❧ The olde Fayth of greate Brittaygne / and the newe learnynge of Inglande, Wherunto is added a symple instruction, concernynge the Kinges Maiesties procedinges in the cō munyon. Compyled by R. Ʋ.
In this ye shall knowe that the lorde hath sent me / for to do all those thinges whyche ye see, and that I haue not inuented them of myne owne harte.
IMPRINTED at London by Anthony Scoloker. Dwellynge in the Sauoy rentes Wythoute Temple-barre.
Cum Priuilegio ad Imprimendū solum.
[Page] THe Euangelist, Math. 2 [...] Witnesseth, that Chryste sayd: all power is geuē me in heauen and earth. Go therfore & teach al natiōs, Baptisīg thē in y e name of y e father, and of y e sōne, ād of the holyghost, teaching them to obserue all thynges whatsoeuer I commaunded you. Theys wordes therfore (go teach all nacions) may proue the woorde of God to haue bene taught here in this Realme euen in the tyme of the Apostles and discyples of Chryst: for then this realme was tributory or payd tribute to the Romaynes, and in estimaiton wyth them. And for a farther profe, Eulebius in his Ecclesiasticall hystory, the thyrd booke and fyrst chapter / sayth: the Iewes beyng persecuted wyth all euels, the apostles and disciples of our sauiour departed to go preache by all partes of the worlde. And farther the great Chronicle of lytle brytaygne, recyteth, that Co [...]llus, sonne of Maruis / was king in thys realme after hys father. Who in hys yonge age was brought vp in Rome. And for so muche as he knewe the maners of the Romaynes, he had them all his lyfe in honoure, and payd them ye [...]elys [Page] tribute. For he sawe the whole worlde trybutours to htem. He had the prynces and the nobylytye of hys realme in greate reuerence, and many tymes shewed great lyberalytie, in geuing them gyftes & presentes: And also vnto those whyche lyued vertuously: and for this cause was he so beloued of all folkes, that, after hys death, they ceased not to wepe. He reygned longe and left a sonne called Lucius whyche was kynge after hys father. In whose tyme (as the same chronicle recyteth) was a great nombre of Chrystyans baptysed, whych openly preached the gospell of oure sauyour and Redemer Iesus Chryst. Who Kyng Lucius gladlye hearde / and he, beynge in spyred wyth y e grace of the holyghost, had a desyre to be chrystened, and for to obteyne the same / sent messengers to Elether / then beynge Bysshop of Rome, for lerned menne / Who sent hym twoo Famous menne, one called Faganus, and the other Damianus.
Who also at ther commynge / preached before Kynge Lucius / the whole lyfe and lawe of oure sauyour and redemer Iesus Chryste. At whose preachynge, the Kynge wythe hys whole housholde was Chrystened in the yere of Chryst. 185. And vnder y • [Page] fayth or belefe of one only god, were edified diuers Temples. And thus we see y e firste fayth receued in thys Realme to be taught accordyng to the Gospell. For at that tyme were fewe Ceremonyes vsed amonge the Chrystiās, other then were cōteyned in the gospell. And thys pure & syncere fayth contynued among the Brytaynes in thys Realme tyll the yere of Christ. 544. In which tyme (as Ranolph of Chister recyteth in the .v. boke the. 9 chapter of Polichronica) Ethelbert was kyng ouer kent. To whō Austen the monke came from Rome vnsent for, then beyng bysshop of Rome Gregory the great. Whiche Austen at his comming, raysed vp a banner of the Crosse / & shewed a Table that he brought, wheron was paynted a crucyfyx, and song the Popes Letany / and sayd masse, which the kig wolde not receaue at the fyrst. But shortly after, Austen persuaded the king ād hys people after suche a sorte / that he receaued Austens ware. And Gregory his master / hearing of this, sent Austen more helpers. and w t them, sent bokes & reliques of holy saits: and thus was y t new lernīg brought ito this reame of w c we se much yet remaynyng in the church / at this present daye / al [Page] the Britaynes at that time, wolde in no wise receaue, as apeareth in the same. ix chapter. Whervppon Austen called a counsel of vij. Britysh bysshoppes, and of the most famous monkes of Bangorin wales. Who, at their comming to the counsell, an Heremite meting with them. demaunded whether they were going? and they answered / to Austens counsel. Then sayd the Heremyte to them. When ye come there, if Austen ryse and mete wyth you lyke a meke Dysciple of Christe, then receaue his doctrine. If not, returne agayne. Which they did, in that Austē shewed not him selfe meke, wherat Austē was displeased and sayd vnto them. Consēt to me in thre thinges / if ye wyll not agree to the rest. That is kepe Easter in dewe tyme, and Christen after the maner of the church of Rome, and preache Gods worde to the Inglysh. But they wold not consent to him. Whervppō Austē made them answere, saying: he was warned by inspyracyon, that they whiche wolde not receaue peace of theyr brethern / shulde of hym receaue warre and wrath. Which he brought to passe. For he caused Ethelbertus kyng of Northumberlād to [...]a .ij. M. L. mōkes of Bāgor, w c lyued by [Page] the sweate of theyr browes, hauing nothīg to spēd. And y • syese how this new fayth was brought into this realme. 