A Confutation of Standishs Treatise — Miles Coverdale

A Confutation of Standishs Treatise · Miles Coverdale

Couerdale.

It foloweth immediatly in the text / ij. Cor. vj.What parte hath the beleuer with the infidell? How accordeth the tēple of god with images? Now might I aſke this queſtiō alſo of you / How do theſe places of ſcripture (that ye hauehave now alledged) agree to the confutacion of. D. Barnes wordes / which ſaieth / I do beleue / that ther is a holy church and a company of all them that do profeſſe Chriſt?

Standiſhe.

Wherby ye proue your ſelfe both an heretike and a traytoure.

Couerdale.

Do ye laie hereſie and treaſon to him / for beleuyng that ther is a holy church / and a company of all them / that do profeſſe Chriſt? Saieth he here anie thinge els? And do ye not confeſſe your ſelfe / that eueryevery Chriſten man muſt thus beleue / yf he will be ſaued?

Standiſh.

Makynge by youre deueliſh doctrine not onelyonly us to be the malignaunt church.

Couerdale.

To beleue that article of the Crede which. D. Barnes here affirmeth / is no doctryne to make you of the malignaunt church / but your blaſpheminge of Chriſtes deare bloude / your defacinge of his glorye / your wreſting / peruerting and belieng of his holy worde / and diſagreyng from the wholſome doctryne therof / maketh you ye maye knowe what / by. S. Pauls wordes .j. Timo. vj.

Ye plaie here with. D. Barnes (though he be deed from this body) as the falſe Prophet Sedechias did with Michee / Who whan he had exhorted the kyng not to breake gods commaundemēt / this Sedechias ſtepte forth (among foure hundred of his ſecte) and ſmote Michee vponupon the cheke / and ſaide / What / hath the ſprete of the lord forſaken me / and ſpoken vntounto the?ij. Par. xv…ij Euen thus do ye with the deed / whom though ye may not hurt with your fiſt / yet do ye your worſt with your tonge againſt him. Notwithſtondinge ye ſhall be of the malignaunt church ſtill for all your facyng and bragginge (yee though ye had ten thouſand times foure hundred falſe Prophetes of youre ſide) ſolonge as ye reſiſt the manifeſt trueth of god.

Standiſh.

But alſo oure heade the Kynges graces maieſtye and his honorable counſell.

Couerdale.

I darre ſaye / that the Kynges highneſſe and his noble counſaill doth iudge no malignite to be imputed vntounto them / whan anie ſubiecte beleueth that ther is a holy church / for they knowe / that it is an article neceſſary to be beleued of all Chriſten men.A pyke thanke. Wherfore this cauillaciō declareth you planely to be but a pike thanke in this behalfe. Well yet remembre the ende of Sedechias / the ſtorye is written for your warnyng. And verely like as myne humble expectacion in the Kynges highneſſe doth perſuade me / ſo heard I a very famous and prudent counſailour of his (who yet is aliue) ſaye within theſe few yeares / that of all prynces liuing his grace is the greateſt enemie to flatrers / whan he ones hath thorowly ſpied them.

The Kynge alſo hath receaued his hie and ſuppreme office of god / to defend the worde / the faith / the congregacion and church of god within his dominion / and is no mayntener of anye ſuch malignaunt church / Yf your doctrine come to light / it will doutleſſe declare the ſame.

Standiſh.

By whoſe lawes you be now iuſtly condemned to be burnte.

Couerdale.

By what lawe he was cōdemned / I wote not / nomore than I can tell what poynt of treaſon was layed vntounto him. But ſure I am / that like as the ciuile lawes of eueryevery realme (excepte the prynce graunt his pardon) condemne ſuch as are accuſed by the mouthes of many witneſſes / ſo do falſe witneſſes oft tymes bring to death / euen innocent perſons / as ye ſe by the ſtorie of Naboth / of Suſanna / iij. Reg. xxj Danie. xiij. Acto. vj. Matth. xxvjof holy. S. Steuen in the actes and of oure Sauioure Chriſt / Yee cleane contrary to the iudges minde. Neuertheles though Cain ſlaye Abel in the buſſhes / yet will murthur come out at the laſt.

Standiſh.

But now to ſpeake of this parte of your belefe / et cete.

Couerdale.

What is the holy church and cōpany of thē that profeſſe Chriſt / The holy church.but that true and faithfull church which is ruled by the holy gooſt acording to gods promes? euen the congregacion of the electe and choſen children of god? What els can ye iuſtly gather of. D. Barnes wordes / but he confeſſeth the ſame / whan he ſaieth / I beleue that ther is a holy church? et cete.

Standiſh.

For this is the company that profeſſe Chriſt with their mouth / et cet.

Couerdale.

So they do alſo with other good frutes aſwell as with their mouth. Now yf this company of Chriſtes church do profeſſe Chriſt with their mouth / then hauehave they ſome iniunctiō of god ſo to do / for without his commaundement / will they do nothinge / ner conſente to that / Profeſſion ſet forth with the mouth.which they knowe not to be his will. And thus hauehave ye proued your ſelfe at the laſt / that it is not erroneous to ſaye / how that god hath commaunded us to do good workes for the ſettyng forth of our profeſſion. Had it not bene more worſhippe to you / for to hauehave graunted the ſame at the firſt / thē now with ſhame to affirme it that ye denyed afore?

Barnes.

ANd that all that hauehave ſuffred and cōfeſſed his name / be ſayntes / and that all they do prayſe and laude god in heauē / more then I or any mans tonge can expreſſe.

Standiſhe.

As you do take it / this is alſo erroneous / et ce.

Couerdale.

What ſo euer the cauſe were that he was put to death for (wherof I am ignoraunt) it is no euell token of a Chriſten man / at the very poynt of his death (among other articles of the crede) to confeſſe / that ſuch a holy church ther is / which profeſſeth the name of Chriſt / and ys content to laude and prayſe it / and to lyue and die in his cauſe. Nether is it erroneous thus to ſaie. Of arrogauncye that ye laie to. D. Barnes charge / I hauehave talked with you afore.

Touchinge martirs / Like as we hauehave cauſe ſufficient to prayſe god dailie for his worde myniſtred vntounto us by thoſe martyrs that ye here hauehave named / and for all ſuch as be true folowers of thē / So hauehave we no litle occaſion to lamente and be ſory / that anie man betaking himſelfe to godlines / and makyng a couenaunt with god to lyue vnfaynedly after his worde / God warneth us by other mens fall.ſhulde not profeſſe the ſame in true fidelite and good workes / Our lorde be praiſed yet / which thorow the fall of other men / hath warned us to beware of vnthankfulneſſe. For whan they that pretende to be ſetters vp of godlyneſſe / are either ypocrites to god / vntrue in the effaires of their prince / maynteynours of pryde / of ydillneſſe / of ſwearyng / of exceſſe / and of aduoutrye in them ſelues or in their houſholde ſeruauntes / Gods good worde muſt weere the papyre / and be iack out of ſeruyce from other men. Now god ſhew the right.

Barnes.

ANd that allwayes I hauehave ſpoken reuerently of ſayntes / and praiſed them / as much as ſcripture wylled me to do.

Standiſhe.

Here he planely ſheweth himſelfe to be an heretike / et cet.

Couerdale.

I am ſure that Chriſtes church hath made no ſuch ordinaunce / nether geuen any ſentēce or iudgment / that men ſhall not ſpeake reuerently of ſaintes / nether that men ſhall prayſe them otherwyſe / then ſcripture teacheth. How ſheweth he himſelfe thē to be an heretike in this behalfe / that foloweth the example of Chriſtes church / and not of your vnholy ſynagoge? What maketh youre diffiniciō of hereſie / to proue / that he is an heretike / The diffinicion of hereſie.which not onelyonly ſpeaketh reuerently of ſayntes / but alſo prayſeth them acordinge to the rule of ſcripture? Verely your diffinicion commeth out at an importunite. Ye might alſo hauehave diffyned it thus / and hauehave ſayde / foreign deducitur foreign / j. volo. decerno. That is to ſaie / I will ſo hauehave it / I am at a full poynt. For truly I ſe litle in youre writinge but wilfulneſſe / and obſtinate reſiſting of the manifeſt trueth. Well / god is able to brydle you.

Standiſh.

Alſo in this his ſaienge that he wil do nothinge but that ſcripture byddeth him / he planely goeth agaynſt ſcripture / et cet.

Couerdale.

Is he not a worthy Apoſtle / legate / or meſſaū ger / that hauinge commiſſion of his prince what to ſaie in his meſſage / will ſpeake thinges of his owne heade / or more then his maſter commaundeth him? Forſoith he declare manifeſtly whoſe Apoſtle ye be. But now let us ſe how the ſcriptute will mainteine this ſpirituall treaſon (euen treaſon verely / and no better) agaynſt the Kyng of all Kynges and lord of all lordes.

Ioh. xx.Chriſt oure Sauyoure ſaieth vntounto his Apoſtles theſe wordes / As my liuinge father ſent me / ſo ſend I you. How did his father ſend him? My doctrine (ſaieth he) is not myne owne / Iohn. vij. Mat. xxviijbut my fathers that hath ſent me. Therfore (ſaieth he) go ye youre waye / and teach all nacions / and baptiſe them / et cet. and teach thē to kepe all thinges what ſo euer I hauehave commaunded you.j. Cor. iiij Ought not ſtewardes to be faithfull myniſtres of their maſters goodes / to paye eueryevery man good money as they be cōmaunded / and not to geue falſe coyne in ſtead of ſyluer and golde? Muſt we not contynue in the doctrine of Chriſt / ij. Ioh. j. j. Pet. iiij.and ſpeake that thing which is agreable to gods worde? Your doctrine wold hauehave us to renne at ryote / and not to kepe us with in the boundes that god hath appoynted us?

Standiſh.

So that here he proueth himſelfe to hauehave another propertye of an heretike / which is to go about with the worde of god / to deſtroye the worde of god / et cete.

Couerdale.

Like as ye proue not here with what text of ſcripture. D. Barnes ſhulde go aboute to deſtroie the ſcripture / ſo declare ye manifeſtly by this your opyniō and wreſtinge of the texte / to be one yourſelfe / that with the worde of god / goeth aboute to deſtroye the worde of god. Now to your thre places that ye bringe out of gods worde.

