Answer to the Devilish Detection of the Bishop of Winchester, Prologue
The Prologue.
GRace and peace from the Lorde the liueinge God, who hath all our hertes in hys hande to moue and ſtere to what ſhall lyke hym beſte, who onelyonly knoweth the hertes of men, and therefore oneli is the iudge of the thoughtes and intentes of vsus all, what or whan ſo euer we ſpeake or thinke. whoſe daye and iudgment is without regarde what man (which is but fleſh and bloud, and therefore ful of erroure and blindneſſe) ſhall diſpute, and determine and iudge. I paciently loke for and a bide whan as all darnell, drake and weede ſhall be caſte into the hell fire and all the good graine ſhal be gathered into God his owne garner, vntounto whome we lyue all the tyme that we walke vponupon the earth. And whē we die yet are we ſure that we are his owne, by the raunſome that his dearely beloued ſone Chriſt (our Lord and heade) hath paied geueinge the holy goſt into our hertes as a moſt ſuer wittneſſe of the ſame, teacheinge vsus to crie. Aba father, whereby we knowe that though we die, yet we die vntounto hym to lyue euer after cowpled and ioyned in one kinde and nature vntounto our heade Chriſte, who as he is fully God, and of equale powre wyth his father, ſo ſhal he make vsus like vntounto hym when he ſhal appeare (after our porcion and meaſure) partakers of his godly nature, like as he hath in hys world (though but in a ſhadowe and cloude, in regarde of the fulneſſe that ſhalbe declared) be gonne al redy to regenerate and begete vsus a newe▪ creature, by the holy goſt workinge by the worde of hys trueth, that we nowe reſembling the image of God whereunto we were made, maye be continually occupyed in the workes of hys kingdome, as be theſe. Iuſtice, peace▪ and ioy in the ſame holy goſt, geuear of al goodnes. For he that by theſe workes ſerueth Chriſte is acceptable to God and conmended of men Thys ſ…me …e euer laſteinge God without begininge and without endinge, he geue me grace (to the fortheraunce of his glorie) to make anſwere to that deuelliſhe detection the ſophiſtrie of Sathan publiſhed by Stephane Gardiner biſhope of Wincheſter, for the maintenaunce of the popiſhe Idole, the dombe God, and poetical chaungling, wher by, not onelyonly the true liuinge God is neglected his true honoure obſcured and defaced, the preachinge of hys worde almoſte ſet at nought: but alſo, all kindes of poperie, as images, bleſſing, kiſſinge, ſhaueinge of crownes, ſuperſticiō of garmenets and ſuch like, are craftily, by ſubtile pointes of the popes ſophiſtri and wordes filthy, framed for ſuch merchaundiſe, confirmed and eſtabliſhed, as thought al the whole heape of theſe triffes heaped vp together were the religion of a Chriſtian man: wher as to knowe God for our true God, and whom hehath ſent, Ieſu Chriſt, and by this knowledge to be borne a new and to kepe our ſelfe immaculate and vnde filed from the worlde is: the true and perfecte religiō demaūded of vsus true chriſtians. The other is but countrefaite what ſo euer …his ſophiſtrie doeth name it) becauſe our maiſter chriſt (who can not lie) doeth ſaie ful plaine. foreign.
They worſhipe me in vaine, teacheinge the doctrine and preceptes of men &c. And where he bringeth in this texte in the ende of his boke, nothing ſo ful as our ſauior Chriſt did ſpeake it (as he knoweth well inowgh if he hauehave ſo muche Greke as he braggeth abrode) he addeth therunto his owne gloſe, as though he coulde vtter the wordes of chriſt the ſone of God, much more wiſelie by hys babling. Yet am I cōtent to let his own gloſe be his owne iudge in theſe matters. His wordes bee theſe. They worſhippe me in vaine, with the teachinge of ſuch as remaine in the eſtate of men onelyonly, & thē teach their owne & for thē ſelues, for al ſuch teachinge is like the teachar that is to ſaye carnal. Let eueri man (that hath not his conſcience al redie brenned wyth the hote pro…e) marke whether hys owne gloſe make againſt him, and all the ceremonies that hys father the pope, beinge (I trowe) but in the eſtate of a man, and that a carnal mā, hath made, though Wincheſter go aboute craftily (accordinge to the cannon lawe whereof he is ſworne by ſolemne othe doctoure and teacher) to make him more thē a man. And marke againe good chriſten hertes, what they win by theyr gloſes and multiplied wordes, wherby in fayth it were verie eaſy to confute them all, euen by the teſtimonies of their owne doctours (as Bucere, Ecolampadius, and Frith hauehave done perfectlie well, if theſe men woulde ſuffer there bokes to come to lyght) For theſe papiſtes do ſo mixte the trueth and ſalſehed together (for without ſome ground of trueth noman woulde beleue them) that the one piece of the tale ſtandeth commonly with the trueth and the other vttereth their ſalſhed.