409. yeares after the fyrst. And howe in the fyrst was preached the whole lyfe and law of our sauiour & Redeamer Iesus Christ. And in the last, wyth bloude, was set vp a banner, a crucifix, the popes Letany, and Masses, with bokes and relykes of holye saynctes / Austē denieth not, that the Britaynes kept easter, and Christened, but it was after the institucion of the apostles, and not after y • vse of the Romaynes (whiche Crucyfyed Chryston good frydaye, & raysed hi vp on easterday) y • Romaynes vsed in theyr christening, oyle, creame, salt and spyttie, as we see at these dayes. Which vsage / in those dayes / the Brytaynes wolde not receaue. Foganus and Damianus taught the Brytaynes to buylde diuers Temples vnder y • fayth of one only God. Austē taught to buyld churches of peter and of paule. And sence hys successours haue taught to build churches of Austen, Dunstone / Ancelme / Blasy and Thomas becket. So that we may see, that by these meanes y • pure and siynceare trueth hath bene darkened. Full wel might Peter say, there shalbe false teachers [Page] among you. 2. Petri. 1. Which pryuely shall bring in dampnable sectes, denying y e lorde that bought them. I pray you, Is not the popish priesthod a dampnable sect / whiche saye / they can make theyr maker in their masses, and offer him vp for a sacrifice, whiche preuayleth the quicke and dead? Peter myght well say / that all such shuld bryng vnto them selues swift dampnaty ō and that many shuld follow their dampnable wayes 'by which the way of truth shal be euell spoken of. How say you (O ye popish bisshops ād priestes which maynteyn Austens dampnable Ceremonyes) do ye not cause the way of truth, which is y e gospell, to be euell spoken of? Axe such as conne in dennes and corners to saye, and heare masses, ād take holybread, and holy water / with such lyke / and they wyll speake euell of y e gospell / saying, it was neuer mery sence it was preached. Therfore, leaste ye brigswyft dampnacion vppon you, leaue Balaams marke, and confesse wyth Peterthat ye haue denied Chryst / and also that wyth Paule ye haue persecuted Chryste / and be no more ashamed to returne vnto Chryst, then was Peter and Paule. For truly soloug as ye say Masse and lyfte the breade [Page] and wyne aboue your heades / geuynge the peple to vnderstande your masse to be vayllable for quycke and deade. Ye denyethe lord that bought you, and serue not Chryst, but Antychrist / as wytnesseth. s. Barnarde in his .xxxiij. sermon vppon the cantycles / saying: they are the ministers of Chryst & serue antichryst. They walke (sayth he) in the honours of the goodes of the Lord, to the which lord, they do no honour: [...]rō hence (sayth he) commeth the be wty of the harlot, w c thou seest dayly decked like pl [...]yers. And farther, he being ashamed with the couetousnes and pryde whiche then reygned and yetreygneth amonge you, sayth vppō the .ix. psal me. Almoost all Christians seks theyr owne proffyt, and not that of Iesus Chryst. And haue altered the offices of the Ecclesiasticall dignitie to vnshamefull gaynes and workes of darkenes. In these thiges (saythe he) is not sought the health of soules / but the voluptuousnes of Ryches. And herefore are y u i shauē, herefor frequēt they the churches, celebratyng mastes and syngyng psalmes. Thus ye se howe the forefathers abhorred these thyngs whych reygne yet at thysdaye. Therfore let the Masse go agayne to Rome, wyth all Austens [Page] trynkets and cleaue to the lordes supper, in the w c is declared howe that Chryste offered his body for vs, and shedde hys bloude for the remyssion of our synnes / as heceafter shalbe declared, after the mynde of the Auncient doctours: whiche ye maye perceaue / is conformable to the scripturs, where as y • aduersaryes haue not the doe tryne, which is agreable wyth y • same, but fayned fantasyes and Auncient custumes, which the apostles abhorred. And therfore Peter bad vs remember the wordes whiche were told vs before of the holy prophetes, and also the commaundementes of vs (sayth he) that be apostles of the lorde and Sauyour .ij. Petri. iij. And Chryste sayd Luke the .x. He that heareth you, hereth me and he that despyseth you, despyseth me. And he that despyseth me, despiseth hym that sent me. Wherfore let vs not despyse Chryst and his apostles least y e plages which fell vppon the Iewes for theyr ingratitude, fall vppon vs. Wherof the lorde defende vs. Amen.
