FYRST, Wheras I spekyng in my booke of Traditions, of the autorite of Bysshoppes in makyng lawes and ordenances, whyche the people ought to obey, I dyd say & teache in this wyse: That men ought to obey the Bysshoppes commaundement in all thynges leaful, vpon payne of euerlastyng damna­cyon. And that these wordes of Mathew: Doo as they byd you, but not as they doo, be vnderstand not only of thinges conteined in Scripture, but also of the Churches or­denaūces besydes Scripture made by the Ministers of the Churche, although the said Ministers do ab­use their auctorite for their owne be nefite and profite. And further, where I taught that it is more con­uenient that the people obey their Bisshops cōmaundementes & De­crees although it be but in a thinge [Page] indifferent of it selfe and not com­maunded by God, then that seruaū ­tes shuld obey their maisters, or children their fathers and mothers.

And finally, where I sayd concer­nyng the same matter: That as subiectes be bounde to obey and fulfyll their Princes Lawes, which ar not conteyned in Gods Lawes beyng not agaynst it, euen so be Christen people bounde too obey & doo that which their Bisshops byddeth them doo. All these sayinges I doo now Reuoke, Disanull and Condempne as erronious and false. And do pro­fesse and acknowledge fyrst that the auctorite aswell of the Bysshop of Rome, whose auctorite is iustly and lawfully abolyshed in this Realme as of other Bisshops & other called y ^e ministers of the church, consisteth in the dispensacion and ministratiō of Gods woorde, & not in makyng [Page] Lawes, Ordinaunces and Decrees ouer the people besyde Gods word without the consent and auctoritie of the Prince and people.

¶ Secondly, I say & affirme that no Bysshop nor none of the Clergy assembled togither haue auctoritie to make any Lawes or Decrees besydes Gods Law ouer the people without the consent of the Princes and the people: and if they do make anye suche, no man is bounde to obey theym.

¶ Thirdly, I say that in those coū tryes, where by the auctorite of the Prince they haue made any suche Lawes, thauctorite of those Lawes, doth not appende and hang of the Bisshops and the Clergy, but of the princes & cheif heds in euery coūtry

¶ Fourthly, I say & affirme that within this Realme of England & other the kinges Dominions, there [Page] is no Law, Decree, Ordinaunce or Constitution ecclesiasticall in force and auaileable by any mans aucto­rity, but only by the Kynges maie­styes auctority or of his Parliamēt.

And where in any foresaid booke of Traditiōs, I sayd that Tenthes of Benefices be dew only to theym that do preche and teche the Scrip­ture, and also that he that serueth not he Aulter nor precheth not the Gospell can nott iustly lyue by the Tenthes, but is in conscience boūd to restore the profites and frutes taken therby: Which my sayenges as it lieth in woordes & sentences is seditious and sclaunderous to the Kynges maiesties procedinges and the Lawes and Ordres of this Realme, which haue graunted Tenthes and Tythes to many Ley per­sones: Therfore this my sayeng as it may be taken, & iustly by the wor­des [Page] and sentences as they be put, I wyl not nor entend to defende nor aueere the same: but I requyre that I may put theym and declare theim gently, that I ment not in these my sayinges of any Lay men, to the de­rogation of the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme: but I ment only of Curates and Preestes which re­ceyuing their Tythes, do not their dutyes accordingly.

And where also in my sayd booke of Traditions, and lykewyse in my boke of the Sacrifice of the Masse, I folowyng Damascene and other Auncient Authors, wrote, that the Disciples of Christ dyd make cer­tayne Canons, which saint Clement dyd gether togither and put in wri­tyng, and that these same Canons must be taken for the Appostles do­ctrine and techyng, and their woor­des without doubt to be beleued & kepte as that which is cōteyned ex­pressely [Page] in scripture. Now hauynge red many thynges, whiche at that tyme I had not diligently marked & wayed: I doo thinke, affirme, and cōfesse that doctrine to be not trew, but a vayne, vnlawfull, vniust, and vnportable burdein to Christen consciences: And that those Canons pretended to be of thappostles ma­king and gatherd of saint Clement, not to be made of thappostles: or if they were, not to be made otherwise than but for an order in the Church for that tyme, not euer for to endure wherof many at this tyme in no wyse be too be obserued: And those which do remayne, not to be of that force as Gods lawe to charge mens consciēces otherwise, then as mans Ordinaunces and Policie whiche may be taken away by Superior powers aswel & with so lytle scruple of cōscience as other of them which [Page] many yeres a go were taken away, & to sum clene contrary lawes made