Where fynde ye in the fiftenth chapter of the actes / Acto. xv.that we muſt obeye more then holy ſcriptuture byddeth us? Firſt. S. Peter confeſſeth there in that coūſail / that it is a tēpting of god to laie anie yock of the ceremonies of Moſes lawe vponupon the neckes of Chriſtes diſciples / or to trouble the weake conſciences of thoſe which lately we returned and conuerted to the faith / And afore in the ſame place he confeſſeth / that god appoynted and ordeyned him to preach the worde of the goſpell / and maketh mencion of none other doctrine. Againe / Acto. xv. Galat. ij.like as by the comē conſente of the Apoſtles in the ſame coūſail ye ſe / that they wolde not be brought in to ſubiection / Acto. xv. Gala. ij.ner geue place to thoſe falſe brethern that wolde hauehave brought in ceremonies of the law / to binde mens cōſciences withal / So wolde they not that the brethren which were turned to Chriſt / ſhulde abuſe their libertie in him / but abſteyne from certayne meates for offendinge of the weake / Roma. xiiij j. Cor. viij.which thinge alſo. S. Paul requyreth erneſtly in his Epiſtles.

In the xvj chapter of the Actes Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde / and whan Paul ſawe that to circumciſe Timothye was a thing which might be done for the time / and was not requyred of the Iewes as a thing neceſſary / he was content / Wherby it is manifeſt / that like as in thinges indifferent they had allwaye reſpecte to the tyme in forbearinge weake conſcientes for a whyle / ſo preached they none other doctryne but gods onelyonly worde.

In the ſecond chapter of the ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians. S. Paul (whan he hath told them of the great departing from the faith) doth geue thankes to god for calling thē to his trueth of the goſpel / in the which he requireth thē to ſtand ſtedfaſt / and to kepe ſuch ordinaunces as he and the other Apoſtles had taught thē either by mouth or by epiſtle.

Acto. xv.Now let me demaunde of you this queſtion / In the xv. of the Actes whan Peter preacheth the worde of the goſpell / and forbyddeth the binding of weake conſciences with ſuperſticious thinges / and conſenteth (with the other Apoſtles) to hauehave ſuch a charitable reſpecte to the tyme / Is that as much as to will / that men ſhal obeie more then is grounded in ſcripture?

In the xvj. of the Actes / Acto. xv… ▪whan Paul and Silas preach the worde of the lorde / and deale gently with the conſciences of the weake acordinge to the tyme / will they that men ſhall obeie more then holy ſcripture teacheth them?

ij. Teſſa. ij. Whan. S. Paul requyreth them to ſtande ſtedfaſt in the trueth of the goſpell / ij. Teſſa. ij.and to kepe ſuch ordinaūces as he and the other Apoſtles had taught thē either by mouth or in their Epiſtles / willeth he them to obeye more then is conteyned in holy ſcripture?

Thus is it euydent where about ye go / namely / euen by your falſe alledginge of ſuch places of gods worde / to deſtroye the worde of god. This is verely (as ye ſaie your ſelfe) the propertye of an heretike / and this propertye lerne ye of the father of all hereſye / euen father Satan / Who by (angelis ſuis mandauit / et cete.) wolde proue / Matth. iiijthat a man maye tempte his lord god.

But like as Satan / wreſtyng that place of ſcripture which made mooſt againſt him / was cō maunded by oure Sauioure to auoyde / so be ye ſure / that your falſe doctryne can not ſtand. Dawlbe your wall and ſpare not / Ezech. xiijfor Ezechiel telleth you planely / that god wyll ſende ſuch a ſhower of rayne among all lyeng / prophetes / as ſhall ouerthrowe it. Your laboure is but loſt / ſo long as ye dawlbe your wall with vntempred morter.

Standiſh.

Alſo where he ſaieth that he hath euer ſpoken reuerently of ſayntes / et cet.

Couerdale.

Ye graūted afore / his wordes to be true whan he ſayde / that all ſuch as for confeſſyng Chriſtes name and for his ſake do ſuffre death / are ſayntes in heauen. This reuerent talkynge and prayſinge of ſayntes dyd ye alowe afore / Diuerſite.And now contrary to your awne wordes ye ſaye / that ye wote not whether he euer ſpake reuerently of them or no / Yet confeſſe ye that ye hauehave heard him fortye tymes. Who will now truſt you / that are ſo double in your wordes?

Barnes.

ANd that oure lady (I ſaye) ſhe was a virgyn immaculate and vndefyled / and that ſhe is the mooſt pureſt virgyn that euer god created / and a veſſell electe of god / of whom Ieſus Chriſte ſhulde be borne.

Standiſh.

Here yet ignorauntly / et cete. he goeth forther then the ſcripture ſpeaketh / et cet.

Couerdale.

Be theſe his wordes out of the boundes of ſcripture / or not acording to the ſcripture? Reade them ouer agayne.

Standiſhe.

He wolde neuer willingly graunt anye thynge but that is in ſcripture.

Couerdale.

Then like as ye proue him to hauehave bene a true meſſaunger of god in grauntinge to the holy ſcripture (which by your owne cōfeſſion is gods very worde) ſo declare ye / What a reporte Standiſh geueth of. D. Barnes.that yf he reuoked anie thing that is in it / or graunted ought cōtrary vntounto it / It was done agaynſt his will. HaueHave ye not now a great cauſe to make ſuch tryumphinge of reuocacions in your ſermons?

Standiſh.

Albeit here with the church he doth profeſſe / that oure lady did continue a virgin ſtill / et cete.

Couerdale.

Doth not the ſcripture affirme this doctryne / that the mother of oure Sauyoure is the pureſt virgin that euer god created? Will not the Prophecies of Chriſtes birth / the perfourmaūce of the ſame / and the practiſes of the holy gooſt in Chriſtes bleſſed mother / alowe this doctrine?Eſaie. vij Matth. j Luc. ij HaueHave ye noted the worke of god in her no better? Yf ſhe had anye nede of you / ye ſhew her but a faynte frendſhippe / in reportynge that her moſt pure virginite hath none other grounde but the auctorite of your church. Verely ſuch your doting doctrine wil make both you and your church be leſſe ſet by.

Standiſh.

Deus .n. tantam eam fecit / inquit quidam / et ce.

Couerdale.

Is not your doctryne now well ſealed with butter? Whan ye hauehave preſumed to cōtroll gods word / and to call the bleſſed mother of Chriſt with other names then the holy gooſt geueth her / Now to ratifye and cōfirme your falſe matter / ye bring in an heretike to helpe you. Can not Chriſtes worthy mother kepe ſtill the gracious names that the holy trenite hath geuen her / but ſhe muſt now hauehave a ſorte of hereticall Ruffyans / to become new godfathers vntounto her? Call her (as gods worde teacheth you) full of grace / bleſſed / immaculate virgin / et cete. Praye to god that ye maye folowe the fote ſteppes of her conſtant faith / her feruent charite and godly louelove / her mooſt meke and humble behaueoure / her vnfained trueth / et ce. And whan ye talke in matters of Chriſtes religion / bring forth playne and manifeſt wordes of his ſcripture / and no Romyſh heretike / ner a text out of frame / to proue youre purpoſe withall.

Barnes.

THen ſaide. M. Sheriffe: You hauehave ſayd well of her before. And he beynge afrayed that. M. Sheriffe had bene or ſhulde be agreued with any thing that he ſhulde ſaye / ſayd: M. Sheriffe / Yf I ſpeak any thing that you will me not / do nomore but beckē me with your hand / and I wil ſtraight waie holde my peace. For I will not be diſhobedient in anie thing / but will obeye.

Standiſhe.

Now as he faineth he wold gyue no ſlaunder or offence / Sed ſero ſapiunt Phriges.

Couerdale.

At this poynt ye are with. D. Barnes / that (though he be out of this life) yet what ſo euer he ſayd in this proteſtacion / or dyd at the tyme therof / ye iudge him to the worſt / and ſlaunder him / But your owne prouerbe that ye bring in / Serv veni…doth admoniſhe you / that it is to laite / for though ye belye him and ſlaunder him neuer ſo much / it can not hurt him.

Standiſhe.

Now he ſaieth he is afraied to diſpleaſe (irep… dauerunt timore vbi non erat timor) et cete.

Couerdale.

Like as ye referre to him the wordes which are not his owne / ſo reporte ye of him / that he was afrayed where no feare was. But was there no feare at the fyre ſyde?Standiſh is a manlie man The manhode of our ſauioure Chriſt feared death / and ſo dyd that holy Kynge Ezechias. As for you / ye muſt nedes be of ſome bolde and ſtowte kynde / that can kyll a deed man.

But how ſerueth thoſe wordes of the Pſalme to this youre purpoſe?Standiſh peruerteth the wordes … the xiij Pſalme. The holy gooſt ſpeaketh of ſuch wicked workers as eat vp gods people like bred / call not vponupon god / are afraied to ſe god ſtande on ryghteous mens ſyde / and mocke poore mē for putting their truſt in god. How maketh this ſcripture now to proue / that ther is no feare / where a man ſeyth death preſent before his eyes? O wicked mockers with gods holy worde.

Standiſh.

Now ſe I praye you how obedient he ſaieth he will be / which before tyme was euer diſhobedient / et cete.

Couerdale.

An enſample of obediē ce in. D. Barnes.Ye ſaye much and proue litle touching this man / whoſe preſent proteſtacion (and his boke written afore) declareth planely his obedience toward his prynce / whoſe wholſome commaundement yf he hauehave at anye tyme diſobeyed (contrary to this his doctryne and example) I am the more ſory. But yet hauehave ye not proued it to be ſo.

Touchinge biſhoppes (which are to be eſtemed acordinge to their eſtate) I wote not what diſhobedience ye hauehave to proue againſt him. Such biſhoppes as laboure in the worde of god and in the doctryne therof / j. Timo. …are to be counted worthye of double honoure / therfore in herkenyng vntounto ſuch / he dyd well / and yf he diſpyſed ſuch / Matth. xhe deſpyſed Chriſt. But yf he folowed. S. Iohns bydding / ij. Iohn. jand dyd not receaue ſuch falſe Apoſtles as bring not the doctryne of Chriſt / then can ye not iuſtly blame him.

Barnes.

