly thonderyd that many a weyke soule hath myscaryed therby.
¶Suche a clowde loo was Arrius. whiche stered so great a tempest that many yeres after is vexyd the chirche of christ. And after hȳ came many other lyke clowdes. as Macedonius. Nestorius. Eutices. Cliuidius. Donatus. Jouinianus. Pellagius. Joannes [Page] wiccliff. with other moo. whiche sore tempested the chirche. euery of them for his tyme. Suche heretykes saynt Jude in his epistole calleth ‘nubes sine aqua. que a vento circūferuntur.’ y t is to saye. clowdes w touten y e moysture of grace. whiche be moued w t the blast of wycked spyrytes. And now suche an other clowde is raysed a loft. oon Martyn luther a frere. the whiche hath stered a mighty storme and tempest in the chirche. and hath shadowed y e clere lyght of many scryptures of god. & he maketh yssue from hym a perylous lyghtnynge. y t is to say a false lyght of wrong vnderstādynge of scriptures. which passeth not from y e spiryt of trouth. but from y e spiryt of errour. and from the spiryt of this tempest of his moost perilous heresye. Ferthermore he terribly thonderyth agaynst the poopes authorite. agaynst the generall cōcelles. agaynst y e tradicions and ordinaūces left vnto vs by y e apostles. agaynst the doctryne of y e fathers. & doctours of the chirche.
¶Our sauiour christ therfore by his diuyne prouidence forseynge. y t suche pestylent clowdes & tempestes many shold aryse. to y e greate trouble & vexacyon of his chirch. for the tender loue & infinyt charite whiche he bereth vnto oure mother holy chirche. dyd promesse y t after he had ascēded vnto his father he wold send to hyr the holy spiryt of god. y e spiryt of trouthe. y t shold abyde w t hyr for euer. to acertayne hyr fro tyme to tyme of euery trouth wherunto bothe she & euery chyld of hyrs. y t is to say euery true christen man shold gyfassured faithe. & finally to be vnto hyrī all suche stormes a veray cōforter. accordyng to y e beginnyng of this gospel aboue rehersed. ‘ [Page] Quum venerit paracletus. quem ego mittam vobis. spiritum veritatis. qui a patre ꝓcedit. ille testimonium perhibebit de me.’ This hooly gospel gracyously offereth vnto vs foure goodly instruccyōs agaynst these daūgerous tempestes of heresyes. whan so euer they fortune to aryse. but specyally agaynst this moost pernicyous tempest that Martyn luther hath now stered.
¶The fyrst .iij. instruccyons by the leue of god and helpe of this holy spiryt. shall vndermyne .iij. great groundes. wher vpon Martyn dothe stable in maner all his articles. & the fourth shall answere to the defence y t is made for hȳ by his adherētes. wherby many a weyke soule is in peryll.
¶But byfore y t we shall entre y e declaracion of them. we shall make our prayer vnto this holy spyryte of trouthe. y t in this daūgerous storme & perylous tē pest. he wyl staye our hertes w t the testimony of his trouthe. y t we floghter not in y e catholike doctryne of our mother holy chirch. but fastly byleue suche erudicyons as hath ben deriuyed vnto vs. from our sauyour christ Jesu by his apostylles. & theyr successors. y e holy bysshoppes. & fathers & doctours of the chyrche. For y e whiche & for grace necessary for you & for me euery person saye theyr deuocyon.
THe fyrst Instruccyon is offerd vnto vs of these fyrst wordes of the gospell. ‘Quum venerit paracletus quem ego mittā vobis. spiritū veritatis q i a patre procedit.’ [Page] In y e whiche wordes is promest vnto vs y e spiryt of trouthe. to be our comforte in all doutefull opinions y t may ryse in christes chirche ¶Towching this instruccion thre thynges I wold do. First I wold shewe y t the instruccyons of this holy gospell ꝑteyneth to y e vniuersal chirche of christ. Secondly y t the heed of y e vniuersall chirche (iure diuino) is the pope. Thyrdly y t Martyn luther (whiche deuideth hȳselfe from this heed) hath not in hym y e spiryt of trouthe. ¶For y e fyrst Martyn luther can not denye. but this promesse is made vnto y e vniuersall chirche. & ther vnto we shall bynde hȳ by his owne reason. he saith in the booke de captiuitate babilonica. ‘ Qd si demus vnam aliquā epistolā Pauli. aut vnū alicuius epistole locū. non ad vniuersalem ecclesiam pertinere. iam eueacuata est tota Pauli authoritas.’ y t is to say yf we wyl afferme that any one epistle of saynt Paule. or any one place of his epistoles. perteyneth not vnto the vniuersall chirche of christ. we take away all saynt Paules authorite. ¶Now yf it be thus of y e wordes of saynt Paule. moche rather this is a trouthe of y e gospels of christ. & of euery place wrytten in y e same gospels. In the vnyuersall chirche than this holy spiryte of trouthe resteth. & shal cōtynue vnto y e worldes ende. ‘vt maneat vobiscum ineternū.’ he shall abyde in the vniuersall chirche for euer. ‘et docebit vos omnem veritatem.’ And he shall in euery doute teche vs y e trouthe. Thus moche for the fyrst.
¶Now for the seconde where I sayd that the pope [Page] iure diuino is y e heed of the vnyuersall chirche of christ. Whan ye se a tre stand vpright vpon y e groūd & his braunches spred abrode. full of lefes. & fruyte yf y e sonne shyne clere. this tree maketh a shadowe. in y e whiche shadowe ye may perceyue a fygure of y e braūches. of y e lefes. & of the fruyte. Euery thynge y t is in the tree. hathe somwhat answeringe vnto it in the shadowe. And contrary wyse. euery part of the shadowe hath som thyng answerynge vnto it in the tree. A mans eye may leade hym from eueri part of y e tre. tyll euery parte of y e shadowe. & agayne. from euery part of the shadewe tyll euery parte of y e tree. answeryng ther vnto. Euery man may poynt any certayne part of y e shadowe. & saye this is y e shadow of suche a braūche. & this is y e shadow of suche a lefe & this is y e shadowe of y e bole of the tree. & this is the shadowe of y e top of y e tre. ¶But so it is y t the lawe of Moyses. & y e gouernaūce of y e synagoge of y e Jewes was but a shadowe of y e gouernaūce of y e vnyuersall chirche of christ. So sayth saynt Paule. ‘vmbram habens lex futurorum bonorum.’ y t is to say the lawe had but a shadewe of y e thynges for to com. And ad corinthios. ‘omnia in figura contingebant illis.’ All theyr gouernaūce was but a fygure & shadow of y e chirche. ¶Now than to my purpose. In the gouernaūce was twayne hedes appoynted. one vnder an other. Moyses & Aaron. to cōdith that people thurgh y e deserte. vnto y e contrey y t was promysed vnto theym. We woot y t that people of y e Jewes was shadow of y e christen people. & y t theyr Jorney by y e desert. toward y e coūtre ꝓmysed vnto them [Page] was a shadow of our iourney. thrugh this wretched world vnto y e coūtre of heuen. But Moyses & Aaron whiche were the hedes of y t people. wherof than be they shadow? w touten doute they must be y e shadowe of christe & of his vycare saynt Peter whiche vnder christ was also the hede of christen people.