In the said boke of Traditions also I sayd & affirmed, that Christ and his Appostles taught and lefte to the church many thingꝭ without writyng which we must both beleue stedfastly & also fulfyll obediently vnder payne of dampnation euer to endure. Amongest the which I re­hersed by name a greate nomber to be obeyed, kepte & folowed: as the obseruation of Lent from flesh or wyne, the kepyng of the Sacramēt in the Pyx, the receyuing of it at the preestes handes, the hallowyng of the water in the Font, the thrise dip­pyng of the Chylde in the water at the Christenyng, the puttyng on of the Chrisome, the Consecration of the Oyle, & Anoyntyng of the chri­stened chylde, the hallowyng of the Aulters, the prayeng towardes the [Page] East, the Sensyng of the aultare, the Wasshyng of the handes, & say­eng Confiteor, and lifting vp of the Sacrament at the Masse, the ma­kyng of Holy Water, That the. xii Appostles (euery man a peace for his portiō) made the Crede, & many mo besydes these. And after lyke sorte I spake of Canons, Decrees, and Ordinaunces of bysshops and generall counsels.

Now I do confesse the saide do­ctrine as concernyng thobseruyng of the sayd Traditions vnder that payne, to be false and Tirannicall, an vniust, vnlawfull, and vntrew burdein of mens consciences, not fit to be taught, preched, or defended,

Lykewyse of the beleuynge of thinges where I dyd say, that there are diuerse thynges not expressed in the scripture which we are boūde to beleue egally with those thynges [Page] which arr written in Scripture, in the nomber of which I dyd cōfusely & indiseretely for an example bring some of the afore rehersed and other many. As cōcernyng many things in my booke put, and the more nom­ber there by me reconed and named I affirme and say to be false, and in no wyse trew, but very daungerous and vniustly, onerous to the consci­ences of christen men: and too be trew only in those Doctrines which necessaryly may be gathered, & con­sequently doo folow too the wordes and sentences in Scripture, so that in effect they may be iustly counted to be in scripture, though the very fourme of woordes be not there: Of the which in my Booke is very few, yet some I dyd reherse: as Baptis­mus puerorū, Descensus Christi ad in­feros, Virginitas Marie, Trinitas perso­narum, Processio Spiritus sancti, and a [Page] few other.

And bicause I wold declare the trew acceptions, dignitie and auctoritie of scripture too be distincte, di­uerse, & of higher, surer, more stable and firme order and credence, then the other vnwritten Tradicions & Assertions, wandring in thobserua­tion of many yeres, & the churches canons and Decres, ordinaunces and traditions left by succession.

Here I do declare, set furth, confesse, affirme, and asserte my trew & stedfast opinion, belefe and fayth in these thynges propounded & vttred vnto me as concernyng scripture written, and other Traditions vn­written and not declared in the said holy Scripture.

The scripture of tholde and new Testament written by thinspiratiō of the Holy ghost concernyng our belefe, is too be beleued, accepted & [Page] taken as an vndoubted truthe, not to be altered, refourmed or chaun­ged by any man, nor to be minished nor abrogate by any custome, but vnder perell of dampnation to be beleued, and vnder the same daun­ger to be followed, hauyng aucto­ritie geuē vnto it by almightie god, taught & enspired by the holy ghost dependyng of no mans auctoritie, nor violable or defesible by any po­wer, otherwise then vnder the pe­rell & daūger of eternall damnatiō.

Suche thynges as in the Actes of the Apostles or any other place of Scripture, as for a tyme was taught and setfurthe for an intro­duction of the weake in the fayth, not to remayne for euer, as fayth incresed was abrogate, none other­wise than it was thauctors mynde and intentes they shuld those that concerned eatyng, drinkyng, coue­ryng [Page] or discoueryng of heades, or such other externe rites and ceremonyes, rather concernyng an ordre among men outwardly to be for a tyme obserued, than an eternall law to rule and gouerne the soule.

Suche thynges as sometyme be called traditions not expressely and by wordes found in holy scripture, but which may necessarily and well be gathered of holy scripture, are to be beleued and followed, in so­muche & as farr as they may truly be gathered of the scripture, or con­sequently doo follow the wourdes and intentes of the same.

Traditiōs pretended to be made of thappostles, & by some authors ascribed to theym as concernyng thinges to be beleued not found in scripture directly nor necessarily, & directly consecutyng & followyng to scripture, laufully & w ^tout perell of [Page] dampnation may be doubted of, & also denyed and refused by the supe­rior powers, & suche as haue Au­ctoritie in the church.