AFter this / ther was one that aſked him what he ſaide of the ſacrament of the altare. Then ſayde he vntounto. M. Pope which was there preſent: M. Pope / ye know and. M. Ryche yf ye be alyue / that ther was one accuſed before my lord chaunceloure for denyeng of the ſacrament: and for faulte of a better / I was aſſygned to the examynacion of him in the galery. And after longe reaſonyng and diſputaciō I declared and ſayde / that the ſacrament beyng rightly vſed and accordinge to ſcripture / doth after the word ſpoken by the preſt / chaunge the ſubſtaunce of the bred and wyne in to the body and bloud of Chriſt. Were not theſe my wordes? (ſayde he) Yee ſayde. M. pope. Thē beare me witneſſe (ſaid he) that I erre not in the ſacramēt.

Standiſhe.

Allthoughe you did not denie that ſacrament / yet hauehave you / et cet.

Couerdale.

Ye call it ſlaunderous raylinge / whan a man with gods worde both erneſtly rebuke ſuch horryble abuſes / as Antichriſt and his malignaunt church hath brought in among Chriſten people / So lothe are ye to conſent vntounto gods worde / or to vſe anie thing according to his holy inſtituciō. What could it then hauehave helped you / yf he had opened his minde farther / ſeing that in his ſo godly and honeſt requeſt / ye aſcribe naughtyneſſe vntounto him?Standiſh wold not hauehave the ſacrament vſed acording to the holy ſcripture. He did but ſhew that he wold hauehave the ſacrament rightly vſed and acording to holy ſcripture / and ye are not content with him. Yet well worth the Corinthians / for though they were fallen in to abuſe aboute this holy miſterie / and aboute other thinges / we read not that they ſpurned againſt the holy gooſt (as you do) whan they were called to refourmacion.

Standiſh.

Se alſo I praye you / how he ſaieth / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Yf you ſhulde ſaye / that for lack of a better / ye dyd write agaynſt this proteſtacion of. D. Barnes / wolde ye therfore be iudged to thynke / that there were not many better lerned men in England to take ſuch a matter in hande / then you?

Barnes.

THen ſayde he: hauehave ye anye thing els to ſaye? There was one then aſked him his opynion of prayeng to ſayntes. Then ſayd he: Now of ſaintes you ſhall heare myne opynion. I hauehave ſayd before ſomwhat (I thynke) of them / how that I beleue they are in heauē and with god / and that they are worthy of all the honour that ſcripture willeth them to hauehave. But I ſaye through out al ſcripture we are not commaunded to pray to any ſayntes: therfore I can not ner will not preach to you / that ſayntes ought to be praied vntounto. For then ſhuld I preach you a doctryne of myne owne head.

Standiſh.

Ther is an olde hereſie that ſaieth / ſayntes be not yet in heauen / et cet.

Couerdale.

Is this your next waye to confute him that ſaieth / we are not cōmaunded in ſcripture to praie to anye ſaintes? Ye brawll with the deed man / that ſaieth nothinge againſt you / in this article of ſaintes being in heauen.

Standiſhe.

How can it be in ſcripture (thou impudent heretike) the prayer vntounto ſaintes?

Couerdale.

Be good to the poore man / and take not the matter ſo whote. He goeth not aboute to proue / that your prayeng to ſayntes is grounded in ſcripture.

Standiſh.

As for in the tyme of the olde lawe / et cet.

Couerdale.

The doctrine of god is / Apoc. xiijthat Chriſt is the lambe which hath bene ſlayne ſens the begynnyng of the worlde / that is / euen he / whoſe power and deliueraunce hath clenſed and ſaued all thē / that euer put their truſt in him. Chriſt Ieſus yeſterdaie and todaie / and the ſame contynueth for euer.Heb. xiij.

Standiſh.

Therfore concerning praieng to ſaintes / et cet.

Couerdale.

Muſt we beleue the teſtimony of men / without it be grounded on gods worde? Are ye become ſuch an Apoſtle?j. Cor. xiiij. j. Ioh. iiij j. Teſſa. v Becauſe the church and congregacion of Chriſt muſt diſcerne / iudge / trie and examen all maner of doctryne (and ſo to eſchue the euell / and kepe the good) hath it therfore auctorite to make anye new article or to receaue a doctryne contrary to gods worde?Ioh. xiiij and xvj. Becauſe Chriſt hath promiſed his holy ſprete of trueth to be allwaye in his faithfull congregacion / ſhall they therfore make / ordeyne / ſet vp / or beleue ought that is contrary to his owne teachinge?

Standiſh.

Doeſt thou ſet nomore by the auctorite of it then ſo / in aſmuch as. S. Auguſtyne ſayde / Non crederem Euangelio niſi crederim Eccleſie? et cet.

Couerdale.

Euen as ye peruerte the wordes of holy ſcripture / Standiſh peruerteth S. Auguſtines wordes.ſo do ye with. S. Auguſtine / As ye choppe and chaunge with it / ſo do ye with him. And as ye alledge the ſcripture for another purpoſe then the plaine circumſtaunce of the text meaneth / ſo do ye here with this holy doctoure. For youre purpoſe is with. S. Auguſtines wordes to proue / that youre church by her auctorite / may make new articles / and that we are bounde to beleue as ſhe beleueth / though the ſame be not grounded in ſcripture. But yf men diligently marke. S. Auguſtynes ſayeng / the occaſion of his wryting / and the circumſtaunce therof / it ſhall be euydent / that ye are as like him in vnderſtondinge / as the moone is like a grene cheſe.

S. Auguſtyne perceauynge the greate hurte that was growyng thorow the doctryne of wicked Manicheus / toke in hande to confute him and his ſecte / The ſecte of the Manichees.his errours were ſo noiſome and deueliſh. For he had not onelyonly fayned a new goſpell of his owne / and named himſelfe Chriſtes Apoſtle / but alſo mainteined the hereſie (which the Anabaptiſtes lately helde) that the ſonne of god toke not the nature of man of the bleſſed virgin / and denied rulers to beare office / denied mariage / denied certayne kyndes of meates to be of god / or to be graunted vntounto Chriſten men / Taught alſo that ſome mens ſoules dye with the bodyes / deſpyſed the exterior worde of god and myniſtracion therof / and ſought other viſions without it / And many other fond and wicked opynions had he / vnknowne to the holy church and flock of Chriſt.Contra Epiſtolam Manichei / quam vocant fundamenti.

Now for the refelling of ſuch peſtilent doctryne. S. Auguſtine (among other thinges) wrote one ſpeciall boke agaynſt a certayne Epiſtle of the Manichees / which was called Epiſtola fundamenti / and whan he had ſhewed the occaſions which moued him to abyde ſtill within the vnyte of Chriſtes catholike church / then in the fifth chapter he ſhewed the cauſe / that moued him / rather to geue credence vntounto Chriſtes goſpell / then to Manicheus / where among other he ſaieth theſe wordes / Noſtis. n. me ſtatuiſſe / nihil avobis prolatū temere credere / et cet.S. Auguſtines wordes. For ye knowe (ſaieth he) that I am determined to geue no haiſtie credence to anye thing that ye ſpeake of your awne heades. I demaunde therfore / Who is that Manicheus? Ye anſwere / An Apoſtle of Chriſt. I beleue it not. Now what canſt thou ſaye / or do / thou ſhalt not opteine / for thou dyddeſt promes knowlege of the trueth / and now thou wilt compell me to beleue the thinge that I knowe not.Ego vero Euangelio non crederem / niſi me catholice Eccleſie commoueret auctoritas. Peraduenture thou wilt reade me the goſpell / and therby wilt thou aſſaie to affirme the parſon̄e of Manicheus. Yf I ſhulde fynde anye man then / which as yet beleueth not the goſpel / what ſhuldeſt thou do to him that ſayeth vntounto the / I beleue not? As for me / I ſhulde not beleue the goſpell / vnleſſe the auctorite of the catholike church dyd moue (teach or warne) me. Seing that I was obedient vntounto them whan they ſayde / beleue the goſpel / why may I not obeie them whan they ſaye vntounto me / beleue not Manicheus? et cet.

The doctrine of. S. Auguſtine.By the circumſtaunce now of. S. Auguſtines wordes / it is euident / firſt / that he wolde beleue no ſuch doctrine as men brought vp of their owne heades. Secondly / that he wold beleue no vncertayne doctryne / ner that he knewe not to be true. Thirdly / that the occaſion which moued him to beleue the goſpell / was the whole conſent / and auctorite of the catholike or vniuerſall church. Now like as he reporteth not of them / that they preached anie other doctryne vntounto him ſaue the goſpell / ſo ſaieth he not / that he beleued anye other lernyng / ſaue onelyonly it. And in confutinge of Manicheus erroure / he bringeth none other doctryne but the ſcripture / as it is manifeſt in the ſame fifth chapter of his boke.

What helpe hauehave ye now in. S. Auguſtines wordes / either to proue praieng to ſaintes / or that a particular church maye by her auctorite make anye article neceſſary to be beleued / Standiſh choppeth vp S. Auguſtines wordes.excepte it be grounded in ſcripture? Ye meant ſomwhat / whan ye chopped vp. S. Auguſtines wordes of that faſhion. It is not for naught that ye ſo hauehave peruerted his ſayeng / and reade it otherwiſe then it ſtandeth in his boke. For theſe are his wordes / I ſhulde not beleue the goſpell / vnleſſe the auctorite of the catholike church dyd moue me. Now is foreign as much to ſaye as vniuerſalis.foreign Which worde like as ye leaue out in youre lectiō / Franciſcus▪ Maronis.ſo folowe ye the mynde of Franciſcus Maronis (ſuch another holy father as was your inquit quidam) who commynge long after. S. Auguſtine / dyd gather of theſe his forſaid wordes / that the auctorite of the church is greater then the auctorite of holy ſcripture / where as. S. Aug. meant nothinge leſſe / but teacheth us / that who ſo euer bringeth vp anye opynion / or ſetteth forth anye doctryne / we ſhall receaue none / but that which agreeth with the manifeſt doctryne of the vniuerſall church of Chriſt / That is / we ſhall holde us to that doctryne / which was taught by the Prophetes / by the Apoſtles / and by ſuch other as were true folowers of them in Chriſtes holy congregacion and church.

Standiſh.

Is it not ſtill fundamentum et columna veritatis? et cet.

Couerdale.