¶And wyll ye se this more manyfestly by .iij. lykenesses. Fyrst Moyses & Aaron bothe of them were preestes. Moyses was made by god. & Aaron made by Moyses at y e cōmaūdment of god. to whom was cōmytted y e cure of y e Jewes in y e absence of Moyses. So christ & saynt Peter bothe were preestes of y e newe lawe. Christ made by his father almyghty god as it is wrytten of hym. ‘Tu es sacerdos ineternum scdm ordinē Melchisedech.’ that is to say thou art a preest for euer according to y e order of Melchisedech. And Peter was made by christ. to whom he cōmysed in his absence y e cure of y e christen people sayenge. ‘pasce oues meas pasce. pasce. pasce.’ The second likenes is this. Moyses was meane bytwene almyghty god and Aaron for y e causes of the people. & Aaron was meane bytwene Moyses & the people touchynge the causes of god. So scrypture techeth Exodi .iiij. Almighty god sayd vnto Moyses spekynge of Aaron. ‘Ipse loquetur prote ad populum. & erit os tuum. Tu autem eris ei in iis que ad deum pertinent.’ y t is to saye. he shall speke in thy stede vnto the people. & thou shalt be for hym agayn. in thoo causes y t ꝑteyne vnto god. Wyll ye se how christ was the mouthe of Peter towardes [Page] almighty god. he sayd to saynt peter. ‘Simon Simon ecce sathanas expetiuit vos. vt cribraret sicut triticum. Ego autem rogaui pro te vt nō deficiat fides tua. et tu aliquādo conuersus confirma fratres tuos.’ that is to saye. Simon Simon lo Sathanas hath coueyted gretly to syft you as a man syfteth his whete. But I haue prayed for the to thentent y t thy faythe do not fayle. And thou ones tourned to y e stabyll waye conferme thy brethren. Se now here wheder christ was not y e mouthe of Peter whan he ꝓmoted his cause. before almyghty god y e father. & prayed for hym that his faythe shold not fynally perysshe. And cōtrary wyse was not Peter y e mouthe of christ. whan he to the true waye cōuerted dyd cōferme his brethren. here note well what authoryte was gyuen to Peter vpon them to cōferme all the other of his bretheren in the stabyll waye. ¶The thyrd lykenes is this. Moyses ascēded vnto y e moūte to speke w t almighty god. and Aaron remayned behynde to instructe the people. Dyd not christ lykewyse ascend vnto his father vnto the grete moūt of heuen? And to what entent I praye you? Saynt Paule telleth ‘vt appareat vultui dei pro nobis.’ to appere before y e face of almighty god for vs. & there to be our aduocate as sayth saynt John. And dyd not Peter remayne behynde to teche y e people. the whiche our sauyour cōmytted vnto his charge. lyke as Aaron was lefte for to do the people of y e Jewes. whan Moyses was aboue in the mount with god.
[Page] ¶Thus euery man maye se how y t shadowe & this thynge agreeth & answereth one tyll an other fully & clerly. But now let vs pause here a whyle. I wyll construe this fygure yet by an other dede of christ in y t gospel. So it was. y e the Jewes were tributaryes vnto y e romaynes. & for that trybute y e heed of euery housholde dyd paye a certayn coyne called didrachma. So whā they y t were y e gaderers of this trybute came to saynt Peter. our sauyour bad hym go vnto the see. And tolde hym y t in a fysshes bely there he shold fynde staterem. whiche was a double didrachma. and bad hym paye y t vnto y e gaderers. bothe for hymselfe and for chryst. Marke here y t this trybute was heed money payed for them y t were heedes and gouernours of housholdes. & christ cōmaunded this to be payed for no moo. but onely for hym & for saynt Peter. & therby quyted all the resydue. Joyne this facte of y e gospel vnto y t fygure byfore. & what can be more euydent to shewe y t Peter vnder christ was the heed of al y e houshold of christ. But yet thyrdly let vs here the testimony of some father of y e chirche y t this is y e veray meanynge of y e gospell. Saynt Austyn in the boke of questyons of y e newe & of y e olde testamēt y e .lxxv. questyon sayth in this maner. ‘didrachma capitum solutio intelligitur.’ the payment of this money was heed money payde for the heedes. And after foloweth. ‘Saluator quū ꝓ se et Petro dari iubet. pro omnibꝰ exoluisse videtur quia sicut in saluatore erant oēs causa magisterii. ita & post saluatorem in Petro omnes [Page] cōtinentur. ipsum enī constituit caput eorum.’ that is to saye. whan our sauyour cōmaū ded this double trybute. to be payed for hymself and for Peter. & in so cōmaundynge he dyd quyte all the resydue of the apostles. for all they were cōteyned in hym. bycause he was theyr mayster. And as al they were conteyned in our sauyour. So after our sauyour all they were cōteyned in Peter. for christ made hym y e heed of them all. Here note of saynt Austyn y t saynt Peter bycause he was heed of them all. & all they were cōteyned in hym. therfore this trybute y t was payed for hym was payed for them al. But yet by an other scrypture whiche I rehersed before. Saynt Austyn proueth y t al the other apostles were conteyned in saynt Peter. ‘Simon Simon. ecce sathanas expetiuit vos. vt cribraret sicut triticū. Ego aūt oraui pro te. vt non deficiat fides tua. et tu aliquādo cōuersus cōfirmafratres tuos.’ that is to saye, Symon Symon. loo sathanas hath coueted to syft you as a man syfteth whete. but I haue prayed for the y t thy faythe shall not fayle. & thou ones conuerted to y e stable waye. do cōferme thy brethren. Upon y e whiche wordes saynt Austyn saythe. Christ dyd not praye for James and John & for the other. but he prayed for saynt Peter in whome the resydue was conteyned.
¶Cōsydre now how eche of these testimonyes conferme & strenghte one an other. Fyrst the fygure & shadow of y e olde lawe. Secondly y e testymony of the gospels answeryng vnto y e same. Thyrdly y e declaracyō [Page] tyō of saynt Austyn vpō y e same. And here I bryng but one doctour. whose testimony in the balaunce of any trewe christen mans herte. me thynketh shold wey downe Martyn Luther. But saynt Ambrose spekynge de didrachmate calleth it also ‘capitū solutionem.’ that is to say heed money. And of saynt Peter he saythe. ‘Petra enī dicitur. eo ꝙ primꝰ in nationibus fidei fundamentū posuerit. & tan (quam) saxum immobile totius operis christiani cōpagem. molem (que) contineat.’ that is to saye. Peter is called petra. bycause that he fyrste amonge the gentyles dyd establisshe y e groūd of our fayth. & as a stone not easy to be remoued. he cōteyneth in hym & stayeth all y e frame & gretnes of the worke of christ. And saynt Gregory saythe. ‘Certe Petrus apostolus primū membrū sancte & vniuersalis ecclesie est. Paulus. Andreas. Joannes quid aliud (quam) singularium plebiū sunt capita.’ y t is to saye. Peter is y e chefe membre of the vniuersall chirche. Paule & Andrew. & John. what els be they. but heedes of certayne & syngler people. wherby it appereth that as they were chefe euery man of y t people y e they had cure of. So saynt Peter was chefe of the vnyuersall chirche. Saynt Hierome also sayth spekyng of Peter. ‘Propterea inter duodecim vnus eligitur. vt capite cō stituto. schismatis tolleretur occasio.’ that is to say y e Peter was one chosen out amongest twelfe [Page] to thentent that he beynge theyr heed al occasyōs of schysmatyke diuysyon shold be take awaye. Saynt Cypriane forthermore sayth. spekyng of Peter whā he dyd confesse cryst Jesu to be the sone of god. ‘Loquitur illic Petrus super quē edificāda fuerat ecclesia.’ y t is to saye there speketh Peter vpon whome the chirche was for to be buylded. But how shold y e chirche be buylded vpon hym yf he were not the heed and chefe membre of the chirche.