And therfore ſpeake they longe matter and are not content to ſaye plainely a ſpade but they muſte necker it as they do in theyr mattens and ſaye, ſpa…a a…ade. As for me I hauehave learned to cal breade, bread, & to ſpeake althinges plainelie. Therfore by the open ſcriptures, wyll I make them anſwere to their queſtions. For al the ſcripture inſpired from God, is profitable boeth to teache and to reproue, to correcte and to inſtructe in rightuouſneſſe, that the man of God maye be perfecte and fite for euerie good worcke.
So that if ther be any▪ good worke▪ to be taught or yll worck …o be rebuked we muſt go to the ſcripture onelyonly, as to the toutchſtone and onelye triall of al trueth.
For wyth ſcriptures did Chriſte driue awaie the deuil, and not wyth holy water, as you are reported to ſaie that the deuil greatly dreadeth it, and ſo do ye ſtill commaunde that it ſhalbe made a coniured water euerie ſonnedayes in▪ eueryevery churche, to driue furth deuilles. But he thoughe he were boeth god and man, alledgeth ſcriptures alwayes to confirme his ſaienges, and commandeth his hearers to ſherch the ſcriptures. So doe Peter, Paule, Iames, and Iohn.
Wheras Paul beinge brought vp at the fete of Gamaliell the greate lawier, was redie inoughe to hauehave diſputed out of the Thalmud of the tradicions of their fathers, whiche he ſaieth he hath erneſtely ſtudied beinge ou… of the phariſeies, and interpretour of that law, and ſuch one as by the outward wordes of the lawe could not be found fantie, Gala. i. Phili. iii.Yet dyd he accōpte all thys, boeth lerneinge and outwarde holineſſe (whyche other men did take as no ſmal gainne and …cre) to be damage and hindrance for Chirſt, whom ſo ſone as he was called to publiſhe & preach he did not compare wyth the docters of the Iewes, neither wyth Gamaliell, Annas or Laiphas. But knoweinge his learneinge to be more liuely than was theirs (whyche being but f…eſh and bloude, coulde teach onelyonly carnall and f…eſhly thinges) went ſtreight in to Arabie, there to publiſhe thys glade tidinges, euer teachinge by the ſcriptures that Chriſt, did come this to ſuffer in the fleſh, and that he was after that, entred into his glorie.
So do I intende (after the meaſure of my talent) to anſwere by the lernige of my maſter Chriſte, whom onelyonly. I do take to be al ſufficiens in all trueth, ſo that he can neither be deceiued nor deceiue, to whoſe wyſdome no mā can adde one iote or title to make better that he hath made, to inſtitute or ordeine (whoſe whether you wyll call it, becauſe ye are ſo contenciouſe, aboute trifles that you maye ſeme to ſaye ſome what) better then he him ſelfe hath▪ inſtit…ted and ordeined, or yet in ſpeake better then'he hath ſpoken. And in this be halfe, I muſt (euen of brotherly louelove) deſire all indifferent arbitours and iudges of my writinges, that if they do reade any bitter worde or heare anie ſharpe ſentence againſte the mainteiners of thys Idole: they do not impu…e it to anye pride or arrogancie but to the vnworthynes of the matter, that man ſhoulde be ſo mad to ſet vp a creature moſt vile & moſte weake in the ſteade of the Lorde of hoſtes whoſe pouer is incōparable. In the which thing, being a cauſe … ſo great importaunce, and weight if I ſhould coldely or faintly ſpeak or write I myght well be thought worthy to be one of them whome Iohn prophecieth, for theyre faynte hertes, worthie to be v…etted vp againe, being nether hote nor colde. I do feare me the plage of God hath worthyly commen vponupon many in thys ſame royalme, for thys onelyonly vice. But God, he is mercifull if we wil repente.