The vniuerſall congregacion and multitude of thē that beleue in Chriſt / is ſtill the houſe of god / j. Timo. iij.the church of the liuinge god / the piler / and ſtabliſhment of the trueth / For there dwelleth god / with his mercy / grace / trueth / forgyueneſſe / et cet. Nether dyd the Apoſtles contrary to Chriſtes former inſtitucion / whan they / to ſet vp his name (which then was ſo ſore ſpurned at) dyd baptiſe in the ſame / yf ye remembre well the prerogatyue of holy baptyme / and the preſence of the bleſſed trenyte therin.

Standiſhe.

Paul the veſſel of election m. v. hundert yeres and more paſt / deſired the Romaynes. cap. xv. the Collo. cap. iiij. the Teſſa. j. Teſſa. v. to praye for him / et cet.

Couerdale.

I turned not ouer two leafes of your treatiſe / ſens I red theſe your wordes where ye ſaie thus / How can it be in ſcripture / thou impudent heretike / the prayer vntounto ſaintes?

Lorde Ieſu / what meane ye man? Will ye by ſcripture proue that thing / Standiſh will proue by ſcripture / the thing that can not be therin.which (as ye your ſelf confeſſe) can not be in ſcripture? Do ye not graūt your ſelfe / that the holy ſcripture is the very worde of god? Wyll ye then by gods holy worde proue that thinge which can not be therin? Wyll ye belye the worde of god? Saye ye not your ſelfe in another place afore / that it is an abhominable vice to ſlaundre it? To what poynt no to hauehave ye brought that worſhipfull doctrine of your vnholy mother the malignaunt church? Which teacheth / that we muſt now praie vntounto. S. Paul and other ſayntes / becauſe that he beynge here in this body dyd requyre other men to praye for him and for all ſaintes. Now is his requeſt ſuch / that yf we ſhuld fulfill it yet for him (aſwell as whan he was lyuyng vpō erth) thē ſhuld we deſire god to be good to his holy ſayntes that are out of this life. And then god ſaue oure lady / helpe. S. Paul / and conforte ſwete. S. Anthony.

A mocker are ye with gods holy word / and a ſhameful ſlaūdrer therof / Vayne wordes require no anſwer / but reprofe.therfore as vnworthy to be anſwered vntounto eueryevery vayne ſentence of your vnſtable doctryne / ſo leaue I your long diſputacion therin / Deſiringe all Chriſten readers to note wel what ſcriptures ye bring forth / and to cōpare the ſame vntounto the open texte / and then trie / which of oure two doctrynes is mooſt agreable to gods holy worde.

The doctryne of the Prophetes / of Chriſt oure Sauioure / of his holy Apoſtles / and of ſuch as hauehave and do folowe them in the catholike or vniuerſall church and congregacion of god / Is his holy worde and ſcripture / which (as holy. S.ij. Timo. iij Holy ſcripture is ſuffici… Paul darre aduowe) is able to inſtructe us vntounto ſaluacion / which is thorow the faith in Chriſt Ieſu / et cet. Yf youre article therfore of prayenge to ſayntes that be out of this life / were a thing belonging to ſaluacion / no doubte the ſame holy ſcripture of god wold hauehave taught it.

The awncient / firme / ſtable / and true doctryne of Chriſtes catholike or vniuerſall church / is this / that like as Chriſt Ieſus toke vponupon him oure fleſh and bloude (without ſinne) and deliuered us frō eternall death and hell / Chriſt is our hie preſt. Heb. jj.ſo is he ſtill oure mercifull and faithfull hie preſt in thinges concerning god / to make agrement for oure ſinnes / and able to ſocoure ſuch as are tempted / He is the ſeate of grace /Heb. v. The ſeate of grace Heb. vij. Heb. ix. to whom yf we reſorte / we maie receaue mercy and fynde grace to helpe in tyme of nede / he is able alſo euer to ſaue them that come vntounto god by him / and lyueth euer to make interceſſiō for us / yee and appeareth now for us before the face of god.

This doctryne is confirmed by thoſe ſame textes of ſcripture that ye bring in / j. Iohn. ſecundo Iohn. xiiij. j Timoth. ſecundo / and yet without open ſcriptures are ye not aſhamed to reſiſte it.

Math. vij. Luc. xj. Pſal. xlix. Hiere. xxix.We are cōmaunded thorow out all holy ſcripture (both of the olde and new Teſtamēt) to praie vntounto Allmightie god / to call vponupon him / to make oure peticions vntounto him / and to aſke of him what ſoeuer we lacke.

Pſal. xc. and cxliiij. Math. vij Iohn. xvj Eſaie. xxx.We hauehave his true and faithfull promes / that yf we ſo do / we ſhall be hearde / we ſhall hauehave oure requeſt / we ſhall finde that we ſeke / we ſhall be delyuered / et cet.

We hauehave enſamples innumerable / that all thoſe faithfull people whom the ſcripture maketh mencion of / dyd make their peticions and praier / to none other but vntounto god / whyle they were in this life.Acto. x and xij Let Cornelius (whom we ſpake of afore) and the practiſe of the prymityue church beare recorde.

Shal we now refuſe gods holy cōmaundemēt / thinke ſcorne of his louing promes / deſpiſe the enſamples of his catholike and vniuerſall church / and defye gods holy ordinaunce (as ye do) and renne at riote with your doctryne? Awaye from us ye wicked / the commaundementes of our god will we kepe / and not yours.Pſal. cxviij.

Standiſh.

Which toke oure ſynnes on him (penam pro peccatis) j. Pet. ij. et cet.

Couerdale.

Ye taught afore (wreſting many ſcriptures for your purpoſe) that eueryevery man muſt ſatiſfie for the puniſhment belonginge vntounto ſinne / Diuerſite in Stan…iſ… doctryne.and now ye graunt / that Chriſt toke the paine vpō him therfore. As much hold is there at your doctryne / as at an elys tale.

Standiſh.

But we hauehave moo meanes concernyng interceſſion / et cet.

Couerdale.

The ſcripture is manifeſt / that eueryevery one of us in this life is boūd to praie for another / and dailie occaſions hauehave we of ſuch peticions and exhortacions as appertayne to oure eſtate. As for praiēg to ſaintes that be out of this life / Ye hauehave myne anſwere allready.

Barnes.

NOtwithſtonding whether they praye for us or no / that I referre to god.

Standiſh.

A good Chriſtē man wold hauehave gone no further / then the congregacion of Chriſtes church / that is to ſaie / in this region the kinges maieſty with his lerned counſaill.

Couerdale.

Like as your vnreuerent handling of the holy ſcriptures afore rehearced / and your wicked doctrine againſt the ſame / Standiſh. excludeth himſelfe.declareth you to be none of Chriſtes church (vnleſſe ye repent / and turne) ſo do ye here exempte youre ſelfe from that holy congregacion. Maruaill not therfore / though (whan I ſe you folowe your vnholy mother and not Chriſtes deare ſpouſe) I call you now and then her owne whyte ſonne.

In this region of England (ye ſaie) the congregaciō of Chriſtes church is the Kynges Maieſtie with his lerned counſaill. But is this a ſufficient diffinicion? what a comforte is this now for ſo many of the Kynges ſubiectes (both lerned and vnlerned) to heare / that they are not of Chriſtes congregacion? Is it a greate conſolacion for the foote / to be none of the body?

Ye repute. D. Barnes no good Chriſten man / becauſe he wolde not define whether ſayntes praie for us or no / but referred that vntounto god / and not to the Kynges maieſtie and his lerned counſaill. What will ye make of the Kynges grace? A prince that had rather hauehave ſecrete thinges referred vntounto him / then vntounto god the onelyonly knower of all ſecretes? Or do ye eſteme the Kynges lerned counſaill to be ſuch men / as will geue iudgment in thinges that be not euident? Or thinke ye them to be ignoraunt of the ſcripture / Prouer. xxv Eccl. iij.which forbyddeth men to ſearch out or to medle with ſecrete thinges / that god hath not commaunded?

Barnes.

ANd yf ſaintes do praie for you / thē I truſt within this halfe hour / to praie for you. M. ſheriffe / and for eueryevery Chriſtē man liuing in the faith of Chriſt / and dyenge in the ſame as a ſaynt. Wherfore yf the deed maye praye for the quicke / then I will ſurely praye for you.

Standiſhe.

O damnable preſumpcion / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Becauſe this man truſted thorow the onelyonly mercy of god in Chriſt / to paſſe from this death vntounto life / ye note damnable preſumpcion / arrogaunt preſumpcion / and preſumptuous arrogaū cy in him. And becauſe ye maye ſeme to hauehave ſcripture to proue / that. D. Barnes wolde temerouſly appoynte and determyne the tyme himſelfe / for his ſo ſayeng / ye bringe in (quod pater poſuit in ſua poteſtate) as right as a rammes horne / and as nye to the purpoſe / as Pauls ſteple and mount Falcon.Acto. j. At the tyme of the aſcenſion of oure ſauyoure / whan the Apoſtles were come together / they aſked him and ſayde / Lord / ſhalt thou at this tyme ſet vp the kyngdome of Iſrael agayne? He ſayd vntounto them / It belongeth not vntounto you to knowe the tymes and ſeaſons which the father hath kepte in his awne power / et cetera. A like anſwere to ſuch another queſtion / Mar. xiij Mat. xxiiijgeueth he in another place / and ſaieth / Of that daye and houre knoweth no man / no not the angels of heauen / but the father onelyonly.

…. v.What maketh this now to proue / that he which (acordinge to Chriſtes promes) truſteth to pas from this death to life / doth temerouſly appoynt and determine the ſame time / daye or ſeaſon which our Sauyoure there ſpeaketh of? Or that he is either preſumptuous or arrogaunt / which (acording to the enſample of holy ſcripture) is certaine and ſure / that after the deſtruction of his body he hath an euerlaſtinge dwelling in heauen?ij. Cor. v HaueHave ye not now alledged the ſcripture well to the purpoſe? Ye wold hauehave men beleue (as it appeareth by you doctrine) that whan they departe hence / they ſhall go from the hall in to the kytchen / or els in to the whole kylle of your purgatory.

Standiſh.

Loke what caſe he is in / that thus ended his life / et cet.

Couerdale.

