Answer to the Devilish Detection of the Bishop of Winchester, Treatise · Part 16 – Part 17
❧ The church and elders.
NOw doth the foxe renne to his old vſed pathes. Stoppe thin eares and be deafe. Thou muſte belieue the churche, and learne to ſpell (…) with a lyttle, as we men of the churche teache the (The foxe hath ſmall ſhif…e when for feare of eſpiynge in playne pathes, he rennethe to duplicate page duplicate page this hedgerowe of (ē. eſt. ē. en) but we hauehave anſwered to this churche before and taught you it hath deceiued vsus with falſe ſpelles & darke gloſes. And we maye well be contented with this anſwer that Sāct Paul calleth it breade, and it is called bread alſo in other places of the ſcripture, how ſo euer the biſhopes men do name it. For ther is no word truer or better then the wordes of ſcripturs are, neither any ſpellinges or ſpeakings more certain then thoſe that be taught by the word of God
But you aſke vsus thys queſtion. Hath not the church had and vnderſtand theſe wordes and yet notwithſtandinge, taught this leſſon, That the bread is by conſecracion turned into the bodie of Chriſt, Yea they hauehave cōdemned Theyr owne teſtimonie is inought to declare them to be woulfes.and brent all them that woulde ſaye that bread remayneth, Yet did they kepe Paule ſtill, as they did Iohn geuinge occaſiō to the Arians.
To this I anſwer, that the Romeiſh churche hadde the ſcriptures, but the father of this church, did treade them vnderunder his fete, Not onelyonly bodily when he was coniuringe at his maſſe: but alſo by his powre and the ſpirites that he ſent abrode, commaundeinge that no man ſhoulde otherwiſe vnderſtande them, then he and his church determined. And therfore he aſſigned that eueri man that ſhoulde meddle with the ſtudie of them, ſhoulde firſt be trayned in the ſcholes of his doctours: and ſo be ſinered with the blacke coles of theyr helly doctrine, that theyr ſoules ſhould neuer be cleare againe, as for al other pore men, not brought vp in the popeiſhe learninge of hys ſcholes and therfore haueing theyr cōſciences lyke a whyte wall, redie to receyue all trueth of God his holie worde: the ſcripture was clearlie forboden them, like as you hauehave alſo with ſhame inoughe procured in this oure tyme, that pore men ſhall not reade it for feare leſt they diſpice your ſhamleſſe pompe and pride, and vtterly renownce all your wycked erroures,
For the vnderſtandynge of it, I can not be leue that the popeiſhe prelates had the true If the prelates had had the true vnderſtandinge of ſcriptures they woulde not hauehave maintained errours.vnderſtandynge therof, becauſe they maytened many blinde erroures cleane contrarie to the ſcriptures, which doeth manifeſtli declare that they were voide of the ſpirite of trueth which onelyonly openeth the waie to the vnderſtā dinge of the heauenly miſteries.
How blindly hauehave they taught (wythout the worde contrarie to the iudgment of reaſō or the perceiueynge of the ſenſes) that thys bread is chaunged: this bitter contenciō about the matter declareth. Surely they hauehave condemned and brenned men (and that ryght many) for this mattier, wherby they declare thēſelfes to be of the curſed ſeed of Cain and the wicked ſerpent, who was the murtherer euen frome the beginninge. Finally, they hauehave kept the goſpel and ſcriptures ſtill (we thanke God and not them) for god hath cauſed the phariſeis before thē, and our biſhopes folowing, to kepe theſe Iewelles for our vſe and profite, and for theyr own cōfuſion, that by the ſam bokes which they kept and wher vponupon they boaſted, they ſhoulde be openly conuinced and ouercome.
Wherfore, in that your doctour Damaſcen and you would hauehave vsus learne of our elders: we anſwer that frō the elders, al iniquitie is ſprongen. A ſenior…bus ingreſſa eſt iniquitas From the elders hauehave we receiued al wickedneſſe.And the Iſraelites are alwayes by the threateninges of the prophetes: forbidden to folowe the waye of theyr fathers and elders We muſt therfore crie with Dauid Peccauimus cum patribus noſtris, iniuſte egimus iniquitatē fecim…s. We hauehave ſinned with our fathers we hauehave done vnrighteouſly we hauehave done wickedneſſe.