A Simple Instruction concernynge the Kinges maiesties procedinges in the communion.
In thys ye shall know that the lorde hath sent me for to do all those thynges which ye see / and that I haue not inuented them of myne owne harte.
A Symple instruction concerning the Kinges maiesties procedinges in the Communion.
GEntell Reader / It is not vnknowen what an occasyon of sclaunder dyuers haue taken, in that the kinges Maiestie wyth hys honourable Counsel, hath gone about to alter or take away the abuse of the communion, vsed in the Masse, both contrarye to Chrystes instytucion and the ministracion of the Apostles and catholyke fathers in the prymatiue Church. And for so muche as the, same abuse of the cōmunion hath been many yeares in estimacion, and counted holy: the ignoraunt and vnlerned (for lacke of Godly instruction) esteme the same abuse called the Masse, to be the principall poynt of Chrystianitie, to whom the alteryng therof apeareth very straūge. But if such parsones, to whom it apeareth straunge, wolde but ponder and way, how our forefathers haue been robbed, and the common welth decayed through the abuse of the Masse / they shuld sone perceaue the [Page] dyfference betwene the communion and it. And that the kynges maiestie and hys honourable counsell, doth but as they becommaunded by Gods worde. Consyderynge that Saules Kyngdome was taken from hym for euer / for that he disobeyed Gods worde. And agayne / callyng to remēbraū ce, y e great & manyfold vyctoryes / w c God gaue to such kinges and rulers as obeyed hys worde, wyth the dyscommendacyons of the euell, and the commendacions of the good, as appeareth in the .vi. laste chapters of Ecclesiasticus. Amonge which / Ezechias in the. 48. chapter / is commended after thys sorte. For Ezechias had done the thī ge that pleased the lorde / and remayned sted fastlye in the waye of Dauid hys Father. Nowe Ezechias brake downe the brasen serpent / which Moyses / as apeareth Nu mer. 21. Set vp for a token. 700. yeares ād odde, before the commyng of Ezechias / the which the priestes of the Israelites after the death of Moyses / abused, and gaue it a new name / and called it Nehusthan, euē as our popish priestes styl do abuse the lordes supper or communion / callynge it styll a new name: Missa or Masse. But what dyd Ezechias after he sawe the abuse of [Page] the brasen serpent? Dyd he regarde mans doctrine, or the auncient custome / because it had bene abused .vij. C. years? No forsoth, he regarded none of these thynges. But the scrypture / Reg. iiij. the .xviij. chapter, sayth he brake down the brasen Serpent whych moyses had made. For vnto that tyme, had the chyldren of Isra [...]ll brenty incense vnto it / ād called it Nehusthan. Wherfore deare Reader / maruell not at the Kynges Maiestyes procedynges, so longe as he hath the scrypture for hym. And loke that thou advoide ād eschue the procedinges of the pope and his sworne soldiers / whych are wholy agaynst God and hys word: as are: Wynchesters / Smythes / Perynes & other lyke, By whose bookes thow mayest playnnelye parceaue them to flee from the scryptures. Maynteynynge superstycyon and false fayned relygion. Yea, euen the masse Whych is a derogation to chrystes bloud. For Chryst left the Sacrament of hys body and bloud, in bread and wyne to be eaten and dronken in the remembraunce of hys death and passion: and not to be loked at, as the Israelytes dyd at the brasen serpent. For the serpent was set [...]ppe for a token of Chrystes passion, then to come, which the Israelites [Page] loked for as witnesseth. S. John in the. 4 chapt. saying: As Moises lyft vp the serpent in the wyldernes, euen so must the sō ne of man be lift vp / that who soeuer beleueth in him, shal not perysh, but haue euerlasting life. Thus, euen as the serpēt was a fygure of Chrystes passion, then to come, as witnesseth Moyses / Deutere. xviij. saying. And the lorde sayd vnto me, they haue well spoken, I wyll rayse them vp a prophet from among theyr brethern, lyke vnto the, & will put my wordes in his mouth and he shall speake vnto them all that I shall commaund him / and who soeuer wyl not harken to my woordes whiche he shall speake in my name, of hym wyll I require it. O ye papistes, why wyll ye not harken to the wordes of Chryst the great prophet which he spake of his communion, in Mathew, Marke and Luke? And also to the ministraciō of Paul. 1. Cor. 11. Who sayth, as often as ye eate thys bread, and drynke thys cuppe, ye shall shew the lordes death tyll he come. Here we se, howe in eatyng and drinkīg, through fayth, is declared vn to vs, how that Chryst offered his bodye, and shedde hys Bloude vppon the Crosse, for the Remyssyon of Synnes, ones for [Page] all. Paule sayth not, as often as the pryest lyfteth the breade and wyne aboue his shauen crowne, for the Papysts to gale at, ye shall shew the lordes death tyll he [...]om, but he sayth, as often as ye eate of thys breade, and drinke of this cuppe / ye shall shew the lordes death tyll he come. And thys is also the mynde of y e auncient catholyk fathers, to receaue it as a memoryall of hys death, and not to eate it thinkyng or beleuing him to be there ryallye, as he was borne of the virgin mary.