To proue here that ſaintes praie for us in heauen / ye make a long diſputacion / and with the ſcriptures ye do as ye were wont. They hauehave louelove yet (ye ſaie) and therfore they praye for us / and are our aduocates. I anſwere / The ſame places of ſcripture that ye bringe in your ſelfe / are mooſt againſt you / for they declare manifeſtly / that it is the office of Chriſt to make interceſſion for us / Heb. vij j. Iohn. ijand that he is (with the father) oure aduocate / which opteineth grace for our ſinnes. The ſaintes then that be in heauen knowinge this eternall will of god / louelove us not ſo / that they deſyre to be (nether can they be) againſt it.ij. Mac. xv The dreame of Iudas Machabeus

It is a token / that your doctryne hath but a weake foundacion / whan ye go aboute to proue it by a dreame / yee and that out of ſuch a boke as ſerueth not for the confirmacion of the doctryne of Chriſtes church / Prolog. in libros Salomonis.for though it be red among the ſtories of other bokes / yet dyd not the church receaue it among the Canonical ſcriptures in. S. Hieroms tyme.

Nether can ye proue that boke laufull by anye ſayeng of Chriſt / Luc. xxiiijfor thorow out all the new Teſtament he maketh mencion of none but of the lawe / the Prophetes and the Pſalmes / Iohn. vand byddeth not ſearch anye other ſcriptures but ſuch as beare recorde and teſtimonye of him.

The xv of Ieremy proueth (as doth alſo the vij / the xj / the xiiij of his boke) that god will not be intreated where his worde is troden vnderunder foote / and where men will nedes ſpurne agaynſt it. And verely in all the ſcripture could ye not hauehave brought in a more manifeſt place to cō fute your owne doctrine / if it be compared to the xiiij. of Ezechiel.

The xvj. of Luke / proueth nothing for your purpoſe / in that Abraham praied not to god whan he was deſired. But like as it proueth that ther is no redempcion in hell / ner time of acceptable repentaunce and forgyueneſſe after this life / So proueth it euidently / that we ought to holde us to the onelyonly word and ſcripture of god / and not to loke for other doctrynes / viſions / dreames / or reuelacions.

Gene. iiijThe place Apoca. vj. proueth that the voyce of Abels bloude and of ſuch as are ſlayne for the worde of god / cryeth vengeaunce from the erth (and vnderunder the altare / as. S. Iohn ſaieth in his viſion) and that all ſuch as are malicious perſecuters therof / Matth. xxiijare giltie of the righteous bloude that is ſhed vponupon erth.

Acto. v.S. Peters ſhadowe proueth your doctrine but weakly / Acto. xix.excepte ye can make us beleue that ther be ſhadowes in heauen. Nomore doth. S. Pauls napkyn / vnleſſe ye can proue / that he hath not yet left wiping of his noſe.

But where lerne ye to belye the word of god? Where finde ye in the ſcripture / that Peters ſhadowe or Pauls napkyng could heale the ſicke? doth the text ſaie ſo? Becauſe the people brought their ſicke in to Peters ſhadow / Acto. v.did it therfore heale them? Peter confeſſeth him ſelfe / Acto. iij.that it was not his owne power which made the lame man hole. S. Luke alſo reporteth / that god wrought no ſmall miracles by the handes of Paul.Acto. xix. And as Chriſt our ſauioure himſelfe witneſſeth / that it was not his veſture / Matth. ixbut the womans faith which made her whole (though ſhe touched it) ſo ſaieth. S. Marke / Mar. xvj.that the lord wrought with the Apoſtles / and confirmed the word with tokens folowinge.

Morouer where as. S. Paul deſired to be lowſed / and to be preſent with Chriſt / Philip. j.what proueth that the praieng to ſaintes? He ſaied in the ſame place / that it were more nedefull for them to hauehave him yet lyuing among them / Which thinge were not ſo / yf this your article were ſo neceſſary as ye make it. But Pauls wordes ſhalbe true ſtill / for greate nede hauehave we of many ſuch as he was / yf it were for nothing els / but to preach with his mouth (as he hath done in his Epiſtles / agaynſt youre and all other ſuch falſe doctrines.

Standiſhe.

Nonne confortatus eſt principatus eorum? Pſal. cxxxviij.

Couerdale.

Like as that ſcripture maketh no mencion of anie ſuch article as ye ymagen / The Pſalme cxxxviij.ſo doth the content of thē Pſalme ſet forth the wonderfull care and prouiſion that god maketh for us / and teacheth us that gods ſecrete counſails and thoughtes are to hie for oure capacite.

Standiſh.

Hinc Iero. aduerſus vigilantium / et cet.

Couerdale.

C. de Iſaac.S. Ambroſe ſaieth / Chriſt is oure mouth / by the which we ſpeake vntounto the father / Oure eye / by the which we ſe the father / oure right hand / by the which we offre vntounto the father. Without whoſe interceſſion / nether we ner all ſayntes hauehave any thing with god.

Standiſh.

Yf you ſaie / ſaintes do not heare us / et cete.

Couerdale.

iij. Re. viij j. Para. vj Luc. v.vj xj.xvj Math. ix.xij Mar. ij Matth. vjWhat knowlege the ſaintes hauehave / it is trulye aboue my capacite / but well I wote / that the ſcripture of the olde teſtament aſcribeth onelyonly vntounto god the knowlege of mens hartes. Wherof the goſpells alſo beare recorde ſufficient / and ſo doth the firſt of the Actes. Now is it manifeſt likewiſe / that as the praier which commeth from the harte / is moſt acceptable / ſo doth our Sauyoure byd us praye vntounto our father in ſecrete.

Where as ye bring in the enſample of Abraham and the worke of god ſhewed vntounto him in this life for to ſerue youre preſent purpoſe / It proueth / that ye are an vnreuerent handler of gods worde / for the texte is plaine / that god dyd there ſhewe vntounto Abraham (being yet in this life) the deſtruction of the Sodomites / of his onelyonly accuſtomate goodneſſe and mercy / Gene. xviijbecauſe Abraham was vnderunder his couenaunt and did faithfully cleue to his promes / and becauſe he knew that Abraham wolde cōmaunde his childrē and houſholde / to kepe the waie of the lorde / et ce. To affirme your purpoſe then by this place / is euen as much as to go aboute to proue / that ſaintes in heauē hauehave children yet and houſholdes to teach in the waie of the lorde.

Standiſh.

Where as the leeſt of them (qui minor eſt) et cetera.

Couerdale.

Like as of a comparatiue degree ye make a ſuperlatiue / Luce. vijand wreſt the wordes to Abraham that oure Sauioure ſpake of Iohn the baptiſt / Euen ſo to the eſtate that ſaintes be now in / applye ye thoſe wordes / which. S.j. Iohn. iij Iohn ſpeaketh of the eſtate that gods electe ſhall hauehave at the ſeconde appearinge of Chriſt / euen whan they ſhalbe like him / j. Cor. xvwhan their bodies ſhall ryſe vncorruptible as his is ryſen / Philip. iijand whan he ſhall chaunge their vile body / that it maie be like faſhioned vntounto his glorious body.

Agayne / ye ſayde afore / that there were no ſayntes in heauen afore Chriſtes aſcenſion. And now to proue that the leeſt of the ſayntes in heauē is more entyerlye beloued of god / then Abraham was in this life / ye alledge the wordes that were ſpoken long afore the death of Chriſt. Qui minor eſt in regno / et cet. Remembre your ſelfe wel / what a clarklye parte ye plaie with that text.

As for ſanctorum communionem / it is the declaraciō of the holy catholike or vniuerſall church of Chriſt / that they are a company or felaſhippe of all ſuch as be ſanctified in Chriſtes bloude / and are partakers of his merites / and membres one of another / But no probacion is it / that ſayntes in heauen do praye for us / yf ye note well the deſcripcion therof / j. Cor. xij.by. S. Pauls doctryne.

Now yf ye will proue youre purpoſe by the angels offices / then muſt ye proue that ſayntes are myniſtring ſpretes / ſent for their ſakes which ſhal be heyres of ſaluacion.Heb. j. But that will be hard for you to do. Nether doth the twentieth chapter of luke helpe your matter anye thinge at al / for (though ye choppe vp the text at your pleaſure with the ſhorteſt) theſe are our Sauiours wordes / Luc. xxThe children of this world do mary and be maried / but they that ſhalbe counted worthy of yonder world and the reſurrection from the deed / ſhall nether mary ner be maried / for they can die nomore / for they are like vntounto the angels / et cet. This anſwere now of our Sauiour to the Saducees / as it confuteth their hereſie / ſo doth it proue / that the children of god in heauen be like the aungels / in life / in immortalite / and in that they are as fre from the neceſſite of mariage / as the angels be / but it proueth not that they are like angels in all thinges / for thē ſhuld they hauehave no bodies to be raiſed vp / at the generall reſurrection.

Standiſh.

But alſo that their merites do profit us / as by example we do reade Gene. xxvj. et cetera.

Couerdale.

Where as allmightie god ſaieth vntounto Iſaac (VntoUnto thy ſede will I geue all this land / et cet.) becauſe Abraham was obedient vntounto my voyce / Gen. xxvjet cet. VponUpon this are ye not aſhamed to ſaye / that the cauſe is onelyonly thorow the merites of his father Abraham. Now ſaieth not the text ſo / but thus / VntoUnto the and thy ſede will I geue all this lande / and wil perfourme mine ooth that I ſware to thy father Abraham / et cet. This ſcripture then like as it proueth (acording to. S.Galat. iij. Pauls wordes) that they which are of faith are bleſſed with faithfull Abraham / ſo declareth it manifeſtly / that this ſame bleſſing commeth of gods promes in and thorow the ſede of Abraham and Iſaac / that is / euen thorow Chriſt.

But why bring ye in this or any other place of the olde Teſtament to proue / that the merites of ſayntes in heauen do profit us / ſeyng ye ſaye your ſelfe / that afore Chriſtes aſcenſion ther were none in heauen / and ſeing alſo that thoſe vertues of Abraham and Dauid were thinges practiſed here and not in heauen? God is my recorde / I wonder greatly what ye meane / thus to daly with his worde.

Touchinge merites I hauehave anſwered you allreadie / but. S. Paul anſwereth you better / and ſaieth / Rom. viijthat god (geuing us his deare ſonne) hath geuen us all thinges with him / and that in him dwelleth al fulneſſe / ſo that we are cōplete in him. Sure I am alſo / Col. j.ijthat no true ſeruaunt of god wil be otherwiſe minded then was holy Iohn baptiſt which ſaide / that out of Chriſtes fulneſſe all we receaue grace / Iohn. jet cet. and that grace and trueth cō meth by Ieſus Chriſt. Yf the merites then that ye ſpeake of / be anye parte of grace and trueth / then muſt ye nedes graunt that we receaue them onelyonly of him. But ſurely ye hauehave ſome vngracious and falſe matter in hand.