There be many thinges ascribed to thappostles, & called traditions deduced from the tyme of thappo­stles & read in the name of olde Au­thors, and set furth vnder the pre­tensed title of their name, which be feyned, forged & nothing trew, full of superstition and vntrewth, fey­ned by theym which wold magnify their owne power and auctoritie, as is the Epistles of Clemens, Ana­cletus, Euaristus and Fabianus, & other which arr set furth by the bys­shop of Rome and his complices, which be forged, feyned and of none auctoritie nor to be beleued, but coū terfeyted by theym: who with the color of antiquitie wolde magnify that vsurped power of the bysshop of Rome.

Traditions of the churche, whe­ther they be in deed or haue ben coū ted so aunciēt that they haue ben v­sed frō the begynnyng of the church & the tyme of thapostles, or els haue ben appoynted and prescribed of later dayes by Decrees of the bys­shop of Rome or other bysshops or by generall counsels concernyng superioritie of one bysshop ouer ano­ther: Watching, Fasting, Kneeling Sensynges, Enoyntyng, Blessings and all other suche Rites, Ceremonyes and comen Orders to be vsed in the church of God, doth not bynd but where they be receyued, and by disuse maye be abrogate, or by con­trary law made in any countrey by thauctority of the superior powers many be clene taken away, & other Rites, Canons, Traditions & Ce­remonyes brought in for them with out any daūger of synne or grudge [Page] of conscience. And with any suche last afore rehersed, the Kynges ma­iestie for the tyme beyng may either of laufull and iust cause, or of his mere goodnesse without any cause dispence or absolue, any man frō be­yng bound to theym.

And the sayd persone with whom the superior powers haue dispen­sed with all, and so made free from them, may vse his said lybertie with out any daunger of synne or scruple of conscience, either to the Kyn­ges maiestie which gaue lybertie, or to him whiche hath obteyned the lybertie or Dispensacion. None o­therwyse than in any other acte, sta­tute or proclamation made by hu­mane polycie, the Kynges maiestye and the hygh powers may. Whan contrary wyse that that is Goddes law and commaunded by scripture alwaies to be obserued, no man can [Page] dispence with it, nor gyue any man libertie to breake it, vnder daunger of synne & corruption of conscience.

This is my full, firme, and stable belefe as touchynge the scripture written, & Traditions vnwritten, & what thyng soeuer I or any other heretofore haue preached, taught, written or endyted to the contrary of these my assertions & belefe now declared vnto you: or if any man hereafter (which God forbyd) shuld preach, teach or set furth any thing which is not consonaunt & agreyng to these aforesayd articles and as­sercions, beleue good hearers, and know you surely, that it is a false, vntrew & deuellysh doctrine and vngodlye vsurpation vpon the holly Scripture, contrary too the trew, pure, and Catholicall doctrine of Christes churche. In the which faythe and beleef conteyned in the [Page] sayd. vi. Assertions, I doo entende good hearers with the grace of al­mighty God to lyue by Christ, and all my hope is also too dye therin if need shalbe. And whensoeuer God shall call me therunto (his grace as­sistyng) I shalbe redy.

AND now concernyng another booke whiche I made of the Sacrifice of the Masse, where the moast chief and principall article of our fayth, and moast directly per­teynyng too the redemption of our synnes and to our saluation is: That our sauyor Christ Iesu by his moast precious death and effusion of his moast precious blood vpon the crosse dyd redeme man kynde, taking away our synnes, pacifying the indignation of his father, and cancellyng thobligation that was agaynst vs: In which Sacrifice [Page] makyng vnto his father, our sayde Sauyoure Ihesus Christ as saynt Paule sayth playnly to the Hebrewes, was not a preest after the order of Aaron, forasmuch as he was of another Trybe: and also, that preesthod was imperfite and vnprofitable bringyng nothyng too per­fection: But our Sauyour Christ made his sacrifice vpon the Crosse parfectly, absolutely, and with the most hyghest perfection that could be, somuch, that after that one ob­lation and sacrifice for syn made by hym but once only, nother he nor a­ny other creature shuld at any tyme after, make any mo oblacions for the same. And for as that saynt Paule sayth, he was called an eter­nall preest of the order of Melchy­sedeth, and not of Aaron.