For. Sayncte Austen in hys Booke intituled the christian diuinitie, alleagynge the fyrste Epystle and the fyrste chapter of Paule to Timot. He is (sayth he) immortall, for so much as he can not dy. But ouer all where as the scripture of the one parte and of the other / in the canonicall bokes setteth furth the mouing of the soule in God tyther the humayne mēbres / that is to say the head, the eares, the eyes and other lyke / they ought not to be vnderstande carnally, after the storye, as they are vnderstande of the Iewes, and diuerse other heretikes sauouryng carnally, which esteme God to be corporall and locall. But all thinges ought [Page] spiritually vnderstande and confessed of hī.
If any beleue that in God are humayne Members eyther mouynge of the Soul: without doubte, he forgeth ydolles in hys harte. Item. s. Bedain hys recolectyon, & also. S. Austen in his sermon made to the people at the communyon. My brethren (saye they) Herefore are these thynges called Sacramentes / for so muche as in them there is one thynge seem and an other vnderstand. That which is sene, is a corporall thynge / But that thynge whych is vnderstand, hath a spyrytuall frute. The sayd Austen in his .xxx. treatise vpon. S. Iohn sayth: The body of Chryste is rysen from death, and must be in one place. Also in hys boke agaynst Adamantum, the xij Chapter sayth: these thre thynges: The bloude ys sprete. This is my body, ād the stone was Chryste / He teacheth these thynges to be spoken as though he spake by a fygure in Signe and sygnyfiynge and amonge other thynges, sayth these woordes: I maye expound thys commaundemēt to be a token, for the lord doubted not to saye, thys is my body, when he gaue the signe of his body / Also SAYNCTE Ambrose vpon the fyrste Epystell, the Aleauenth Chappyter [Page] to the Corinthians sayeth. In so much as we are delyuered by the death of the lorde / hauing remembraunce of the same in eating and drinking signifieth the body and bloude whyche hathe been offered for vs. Also. S. Ciprianin the seconde boke of hys Epystle, the iij. chapter, sayth: for so much as in al sacrifices we make mēciō of the passion of Christ. For the lordes passion is y e sacrifice that we offer. We ought not to do otherwyse thē he hath done. For the scripture sayth as often as ye eate this breade, and drynke this chalyce, ye anounce or declare the death of Christ tyll he come.
Then as often as we offer the chalyce in the remembraunce of the lorde and of hys passion: we do y t, which apeareth to haue been done of the lorde. Good Reader, here haue ye sufficient Aucthours both of the scryptures and also of the Catholyke doctoures: agaynste the transubstancyon and the abuse of the masse: whych: if God permyt: ye maye see no lesse abused: then was y • brasen serpēt. for euen as the wicked prye stes of the Israelytes senced the brasen serpent geuyng it a new name callyng it Nehu sthan: geuyng the ISRAELYTS to [Page] vnderstande that by it / they receaued theyr health. Euen so hath the pope and papystes inuented the transubstanciation in our kynde, geuing the Christyās to vnderstand that CHRIST is wholy in that kynde which is hanged ouer the alter, euen as he was borne of hys Blessed mother the virgyn mary. And therfore do the papistes knele to it, put of theyr cappes to it, knock theyr brestes befor it / and their priestes sence it. But trulye assured I am that the popish pryestes haue euen so good scriptures to proue this, as the Israelites had to proue theyr Nehusthan. Wherfore let no man murmer agaynst the Kynges maiesties procedinges. For his grace hath the scryptures for hym / where the aduersaryes haue none. And that maye be well gathered by theyr seking of insurrections / and in styrring the scottes and frenchmenagaynst the Kynges maiestie. Thys is no new, but an Aunciynt Practyse of theyrs, as ye may well perceaue in Tindals practyse of prelates. But by Gods helpe, his grace wyth his honourable counsell, in that they go about, to set furth the glory of God, in restoryng y • cōmuniō according to the first insti [...]ucion set furth by Chryst as [Page] it apeareth in the scriptures, not seking tē porall possessyons, which the papistes, thorow theyr masse / haue gotten contrary to the worde of God, in muche greater abundaunce then the scriptur permitteth them. The kinges grace I say, in so doyng, shall obteyne no lesse prayse for euer, then Ecclesiasticus setteth furth of the foresayd kī ges, in the latter chapter of his boke: And to the contrarye all they that murmer or grudge agaynst his maiesties procedinges, without doubt God shall confounde them, as he dyd the Ennemies of Dauid / Ezechias ād Iosias with many other. I pray you, what a goodly prayse setteth Ecclesiasticus forth in his. 44. chapter