Standiſh.

He ſpeaketh nothinge of oure workes after our iuſtificacion / but onelyonly of workes before faith / which in dede are not meritorius / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Afore (to proue by Cornelius workes that our iuſtificacion deſerued onelyonly by the death of Chriſt / Diuerſite in Standiſh doctryne.is a falſe iuſtificacion) Ye ſaye / that his good workes before he was iuſtified / ſomthing deſerued that he ſhuld be called in to the congregacion of our ſauioure / and ſo through gods mercy his workes dyd deſerue much of allmightie god. Theſe are your awne wordes. And now cleane contrary to the ſame / ye graunte / that workes before faith are not meritorious. Thus by youre awne wordes condemne ye youre awne doctryne.

But though eueryevery good worke done in true faith after gods commaundement / ſhalbe rewarded / and hath his promes annexed vntounto it (as yf I be mercifull vntounto my neghboure / Matth. v xviij. Gala. iij.god hath promiſed to hauehave mercy on me agayne) ſhall that rewarde be geuen for my workes ſake / and not rather becauſe of his owne promes and bleſſing in Ieſu Chriſt? Is not all oure ſufficiency of god?ij. Cor. iij Philip. ij Can we thinke a good thought of our ſelues? Is it not god / which worketh in us both the will and the dede? Whan god rewardeth any good worke / Auguſt.doth he not crowne his owne giftes in us? Stoppe your mouth then / and knowlege your ſelfe to be in gods daunger and in his dett.Rom. iij. Ephe. ij Why boaſt ye of your merites / agaynſt the doctryne of gods worde? Why graunt ye not with. S. Luke (whom ye alledge your ſelfe) that whan ye hauehave done all ſuch thinges as are commaunded you / Luc. xvijye are an vnprofitable ſeruaunt? And with. S. Paul / Rom. viijthat the paynes taken in this life / are not worthy of the glory for to come? Do ye not ſaye your ſelfe alſo theſe wordes / We muſt think and ſurely beleue / that all cōmeth of Chriſtes liberalite / which frely did cal us / and louelove us before we loued him? What practiſe then of anye wordly prynce / can proue this trueth to be falſe? Your owne wordes and ſentences / deſtroye your doctryne of merites. Folowe. S. Auguſtines counſaill thē / De predeſt ſane.and boaſt not of mens merites / but let the grace of god which raigneth thorow Ieſus Chriſt / hauehave all the preemynence. And yf ye hauehave any workes folowinge the fre and liberall vocation of god / thē graunt with Chriſoſtome / that they are his rewarde and youre dewtie / and that the giftes of god are his owne benignite / grace / and greatneſſe of his owne liberalite.

Barnes.

WEl / hauehave ye yet any thing more to ſaye? then called he. M. Shyreffe / and ſayd / hauehave you any articles againſt me / for the which I am condemned? And the ſheriffe anſwered / no. Then ſaid he / Is there here any man els that knoweth wherfore I die / or that by my preaching hath taken any erroure? let them now ſpeake and I will make them anſwere. And no man anſwered. Then ſayd he / well I am condemned by the lawe to die / and as I vnderſtōd by an acte of perliamēt / but wherfore I cā not tel / but belike for hereſy / for we are like to be burnt

Standiſh.

Articles agaynſt the? What articles dyddeſt thou reuoke at the ſpyttle? et cet.

Couerdale.

A very ſpittle faſhion is it (no doubte) to aſke queſtions of the deed. And I ſuppoſe verely / that (excepte it be a cōiurer / a iugler / or a worker with ſpretes) there is none that vſeth it.

Touchinge articles at the ſpittle / I am certaine / D. Barnes dyd not affirme there that faith doth not iuſtifie / or that Chriſtes death was not the ſufficient ſatiſfaction for our ſynnes. Now where as he was enioyned to affirme / that though Chriſt be oure onelyonly mediatour / ſauyour / iuſtifier and onelyonly ſatiſfaction vntounto god for the ſinnes of them that beleue in him / Yet yf we looſe this grace thorow ſinne / then muſt we riſe agayne by true pennaunce / et cet. Yf for this article (I ſaye) ye will gather that he ſhulde reuoke / then do ye interprete his wordes contrary to his owne declaracion that he made of them in the ſame ſermon. In ſo much that the ſondaye after at Pauls croſſe (as I vnderſtond). D. Wilſon could laye no greater thing to his charge / then that he had expounded pennaunce after his wont maner by the office of the law and the goſpell.

Now like as afore in your wordes ye compare this his confeſſion to the cōfeſſion of the deuel / ſo by this and ſuch other your tawntes / ye wold make the world beleue / that he reuoked al trueth at the ſpittle felde / and that he had all his life tyme taught an vngodly and carnall libertye / the contrary wherof is euident not onelyonly by this preſent proteſtaciō / but alſo by his wryting and preaching afore / Namely / that to the true beleue and conſent of the hert are neceſſarilie required good Chriſten frutes in eueryevery man and womans conuerſacion acording to the ſame. Wherfore this his confeſſiō ſo long as he mainteined no damnable errour contrary vntounto it (which in all your babling boke ye hauehave not proued / nether ſhalbe able to do) was a ſufficient euidence at his latter ende / that he dyed a true Chriſten man. Nether can ye iuſtly condemne him / j. Iohn. iiij.that maketh no worſe confeſſion on his death bedde. Agayne. S. Iohn ſaieth / EueryEvery ſprete which confeſſeth that Ieſus Chriſt is come in the fleſh / is of god. Wherfore ye are to raſhe in iudgment / to affirme that he was iuſtly condemned for hereſie / ſeinge that he nether helde any doctryne ner manteined by euell conuerſacion / eny thing / out of which ye can truly / deduce / that euer he denied the true faith of god / or any one of the benefites or offices of Ieſus Chriſt.

As for the articles that were laied againſt him in Cambrige aboue xij yeares agoo / verely like as in repetinge of thē ye accuſe your church to pretende an outward forgyueneſſe / and yet to kepe hatred ſtil many yeares / So appeare ye to fauour them that accuſed him of the ſaide articles / in ſom wherof he mainteined the prerogatyue of prynces againſt the tiran̄ie and vſurped power ye wote of whom. I ſaye nomore / but yf ye be at that poynt / and may ſo frely write what ye wil / I cōmitte my part of the playe to god. Who (as I doubte not) wil defend the king in his right / ſo am I ſure / that though ye be now in your ruffe / he is not yet hard aſlepe. Where as ye ſaie / that at. D. Barnes death there were thre ſortes of men / and that the firſt ſorte which (by your reporte) wer mooſt contrary to him / wolde geue him no anſwere at his honeſt requeſt / Ye declare planely that / either they had nothing to ſaie agaynſt him / or els litle charite / ſeing that (acording to. S. P.ij. Cor. xj. wordes which ye alledge) they found not thē ſelues greued to ſe the weake offended / yf it were as you ſaie. Nether proueth it thē to leane ſtedfaſtly vntounto the piler of trueth / to louelove gods lawe / to hauehave true quyetneſſe in their conſcience / or to be endewed with feruent charite / that folow not the ſame law of louelove in the tyme of nede. How do thoſe places of ſcripture then that ye bring in / alowe their acte? Let all indifferent readers iudge / how the cxviij Pſalme / the third of the firſt to Timothe / or the eight to the Romaynes agreeth with their purpoſe.

In deſcribing the ſecōde ſorte of people that were at. D. Barnes death / ye faile alſo. Firſt / in reporting of thē / that they euer be and ſhal be as apte to receaue the euel preaching as the good. Secondly / that they are cōtent in theſe matters to go whither they be led. Thirdly / that they are cōtent to beleue what they be taught. Fourthly / that they know not whan they be in the right waye / ner whan they be forth of it.Matth. xviij Now ſaieth our ſauyoure (in the ſame text which ye your ſelf do alledge) that they beleue in him. Then like as they harkē to his voice / Iohn. x Roma. viij j. Ioh. iiij j. Teſſa. v Iohn. xand not to the voice of ſtraunges / ſo folow they him / and are led of his holy ſprete / And not onelyonly proue all doctrines (whether they be of god) but alſo kepe that which is good / for they knowe Chriſtes voice / and not the voice of ſtraūgers.

Morouer / yf that third ſorte of people / did fauour no worſe opinions / and were no fuller of fleſhly and carnall ſenſualite / then this preſent proteſtacion of. D. Barnes teacheth them / that text (dilexerunt magis tenebras / Iohn. iijet cet.) maye rather be verified of you and your ſorte / then of thē.

Barnes.

BVt they that hauehave bene the occaſion of it / I praye god forgeue them / as I wold be forgeuen my ſelf. And. D. Stephin. Byſchopp of wyncheſter that now is / yf he hauehave ſought or wrought this my death ether by word or dede / I pray god forgyue him / as hartely / as frely / as charitably / and without fayning / as euer Chriſt forgaue thē that put him to death.

Standiſhe.

Se now whether this be fayned charite / or nor / et cetera.

Couerdale.

It is no poynt of fained charite / a man to forgeue them that offend againſt him / Matth. v Luc. xxiijand to praie for them that perſecute him / As it is manifeſt by our ſauiours doctryne / and example alſo at his death.

Ye take vponupon you here the office of a iudge afore ye be called ther to / yee euen gods onelyonly office (in iudging mens hertes) take ye vponupon you. As who ſaie / he goeth aboute to ouerthrow and caſt downe a man / that agreeth not with him in his doctryne. As touching any contencious maner betwene my lord of wincheſter and. D. Barnes / though you and I both (as I ſuppoſe) be ignoraunt / what direction the Kynges highneſſe dyd take therin / Yet ſeyng the one was reconciled to the other openly at the Spittle / ye ſhulde now not take the matter ſo whote.

But a pyke thanke will ye be ſtill. What mynde hath he to be reuenged / that firſt aſketh a man forgeueneſſe / and than praieth god to forgeue him (as Chriſt forgaue his death) yf he be giltie? Agayne / Will the. B. of wincheſtre iudge him ſelfe to be either ſediciouſly or diſdainfully named / or without reuerence / whan he is called a biſſhoppe? I darre ſaye / he will not. Why plaie ye Philippe flatrers part thē / as though the name of a biſſhoppe were not a reuerent name?

