Whole Works, Tracts 1 · Tract 4 · Part 1 · Section 16
¶ The fayth that dependeth of an other mans mouth is weake.
IF I hauehave none other feeling in my fayth then becauſe a man ſo ſayth, then is my fayth faithles and fruitles. For if I hauehave none other ſeeling that lecherie is ſinne then that the Pope ſo Lechery.preacheth, whom I ſee before my face ſet vp in Rome a ſtewes of xx. or xxx. thouſand whores, taking of eueryevery pece tribute yearly, and his Byſhops with all other his diſciples folowing the enſample mightely, and the Pope therewith not content, but to ſet vp thereto The abhomination of y• Romiſh Church.a ſtewes of young boyes agaynſt nature, the committers of which ſinne be burnt at a ſtake among the Turkes, as Moſes alſo commaundeth in hys lawe. And the Pope alſo to forbid all the ſpiritualtie, a multitude of xl or l. Mariage forbidden & whoredom moued.hūdred thouſand to mary, and to geue them licence to keepe eueryevery man hys whore who ſo will: If I ſay, I hauehave none other feeling in my fayth that lechery is ſinne thē this mās preaching, I thinke my fayth ſhould be to weake to beare much fruite. How coulde I beleue a man that would ſay he loued me, if all hys deedes were contrary? I coulde not beleue God himſelfe that he loued me, if in all my tribulations I had of him none other comfort then thoſe bare wordes.
And in like maner if I had none other feeling in my fayth that couetouſnes Couetouſneſſe.were ſinne, then that the ſpiritualtie ſo ſayth, my fayth coulde be but weake and faintie, when I ſee how y• Pope with wiles hath thruſt downe the Emperour, and how the Byſhops and Prelates be cropt vp an hye in all regions aboue their kynges, and hauehave made them a ſeuerall kyngdome, and hauehave gotten into their handes almoſt the one halfe of eueryevery realme, which they deuide among thēſelues, geuyng no lay man any part with them, & heaping vp Byſhopprike vponupon Byſhopprike, promotion vponupon promotion, benefice vponupon benefice, with vnions and Vnions … quottes.tot quottes, robbing in eueryevery pariſhe the ſoules of their …oode, and the poore of their due ſuſtenaunce, yea and ſome preaching that it were leſſe ſinne … ☜hauehave two wiues then two benifices, but while they be yet young and ho…, and therefore thinke couetouſnes greater ſinne thē lechery: which ſame, whē they be waxed elder, and their cōpl… tion ſomewhat altered, thinke that couetouſnes is as ſmall a ſinne as lechery, and therfore take all that commeth. And if any man caſt their preachyng in The P….their tethes, they anſwere that they be better learned, and hauehave ſeue further. If I ſay, I hauehave no other felyng that couetouſnes is ſinne, then ye preaching of theſe holy fathers, my fayth were built but vpō a weake rocke, or rather on the ſoft …and. And therfore our defenders do right well to ſome out their owne ſhame, and to vtter the ſecrete thoughtes of their har…es. For as they write, ſo they beleue. Other felyng of … with the…ſo the ….the lawes of God and fayth of Chriſt hauehave they none, then that theyr God the Pope ſo ſayth. And therfore as the Pope preacheth wyth his mo…th onelyonly, euē ſo beleue they with their mouth onelyonly whatſoeuer he preacheth, without more a doe, be it neuer ſo abhominable, and in their hartes conſent vntounto all their fathers wickednes, and folow him in their dedes as faſt as they can runne.
The Turkes being in number fiue ….tymes moe then we are, knowledge one God, and beleue many thinges of God, moued onelyonly by the authoritie of their elders, and preſume that God will not let ſo great a multitude erre ſo long tyme.
And yet they hauehave erred and bene faithleſſe theſe eight hundred yeares. And the Iewes beleue this day, as much as the carnall ſort of them euer Iewes.beleued, moued alſo by the authoritie The Turkes and Iewes beleue that they cā not erre becauſe they beleue as their Elders dyd.of their elders onelyonly, and thinke that it is impoſſible for them to erre, being Abrahams ſeede, and the childrē of them to whom the promiſes of all that we beleue were made. And yet they hauehave erred and bene faythleſſe this xv. hundred yeares. And we of like blindneſſe beleue onelyonly by the authoritie of our elders and of like pride thinke that we can not erre, beyng ſuch a multitude. And yet we ſee how God in the old Teſtament did let the great multitude erre, reſeruyng alway a litle flocke to God reſerued a litle flocke.call the other backe againe and to teſtifie vntounto them the right way.