As for me O Lord thou knoweſte al thinges, thou knoweſte mine herte, & ſercheſtmy thoughtes. Thou woteeſt that it is neither of malice nor preſumption that I do write any worde in this boke, but only for the pride of the papiſtes, and eſpecially for the wicked malice of proude A man, which ſeaketh how to deſtroie thy ſeruantes, labourethe to oppreſſe thy light ſent nowe in theſe la…er daies at the tyme apointed, into the worlde, prouoketh vsus wyth bitter wordes, to make anſwere in thy cauſe, calling vsus diueles, and the reaſones made againſte Idolatrie for the an anſeinge of thy glorie, he calleth the dy…eles wordes and ſaieinges, which blaſphemies cauſe me that I can not geue place but ſomethinge anſwere to his worthineſſe, and not geue place to ſuch ſhameleſſe writinges.
Thoughe I coulde be content (& that with good wyll ſo that it were no derogacion to thy glory) not onelyonly to paſſe with ſilence all taūtes, rebukes, che…kes, and raileinges, yea and to ſuffer all crueltie and tirannus tormentes that he doeth excogitat or finde out againſte vsus: but alſo to kiſſe hys verie fote ſteppes, and call him Lorde at euerie worde, to kneele and lowte as do hys flatterers. But then l…e we forſake thy cauſe, we can not hauehave thy worde in worthy reuerence, magnifieinge thine enimie.
Take thou in good worthe therefore (O Lorde (theſe oure doinges. Make thē ſerue thy glorie. Be mercifull to thy ſeruantes, and ſtoppe the mouth of thine enimies that thi wil may, be knowne and fulfilled among vsus in erath, as it is amonge thin angelles in thine heauenly palace So be it.
To your firſte wordes therefore (biſhope Stephane, pardone me I praye you that I do not cal you Lorde, boeth becauſe I hauehave learned by ſcripture that Chriſtes byſhopes Math. xxiii.maie take no ſuche vaine titles, and alſo that you ought to calenge no ſuche authorite of Iames. iii.Lordeſhipe ouer your lotte and people appointed vntounto you, and Peter and Paule, the i. Peter. v.good ſhepeherdes do we name without ſuch vaine titles of Rabby) you wil hauehave vsus conſider i. Chap. Howe full of iniquity that tyme is.howe full of iniquitie thys tyme is. Let vsus conſider it for the louelove of God (O biſhopes) but not takeinge iniquitie as you do, to be what ſo euer thinge is againſte the tradicions of your Romiſh father, who nowe worketh the cheife miſterie of iniquitie, and euerie one of you helpeth after to his poure, in kepeinge downe the worde of God, clokeinge your hipocriſie wyth contrefaite holineſſe, and tourneinge backewarde ſo farre from Chriſte: that euerie man maye ſee who is the wicked man, and the aduerſarie or Antichriſte, lifteinge hym ſelfe againſte euerie thinge that is God or godlie, So that nowe your ſhameles writinges of your doctours and maintainers: do recorde howe you can make God, create the creatoure of heauen and er…h, and ſo make him a creature, that where he hath but once created the, thou maiſte be out of his det and cre… him a thouſande tymes. Oh abhominable blſaſphemie A man to make God, at whoſe terrible maieſtie, heauen and erth doe tremble. Oh ſhamleſſe iniquitie, to create thi creatoure without whome thou falleſte in to duſte and aſſhes. But you wyll ſaye (O biſhope) that ther is no ſuche blaſphemie in your bokes, neither can you perceiue the wickedneſſe of the popes pardones, and pilgrimages whyche are deſtroied in this tyme, The Sodomatrie babilonical bondage, ſuperſticiouſe blindneſſe of the Abbaies, whych oure kinge hath moſt chriſtenlyke confounded. But for this oure mattier, I ſaye. I plucked halfe a leafe out of a boke lieinge tied in chaines for a Iewell in the greate cathedrall churche, Lincolne minſtre, whiche hath thys plaine greare, by theſe plaine wordes. O ſacerdos, nonne creaui te, et dedi tibi poteſtatem creaudi me? quare ſi non ſacrificas, et c. O prieſte, hauehave I not created the, and geuē the poure …o create me? And ſuche other ſhamful geare.