¶All these be of the latyn chirche. holy fathers. all men of grete lernynge. all men of synguler holynes. whose vertuous lyuynges be cōformed by miracles bothe done in theyr lyfes & after theyr deeth. Of grekes lykewyse. Chrisostome after y t he hath praysed saynt Paule speketh of saynt Peter sayeng. ‘ꝙ ipse quifuit apostolorum caput talis fuit.’ y t is to saye y t saynt Peter whiche was y e heed of y e apostles was suche an other and often he called saynt Peter ‘eximium apostolorum. et os discipulorum ac verticem collegii.’ that is to saye y e chefe of the apostles and mouthe of the dyscyples & the top and heed of all the college. And Oxygene saythe. ‘Magno illi ecclesie fundamēto petre (que) solidissime super quā christus fundauit ecclesiam suam. vide quid dicatur a domino. Modice fidei quare dubitasti.’ y t is to say. Se what was sayd of our lorde to that grete foūdament of the chirche and moost stable stone. o man of lytle faythe why dydest thou doute. ¶yf all these so many testymonyes [Page] bothe of grekes and latyns shall not coūterpease agaynst one frere. What reason is this? I truste there is no true chrysten man but y t he wyll be moued w t the testimonye of all these. specyally whan they be groūded of so playne & euydent a fygure of y e olde lawe. and of so clere a lyght of the holy gospels. ¶But here Luther wyll saye that he can not cōceyue duos summos. Of y e whiche I merueyle gretly. Sithen it is manyfest that Aaron was called summus in scrypture. & yf he were summus sacerdos & Moyses was no whit benethe hym. than must they two eyther of them be summus. one of them vnder an other in comparyson of the other people. So as saynt Paule maketh many hedes sayeng. ‘Caput mulieris vir. caput viri christꝰ. christi vero deus.’ Se here be thre heedes vnto a woman. god / chryst / & hyr housband. & yet besyde al these she hath an heed of hyr owne. It were a monstruous syght to se a woman withouten an heed. what cōforte sholde hyr housbande haue vpon hyr. yf than one woman notwithstandynge she hathe an heed of hyr owne to gouerne hyr accordynge to the wyl & pleasure of hyr housband. yet she hath hyr housband to be hyr heed & chryst to be hyr heed. and god to be hyr heed, How moche rather our mother holy chirche which is the spowse of christ. hath an heed of her owne. y t is to say the pope. & yet neuerthelesse chryst Jesu hyr housbande is her heed. & almyghty god is hyr heed also. ¶But now let vs retourne to our instruccyō. Thus than ye vnderstāde how that in the vnyuersal chirche of chryste remayneth the spyryte of trouthe for [Page] euer. and y t the heed of this chirch the pope is vnder chryst. Bi this breuely it maye appeere that the spiryte of christ is not in Martyn luther. The spyryte of euery naturall body gyueth lyfe noo forther. but to the members & partes of the same body. whiche be naturally ioyned vnto the heed. And so lykewyse it must be in the mystycall body of our mother holy chirche. ¶For asmoche than as this wretched man hath deuyded hymselfe from the heed of this body. whiche is the vycare of chryst. how can he haue in hym the spyryte of this body whiche is the spyryte of trouthe. & specyally whan he hath dyuyded hymselfe with suche pryde / arrogancye / & presumpcyon. whiche is moost odyous vnto this holy spyryte. and so dispytyously. so presumptuously. so malicyously contemneth & setteth at nought. & all to raggeth the heed of chrystes chirche. to whome as to his chefe spyrytuall father. by the reason of his religyon he hath vowed and promest obedyence. How can this man haue in hym the spyryte of god this holy spyryte of trouthe. And here I make an ende of the fyrst instruccyon.
¶Here foloweth the seconde instruccyon agaynst the pernycyous doctryne of Martyn luther.
[Page] FOr the second instruccyon y e next wordes enseweth. ‘Ille testimonium perhibebit de me.’ that is to saye. And he shall bere wytnesse or gyue euydence of me What merueylous vertue what wonderfull operacyon is in y e bemes of the son̄e whiche as we se this tyme of y e yere spred vpon the groūde dothe quycken & make lyfely many creatures the which before appeered as deed who that vewed and beheld in the wynter season y e trees whan they be wydred and theyr lefes shaken from them and all the moystour shronke into y e roote & no lust of grenenes nor of lyf appeereth outwardly yf he had had none experyence of this mater before he wold thynke it an vnlyke thyng y t the same trees shold reuyue agayne & be so lustely clad with lefes & floures as we now se them. And yet this is done by the subtyll operacyon and secrete workynge of the sonne bemes spred vpon the grounde. Neuerthelesse not euery beme of y e sonne hathe this vertue. It is a trouthe y e bemes of y e son̄e in wynter be lyght as they be now this tyme of the yere but y t lyght is so faynt and feble that it gyueth no lyfe. for than we sholde haue herbes and trees to growe as wel in wynter as they now do this tyme of the yere. The cause of this weykenes is. for the sonne shooreth so lowe by the grounde that his bemes than sklaunteth vpon the grounde and dothe not reboū de nor double in themselfe agayne towardes the sonne. and this is the cause of this weykenes. [Page] they wyll set tynder or clothe on fyre. And lykewyse it is of y e bemes of the faythe & hope whan they be ioyntly compacte and vnyte togyder. yf a man had suche a faythe and confydence than he myght commaūde a gret moūtayne to remoue for his pleasure and this were a myghty faythe. Neuerthelesse yf a man had suche a faythe yet yf he wanted the hete of charyte he were but as a deed tree. For saynt Paule sayth. ‘Si habuero omnem fidem ita vt mō tes transferram charitatem aūt non habuero nihil sum.’ yf I haue all faythe he y t speketh of all leueth none vnspoken of. yf I haue all faythe he saythe & so myghty faythe y t by my faythe I maye remoue at my commaūdement gret moūtaynes yet yf I want the hete of charyte I am nothyng but as a deed stok a tree withouten lyf. And therfore saynt James saythe. ‘Fides sine operibꝰ mortua est’ Faythe withouten y e fruyte of good workes is deed. To this purpose our instruccyon saythe. ‘Ille testimoniū ꝓhibebit de me.’ y t is to saye he shall bere wytnesse of me. Of whom? of christ. What is christ? ‘Luxvera que illuminat omnem hominem venientem in hunc mundum.’ that is to saye the true lyght y e whiche enlyghtneth euery creature cōmynge into this world. who shall bere wytnesse or gyue euydence of this lyght? the spyryte of god. ‘Quia charitas dei diffusa est in cordibꝰ nostris per spiritū sanctū qui datus est nobis.’ That is to saye y e hete of the charyte of god is spred [Page] in our hertes by the holy spyryte y e whiche is gyuen vnto vs. hete of charyte gyueth euydence that that lyght is lyfely. Haue a man neuer so moche lyght of faythe onlesse he haue also this hete of charyte sterynge his soule and bryngyng forthe lyfely workes he is but a deed stock & as a tree withouten lyfe. For as I sayd though the naturall sonne shyne neuer so bryght vpon a tree. yf this tree haue in it no grenenes nor puttyng forthe of buddes and lefes this tree is not alyue. So whan y e bemes of y e spirytuall son̄e be spred vpon our soules yf we fele not the sterynge hete to fruytfull workes our soules be but deed.