Aſke your father and myne (O biſhope) aſke theyr fathers and grandfathers, what they hauehave beleued, and they wyl anſwer (accordinge to the tyme that they were in) that they belieue as the churche of Rome doeth belieue. For ſo my father taught me, and ſo dyd the prieſtes generally teach in all place chargeinge the people (vnderunder the payne of the greate curſſe) to belieue as theyr holy father of Rome belieued. And farther coulde they not teache vsus theyr children, neyther beinge ſuffered to hauehave the ſcriptures in englyſhe, neyther heareynge any thynge but the lyes of the Romeiſhe Antichriſte by their popeiſhe curates.
In this church you can finde nothinge amiſſe. And this blynde churche is it that you Ther is no faute in the Romeiſh church.laboure ſo ſore to defend, or elſe woulde you in ſome one place hauehave geuen vsus warneinge that we folowe not thys Romeiſhe churche. But doutleſſe, all your boke thorowe, you ſpende all your wittes, to brynge vsus vnderunder the captiuitie of thys church, that you might worthily triumphe as you hauehave done makeinge marchandiſe of our ſoules.
Woulde God, the kynge oure maiſter, heade, ruler and leader, woulde ſearche forth ſuche Romeiſhe traytours. For they can neuer take hym for they onelyonly heade, ſo longe as they hauehave an other heade vponupon the earth, whoſe honour they laboure to enhaunce euen wyth all theyr myght and diligence, endeuour and ſtudi: whoſe kyngdome the labour to enlarge, with bokes, with writinges, wyth ſermons and preachinges, with faggot…es, fyre, brenninges, and all meanes they can poſſible.
Oh byſhop and Idole, dyddeſt thou not Wyncheſter preached opēly agaynſt gods worde.vilainouſelie at Paules croſſe (not long ſens) ſeeke and bringe forth al the Argumentes of thy ſubtyle braine, for to ſtop the kyngdome of Chriſte, ſpreadeinge by hys worde and ſcriptures, frome the whiche thou dideſte affraye men by the terrible inuentions of thy diueilliſhe ſubtilties. A traitour to God and man. But the aduengeinge hande of God thou canſt not eſcape.
Qui vos ſpernit, me ſpernit, he that deſpiceth Luk. x.you deſpiceth me, was neuer ment of ſuch biſhopes as driue men frome the worde but of the faiethful Apoſtles and meſengers of Chriſte, whiche dare ſpeake nothinge but that they hauehave hearde and learned by the ſpirite of God in hys holy ſcriptures. Whyche muſte be receiued, not for theyr owne authoritie: but becauſe thei are prophetes and preachers of the heauenly miſteries, and the diſciples Math. x.and ſcholers of Chriſt Not preachers agaynſt Chriſt (as you & ſuch other prelates are in your ſermons) than who ſo receiueth hym in the name of a diſciple or the name of a prophet: the ſame ſhall hauehave the rewarde of a prophet. And who ſo diſpiſeth hym thus being the diſciple of Chriſt, ſetting furth and promoting the glorie of his maiſter: he diſpiſeth Chriſte, and not onelyonly hym but his father, the authour of his meſſage.
But you prieſtes, you preach for lucre. Oh you prophetes, you prophecie for your owne gaine and for money. Yet wil you be takē as thoſe that holde vponupon God, & ſay. Is not the Lorde amonge vsus? But woulde God …ure heades woulde eſteme the mattier as it is, & be no longer blynded wyth your clokes of hypocriſie. Let them but cōſidre the cauſe onelyonly as Cicero doeth moniſhe in his oration. Cui commodo ſit et bono.
It is your cōmoditie and profit, to maynteyne poperie and dombe ceremonies. It is It is for the papiſtes profite to keepe the worlde in blyndneſſe.greatly your gayne to keepe the worlde in blyndneſſe. For by theſe thynges hauehave you crept vp to thys lordely pompe, and euer as they decaye: ſo decreaſeth ſome thynge of your dignitie. So it is no mer…yle, though you beinge carnall men do ſtryue verie ſore for your aduauntage.