There is none ſo blinde as they that wil not ſe. And ſeinge ſuche blindeſſe is in you biſhopes, who ſhoulde hauehave hade the eies to hauehave eſpied thys ware longe before it hade ben brought into the churches contrarie to the worde of God: how can it be but bi your careleſſe negligence, the worlde is waxen ful of blindeneſſe, miſerie and all kindes of iniquitie, for the whiche you ſhal anſwere at the dreadfull daie whan the bloude of eueryevery one of your ſhepe that periſheth ſhallbe required at your hande. Let vsus conſider yet if you pleaſe, thys wickedneſſe ſome thynge more deaplye.
Paule in his firſte Epiſtle to the biſhop Timo. i.Timothe, ſaieth that the ſpirite telleth for certayne, that in the latter daies, ſome ſhall departe …hat diuil… ſophiſtriefrom the fayeth, attendynge vntounto deceptfull ſpirites and doctrine of diuelles, ſpeakeinge falſely by diſſemblinge hipocriſie haueinge their conſciences marked with the hote yrone.
And that we ſhoulde not doubt of thys diuelliſh ſophiſtrie and open iniquite: he addeth two ſpeciall properties, that is, to prohibite or forbid mariage, and cōmaūde to abſtaine from meates whyche God hath created to be receiued wyth thankes geueing, as the good ceatures of God. Who foloweth the diuelles doctrine moſte in theſe to pointes: is not harde to be iudged of al the world
Yet muſte we futhermore conſider the ſpirit…es you ſaye which thinge we▪ are not loth Beleue not e…ie ſpirite. Iohn. iiii.to do (for Iohn teacheth vsus ſo) miſtruſteinge our owne iudgment. And Iohn ſayeth that euerie ſpirite that confeſſeth Ieſus Chriſt to be come in the fleſh, is of God. This do we all confeſſe, whome you call at your pleaſure heretikes, and ſaye that we wyll doubte in all together. But we knoweinge certenlie Iohn. i. Timo. iii.by the ſcriptures, that he was manifeſtely declared in the fleſh to be verie man, and perfectly declared in the ſpirite to be God in the wonderouſe workinge of his miracles, was ſene amonge the angelles, was beleued in the world, and receiued into glorie, where he reigneth equale wyth his father, ſittinge at the ryght hand of God, from whenſe we no thing doubt, but we ſhal ſe him come down as the apoſtles dyd ſe hym go vp into the heauenes. Act. i. In the meane ſeaſon we beleue ſtedfaſtly that he is with his faiethfull church by hys holy ſpirite euen to the worldes Ephe. v.ende. For the which he gaue him ſelfe to ſanctifie it and cleuſe it, in the fountaine of water bi the worde, to make it vntounto him ſelfe a gloriouſe congregacion wythout ſpot or wrynckle or any ſuche thynge, but that it ſhoulde be holy and wythout blame, Where contrarie wyſe, you (whiche accompte your ſelues onelyonly, men of the churche) and ſpirirituall men, as the onelye partakers of the ſpirite (doe wyth out ſcripture or reaſone) teache vsus laye and lewde men (as ye call vsus) onelye wyth ſwerde and fire, that Chriſte was not verie man haueinge a naturall bodie. For you ſaye that thys his bodie that he had maie be in. x. thowſande places at once. Whiche property, howe well it agreth with a natural bodie: al that hauehave any knowledge maye decerne. Againe you ſaye that this bodie of the ſame lengeth and breadeth that it hanged vponupon the croſſe: maye be cloſed in a little boxe, contrarie to the ordinaunce of mans naturall bodie in the creacion. And where we ſe nothynge but a piece of breade (for you can not teache vsus by the ſcriptures that the breade is chaunged) we muſt neades beleue, that their is a bodie, beſides the bread becauſe you ſaye ſo thought there can be perceiued neither quantitie nor qualitie, that is to ſaye, nothynge parteininge to a bodie. As for your anſwere of fayeth conſtrained to beleue thys wythout either ſcripture or▪ reaſone, that it maye hauehave merite, and that all theſe be naturall reaſons: I ſhall anſwere whan I come at thoſe wordes.