of Iosias, Sayth he not the remēbraunce of Iosias is lyke as whē y e apothecary maketh many precious swetesmellyng thinges together, his remēbraunce shalbe swete as hony in all monethes, & as y • playing of musyke by y • wyne? he was appoynted to turne the people agayne and to take away all abhominacions of the vngodly. He derected his harte vnto the lord and in the time of the vngodly he set vp the worshyppe of GOD agayne. All Kynges excepte Dauid, Ezechias and Iosias cōmited wickednes: [Page] for euen the kinges of Iuda also forsoke the law of God. Oh God, I wold the papistes wolde remembre this saying: and search whether the Chrystian kynges haue forsaken the lawes of God or not. I dare wel wryte, that they can not deny, but that they haue. Wherefore if such to whom the kinges maiestie and his honorable coū sell shall commyt the reformatyon of hys graces procedynges, agaynst the abuses of Gods word, do seke the worlds substaūces vnder y t pretence of y e settīg furth of Gods word / not caring, so they get substaunce what cōmeth of Gods word, as partlye hath apeared in these our dayes, both in the clergy and also in the laytye. It wylbe a slaū der to oure Relygion in those dayes as it was euen in the Primatiue churche, as appeareth in the seuenth boke, the .xvij. chaptof Eusebius ecclesiasticall history, of Paulus Samosatenus a bysshop of Antioch / of whom is said, yf we speake of his pride / it was Intollerable: For he shewed hym selfe more lyke a captayne then a bysshop, for so much as in going by the streates, he vsed a maruelouse pryde, in reading the letters which were sent hym: before the people / naming the answeares to hys secretataries [Page] whych accompanyed hym / hauynge so great a nombre of folke which went before hym: and a great multytude followīg hym, in such maner y t all they which sawe hym abhorred, hys pryde, and for the same, blamed our Relygion. Oh. GOD / doth not the pryde of the bysshopes in these our dayes, resemble the same Paules pryde? He that lysteth to rede the forsayd chapter out / shall see muche. But thankes be vnto the lorde, who hath geuen the same power vnto the Kinges Maiestie in these dayes / which he gaue to Aurelyan the emperour in those dayes which was: that he gaue power to the metrapolytane and other faythfull bysshopes: to depose the sayde Paule: and set an other in hys place: whyche dyd preach the worde of God: and not his owne thinkinge: as Paule dyd: as appeareth in the sayd chapter. Truly / if this pride be not lefte both in the Laytie and also in the the Clergyie / God wyll plage the worlde / and that very shortlye: for Gods worde is not mans inuencion, but the very wyll and worke of God, as witnesseth Peter in his second Epystle the fyrst Chapter / saying: know fyrst that no prophetie in the scriptures, is done of any priuate interpretation. [Page] For the prophecy was neuer wrought by the wyll of man / but the holy men of God spake as they were moued of the holy gost. And this trade vsed the apostles, geuinge credyte to Gods worde both in theyr teaching & also in theyr ministracion / as wye nesseth. sainct Peter in his fyrst epystle the fourth chapter saying if any man speake, let him talke as though he spake the wordes of God. If any mā minister, let hym do it as of the habily tie whiche God minystreth vnto him. And y t primatiue church stode by the scripturs as Eusebius in his iij. boke the .x. chapter witnesseth / sayinge By the which thinges (sayth he) it is euydent in what reuerence we vse oure scriptures, the which of so long tyme and by so many ages as is past / was neuer mā that durst adde / take away or chaunge any thin ge: but all men of our relygion haue thys stedfast fayth / and beleue thē to be reuelacions of God, & stande to this boke, & for to defende y e same / if nede require, wil willyngly lose theyr lyues. He sayth not they wyll make insurrections and styrre the peple against their prince, as the papists haue done these. 1200 yeres / for the maintenaunce of theyr fayned tradicions & auncient custumes: [Page] thys is the very nature of all those which mainteyne vn wrytten Ʋerityes. But y e nature of gods peple is not of this kīde, but their nature is, to opē y e fautes of prices & of their subiectes, w c they set led cō trary to the scriptures / & gently shewe the plages set furth in the scrypture / for disobeing Gods worde, & rather to suffre death, then to seke the displeasure or destruction of theyr prynces, & rather vse paules trade in theyr preachyng. 