We pore men of the contrary part, which (of a zeale grounded vponupon the knowledge of the worde of God) do ſpeake agaynſte your ſuperſtition, your pompe and Idolatrie: do not onelyonly, not gayne one farthynge thereby (as I take God to witneſſe before whom I ſhall anſwere at the greate daye, I deſyre nothynge of yours, but your ſoule health) we pore caytyfes I ſaye, do not onelyonly loke for no gayne, but for tellyng of the trueth, we loke to loſe the litle goodes that we hauehave, our wyues and deare chyldren to be ſpoyled, & ourelyues (wyth moſte ſpiteful tormentes of …ackyng and burnyng) to be taken from vsus. Vide iam cui ſit commodo.
❧ To the gouernours of the people.
VVherfore ſeeke you knowledge, ye that iudge the earth? Iudge a right in all controuerſies betwixte a man Mich. iii.and his neighbour. Heare O you heades of the houſe of Iacob, and ye leaders of the houſe of Iſrael. Should not ye knowe what were lawefull and ryght? But ye hate the good and louelove the yuell. The Lorde hath ben ſore diſpleaſed with your forfathers, but turne you vntounto me ſaith the Lorde of hoſtes: and I ſhall turne vntounto you. Be not you, lyke your forefathers vntounto whom the prophetes cried afore tyme, ſayinge. Turu… from your yuell wayes and wicked Imaginations: but they woulde not heare, nor regarde me, ſayth the lorde. What is now become of your forefathers and the prophetes? &c.Zach. i.
I muſt needes ſay with Iheremie▪ Wa… to the prophetes that prophecie theyr owne Iherem. xxiii.Imaginations, myne hert breaketh in my body▪ All my bones do tremble, I am become lyke a drunken man, wythout reſt, diſquieted wyth wyne, euen for the verie feare of the Lorde and his holy wordes: becauſe the land is full of aduouteres, where thorowe it is deſtroyed. Yea the waye that men take is wycked, and theyr gouernaunce is nothynge like the holy worde of the Lorde. For the prophetes and the prieſtes them ſelues, are poluted hypocrites, & theyr wickednes hauehave I founde in my houſe, ſayeth the Lorde. Theyr waye therfore ſhall be ſlepperie in darkneſſe, that they maye ſtacker and fal therin. For I wyl hrynge a plage vponupon them, euen the yere of their viſitaſion, ſayeth the Lorde.
If you doubt of whom you ſhall ſeeke for Let them that doubt aſke of God.knowledge: remembre what was ſpoken by God the father from heauen, of Chriſte oure ſauiour when he was ſent into the worlde. This is my dearly beloued ſonne, heare you him. He is the onelyonly maiſter & opener of the wiſedome of his father. Whiche wiſedome who ſo lacketh: let hym aſke of hym that gyueth, euē of God that giueth vntounto al men indifferētly and caſteth no mā in the teeth: and he ſhall hauehave it. But let him aſhe in fayth nothynge doubting. But alwayes vſe the meanes that God hath appointed. As for perfect vnderſtanding of the ſcriptures, it muſte needes be graunted conuenient to hauehave the knowledge of the Hebrue, greke and latine tonge to vſe the diligent comparinge of the The knowledge of the …onges is profitable to the ſtudie of ſcripture.ſcriptures together, and counſayle of learned teachers, diuers interpretations & writinges of men of all ages. For hapely thou maiſt perceiue by one, that thou canſt not vnderſtande by an other. But for the pore lay man whiche can not hauehave theſe later healpes and furtheraunce: let him be diligent in readynge the engliſhe text, & no faile God wyl graunt him ſo muche knowledge, as ſhall be expedient for the ordering of his life. And therefore maye he nothynge doubte but that his maiſter Chriſt, which dyd vouchſafe to ſhed his bloude for him: wyll alſo graunte vntounto him ſo muche knoweledge as ſhall be thoughte meete for the ſauing of that ſoule whiche he hath ſo dearly boughte. And you muſte alwayes beware that you call you no maiſter vponupon earth to be ſworne into any mans ſayinges, but hauehave you eye vntounto the heauenly maiſter onelyonly, vponupon whom onelyonly reſteth all trueth. Where men (be they doctours or byſhoppes: if they bringe not the word of God with them) they are but lyars.