In the meane tyme marke your owne maliciouſe wickedneſſe, how you wil hauehave▪ Chriſt to hauehave a bodie, nothynge lyke the naturall bodie of man, but inſenſible and infinit yet by your ſubtilties to be comprehedend, and wythin your liſtes, bandes and boxes, to be contained and hauehave hys meaſure appointed, but in no parte agreable to our natural bodi which he did voultchſalfe to take vponupon him.
Thus after you hauehave denied him (by your wicked enuēcion) to be a verie mā, like one of vsus (ſinne onelyonly excepted) whych the ſcripture teacheth plaine: After you hauehave denied chriſt to hauehave a verie natural bodie and verie fleſh, then procede you to teach how he cometh in breade. And becauſe you …et Chriſtes religion in your ceremonies as farthynges that make the heape: you ſet Ieſu oure ſaniour, to come in al trifles and baggage, Yet to cloke your falſe ſpeach wyth hipocriſie, you ſaye properly, that Chriſte conſecrateth him ſelfe Folio. lvi.in thoſe formes of bread & wine, with which worde conſecrate, you ingle by your di…iliſh ſophiſtrie. For if ye meane, he haloweth him ſelfe into bread & wine (which your word cō ſecrate doeth ſignifie) as lewde as you take vsus, we woulde laught at your folie. If you woulde ſaye by that worde, he tourneth him ſelfe into the fourme of breade and wyne: ſo then your doctrine is that Chriſte cometh vntounto vsus in breade & wine. And we ſaye that he is comen all redie in the fleſhe, and in the ſame fleſhe is gone vp to heauen, and from thenſe ſhall come to iudge all fleſh. You ſaye lo, here is Chriſte. Lo, there is Chriſte. Loke whoſe ſpirites you be. You are of the world and therfore ſpeake you of the worlde, and the world heareth you. And like as by faieth ſo alſo by louelove, ſaieth Iohn, is the ſpirite of Iohn. iiii.trueth and of errowre knowne aſūder. Therfore let vsus louelove together, for louelove is of God, and euerie one that loueth is borne of God.
He that loueth not knoweth not God, for God is louelove. If we louelove together God dwelleth in vsus, and his louelove is perfece in vsus. If any man ſaie, I louelove God, and doeth yet hate his brother: that man is a lier. For he that loueth not hys brother, whom he ſeeth: how can he louelove God whom he ſeeth not: Howe your hote bourneinge louelove (whyche cauſeth you to bourne men that can not vnderſtand your gloſes) can be of god I know not: but thys wotte I well that when the people of Samaria woulde not receiue Chriſte, hys Luk. ….Apoſtles woulde hauehave had fire frō heauen to bourne them. But Chriſte anſwered. You knowe not, whoſe ſpirites you are. The ſonne of man dyd not come to deſtroy the ſoules of men: but to ſaue them. And you byſhoppes hauehave your authoritie to edifie and not to deſtroie. But the olde ſerpent and his firſt begotten caine, thē Pharao, next, Herod and the phariſeis, the olde byſhopes condemninge Chriſte, and you their ſucceſſours, baniſheinge his worde with crueltie: are of a cōtrarie ſpirite. And where you byd vsus take Take heede of carion.hede of cariō, ſurely your gloſe is a very carion, and the worde of God which you take a way frō al men ſaue gētlemē & marchaūtes is the onelyonly fode and life of the ſoule, wher it liueth as Chriſt him ſelfe wittneſſeth. Not Mathe. iiii.by bread only liueth man, but by eueri word that proceadeth out of the mouth of God. But the blacke birdes and rauenes, the pies and deuoreinge fleſhe crowes, they fede vponupon fleſh, and theafore vponupon carion. My wordes (ſaieth Chriſte) are ſpirite and lyfe. My ſpirite ſayeth God ſhall no longer remayne with man, becauſe he is