1. Cor. xv. saying I delyuered vnto you that whych I also receaued, how y e Chryst dyed for our synnes according to the scripturs, & y t he was buryed / & that he rose agayne the .iij. day. Paul sayth not, I delyuered vnto you our aūcient fathers custumes / nor yet their say ned & inuēted ceremonies w c had stande so many .C. yeres. But he saith he delyuered y t w c he receaued, w c was, how y t chryst dyed for our synnes according to the scriptures & therfore sayth paul. Gal. 1. Though we our selues (saith he) or an aūgell frō heauē preach any other gospell to you thē y t yt haue receaued, holde hiaccursed. O mercifull God, what shall we say to those, w c maīteyne the popysh masse and ceremonies in the whiche is not declared one Tytle, Howe [Page] Chryst dyed for our sinnes / according to y t scripturs? For truly y e chatholyke fathers abhorred thē: euen in the primatiue church. As hereafter thou mayst perceaue. And fyrst Castus bysshoppe sayth in his .v. boke. He the which presumeth to follow the custume in contempnyng the veritie / eyther he is enuyous and malycious agaynst his brethern to whome the verytie is opened, or els he is vnthankfull to God, by whose inspiration his church is instructed. Also Ciprian ad Pompeium, agaynst Steuēs Epystle, sayth. The custume which is rysē w t som, ought not to let the verytie to haue lesse place, to rhintent y t the veritie shulde not vanquish. For custum without veritē is auncientnes of errour. Wherfore in leanyng, the errour, let vs follow the veritie. Also Austen in his .iij. boke of Baptysme, the .ix. chapter. And are also the wordes of Honoratus Attuca, sayinge: seying Chryste is the veritie / we ought rather to follow the veritie then the custume. Also Felix Bysshop sayth: let none set the custume before the veritie, for reason & veritie wyll alwayes put furth custume. Also. s. Ciprian ad Cecilium in hys seconde Booke the thyrde Chapter / sayeth. If ye doo that [Page] whiche I commaunce you / from henseforth wyll I not call you seruauntes, but frendes. Yea / and that Chryst ought only to be heard, the father witnesseth from heauen, saying: This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I delyte, heare him. Wherfore if it be so that Christ ought only to be heard, we ought not to care what thing any befor vs hath estemed to be good / but those thinges which Chryst teacheth / who was before all other. Neyther must we follow mā nes custume but the veritie of God. For the lorde sayd by Esay the prophet. They honour me without cause / and teache the commaundementes and doctryne of men. And also in the Gospell, why do ye transgresse the commaundementes of God, to stablysh your owne tradicions? Wherfore (dere brethern) if anye one of our predecessours, through ignoraunce or symplycitie: haue not obserued and kept that which the lord hath taught vs to do, eyther by example or doctryne, it may be reputed to symplicitie, and may be forgeuen thē through y e indulgence of the lorde. But it may not be forgeuen vs which now are instructed of the lorde: but it is expedient for vs to send letters to our companions, that the lordes [Page] gospel & his doctrine be kept ouer al, & y e wè w tdraw vs not frō y t w c chryst hath taught & done. Here ye se how y t catholik fathers are against mannes doctryne and auncient custume / Whose doctryne is conformable wyth the apostles doctryne, as peter wrytteth in hys second Epystell the .iij. Chapt. Remembre the woordes whych were tolde before of the holy Prophetes, and also the commaundementes of vs that be y e Apostles of the Lorde and sauyour. Trulye we haue not in the scryptures that the Apostles had any cōmaundment to set furth the masse or any suche Ceremonie as hath bene, and as some are yet in the church, for the Apostles had suffred before any ceremony was receued into the church, as witnesseth al auncient Chronicles. For it was Cix. yeares after christs incarnation, whē Alexander made the fyrst holy water. All out the yere .cxxix. Telphorus made the lent. About y e yere of .ijc. xiiij. Cepherinus made or ordeyned a chalyce of glasse & made the fyrste Sacrifyce. About .ijc. lxx. Felix ordeyned the hallowynge of the aulters About. ij. clxxxi. Caius ordryned the pryestes shauen ordres. About the yeare of iij. c. xiij. Syluester ordeyned creame and oyle to be hallowed of bysshops. About an [Page] [...]o. iiij. c. xix. sosynus ordeyned y e halowig of the font on Easter euen, and the paschal taper. About anno .iiij. c. xiij. Mamercus bysshop of Ʋienna ordeyned gang weke. About āno v. c. xxiii. Felix y e .iiij. ordeyned y e anealing of y t sycke. About the yere .v. c iiij. Pelagius ordeyned masse of requiem, for y e dead. about an. vi. c. xxij. Benitacius the .v. ordeyned y e churchyardes to be sanctuary. About the yere of .vij. c. xxxij. Grigory the .iij. set vp Images / causing the people to honour them / contrary to a counsell holden in Constantinople by Leo the .iiij. Emperour with .iij. c. and .xxx. bysshops. In the whych