¶But now to what purpose serueth this instruccyon? To this. it subuerteth one grete groūde of Martyn luther whiche is this y t faythe alone withouten workes dothe Justifye a syn̄er. vpō y e whiche groūd he byldeth many other erroneous artycles & specyally y t the sacramentes of christes chirche dothe not Justyfye but onely faythe. A perylous artycle able to subuerte all y e order of the chirche. but touchynge these sacramentes the kynges grace our souerayne lorde in his owne persone hath w t his pen so substaū cyally foghten agaynst Martyn luther y t I doute not but euery true christen man y t shal rede his boke shall se those blessed sacramentes clered & delyuered from y e skalaūderous mouthe & cruel tethe y t Martyn luther hath set vpon them. wherin al englond maye take grete comforte & specially al those that loue lernynge. Plato saythe. ‘Tū beatas fore respublicas quando aut philosophi regnent aut reges philosophentur,’ That is to saye. than shall [Page] Ye se whan a bowle is throwen sklantlynge vpon a wall it slydeth forward and reboūdeth not bakward dyrectly agayne to hym that was the thrower. but whan it is dyrectly cast agaynst a wall with a grete vyolence than it dothe dyrectly rebounde agayne. In this maner it is of the sonne bemes y e more nye that y e sonne draweth vnto vs now this tyme of the yere y e more dyrectly his bemes bete vpon y e groūde & the more dyrectly they reboūde & retourne agayne towardes y e son̄e. And by the reason of the nyenesse of beme to beme ryseth a greter strengthe in y e beme and a more full lyght. ‘quia om̄is virtus vnita fortior est.’ that is to say. For euery vertue y t is gadred togyder is more stronger. ¶Asengell threde is nothynge so stronge as is a double / nor a syngle beme of the sonne is nothyng so myghty as whā it is doubled and bowghted in it selfe by reboūdyng and reflexyon. Forthermore of these two ryseth an hete & a warmenes the whiche is y e pryncypall worker of lyfe in euery creature. But for all this we be not yet sure that any tree is alyue to than we se some puttynge forthe of buddes or lefes out of the same tree. ¶This example yf ye perceyue it maye enduce vs to conceyue how wonderfully the spyrytuall sonne almyghty god worketh by his spyrytuall and inuysyble bemes of his lyght spred vpō the soule of man or vpon the chirche. bothe whiche is called in scrypture a spyrytuall erthe. ‘Dominus dabit benignitatem et terra nostra dabit fructū suū.’ That is to saye. our lorde shall gyue his gracyous influence and our erthe shall yelde fruytful workes. [Page] The bemes of almyghty god spred vpon our soules quyckeneth them & causeth this lyfe in vs and the fruyte of good workes. Fyrst they cause y e lyghte of faythe but this is a veray sklender lyght w touten y e reboundynge of hope & the hete of charyte. faythe w touten hope is a sklender beme & of a lytle power. But Joyne vnto hym hope whiche reboundeth vp to god agayne ad [...] que non videntur. & thā is he moche stronger than he whas byfore. For nowe this is doubled and bowghted in it selfe and gadred more nye vnto hymselfe & made more valyaunt and mighty than it was before. Before it was lyke vnto the faythe y t saynt Peter had whan christ bad hym come to hym vpon y e see. he beleued his mayster but he had no veray fast hope y t he myght walke there. He was not stronge in his faythe & therfore our sauyour sayd vnto hym. ‘Modice fidei quare dubitasti.’ But of y e stronge faythe y t hath a cōfydence & hope adioyned. therunto he sayth ī an other place. ‘Si habueritis fidem sicut granū sinapis dicetis monti huic. transi hinc et transibit.’ That is to say. yf ye had faythe lyke vnto a corne of mustard sede ye shold cōmaund this moūtayn to remoue hȳselfe & it shold by your faythe auoyde. this is a grete fayth & hath also cōfydence & hope adioyned therwith. A corne of mustard sede is veray lytle but it hath a gret vertue compact and gadred in it. So whan the bemes of faythe & hope be ioyned togyder in one poynt than it is of mighty power. The bemes of the son̄e whan by reflexyon of a brennyng glasse they be gadred togyder. they be so myghty y t [Page] [...]omen welthes be blessed whā eyther those y t be phi [...]osophers gouerne / or elles those that gouerne gyue them to philosophy. And scrypture exhorteth prynces to y e same sayenge. ‘Et nūc reges intelligite erudimini qui iudicatis terram.’ that is to say And now ye y t be kynges study to haue vnderstandynge. & ye that take vpon you y e Judgemētes of y e worlde inforse you to haue lernynge.
¶But now lette vs retourne to our mater agayne. For this groūde he bryngeth saynt Paule in dyuers places sayenge y t a man is iustyfyed by his faythe onely withouten workes. Neuerthelesse saynt Austyn saythe that saynt Paules wordes were myscō ceyued in the begynnyng of the chirche for the whiche as he saythe y e other apostles in theyr epistoles studyeth to the cōtrary parte. But some here thynketh that Martyn luther lytle regardeth saynt Austyn. And a trouthe it is. but yet that is a foule presumpcyon. let hym at y e least beleue y e other apostles whome withouten manyfest heresye he can not denye. Saynt James sayth. ‘Ex factis iustificatur homo & nō ex fide tm̄.’ A man is iustifyed by his dedes and not by his faythe alone. whiche thynge saynt James dothe not onely saye but also proueth it by dyuers wayes. One is this. ‘Demones credunt et contremiscunt.’ The deuylles he saythe hathe faythe. & yet no man maye say y t the deuylles be iustyfyed by theyr faythe. How many that lyue in horryble synne y t yet haue y e faythe of chryst Jesu & wold rather dye or they shold renye theyr faythe. [Page] but for all that they be not iustyfyed. But yf onely faythe dyd iustifye bothe they and the deuylles also shold be iustyfyed. Second y e same example y t saynt Paule vseth vnto the Romaynes to proue y t faythe iustifyed a synner withouten workes. y e same vseth saynt James to y e contrary. the example I meane of Abraham as there appereth in y e same place. But ye than wyll saye. Syr be these apostles one contrary to an other. To this saynt Austyn saythe y t nay forsothe. But y t saynt James onely contrareth that y t may be construed & mystaken in saynt Paule. For saynt Paule meaneth of the workes y t gothe before faythe. & saynt James meaneth of the workes that folowe after the faythe. Saynt Paule meaneth y t y e worke of circūcysyon or of other workes of the lawe was not necessary for the iustyfyeng of Abraham to go before his faythe but his faythe withouten them dyd iustyfye hym. Saynt James meaneth of the fruytfull workes that folowe after faythe the whiche gyue euydence of a lyfely faythe and these iustyfyeth a man. and these he saythe yf Abraham had not had. he had not ben iustyfyed yf Abraham had not ben redy to offer vp his sone Isaac at the commaundynge of god he had not ben iustyfyed. but bycause he was so redy therfore he saythe. ‘Abraham ex operibus iustificatus est.’ That is to saye. Abraham was iustifyed by his workes. wherfore saynt James speketh not agaynst saynt Paule but agaynst the mysunderstandynge and mysconceyuynge of hym. Of the whiche mysconceyuynge saint Peter also speketh in his second epistle sayeng. ‘ [Page] In quibus sunt quedam difficilia intellectu que indocti et instabiles deprauāt sicut et ceteras scripturas ad suam ipsorum perditionem.’ That is to saye in the epistoles of our ryght dere broder Paule be some thynges harde to be cōceyued whiche the vnstable myndes dothe misconstrue lyke as they do many other scryptures to theyr owne damnacyon. Thus ye maye se that dyuers other haue mysconstrued saynt Paule byfore this as nowe dothe Martyn luther to his owne peryll and damnacyon.