fleſhe. Therfore whē the worde of God and the ſpirite of lyfe are not with your fleſhly teachinge: it muſt nedes be carion. Suche is your flieinge about the dead as about carion, for filling of your paunches. For the deade carions hauehave made you riche in youre monaſteries, chauntries and perpetuities. The deade carions of Becket, Benno, and darnel Gader, of Dunſtane woulſtane, Audrie and ſuche other hauehave filled your wide throtes ſo full, and you carie your praye ſo gredily in your monthes: that you are become dome dogges that you can not barcke but onelye at them that woulde reine you of that foule carion, and leade you home to take heede of your maiſters folde. And to teache plainely what is carion: we do take it to be, what ſo euer you do bringe into the church of Chriſt (as his religiō) without hys holy worde and the liuely ſpirite of God. The ſame I ſaye, is that ſtinckinge carion that Paulle calleth Anathema, and the prophet warneth vsus we touche it not. And Iohn biddeth vsus that we do not ſo much as ſaye Ane and ſalute the bringers therof, leſte we be compted partakers of their iuell workes. I wyll paſſe with ſilence the roten ragges and carion bones of your reliques and ſuche lyke ware, that ſauoure little of the ſpirite of life, and of the worſhipeing of god in ſpirite and trueth. But for thys thinge we hauehave in hande, lettinge ſlippe all other your vnſauourie cerimoneis, and carianlyke relyques: more ſtinckinge carion ſurely, and more poiſenfull ſophiſtrie cauſeinge deathe and murren of ſo many ſoules was ther neuer in the worlde: then the gloſes and dreames of your idle braines about this mattier that we ſhal now handle, as ſhalbe proued plainelie by the grace of the liueinge God. Your termes of realities qualites, accedentes and dimencions, ſauour nothinge of the ſpirite of God: and therefore are they fleſhe and carion. The whole courſe of your boke labouringe to make Chriſte really and naturally preſent vnderunder theſe fourmes, qualites and quātities: ſauoureth of the rotten paſtures, and ſtinckinge fleſhli braines of your dreameinge doctours. Dunſe, Thomas de Aquino, and petrus Lombardus. Therfore is this the carion, wherof we muſte be ware This is the diuelliſhe ſophiſtrie wherwyth the world hath bene ſo lōg bewitched in ſuch ſorte, that in the ſteade of the liuelie feading of their ſoules by the worde of God, the breade of lyfe: you hauehave filled theire eares and eies with darcke termes, dombe ſignes, and deceiueable ſhadowes, allwaies beateinge and burninge the poreſhep bleatinge a gainſte the filthy ſtinckinge carion, of your popeiſhe and I dolatrouſe tradicions. What other thinge (let all men iudge betwexte vsus) are theſe ſophiſticall termes of realitie, quantitie, accedentes, dimentions and alteracions whyche are the onelyonly foundacion of your boke, and the eſtabliſhement of thys fleſhly doctrine: but the vſuall termes of the ſubtile ſophiſtes of Cambrige and exforde, and the Sorboniſtes of pariſe? They can not be founde in the bokes of the holy ſpirite of the holy ſcripture of God▪ and therfor are they fleſhely ſophiſtrie and ſtinckeinge carion. Thys your boke all grounded vponupon man, which is but fleſh, vponupon the darcke ſentences and blind termes of blind teachers, as Iohn Damaſcene and ſuch other: can be likened to nothinge ſo well as to carion. The whiche mattier is picked out of the maiſter of the ſentences or carionouſe ſophiſmes, chouſe whether you wyl call hym. And where you woulde ſeme to be moſt ſpirituall about the words of Chriſt, Hoc eſt corpus meum: ther you are all to gether carnalle and fleſhly.