counsell Images were condemned and burned, yea euen the very picture of Chryst. About the yeare .vij. c. iij. Steuen the .iij. caused him self to be born on mens shulders. About the yeare of .vij. c. lx. Paulus ordeyned church halowyng. About the yeare. M. lxxiij. Gregorye the vij. ordeyned that priestes shulde kepe no wyues nor concubines / and for badde to eate flesh on the satterdayes. Aboute anno. M. lxxxvij. Urbanus the .ij. ordeyned excommunication. About anno. M. c. xcviij. Innocencius the iij ordeyned anticular cō fession / to bring in holy belles holy palme, BEADES and Asshes wyth all other [Page] rayned fantasies which (as before is sayd) ye haue not in the testament any such doctrine set forth by Chryste nor none of hys apostles. Wherfore doctour smyth and all those which wryte or preache theis vnwry ten verities to be receaued by the tradicion of the apostles, do bely Chryst and his apo stles. For the apostles had suffred and we reall dead almost .xx. yeres before the fyrst ceremony was inuented, as ye herein may perceaue. Wherfore Paule foreseing (by the spirite of prophetie) that such false and erronious doctrine shulde com, geuith war ning vnto Timo. in the .iiij. chapter of hys fyrst Epystle / saying / The spyrite speaketh euidently / that in the latter dayes some shall departe from the fayth / and shall geue hede vnto spirites of errour and deue lysh doctryne of them whych speake false thorow Ipocrisy, & haue theyr consciences marked with an whote Iron / forbidding to mary, ād commaunding to abstayne frō Meates whiche GOD hathe created to be receaued with geuing thankes. Yea and Paule to the Gallath. sayth. as I sayde before, so say I now agayne / if any manne preache vnto you any other thing then that ye haue receaued / holde himaccursed. [Page] Wherfore (this saying consydered) no manne can gather by Paules doctryne but that althose ceremonies before recited, were neuer receaued of Paule nor yet of none of the apostles. By the which it followeth that all those which preach these ceremonies to the peple are accursed by Paule: for so much as they were not receaued when Paule preached the curse. Therfore let vs repent and beleue Gods wordes seing it hath pleased him to opē it vnto vs, in these our days. For if it had bene so plē tyfully opened vnto our forefathers: the bysshops of Rome ād theyr maynteyners could neuer haue preuayled agaynst Christen princes as they haue done, neyther yet maynteyned their inuented ceremonyes, agaynst the which the catholyk fathers wro te: euen when they were inuented as here in apeareth. For Eusebius wrote aboute anno .c. lxix. Origen a about .ii. c. xxv. Cyprian about .ij. c. lix. Chrisostom about. iiij c. xiij. Ierome about .iiij. c. xxix. Austen a [...] aboute .iilj. c. xxx vij. These men with dyuers other haue written agaynst their tradicions / euery one in his tyme / as appeareth in their workes. But y e citasion why y t scripturs & these catholyke mēs workes [Page] myght not take place / was for lacke of the prynt. For in the primatiue church, and vn to such time that God had sent the prynt / it was a greate thing for a man to wryte a byble, yea / as much as a man myght to in his whole life. Wherfor for lacke of gods woorde, the people myght nor come to the knowledge of the bishop of Romes deuelysh inuencion. Yea, and we may be sure in case the scriptures had been as plentyfull and as leful to euery man / in the primatiue church / as they are now in these our days / the ātichristes of Rome & all their ayders shuld haue had as much to do in the settīg vp of thē as men haue now in the pulling downe of them. For the holy Scriptures were then in few mens handes so that the Christians had not to stablish thē selues in Christ, but only by y e preachers. And after y t y t apostles & sincere pachers, were depar ted to god / thē begā y t Romish bisshops to stablish their earthly kingdō, & to become lords of y t whole christen relygiōs, as well ouer y t prices as ouer their subiectes, as it may apeare by aunciant chronicles. For in y t .x. boke y e .vi. chap of Eusebius works it is mēcioned, howe y e in y t counsell of [...]ice holdē by y e ēperour cōstatine y t great, wast [Page] decreed that the auncient custumes shulde be kept in Alexandria & in the citie of Rome: to wyt, that the bysshop of Alexandria shulde haue the charge of the churches in Egypt: and he in Rome, of the churches in Rome and about Rome. Now, this Christen counsell being kept .iiij. c. yeares after Chryst / coulde not fynde the Romish bysshop. Christes successour / but only ouer y e churches of Rome & about rome. I pray you from whence cam hys auctoritie sence to be called Chrystes successoure ouer the whole christen congregaciōs? yf it had com from