Barnes.

ANd yf any of the counſaill or any other hauehave ſought or wrought it thorow malice or ignoraunce / I praye god forgyue them their ignoraunce and illumynate their eyes / that they maye ſe / and aſke mercy for it.

Standiſh.

O what ignoraunce? et cetera.

Couerdale.

This praier is nether malicious againſt gods word / ner preiudicial to any man / and yf they that ſuffred. D. Barnes to liue ſo long / were to blame for their ſo doing / then make ye your ſelfe giltye of the ſame fault / that hauehave played the coward all that whyle / and not helped him to his death.

Barnes.

I Beſech you all to pray for the kynges grace / as I hauehave done euer ſens I was in preſon and do now / that god maie geue him proſperite / and that he maie lōg raigne amōg you / ād after him that goodly prynce Edward may ſo raigne / that he maye fyniſhe thoſe thinges that his father hath begon. I hauehave bene reported a preacher of ſedicion and diſobediēce to the kynges maieſtie / but here I ſaye to you / that you all are bound by the cōmaundement of god to obeye youre prince with all humilite and with all your hert / yee not ſo much as in a looke to ſhew yourſelues diſobedient vntounto him / and that not onelyonly for feare of the ſwerd / but alſo for conſcience ſake before god.

Standiſh.

Thou haſt bene truly reported a ſedicious preacher / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Will ye then winke at ſediciō ſo long / and not be an accuſer therof / where as (by your awne confeſſion) ye hauehave heard him preach ſo oft? Ye and knowing his boke to hauehave bene ſo long prynted? But how vntruly ye belye him / it ſhall be euydent to all the worlde / that will reade his boke. Ye reporte of him / that he ſhuld ſaye in his boke (prynted ten yeares agoo) that yf the Kyng wold by tiranny take the new Teſtament from his ſubiectes / they ſhuld not ſuffre him. Now is it manifeſt that like as he ſaieth here in this parte of his proteſtacion / ſo ſaieth he alſo in his boke / and bringeth in the ſame xiij chapter to the Romaynes that ye alledge / In the cxiij leafe.and addeth morouer theſe wordes / In no wiſe (be it right or wrong) maieſt thou make any reſiſtaunce with ſwerde or with hand / et cet. Itē / Yf the Kyng forbyd the new Teſtament / et cete. men ſhall firſt make faithfull praiers to god / and humble ſupplicacion to the Kyng / D. Barnes wordes in the cxv leafe of his boke.that his grace wold releaſe that commaundement. Yf he wil not do it / they ſhall kepe their teſtament with all other ordinaunce of Chriſt / and let the Kyng exerciſe his tiranny (yf they can not flie) and in no wiſe vnderunder paine of damnacion ſhall they reſiſte him by violence / but ſuffre paciently / et ce. Nor they ſhal not go aboute to depoſe their prince / as my lordes the biſſhoppes were wont / In the cxvj leafe.et cet. But yf the kyng will do it by violence / they muſt ſuffre it / but not obeie to it by agrement. Item / Now is it cleare / that we maie not reſiſt this temporall power (in no wiſe) by violence / et cet.In the cxviij leafe. but yf anye thing be commaunded us that is againſt the word of god wherby oure faith is hurt / that ſhuld we not do in any wiſe / but rather ſuffre perſecucion and alſo death.

Be theſe wordes now as much to ſaye / as yf the Kyng commaunde anie thing by tirannie mē ſhall not ſuffre him? What meane ye / ſo vntruly to reporte of the deed? But no maruail / whan ye ſhame not to belie ſo many textes of gods holy word.

Touching mens lawes / it is manifeſt / that ſuch as are not grounded in gods word / do not bind the conſcience of man to deadly ſinne. For yf they be not grounded in gods worde / and agreable to the faith therof / then are they ſynfull and naught. Who is bound now to obeie ſinne? But a man maie ſmel you a farre of / whoſe ſucceſſours ye be. You will not ſticke to call it a laufull acte for a prince / to condemne gods word / and to forbid that thinge which is inſtitute and ordeyned of god / Yee yf oure prince wold take ſuch a thing in hand (which god forbid) he ſhuld lacke no inſtigacion of your malignaunt church. Nether can I yet coniecture the contrary / but that ye are aboute ſuch a tragedy. Now go to / ſet your watch men to kepe the ſepulchre / ſuffre not Chriſt to ryſe vp in any wyſe / let not the ſouldiers lack money (the church is riche ynough) caſt your greate heades together / and let Caiphas geue you his moſt ſo tel counſaill / For whan ye hauehave done your beſt / and lyed all that euer ye can / yet ſhall god make your policye to ſerue for the glorye of his trueth / Amen.

Barnes.

YEe and I ſaye further / yf the kyng ſhuld commaunde you any thing agaynſt gods law / yf it be in your power to reſiſt him / yet maye you not do it.

Standiſh.

Se here the ſtedfaſtneſſe / et cetera.

Couerdale.

This man nether wrote ner ſayd / that we muſt obeye an erthly prynce / more then allmightie god / and yet are ye not aſhamed ſo to reporte of him. He ſaieth / that though the Kyng commaunde us anye thing agaynſt gods lawe / yet maye we not reſiſt him / Which ſaieng ye call an abhominable hereſie. Thus declare ye your ſelfe manifeſtly / to be of the nombre of them that teach / how that it is lauful for a man to reſiſt his prince. Which thing whether it be not both hereſie and treaſon / let them iudge that hauehave auctorite.

Amos. vijBecauſe Amos the Prophet preached agaynſt ydolatry at Bethel / that falſe preſt Amaſias (whom ye ſpeake of) told that Kyng / that he was a ſedicious felow / and ſo found the meanes to get him out of the court. Yet played Amaſias a more honeſt parte with Amos / then you do / for he laied rebellion to his charge that was alyue / and your accuſacion is agaynſt the deed. Agayne / Amaſias (being yet a falſe preſt) ſaieth not / that it is laufull for a man to reſiſt his prynce / and you call it abhominable hereſie to teach the contrary.

Though Peter and Iohn do teach / that we muſt obeye and harken vntounto god more then vntounto men / do they therfore teach / that we muſt reſiſt our prynce? Where fynd ye that example in them Peter ſmote of Malcus eare in dede / but litle thanke had he for his laboure. Doth he not teach us to endure grefe / to ſuffre wrong / and to take it paciently? Saieth he not / j. Pet. ij.that we are called ther vntounto? Setteth he not Chriſt vntounto us for an example of ſuffryng?

Becauſe our Sauioure wylleth us not to feare them that kyll the body / Matth. xmuſt we therfore reſiſt them? Whan a prynce doth perſecute us for gods wordes ſake in one citie / muſt we reſiſt him / and not rather flye in to another?Matth. v Doth he call them bleſſed that reſiſt / and not them rather that ſuffre for perſecucion ſake?Luc. xxiiij. Dyd Chriſt entre in to his Kyngdome by reſiſting / or by ſuffryng?

As for that ſaieng (qui timet hominem / et cet. I can not find it in the xix of the prouerbes / but I fynd ther written / Prouer. xixthat a falſe witneſſe ſhall not remayne vnpuniſhed / and that he which ſpeaketh lies / ſhall not eſcape.

Ye call it an abhominable hereſie to teach / that we ought not to reſiſt our prince / though he commaunde us any vnlaufull thing. And to proue your purpoſe / ye poynt us to the fifth of Eſaye / where ther is no ſuch words as ye ſpeake of. But theſe wordes fynd I there / Eſaye. vWo vntounto them that call good euell / et cet.

As for the enſample of the ſeuen brethren and their mother / it utterly condemneth you / for they ſaie theſe wordes / They ſaye not / we are ready to reſiſt.We are ready rather to ſuffre / then to offende the lawes of god / et cete. And as they ſaid / ſo they dyd / without makyng reſiſtaunce / though the Kynges commaundement was vnlaufull. What other thing now dyd. D. Barnes teach in his fore rehearced wordes / but (as he had ſaid in his boke afore) that yf the Kyng wolde cōmaunde us anie vnlaufull thing / we muſt ſuffre him / though we obeie not to it by agremēt? What daunger you be in then for teaching the contrary / I will not define. I praie god (acording to his good pleaſure) hauehave mercy vponupon you.

Barnes.

THen ſpake he to the ſhereffe and ſayde / M. ſhereffe / I requyre you of gods behalfe / to hauehave me commended vntounto the kynges grace / and to ſhew him / that I require of his grace theſe requeſtes / firſt / that wher his grace hath now receaued in to his handes all the goodes and ſubſtaunce of the abbayes. Then the ſhereffe deſyred him to ſtoppe there. He anſwered / M. ſhereffe I warraunt you / that I wil ſpeake no harme / for I know it is well done / that all ſuch ſuperſticion be taken cleane awaye / and the kynges grace hath well done in takyng it awaye. But ſeyng his grace is made a hole kyng / and obeyed in his realme as a kyng (which nether his father ner graundfather ner his anceſtours that raigned before him / euer had) and that thorow the preaching of us and ſuch other wretches as we are / which allwayes hauehave applied our hole ſtudies / and gaue our ſelues for the ſetting forth of the ſame / and this is now our reward. Well / it maketh no matter. Now he raigneth / I praye god long maye he raigne among you. Wold god it might pleaſe his grace / to beſtow the ſayd goodes or ſome of them to the comforte of his poore ſubiectes / which ſurely hauehave great nede of them.

The ſecond that I deſire his grace / is / that he will ſe that matrymony be had in more reuerence then it is / and that men (for eueryevery light cauſe inuented) caſt not of their wifes / and lyue in aduoutry and fornicacion / and that theſe that be not maried / ſhuld not abhominably lyue in whordome / folowing the filthy luſtes of the fleſh.