You wil hauehave a carnall chaunge, a carnal preſence, a carnall ſacrifice, A piece of paſte (as we ſaye) fleſhe and bloude (as we ſaye) to be carnally worſhipped wyth fonde geſtures. A creature to be made the creatoure. A vile cake, to be made God and man. Which doctrine (beinge examined by the ſpirite of God the triar of all trueth) ſhalbe founde Idolatrouſe carion.
The reſidue of your preface would hauehave vsus captiue to you Chriſtes vikeres, to your Seeke the trueth, at the miniſters of the church.doctours and mainteners. Theſe hauehave you alwayes heretofore called the churche of Rome. But nowe that you maye deceiue (if it be poſſible) the verie electe: by a falſe name calling it Chriſtes church. But in verie dede it is the ſinnagog of Sathan and the church of Antichriſte: becauſe you are in liueinge ſo contrarie to Chriſte, and becauſe you ſet▪ and eſtabliſh therin the ceremonies of Antichriſt and banniſhe the pore ſhepe from the worde of theyr ſhepherde, ſeldome or neuer preacheinge vntounto them Chriſte, but your owne baggage, nor yet ſufferinge the pore lambes to reade and feade of hys worde and paſture. But we all are not ſo foliſhe thus to be enchaunted. We hauehave Ieſu Chriſte before oure eies crucified, by your prediceſſours, which boaſted them ſelues to be the church▪ Whome alone we learne to knowe, to heare and to folowe nowe in theſe latter daies, becauſe your fathers, boeth of Rome and of Englande: hauehave led vsus out of the waye vn whoreinge in to Babilon, and hauehave hitherto taught vsus to worſhipe ſuche thinges as by their nature are no goddes, But nowe ſeing that we knowe God (yea rather ſeinge that we are knowne of God) we wil not returne agayne to your weake Idoles and your beggerie ceremonies, to the whiche you woulde hauehave vsus ſlaues and do ſeruice a freſhe. But marke and take it for an anſwere. We hauehave Gala. iii.begone in the ſpirite, and we nether wyll nor can be made perfite by the fleſhe. We wyll make ſubiecte our ſenſes and captiue our vnderſtandinge to all trueth of goddes holy word, but to no lies of your idle braines and couetous conſpiracie, We are no longer vnderunder the ſchole of your popeiſh tradicions, for we are all the children of God becauſe we hauehave beleaued in Chriſte Ieſu
For ſo many of vsus (ſayeth Paulle) as are baptiſed, we are clade with Chriſte, ſo that there is no Iewe nor Greke, no exception of yoman from Ientleman, or man from womā but wee are all one in Ieſu Chriſte, Therfore wil we ſtād in the liberti wherin Chriſt hath deliuered vsus, and we wyll no more be wrapped with your ſeruile bondage, knowinge that whoſo trobleth vsus ſhal receiue his iudgement who ſo euer he be. Therefore, all the fruites of the fleſhe, and al the workes of darckeneſſe ſet a parte, adulterie, Idolatrie, and ſuche like: we will walke in the workes of the ſpirite, louelove, Ioye, peace, gentleneſſe, liberalitie, goodneſſe, faith, mildeneſſe and ſobreneſſe. And we wil glorie in nothinge, …aue onelyonly in the croſe of oure Lorde Ieſu Chriſt, by whome the worlde is crucified vntounto vsus, and we vntounto the worlde, beinge fully parſwaded that Chriſte is the good ſhepeherde that putteth his ſoule for his ſhepe, and that Iohn the x.al you biſhopes are but hirlinges, workyng for wages, whiche ſcatter the f…oke, & barcke not for the ſh…pe. But he knoweth his ſhepe and is knowne of them. His voice onelyonly, wil they heare, hym onelyonly, wyll they folow, and he onelyonly geueth vntounto them euerlaſting lyfe, they ſhall neuer periſh. No man ſhal be able to take them out of his hande: for his father and he be all one. Thus are we (beinge grounded vppon oure heade and maiſter Chriſt, by faieth) the very true church of Chriſte againſte the whyche the gates of hel can not preuaile.
❧ An anſwere concerneinge the true vnderſtandeinge and wiſdōe that God geueth to all men that aſke it in ſure fayeth wherin is declared the true vnderſtandinge of theſe wordes. Hoc eſt corpus meum.