¶But here one thynge I merueyle moche of Martyn luther specyally that he saythe that in all scrypture there is no more testymony agaynst hym but this one place of saynt James. for it is not to be douted but many moo maye be brought. And fyrst oure sauyour in the gospell of Luce saythe. ‘Date eleemosynam & ecce omnia munda sunt vobis.’ That is to saye. gyue ye almes and all thynges shal be clene vnto you. what is this clennesse but the iustyfyenge of our soules the whiche is promest for y e workes of almes. yf I beleue neuer so moche and yf I releue not the poore in theyr necessyte I shall not atteyne vnto this clennesse. Ferthermore in y e gospel of Matthew. ‘Si remiseritis hominibus erra ta sua remittet & vobis pater vester celestis Quod si non remiseritis hominibus errata sua nec pater remittet vobis errata vestra.’ [Page] That is to saye. yf ye do forgyue vnto them y t hathe greued you theyr offences your father in heuen shal do lykewyse to you. and yf ye do not forgyue to men whiche hath greued you theyr offences nor your father shall not forgyue to you your offences done agaynst hym. Ouer this he saythe in y e same gospell. ‘Non omnis qui dicit mihi domine domine intrabit in regnū celorum. sed qui facit voluntatem patris mei.’ that is to say. yf we worke not the wyll of almyghty god y e father we shall not be iustyfyed nor entre into the kyngdome of heuen. Besydes these in the same gospell. ‘Nisi abundauerit iusticia vestra plus (quam) scribarū & phariseorum non intrabitis in regnum celorum.’ That is to saye. onlesse your iustyce or your maner of lyuyng be more better and ample than was y e iustyce and lyuyng of y e Jewes and pharysees ye shal not entre into the kyngdom of heuen whiche is to be vnderstāded de iusticia operum. of the iustyce of workes. as clerly appeereth of all y t foloweth. Besydes this he saythe. ‘Om̄is q i audit verba mea hec & non facit ea similis erit viro stulto qui edificauit domum suam super arenam.’That is to saye. Al y e hereth these my wordes & worketh not therafter is lyke vnto an vnwyse man that buyldeth his hous vpō an vnsure groūd. And saynt Paule also saythe. ‘Non auditores legis sed tactores iustificabuntur.’ y t is to saye. Suche as onely be herers of y e lawe of god shal not be iustifyed [Page] but y e workers therafter. And saynt James saythe. ‘Estote factores verbi et non auditores tantum fallentes vosmetipsos.’ y t is to saye be ye workers of the worde of god and not onely y e herers for than ye disceyue yourself. & saynt Paule agayne sayth. ‘Si secundum carnem vixeritis morie mini. Si spiritu facta carnis mortificaueritis viuetis.’ y t is to say. yf ye lyue after y e workes of your flesshe ye shall dye. but yf ye mortifye in you by spyryte the workes of your flesshe ye shall lyue. And fynally saynt Paule sayth resoluyng his owne sentence. ‘fides que per dilectionem operatur.’ that is to saye. Fay the whiche is wrought by loue. accordynge to the whiche saynt James saythe. ‘Uides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius: ex operibus fides consummata est.’ That is to saye. Thou seest how that faythe helped his workes and how of the worker his faythe was made perfyt. By all the whiche testimonyes ye may playnely se that not onely faythe suffyseth but also loue and workes be requyred to y e iustyfyenge of our soules. And thus moche for the seconde instrucyon.
¶Here foloweth the thyrde instruccyon agaynst Martyn luther.
[Page] TOwching y e third instruccyō it foloweth in y e gospel. ‘Et vos testimoniū ꝓhibebitis. quia ab initio mecū estis’ That is to saye. & ye shall bere wytnesse bycause ye be conuersaunt with me fro y e begynnyng. To whome shall they bere wytnesse. but vnto y e vniuersall chirche of chryst? Theyr wytnesse thā must be allowed of euery true christen man ¶Of these wordes & of y e other aboue rehersed. it shal appeere y t more testimony must be admytted for sufficyent authoryte. than only y t. y t is wrytten in y e byble. Whiche one thynge yf we may establysshe. it wyl cast downe a grete nobre of Martyn luthers artycles. But for this we must cōsydre y t these .iij. persones of whome this gospel hathe made mencyon. though al theyr workes be vndiuyded & vndeseuered one from an other. but ioyntly go togyders. yet scripture assygneth thre seuerall tymes vnto these .iij. ꝑsones. in y e which they haue instructeth man. of y e trouth necessary to be byleued. First almighty god y e fader istructed our elders by his ꝓphetes: as saint Paule sayth. ‘Multiphariā multis (que) modis olim deꝰ loquēs patribꝰ ī ꝓphetis.’ y t is to saye. Almighty god y e fyrst ꝑsone ī y e godhed many diuers wayes instructed our fathers by his ꝓphetes. saynt Paule meaneth here by our fathers the Jewes. of whom we spūally descēded. for Abrahā y t was theyr carnal fader is oures also spūal. Now almighty god y e father taught them by his ꝓphetes. whose ꝓphecyes all be it they be wrytten in scrypture. yet was there many moo thinges which they spook vnwrytten. [Page] y t was of as gret authoryte. as y t y t was wrytten which y e mayster of Jewes calleth cabala. which is deriuyed fro man to man. by mouthe onely & not by wrytyng. After this y e second ꝑson y e sone of god our sauiour christ Jesu was send by his father into this world to instructe man. bothe by hymselfe & by his apostles. y e which were cōuersaūt w t hym (as y e gospel here sayth) fro y e begining. These blessyd apostles left vnto vs also many thinges by mouthe. which is not written in y e byble. This thyng may appeere by saynt paule. whiche cam after them & was not p̄sent whā christ saye these wordes vnto them ī .ij. epistole ad thessalonicēses. ‘state & tenete traditiōes q̄s didicistis. siue ꝑ sermonē siue ꝑ eplam nr̄am.’ y t is to say. be ye ꝯstaūt & kepe those īstrucciōs & erudicyōs y t ye haue lerned of vs. ather by mouth. or els by wryting. yf saynt paule (y t was latter thā y e other apostles) to whom these wordes were sayd of christ. wyl haue his tradicyōs obserued & kept. aswel those y t he tolde them by mouth. as those y t he wrote w t his pēne. why shal not lyke wyse y e tradiciōs of al y e other apostles be of lyke strengthe to make fayth & to bere wytnesse of y e trouthe. Here ye may se by exp̄sse scrypture of saynt paule y t we be bounde to byleue many mo thynges thā be wrytten & put ī y e byble. We shall cōferme this by Origene which is an aūcyent doctor & to whome in this poynt grete faythe is to be gyuē. He in y e boke of nōbres omelia .v. sayth. ‘SꝪ ī eccl̄iasticis obseruationibꝰ sunt nōnulla que omnibꝰ facere necesse est. nec tn̄ ratio eorū oībꝰ patet. Nā ꝙ verbi gratia genua flectimus [Page] orantes. et ꝙ ex omnibꝰ celi plagis ad solā orientis partem conuersi fundimꝰ orationem. nō facile puto cui (quam) ratione compertū. Sed & eucharistie. seu percipiende seu quo ritu geritur. explicande vel eorū que gerū tur in baptismo. verborū. gestorū (que). et ordinum. at (que) interrogationū. et responsionū. quis facile explicet ratione. Et tamen hec omnia operta licet et velata portamꝰ super humeros. quū implemus ea et exequimur. vt a magno pontifice christo et a filiis eius tradita et cōmendata suscepimus.’ That is to saye. But in the obseruancyes of y e chirche be many thynges whiche is necessary for vs to do and yet y e reason why that we so do is not open to al men. As in example. whan y t we make our prayers knelynge and whan amonges all the other plages of heuen we chose the eest parte towarde y e whiche we make our prayer I thynke not that the reason of this is lyghtly knowen to any man. Of y e obseruācyes also and rytes y t we vse aboute y e sacrament of y e alter to be consecrate. or elles of y e sacrament of baptyme to be minystred whoo can expresse the reason of al those wordes. gestures. orders. questyōs. answers y t there be accustomed. And yet neuerthelesse al these we bere couerd & hyd vpon our sholders whā y t we do perfourme and execute them accordynge to y e tradicyōs & erudycyons whiche we haue receyued cōmended vntyll vs by y e grete bysshop christ & by his children [Page] the holy apostles. Of the whiche wordes of Oxigene it clerly dothe appeere. that many suche tradycyōs were left vnto y e christen people by christ & his apostles. y e whiche we must folowe notwithstādyng they be not wrytten in scripture. To y e whiche purpose I myght also brynge the testimonyes of Damascene. Demose. Augustine. Hierome. & other moo.