The third / that the abhominable ſwearers maye be puniſhed and ſtrately loked vponupon. For ſurely the vengeaūce of god will come on thē for their miſcheuous oothes. Thē deſired he. M. Pope which was preſent / to hauehave him cōmended to. M. Edgar / ād to deſire him for the deare bloud of Ieſu Chriſt / that he wold leaue that abhominable ſwearing that he vſeth. For ſurely excepte he forſake it / he will come to ſome miſcheuous ende. The fourth / that his grace wil ſet furth Chriſtes true religiō. And that ſeyng he hath begon̄e / he go forward / and make an end / for many thinges hauehave bene done / but yet much more is to do. And that it wold pleaſe his grace to loke on gods word himſelfe. For it hath bene obſcured with many tradicions inuented of our owne braynes. Now (ſayd he) how many peticions hauehave I ſpoken of? And the people ſayd: foure. Well / (ſayd he) euen theſe foure be ſufficient / which I deſyre you / that the kynges grace maye be certified of them. And ſaye / that I mooſt humbly deſyre him / to loke erneſtly vponupon them.

Standiſh.

It was high tyme to loke / et cet.

Couerdale.

Dani. liijThe prophet Daniel (I truſt) was no arrogaunt wretche / though he deſyred his prince to make ſome prouiſion for the poore / j. Timo. vjNomore thē was holy. S. Paul / which taught Timothy to change the riche mē of this world with the ſame leſſon. All they alſo that were true meſſaungers of god / laboured to hauehave aduoutry / fornicacion / whordome / and abhominable ſwearinge expelled from among Chriſten men / as all the whole ſcripture teſtifieth. Nether dyd. D. Barnes in theſe his wordes requyre anye other thing. His wordes are playne ynough / and yet (as your maner is in your treatiſe) ye ymagen an intent and mynde cleane contrary to the ſame. Ye graunt that he ſpake erneſtly for the poore and for the comons / and yet call ye him an arrogaunt wretch / and (for his good will) reporte of him / that he deſired to hauehave a great ſtroke in eueryevery matter of waight / et cetera.

D. Barnes ſayd not that he and his felowes dyd refourme thoſe thinges that were amyſſe (for he knew that / to be gods office and the Kynges) and yet ſurmyſe ye the ſame vntruly vponupon him. But he ſaieth that thorow the preaching of gods word in the myniſtracion of him and ſuch other / the Kynges grace is now more obeyed then / euer he was before. And I praye you / is it not ſo? Or was it not gods holy word / that gat the Kyng his owne agayne? Maye he thank anye papiſticall doctrine therfore? No verely.

Concerning. M. Edgar / yf. D. Barnes had not had a right good opynion in him / no doubte he wold not hauehave ſent him that commendacion with ſuch an honeſt requeſt. But becauſe he toke him (as he might right well / I truſt) for a gentle man that wolde ſuffre a Chriſten exhortacion / as they will that perteyne vntounto Chriſt / therfore was he the bolder of him. As for that ſwearing / I thinke verely it cōmeth rather of a cuſtome (which yet might well be left) then of anye ſet purpoſe. Nether was. D. Barnes acte here agaynſt the proceſſe requyred in the xviij of Matthew / though he had not ſpoken with him afore / ſeyng he might not now come at him.

Barnes.

ANd that his grace take good hede / that he be not diſceaued with falſe preachers and teachers and euell counſaill. For Chriſt ſaieth / that ſuch falſe Prophetes ſhall come in lammes ſkynnes.

Standiſh.

O how great thanke be you worthy / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Ye ſhuld hauehave proued theſe wordes to ſmell nothing but hereſie and treaſon (as ye ſaye in your preface) becauſe they hauehave the ſwete odoure of the goſpell / Math. vij xvj.xxiiij.where our ſauyour byddeth us beware of falſe Prophetes / and of the leuen of phariſes / and telleth us / that many ſuch ſhall aryſe / and diſceaue many (yee euen thorow ſwete preachinges and flatring wordes / ſaieth the Apoſtle) and becauſe the ſcripture byddeth us beware of ſuch marchauntes / Nom. xvj. Mar. xij. Luc. xx.as goyng in long garmentes / et cete. deuoure wedows houſes vnderunder the pretence of long prayers.

This man called not the Kynges mooſt honoble councell euell / and yet (euen like a pyke thank ſtill) ye ſurmyſe it vponupon him. Yf a frend of the Kynges ſhuld ſaye vntounto him / I beſech your grace / take good hede whom ye receaue in to your preuy chambre / Doth he therfore call his chamberlaynes euell? Or doth he therfore preferre his owne witte aboue the diſcrete wiſdome of the Kynges noble counſaill?

Holy. S.ij. Pet. j Peter (as long as he was in this body) thought it mete / to put Chriſten men in remembraunce of their dewtie / yee though they were of ripe knowlege them ſelues / and ſtabliſhed in the trueth. And yet you call it obſtinate pryde / treaſon / blyndneſſe / and raſh fooliſhneſſe ſo to do. Such is your iudgment. Yee euen whan the partye doth moſt humbly deſyre his prynce / to whō he ſpeaketh.

Barnes.

THen deſyred he all men to forgeue him / and that yf he had ſayd any euell at any tyme vnaduyſed / wherby he had offended any man / or geuen any occaſiō of euell / that they wold forgeue it him / and amend that euell they toke of him.

Standiſh.

Mark how he doth contynue one maner of man / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Stedfaſtneſſe in the waye of gods trueth is to be commended. And an euident token is it / that he is of the ſame doctryne / which wittingly teacheth no euell / reconcyleth himſelfe vntounto all men / is ſory yf he hauehave offended anye man (or geuen any euell occaſion) and geueth other men at their death / an enſample of true repentaunce.

Barnes.

ANd that they wold beare him witneſſe / that he deteſted and abhorred all euell opynions and doctrines againſt the word of god / and that he dyed in the faith of Ieſu Chriſt and the ſacramentes of the church / by whō he doubted not to ſaued.

Standiſhe.

I knowe that no good man / et cetera.

Couerdale.

Then it appeareth / that yf he had not deteſted and abhorred all euell and erroneous opynions / but had loued your ſtraunge doctrines (which are agaynſt gods word) and ſo dyed out of Chriſtes faith / ye wold hauehave bene a recorde and witneſſe to him / rather then fayle.

Barnes.

ANd with this he deſyred them all to praye for him / and then he turned him aboute / and put of his clothes / makyng him ready to the fyre / and moſt paciently toke his death / yeldinge his ſoule into the handes of allmightie god.

Standiſh.

By this it doth appeare / that the firſt wryter of theſe his wordes was very charitable / et cete.

Couerdale.

What ſo euer he was that firſt wrote theſe his wordes / verely I can not tell / nether dyd I euer reade them or heare them / till I ſawe them in your treatiſe. And though it may be ſuſpected that this is not the treweſt copie / becauſe it commeth out of your handes / Yet truly a right charitable dede was it to wryte his wordes / and to certifye us of them / for els (by your preſent practiſe) we maye coniecture / that ye wold hauehave diſcanted of his deeth / as of one whom ye had ouercome with your doctryne. Now alſo that ye can ſtoppe the trueth no farther / ye wold beare us in hand / that it is the wryters iudgment onelyonly / which aſcrybeth vntounto him / that he paciently toke his death / as though there were none els that herd him and ſawe him dye / but the wryter alone.

Couerdale.

Allbe it I will iudge onelyonly of the outwarde behaueour.

Couerdale.

Iohn. vijIudge not after the outward appearaūce (ſaieth our ſauyour) but geue a righteous iudgment.

Yet do ye not as ye ſaye / for in many places of your treatiſe ye iudge the mans mynde and intent yee contrary to his wordes.

Standiſhe.

Takyng occaſion by his erroneous wordes / to iudge he dyed an obſtinate heretike.

Couerdale.

Ye can not denye / but that after the open confeſſion of his faith / and his humble requeſtes vntounto the Kynges grace / he than reconcyled himſelfe to all men / and at the laſt whan he had deſyred thē to praye for him / toke his death paciently / and yelded vp his ſoule in to the handes of allmightye god. For all this ye do not onelyonly call his wordes erroneous / but alſo geue ſentence / that he dyed an obſtinate heretike.

Standiſh.

And as for the inward ſecretes / whether he be condēned or ſaued / whether he yelded vp his ſoule in to the handes of allmightie god / or no / et cet. I remitte that to the ſecrete counſaill of the bleſſed trenite.

Couerdale.

A wonderfull thing is it / that ye are ſo vnſtable in your wordes. Do ye not take vponupon you afore / to iudge / that he dyed an obſtinate heretike? And now ye can not tell whether he be ſaued or condemned / whether he yelded vp his ſoule in to the handes of allmightie god / or no. But can an obſtinate heretike yelde vp his ſoule / whan he is deed all ready? Can an obſtinate heretike be ſaued? Beholde now / to what worſhippe ye bring your doctryne at the laſt.

Standiſh.

VntoUnto whom be laude / honour / and glory for euermore. Amen.

Couerdale.

Amen. Euen to that ſame bleſſed trenyte (father / ſonne / and holy gooſt) be honour and glory now and euermore. Amen.

The Apoſtle deſcribing the office and dewtie of a miniſtre or preacher of gods word / ij. Timo. ij.wylleth him (among all other qualities) to ſhew himſelf ſuch a laudable workman / as nede not be aſhamed / handling the word of trueth iuſtly. Wherfore / ſeyng ye hauehave ſo vnreuerently handled gods holy word / peruerted it / wreſted it and belyed it ſo oft and many tymes in your treatiſe / Maruaill not at this myne inuectyue agaynſt your falſe doctryne. As for ſymple ignoraunce / and ſuch frayll weakneſſe as accompanyeth the nature of man (whether he will or no) it may be ſuffred and borne. But wilful ſpurnyng at gods holy word / froward and falſe belieng therof / muſt nedes be rebuked / and improued. Your zele (for all your holy pretēce) is to ſuppreſſe gods trueth to mainteine that doctrine which the catholike or vniuerſal church of chriſt neuer receaued / and to defend the church malignaūt in hir wickedneſſe. This is manifeſt by your preſent practiſe. But god allmightie which ſoweth the ſede of his holy word / and dayly increaceth it in the hartes of his faithfull / ſhall (though no man els will) maynteyne and defende it himſelfe. We alſo (whom god will not to be ydle) ſhall do our beſt / and be carieng ſtones to the makyng vp of the wal which ye hauehave broken downe / To the intent that Chriſt our ſauyour maye hauehave his owne glorye (which ye hauehave robbed him of) our prince his honoure / and oure neghboure his dewtie.

A Confutation of Standishs Treatise, Confutation · Protestation (3 of 3)