Christ, this counsell (no doubt) wold haue found it. Truly I can not gather of whome he receaued it, onles be receaued it of that deuell that wolde haue had Chryst to fall downe and honour him / as is written Mathew .iiij. but Christ had him avoy de, but I thinke Syluester sent for him ād receaued that which Chryst refused / and it maye well appeare to be from thence. For sence the same pope syluester receaued the possessions, which was almost .iiij. c. yeres after CHRIST, he & his successours for the most part haue euer sence persecuted the trewe CHRYSTYANES [Page] and that ye may perceaue the setting furth of the scryptures in those dayes was not for euery man / by the reasō it was so chargeable. But it was onely a prynces worke as Chrodoryke bisshop of Cirocopolis in the fyrst booke of hys story the .xvi. chapter maketh mencion of an Epystle sent by the forsayde constantine to Eusehuis, the tenour wherof is this. It hath semed vs good to sygnyfye vnto the, that thou prepare L. volumes of the scryptures, and pryneye pally those the which thou knoweste to be necessary to the institucion, doctryne and vsage which hath been accustumed to be geuen to the churches, and let them be writtē in good Parchement and well trined by good worckmen, hauing good knowledge in the acte of the scryptures. And we also haue sēt letters to our general geuernoue of the prouinces, to take charge and dyligē tly to minister al thynges necessary / to the restoring of the same volumes, and it to be thy worke and dilygently to enforce thy selfe that the same volumes maye be shortly ready and appareylled as it apperteyneth. And further by the aucthorytie of our letters, Sealed by vs, sent to the we giue the power to take and vse openly .ij. Charets [Page] or cartes to cause the sayd volumes dylygently to be conueyed to the citie of constā tinople. Gētle reader / here may ye se what paynes and charges it was to thys noble Emperour to set furth the scryptures, in those dayes. Iohn Caryon sayth in the. 3. boke of hys chronicle that thys constantine caused the newe Testament to be carryed before him for a wytnes of hys saith I praye you wherfore dyd constantine set furth these scryptures. Truly because y • wicked Dyoclesyan the. xxxv. Emperour in the .ix. yeare of hys reygne / which was about the yeare of Chryst. 288. as Cation wrytteth / dyd as appeareth in the seuently boke the second chapter of Eusebius story cause thys proclamacyon followyng / to be proclaymed, which was that the churches of the christyans whiche myght be founde shuld be ouerthrowen to the fondacions & the bokes and scryptures burned, and that all those of y t relygyon, w c had any dignitie or office, shuld be put forth & remaine ashamed, and y t those slaues which perseuered in the chrysten fayth myght not obtayne lybertie, the occasyon herof was, that the heretyke Manicheus, had fowen dissention amonge the chrystians. O Lorde haue we not had thy scrypturs brent in curdayes? [Page] Yf we aske wynchester and London / they wyll laye, yea: yea, and so say I to: But ye may beleue me, I was very heauye whē I heard of it. yea / and as heauye as they are now sory that they be printed agayne. But thankes be to the lorde, our kinges maiesteacute; may go farther wyth hundreth pounde in printing, then constantine might haue done wyth thre thousand pounde in wrytynge. For the lacke of bokes caused the bysshops of Rome and his ayders to preuayle in all counsels sence the fyrst: Yea and in all the xxiij. scismes past / to rule all thīges as they wolde, and to make what they wolde, and discalow what they wolde. But in this, the xxiiii. scisme or deuision I trust the byssho pe of Rome and all his Papistes shall be ouerthrowen through y t word of GOD, which by the prynt is aboūdantly spredde abrode in all Chrystendome. A worke which God neuer opened to man, sence the worlde began tyll the yeare of Chryst. M iiii. c. lii. which in that yere was opened to one called Iohannes faustius in the Cytie of Magunce or menth in Germany.
Wherfore let vs giue god thākes & reioyce that he hath sēt vs, in these our dayes, that science wherby al those that loue the lyght [Page] maye haue the same, for alytle charges / I meane the worde of God who is the Aucthour of lyght. By whose lyght, the kyngs maiestye with hys honorable coūsel goeth about to ouerthrowe the Popes mastres Missa, the successour of the Israelytes / ne husthan. Wherfor / let vs daily pray to y t lorde the Aucthour of the canonicall scryptures / that he wyll pro sper the Kinges maiestie with my Lorde protectour and his honorable cō sell / in the setting furth of his worde: So that through hys helpe, they may ouercome the ennemies of the same hys worde and of his graces royalmes and dominions, Amen.