¶Thyrdly y e thyrd persone in y e trynyte y t is to saye y e holy spiryt of trouth was sent fro y e other twayne to abyde w t vs for euer. and to be as a cōforter contynuell in christes chirche. whan y e stormes & tēpestes of heresyes do aryse. & agaynst al floghteryng doutfulnes to teche vs y e veray certayne trouthe. where vnto we shold rest. After y t the apostles were departed from vs the holy spyryte dyd & dothe remayne & shall remayne with vs vnto y e worldes ende. but by whome I pray you speketh he vnto vs? by whome techeth he vs any trouthe? by whome elles but by y e fathers & doctours of y e chirche. by theyr mouthes this holy spyryte techeth vs euery trouthe. ‘Non enī vos estis qui loquimini. sed spiritus patris vestri qui loquitur in vobis.’ y t is to saye. It is not ye that speke. but the holy spyryte of your father whiche dothe speke w tin you. Saynt Basyll whan he was baptised. a wonderful lyght was sene aboute hym. which is not to be douted. but y t it was a sensyble token of y e holy goost. And lykewyse saynt Ambrose (whyles he was endytynge of y t .xliij. psalme) a lyght was sene aboue his heed in maner of a shelde. which by lytle & lytle entredī at his mouthe in veray token of the spiryte of god. And so lykewyse [Page] it was of the other. Wherfore it is not to be douted but in suche holy bisshoppes and doctours of y e chirche y e holy goost dothe speke. but moche rather ī coū celles whan many of them were assembled togyder. For euer as the stormes and tempestes of heresyes dyd aryse. so they were at length oppressed & cōuynced by this holy spyryte. spekynge in y e mouthes of y e fathers & doctours of y e chirche. Somtyme by generall coūcelles and assembles of many bysshoppes togyder. ¶In y e coūsel of Nicene was cccix. bisshoppes in whome the holy goost spake to y e confutacyon of an heresye y t than sore vexed y e chirche. After that in the coūsell of constanstynoble was assembled .c.l. bisshoppes. & in them the holy goost spake to the destruccyon of an other heresye y t than rose in the chirche. In the counsell kept in Epheso in a grete cyte of Asye so named were assembled .CCC. bisshoppes in whome than the holy spyryte spake to the confoundynge of an other heresye that was alofte. & so cōtynually frome tyme to tyme euer as these clowdes arose and made any grete tempestes. & began to lighten and shewe a fals lyght of misconstruyng of scryptures. this holy spiryte was redy by these fathers to enforme y e vniuersal chirche of y e certayn trouthe. ¶Se than I saye what we haue to conferme those thynges that be taught vs by the chirche. Fyrst the prophetes that were instructed by y e father almighty god. and also theyr Cabala. that is to saye theyr secrete erudycyons not wrytten in the byble. Secondly the apostles. whiche were instructed by oure fauyour chryst Jesu. and also theyr tradycyons not wrytten in the byble. Thyrdly the holy fathers and [Page] doctours of the chirche. that were enformed by the holy spyryte of trouthe. as well in theyr exposycyons of scrypture. as also by theyr general assembles and councelles had here to fore.
¶Yf there were a fourth persone in the trynyte. or an other spyryte to be sent vnto vs frō almighty god we myght yet be in some doute wheder Martyn luther had met with this spiryte by the waye and cō ueyed hym from vs. But sythen we be assured that there is no moo but .iij. persones in the godhede. of whome this gospel maketh mencyon. and that euery one of them hath done his dylygence to instructe vs of y e trouthe. And ferthermore. that there is none other holy spyryt preter spiritum veritatis but this spyryte of trouhe. and he also shall abyde with vs for euer & acertayne vs of euery trouthe. we may be sure y t Martyn luther hath not this spyryte whā he dothe teche vs agaynst the trouthe that hathe be taught vs by this spyryte. For he cutteth away the tradycyons of the apostles. and refuseth the generall councelles. and contemneth the doctryne of the holy fathers and doctours of the chirche. and laboureth to subuerte all the ordynaunce of the chirche. & namely the .vij. sacramentes. and taketh awaye the fredome of mans wyll. and affermeth that al thyng falleth by necessyte contrary to al y e doctryne of christes chirch. we may be sure therfore y t he hathe some other wretched spyryte. some spyryte of errour & not y e spiryt of trouthe. saynt Paule sayth. ‘In nouissimis (tꝑibꝰ) temporibus discedēt quidā a fide. attendētes spiritibus erroris. et doctrinis demoniorū.’ [Page] that is to say. In the latter dayes of y e chirche some shall go from y e true faythe of christes chirche & gyue hede to y e spirytes of errour & to the techynge of y e deuyl. And here note this worde (discedēt). For saynt Paule saythe in another place. Erit discessio primum. y t is to saye. Before y e comynge of antichryst there shall be a notable discessyon & departyng fro y e faythe of y e chirche. And it is not vnlyke to be at this same tyme by y e occasyon of this moost perylous heretyke. ¶Here Martin luther for his shrewed brayne wyll some thyng wrastell agaynst vs. He wyl say that y e councelles somtyme erre. & that the doctours full often disagre. And as they erre & disagre at one tyme or in one place so maye they do in an other. and therfore he sayth he is boūdē to byleue none of them all. To this maye be answered y t this reason strayneth not. as it shall well appeere in lyke. The ꝓphetes somtyme left vnto themselfe dyd square from y e trouthe. ‘Nam prophetie spiritus nō semper prophetarum mentes irradiat.’ That is to say y e spiryte of prophecye dothe not alway shyne bright vpon the myndes of the prophetes. As in example kynge Dauyd purposynge to buylde the temple to almyghty god councelled with the prophete Nathan wheder he sholde perfourme his purpose ye or naye. And the prophete Nathan bad hym goo in hande with it. and do all that he intended in his herte for to do. ‘Omnia que in corde tuo sunt fac. dominus tecum est.’ That is to saye. do all that thou intēdest in thy herte. for oure lorde god is with the. yet he was deceyued. it was not soo as he sayd. [Page] Shall we nowe for this disceyte truste none other thynge y t this prophete Nathan sayd besyde this? god forbede. Lykewyse of the apostles. saynt Peter whan he sayd to christ. ‘Tu es xp̄s filiꝰ dei viui.’ y t is to say. Thou art chryst y e sone of the lyuely god. he spake this by reuclacyon. and here our sauyour praysed hȳ & sayd. ‘Beatus es petrus bariona.’ y t is to saye. Thou art blessed Peter y e sone of John. w tin a lytle after he dyssuaded our sauiour from his passyon and sayd. ‘Abut a te domine.’ y t is to saye. Not so good lorde. And in this he sayd wrong. Shal we nowe bycause he sayd wronge this seconde tyme not byleue his fyrst sayenge? y t were not reasonable. Almighty god suffred y e prophetes and the apostles also somtyme to erre to thentent y t we myght knowe they were but men. and whan they sayd trouthe y t that they had of god. & whan they sayd otherwyse thā trouth y t that came of themself. And so lykewyse I saye of the doctours. though they somtyme erred. bycause we myght knowe y t they were men. & that than they were left to themself. we shal not therfore denye them generally. And y e coūcelles also thoughe some one of y e last coūcelles whiche perauēture was not gaderd in y t mekenes & charyte y t was expedient though one of them (whiche thyng I wyl not afferme) in some artycle were permysed to goo amysse. Shold we therfore damne al y e resydue? It were no reason. And this may suffyse for y e third instruccion.
¶Here foloweth y e fourth instruccyon.