This fayth ought euery man and woman vndoubtedly to beleue and [Page] openly to professe vpon payne of e­uerlastyng dampnation, and also too dye in this professyon if case shall so requyre: The which moast holsome & moast necessary doctrine of our fayth I not dilygently con­sideryng, as many tymes too right great clerkes & lerned men in much writynge in lyke mattiers it hath chaunced to say too far. The infir­mite and weakenesse of men beyng suche, that seldome in many words error hath escaped. So in my boke of the Sacrifice of the masse, I dyd incircumspectly & rashly write and set furth too the people, that Christ was not a preest after the order of Melchisedech, whan he offred him selfe vpon the Crosse too his father for our synnes, but was a preest af­ter the order of Aaron. And that when Christ dyd offer his owne bo­dy too his father after thorder of [Page] Melchisedech tappease his wrath, it may not be vnderstand of the sa­crifice of the crosse, but of the sacri­fise that Christ made at his Maun­dy in forme of bread and wyne: To the which in dede saynt Paules do­ctrine is contrary, both in other places, and in thepistle and Hebreos ve­ry manifestly, agaynst whom, who without doubt had the very spirite of God. Neither it becometh, nor I wyl not willingly teach or defend any thyng: Wherfore you shal im­pute that, good Audience, too the frailty of mans nature, and too my negligent marking, hauing at that tyme rather a respecte too a fantasy that then I had in my mynde, than too the trew and infallyble doctrine of scripture. And moreouer in the same my booke, I sayd not onely that the Sacrifice of the masse is the selfe same substaunce of Christ [Page] but also the selfe same oblacion or offeryng of our sauyoure Christes very flesh and blood which him self once offrid to his father on the crosse to appeale his wrath. And that the preestes do continually and daily in the masse offre not onely the selfe same body of Christ, but also to the same effecte, that Christ dyd offre himselfe to his father at his Maundy. Of the which wordes and do­ctrine, if they be not very warely & circumspectly reade, and more fa­uorably taken then the wordes as they lye, may well bere, it might be gatherd, that preestes herein be e­gall with Christ. Preestes of thor­der of Melchisedech, appeasing the wrath & indignation of the father of heauen, crucifying or offeryng Christ to the same effecte that Christ in his owne persone dyd vpon the crosse, which is a blasphemy into­lerable [Page] to be herd of christen eares. For Christ as saynt Paule sayth, was but once offered, once gaue vp himselfe for the redemption of our synnes on good friday on the crosse, nor neuer before nor after was offe­red for vs, but in a sacrament and as a commemoration of the same.

And so of the Maundy or Supper of our Lorde, Christ himself sayth Hec quotiescū (que) feceritis, in meam com­memorationem facietis. Ones he dyed for our synnes, and once agayne he rose for our iustification. He dyeth no more, & his sacrifice was so good so ful, so plesant, so precious to god, that there needed no more oblatiōs to appease god, nor only for the syn­nes past, but also for all the synnes to the day of Doome.

There neede no more sacrifices, no more offerers, but as hauyng a respect and a remembraunce of that [Page] most holy, most perfyte, and most entier Lambe, then & for euer offred vp for vs. But these before sayd I can not deny but spoken of me and written, And as I do not now lyke theym, so at thexample of saint Au­sten and other good doctors, I am not ashamed to retracte theym, call theim agayne, & condempne theim. For when I folowed myne own in­uention not directed by Scripture, I began as the nature of man is to wander, and at the last went cleane contrary too Gods woord.

Wherfore, I hertely exhort euery man as touchyng matiers of faith to founde the same vpon Gods cer­teyn, trew, and infallyble woorde: lest by doyng the contrary, they fall into superstition, idolatry, & other manyfold errers as I my self some­tyme, and many other (although I doo not come hyther too accuse any [Page] man) yet I perceyue of late tyme haue doone. Wherfore, these my two bookes, the one of the Sacri­fice of the masse, and thother of the Traditiōs vnwritten, in those poyntes before rehersed, & all other wherin they be not full cōsonant to scrip­ture, I forsake & renounce as false erroneous, and agaynst the trew woord of God. Requiring the good christen reder whosoeuer shall rede theym, to geue no further credence vnto theym then I wold my selfe: That is, not to take as vndoubted truth all that is therin written, but as written of a man that sometyme falleth: to be so farre trew as they be consonaunt to scripture, wher they be not agaynst scripture, to be humane persuasion, which may ei­ther be so or not so, as the great re­sone shall leade: where they be not consonaunt to scripture to be erro­neouse [Page] and false, and that I muche lament & am sory that I wrote them in those poyntes. And I desyre e­uery man that hath any of the sayd bokes, to beware of theym, and to gyue no credence to theym in all suche thynges in theim written, as be not consonant to the scripture, as they auoyde occasion of error, and tendre the truth of Gods word and his glory. To whom be laude, prayse, and honor Amen.