[Page] THe fourth a the fynall instruccyon taketh awaye y e defence that may be layde for Martin luther by his adherētes. which defēce also may soone ouerthrowe y e weyke soules whan they shall here it. Theyr defence standeth in thre poyntes. Fyrst they saye that Martyn luther is a man depely lerned in scriptures. groūdynge all his opinyons vpon the same. a man of religious lyfe. & suche one y t for his lernynge and vertue hath many adherentes. Secondly they saye y t he hathe a fast mynde in god. and spareth for no mans authoryte to speke the trouthe. in so moche y t he hath excomunicate y e pope for he thynketh in his owne cōscience y t those y t folowe not his doctryne be not of y e chirche catholyke. Thyrdly he hath a merueylous feruent zeale to god for y e whiche he dothe labour to cōuert all y e world to his opinyon. thynkynge assuredly to do a specyal sacrifyce & pleasure to god therby. This whā a weyke soule hereth he is in peryl anone to gyue faythe vnto it. & to mystrust the doctrine of y e chirche. For who may thynke but suche a man is ī y e ryght way. But herfore to this the rest of y e gospell y t enseweth dothe answere clerly. It foloweth. ‘heclocutus sum vobis. vt nō scādalizemini abs (que) synagogis facient vos. Sed venit hora vt om̄is q i interficit vos arbitretur obsequiū se prestare deo.’ That is to saye. This I haue tolde you before to y e entēt y t ye shal not quale in your fayth. for they shall deuyde you from theyr synagoges. & y e tyme shal come [Page] y t euery man y t mordereth you shall thynke y t he dothe therby grete seruyce vnto god. These wordes maye be taught of some to ꝑteyne only vnto y e tyme of y e Jewes. which dyd expell y e apostles out of theyr synagoges. or to y e tyme of y e tyraūtes. whiche dyd slee moche christen people in y e beginnyng of y e chirche. But yf y t were a trouthe. thā these wordes shold be no generall instruccyon for y e vniuersall chirche. whiche thynge we gaderd agaynst luther at y e begī nynge of our sermone. wherfore moche rather they ꝑteyn vnto y e tyme of y e heretikes. First bycause this ꝑsecucyon lenger cōtinued thā y e other twayne. for y e persecucyon of y e Jewes was soone at a syde. and y e persecucyon of y e tyrauntes had his course for a season. but y e heretykes hath persecuted y e chirche from y e ascensyon of christ. & shal do vnto y e comynge of antichryst. Forthermore y e persecucyon of y e herytykes is & was euermore perylous. for as for y e Jewes & y e tyraūtes they were manyfest enemyes vnto chryst & abhorred his scripturs. but these heretykes p̄tend a specyal fauour vnto christ. & coloure all theyr heresyes w t his scryptures. The Jewes & y e tyrauntes whā they had slayn y e bodyes of christē mē. yet they sent theyr soules to euerlastyng glorye. but y e heretykes miscōstruyng y e scriptures of god. by theyr false doctryne. & erronyous opinyōs & pestilent heresyes. dothe slee y e soules of chrysten people. & send them to euerlastyng dānacion. Wherfore these wordes must rather be vnderstāded of y e ꝑsecucyō y t was made by y e heretykes. Now than christen man. whā y u herest y t Martyn luther is a man of grete lernynge. & hath grete redynes in scryptures. and is reputed of vertuous [Page] lyuynge. and hathe many grete adherentes. thynke y t many suche hath ben before hym in y e chirche of chryst. y t by theyr lernynge and mistakynge of scriptures hathe made suche tempestes in y e chirche byfore this tyme. ¶How tempested one grete heretyke Arrius with his heresye y e chirche of chryst. how gret a murder of soules made he? was not he a man of grete lernynge. of synguler eloquēce. of vertuous lyfe in outwarde apparence. & all his opynyons he grounded vpon scrypture. and so dysceyued many a soule. Saynt Hierome saythe. ‘Arrius vna scintilla in Alexandria fuit, sed quia nō cito extincta est totū orbē populata est flāma eius’ That is to saye. In y e cyte of Alexandre Arrius was but one sparkle. but bycause this sparkle was not soone quenched y e flam y t rose of it raged thorugh all y e world. & a longe tyme vexed y e chirche of christ. and ouerthrewe soules innumerable. tyll at y e length by y e holy spiryte of trouthe. whiche is y e cōforter of christes chirche spekyng as I sayd before in y e mouthes of y e fathers & doctours of y e chirch this heresye was conuynced and playnly put asyde. ¶But after this tempest rose vp an other clowde in cotynent. one called Macedonius. y t vexed y e chirche lykewyse. & after hȳ Nestorius. after hym Eutices. & so forthe storme after storme one vpō other. so y t assone as one storme was pacifyed y e wycked spyrytes raysed vp another incontynent. Saynt Austyn remēbreth .lvij. capital heresies. y t after y e ascensyon of our sauiour christ. at sondry tymes. lyke so many clowdes & stormes rosein y e chirche. whiche fynally were conuynced by the [Page] holy spiryt of trouthe. And euery of these heretikes grounded his heresye vpon scrypture. and many of them were men of fell wyttes. of depe lernynge. of mighty reason. & of pretensed vertue. & had y e propre fayth to wrye & to torcasse y e scriptures. to make them apparēt for theyr erronyous opinyōs. Fynally theyr lyfe. lernynge. & handlyng of scriptures. were suche y t they had many grete adherētes & fautours. aswel of y e bysshoppes. as of y e emperours. & of other chrysten prȳces also. which were abused by them. Therfore it was necessary y t our sauyour christ Jesu for y e grete inestimable goodnes & for the tender loue y t he bereth to his chirche. shold leue instruccyon & warnynge to all christen people & to his vniuersall chirche of this persecucyon and so dyd he sayenge. ‘Hec locutꝰ sum vobis vt nō scādalizemini.’ I haue tolde you saythe he these thinges before. bycause ye shall not quale in your faythe. what hath he tolde vs byfore? This. that y e spiryt of trouth shal remayne in y e chirche for euer, & y t in all suche stormes & tē pestes he shal be a cōforter vntyl vs. O christen man here this gracious warnyng of our sauyour chryst. marke wel what he saith. I haue warned you sayth he of these thȳges before. bycause y t whā they fal. ye shal not be ouerthrowen in your soules by them. as though he sayd. whā ye shal se y e stormes aryse. whā ye shal behold y e thick black clowdes aloft. y t shal darken al y e face of y e heuē. & shadow frō you y e clere light of y e sonne. & shewe a false glysteryng light y t yssueth out of y e clowde. from y e spiryte of y t tempest. & ye shal here terryble cōminacyon of theyr thonderyng. Be ye thā cōstant in your faythe. byleue as dothe your [Page] mother holy chirche. lyfely & put your trust in y e spiryte of trouthe. whiche shall be your comforter vnto y e worldes ende. ¶Ferthermore whan y u herest christen man y t Martyn luther hath a fast mynde in god y e letteth for no mans authoryte to speke y e trouthe. & reputeth all them y t folowe not his doctryne to be deuyded from y e chirch catolyke. in so moche that he hathe excomunycate y e pope. O wōderful presumpcion. O madnes intollerable. knowe this for certayne. y t all y e other heretykes thus dyd. they dyd repute themselfe & theyr adherētes only to be of y e chirche catholyke. and rekeneth all other y t folowe not theyr opinyons to be deuyded from the chirche. So dyd y e Nonacyanes in Rome exclude y e catholyke preestes & bysshoppes from theyr chriches. So dyd y e Arrianes in grece lykewyse. So dyd y e Donatystes in Affrycke. Neuerthelesse the chirche of christ is but one vna. sancta. catholica. et apostolica. this chirche is one hauynge one heed y e pope. whiche is y e vicare of christ. of whome it is called vna. And though there be in this chriche many synners. yet for y e holy sacramentes y t reneweth & repareth synners dayly. & for the holy spyryte y t cōtynually remayneth in it. it is called sancta. y t is to say holy. And for bycause it is not lymyt to any certayn nacyon. but it is comen to all nacyons. therfore it is called catholica. y e is to saye vniuersall. And fynally bycause it is deryuyed from y e apostles. & specyally frō y e prynce of y e apostles saynt Peter. therfore it is called apostolica. that is to saye apostolyke. This onely chirche is y e spouse of christ. all other sembles y t be not of this chirche be synagoges of sathanas & cōcylyables of the deuyll. [Page] And therfore christen man be not astonyed. thoughe they do excomunicate and deuyde y e true christianes from theyr synagoges. For our sauyour hath gyuē vs warnynge here of before sayenge as it foloweth in the gospell. ‘abs (que) synagogis facient vos.’ y t is to saye. they shal excomunicate you and deuyde you from theyr synagoges. Thyrdly christen man whan thou herest y t Martyn luther hathe so grete a zeale to god. & thynketh in his conscyence y t he is boūden to do this y t he doth. & weneth y t in so doyng he pleaseth god & dothe a specyall seruyce vnto god. & all the soules y t by his false doctryne he sleeth and murdereth he recommytteth them vnto almyghty god. yet neuerthelesse be stronge in thy faythe and se y t in this poynt our sauiour hath also warned y e chirche sayenge. ‘Sed venit hora qn̄ om̄is q i interficit vos arbitret̄ obsequiū se prestare deo.’ That is to saye. the tyme cometh whan euery man y t shall murder you. shall wene y t he dothe acceptable seruyce vnto god. But yf thus the other heretykes dyd not before. thā thynke y t Martyn luther is somwhat. Dyd not thus the Arrianes? dyd not they furyously rage agaynst the catholyke bisshoppes and preestes. whiche dyd resyste them: and not only by theyr pestilent errours they infected y e soules of men but also caused grete murders of bodyes. Dyd not thus y e Donatystes of whome saynt Austyn saythe ad Bonifacium. ‘Quicū (que) dura illorū verba cō tempserāt. durioribꝰ verberibꝰ qd iubebāt facere cogebātur. innocentiū qui eos offenderant [Page] derant dontus. aut deponebātur ad solu [...] aut ignibus cremabantur.’ y t is to saye. Whose euer set at nought theyr hard wordes. they were cō strayned w t harder strokes to folowe theyr pleasures y e houses of y e good christianes. eyther were throwe downe to y e grounde / or elles were brent w t fyre. And after foloweth. ‘ꝙ plurimi cedibus eorum extincti sunt.’ y t is to say. & many was slayne by theyr murders. Dyd not thus y e discyples of wycclyffe. all be it y t for fere of the temporall lawes they durst slee no man. yet put they vp a byll of artycles vnto y e tē porall lordes in the parliament season mouyng them to slee theyr aduersaryes y t resysted agaynst them. And what suppose ye Martyn luther & his adherē tes wold do. yf he had y e popes holynes & his fauourers. whome he calleth so often in derisyon papistas papastors. & papanos. & papenses in his daunger. I fere me y t he wold vse no more curtesy with them. than he hath done w t theyr bookes. y t is to say with y e decretalles which he hath brent. And so lykewyse I fere me that he wold bren them or any other christen man y t he thought might let his opinyons to go forwarde. And yet in so doyng he wold thynke y t he dyd grete seruyce vnto god.
Thus ye may se y t these heretykes. all be it they had grete redynes in scriptures & were fell wytted men. & depely resoned. and had also pretens of vertuous lyfe. & had a grete zeele thynkyng in theyr cōscyence y t they were bounden to do asmoche as they dyd. yet were they disceyued. & by y e holy coūcelles & fathers of y e chirche conuynced of theyr erronious opinyons [Page] And why maye not lykewyse Martyn luther be deceyued as all they were before hym / and specyally sythen he wanteth the spyryte of trouth / the whiche all they wanted. For yf they had had y e spyryte of trouthe they sholde not haue erred in myscōceyuynge y e scryptures. I saye not but y t they were redy in scryptures / & coude brynge the scryptures meruaylously to theyr purpose and frame them cursedly to theyr opynyons. but for lacke of the spyryte of trouthe they mysconstrued these scryptures / and as saynt peter sayth. Deprauabant / or as saynt Paule saythe. Inuertebant / they tourned the wronge syde of the scryptures outwarde / folowynge theyr owne brayne and phantasye led by the spyryte of erroure and ignoraunce as it foloweth. ‘Hec omnia facient vobis quia non nouerunt patrem ne (que) me.’ y t is to saye. All this they shall do vnto you / bycause they knowe not my father nor me yf they had hadde the spyryte of trouthe / this spyryte sholde haue ledde them to the true knowlege of the father and of the sone / that is to say / to y e true knowlege of the prophetes by almighty god y e father spake / and to the true knowledge also of y e apostles / by whome the sone our sauyour chryst Jesu spake but bycause they had not this spyrite of trouth whiche was sente from y e father & frome y e sone / therfore they were ignoraunt of them bothe / and by y t ignoraūce they fell to these in conuenyentes. And so lykewyse hath now done Martyn luther. ¶Now than here I make an ende. I haue remembred vnto you accordynge to my promesse foure instruccyons y t be offred vnto vs of this gospell gracyously. Fyrst y t the holy spyryte whiche is y e thyrd persone in y e dyuynyte was sente frome the father almyghty [Page] god & frome his sone our sauyour chryst Jesu / to he the spiryte of trouthe / resyaunt for euer in y e chirch the chryst& / to be as a cōforter fro tyme to tyme agaynst all stormes & tempestes of heresyes / acertaynynge vs in the tyme of euery doutulnes the veray trouthe where vnto we shall holde & kepe vs. By the occasyon of this instruccyon I shewed .iij. thynges. Fyrst y t this instruccyon & all y e hole gospell ꝑteyneth to the vnyuersal chirche of chryst / whiche thynge I proued by Luthers owne wordes. Second y t y e heed of this vnyuersall chirche was y e pope vnder chryst / whiche one poynt taketh away one grete grounde of Martȳ luther & shaketh sore many of his erronyous artycles. Thyrde y t Martyn luther dyuydyng hymself from y t heed of this body can not haue in hȳ this spiryte of trouth. For y e second instruccyon I shewed you y t the hete of charyte spred in our hertes by y e holy spryte of god gyueth euydence of y e lyfely lyght of faythe / shynynge vpon oure soules frō our sauyour chryst / by the whiche instruccyon was vndermyned an other grete groūd of Martȳ luthers / whiche is y t onely faythe dothe iustyfye a syn̄er w touten workes. For the thyrde instruccyon I shewed y t y e erudycyons left vnto y e chirch by y e holy apostles / bereth vnto vs testymony of y e fayth of chryste / and what thynge we shall beleue in his chyrche / where also was losed an other grounde of Martyn luther / which wyll not admyt any other testymony / but onely that y t is wrytten in scrypture. Agaynst whome I proued that he must besydes y e scryptures wrytten / receyue also the tradycyons of the apostles not wrytten / ouer this y e coūcelles generall / in whom the holy goost dyd speke [Page] and y e interpretacyons of scryptures made by y e holy bysshoppes & doctours of the chyrche / by whose monthes the thyrde persone in the godhede the spiryte of trouthe spake and speketh / enformynge y e chirche for this tyme lyke as dyd y e father almyghty god by his prophetes before / & as dyd his sone y e seconde persone by hys apostles. For y e fourthe instruccyon I shewed you y t the defence whiche is made for Martyn luther by his adherentes wherby manye weyke soules be ouerthrowē / is clerely take away by y e moost louynge & moost gracyous forwarnynge of our sauiour christ as ye haue herde in the ende of the gospelle. And yet eftsones for his moost excellente charyte he warneth all his chrysten people saynge and repetynge. ‘Hec locutus sum vobis: vt quum venerit hora eorum reminiseamini / quia hec dixi vobis.’ That is to saye. These thynges I haue tolde you to thentent that whā y e daūgers shall be fall yet ye may remēbre y t I byfore dyd warne you of theym. Who y t thus often warned wyll yet gyue faythe to Martyn luther / or to any other suche heretyke rather than to christ Jesu & vnto y e spyryte of trouthe / whiche is left in y e chirche of chryst vnto the worldes ende / specyally to enforme vs of y e trouth / this man goethe fer wyde from y t streygth way / & is neuer lyke to entre into the port of euerlastynge rest / whiche al we desyre & couet to come vnto / to the which he brynge vs qui cū patre et spiritu sancto viuit et regnat deus peroīa secula seseculorum. Amen.