Whole Works, To the reader
IOHN FRITH VNTOUNTO the Chriſten Reader.
GRace and peace bee with thee Chriſtē reader. I am ſure there are many that will much meruell & coūt it a great preſumptiō that I beyng ſo young and of ſo ſmall learnyng dare attempt to diſpute Not who ſpeaketh, but that whiche is ſpoken is to be weyed moſt.this matter againſt theſe thre perſonages of the which nūber two, that is to ſay, my Lord of Rocheſter and Sir Thomas More, are auncient men both of great witte, and dignitie. Notwithſtanding I will deſire thē paciently, to heare myne aunſwere, not aduertiſyng who ſpeaketh the wordes, but rather what is ſayd. And as cōcernyng myne youth, let them remember what Paule moniſheth. i. Timot. iiij. willyng that 1. Tim. 4.Timotheus ſhould inſtruct the cōgregration The holy ghoſt inſpireth where, when, and on whom he pleaſeth.and that no mā ſhould deſpiſe his youth: for as the ſpirite of God is bound to no place, cuē ſo is he not addict to any age or perſon, but inſpireth when hee will and where he will, makyng the young to ſee viſiōs and eſpye the truth, and the elders to dreame dreames, and to wander in phantaſies Actes. 2. Ioel. 2.Actes. 2.
And as touchyng my learnyng I muſt nedes acknowledge (as the truth is very ſmall, neuertheleſſe that litle 1. Cor. 12.(as I am bound, hauehave I determined, by Gods grace) to beſtow to the edifying The talent of our learnyng is to be employed to the edifiyng of Chriſtes congregation.of Chriſtes congregation which I pray god to encreaſe in the knowledge of his word.
I would not that any man ſhould admit my wordes or learnyng, except they will ſtande with the Scripture, and be approued therby. Lay them to the touchſtone, and trye them with Gods word. If they be found falſe and counterfaite, then damne them, and I ſhall alſo reuoke them with all myne hart. But if the Scripture allow them, that you can not deny but it ſo is, then reſiſt not ye doctrine of God, but knowledge your ignoraunce and ſeduction, and returne gladly into the right way. Wilfully to reſiſt Gods worde, is ſinne agaynſt the holy ghoſt.For if you cā not improue it by Gods word, and yet, of an hate and malicious mynde that you beare to the truth labour to reſiſt it & condemne it that it ſhould not ſpread: I enſure you your ſinne is irremiſſible and euen agaynſt the holy ghoſt, and the bloud of them Ezech. 33.that periſh for fault of inſtruction ſhalbe required on your handes.Obiection.
Peraduenture ſome of you will ſay, your fathers & old progenitours▪ with many holy men and Doctours hauehave ſo beleued & that therfore you will abyde by the old. I aunſwere: The wayes & Aunſwere.iudgementes of God are meruelous, who knoweth whether God hauehave ſuffred his elect to erre and be ſeduced for a ſeaſon, to the entent that the vnfaithfull which would not beleue the truth, but had pleaſure in iniquity might ſtō ble at their errour into their vtter confuſion 1. Theſſ.and ruine? Although a man be neuer ſo faythfull and holy, yet is there much imperfectiō in him as long as he Our imperfection forgeuen thorough faith in Chriſtes bloud.is included in this mortall body, how be it, it is not imputed vntounto him, but through ye fayth in Chriſtes bloud who lye pacified and forgeuen. And therfore it is not ſure, that we folow their exteour workes or other imaginatiōs, but let vsus euer cōferre them vntounto the pure word of God, and as the Scripture teſtifieth ſo let vsus receaue them.
My Lord of Rocheſter doth teſtifie The Byſhop of Rocheſters owne opinion concernyng the vnderſtandyng of the ſcriptures in his time, and long a for… that.him ſelfe writyng vponupon the xviij. Article, that there are many pointes both of the Goſpels and other Scriptures which are now diſcuſſed more diligētly, and more clearely vnderſtand, then they hauehave bene in tymes paſt. And addeth furthermore that there are diuerſe places in Scripture yet ſome deale darke, which he doubteth not, but that they ſhalbe more open and light vntounto our poſteritie, for why ſhal we diſpaire of that (ſaith he) ſith that the Scripture is for that entent left with vsus, that it may be vnderſtād of vsus exactly, and to the vttermoſt point? Of this may you euidently perceaue that the old fathers and holy Doctours hauehave not ſene all the truth. But ſomewhat is alſo left, through the high prouiſion of God, to be diſcuſſed of their ſucceſſours. And therfore is it not mete, that we ſtraight wayes cleaue vntounto their wordes, with out any further enſearchyng the ſcriptures, but we muſt examine all thyngs by the Scriptures although. S. Paule or Peter ſhould preach it vntounto vsus, as we ſee experience Actes. xvij. that whē Actes. 17.Paule preached, the audience dayly ſearched the Scriptures, whether it were as he ſayd.
But you hauehave bene of long continuance The cauſe of our blindnes, and groſſe errours.ſecluded from the ſcriptures, whiche is cauſe of ſuch groſſe errours as ye are now fallen in, ſo that ye could neither ſearch them, nor yet once looke on them. Alas what blindnes doth occupy our eyes? Are ye ſo childiſh to beleue that the ſame worde whiche hath made the vnfaythfull and heretickes, faythfull and Chriſten in tymes paſt, is nowe ſo farre altered that it ſhould cauſe the faythfull and Chriſten to become heretickes? I praye God open your eyes. Howbeit wee may nowe well taſt at our fingers endes that we hauehave long bene in that miſerable caſe that Paule propheſied vppon vsus. ij. Theſ. ij.2. Theſſ 2. that God hath ſent vsus ſtrong deluſions becauſe we would not receaue ye knowledge of the truth: what greater deluſion can we hauehave, then to thinke that the very woorde of God, whiche was written for our comforte, which is the very fode and ſuſtenaunce of our ſoules, whiche is the ſure metyarde and perfect touchſtone that iudgeth and examineth all thynges:Rom. 15. to thinke (I ſaye) that this wholeſome worde ſhould be our poyſon and condemnation?
And all be it our forefathers hauehave lyued without it and receaued all for truth that our Prelates belyes hauehave imagined: yet is not theyr fault & ours a like (although I can not excuſe their ignoraunce but that it is ſinne before the face of God) for they had not the light of Gods word opened vntounto thē. Voluntary ignoraūce, not to bee excuſed.Nowe ſith we hauehave the light declared vntounto vsus, and yet will procede in blynd ignorauncie and not conferre and examine theſe iugglyng miſtes with the light of Gods word, our ignoraunce is wilfull and without excuſe.
Suffer therefore all thynges what ſoeuer they be, to be tryed and examined by the Scripture. If they be true then ſhall the Scripture doe them no hurt, but ſtabliſh and ſtrēgthen them, for the Scripture diſcloſeth nothyng but falſehead, and cōdemneth nothyng but that is damnable.
The cauſe of Iohn Frithes writyng againſt Purgatory.And now to deſcend vntounto our matter and diſputation whiche is of Purgatory, I ſhall ſhew you what occaſiō I had to take it in hand. I wrote a letter vntounto a certaine frende in England, deſiryng hym inſtantly to ſend me certaine bookes which I though neceſſary for my vſe, and were not to be gotten in theſe parties, as the Chronicles, Syr Thomas Mores booke agaynſt the Supplication of Beggers, and certein other. Theſe bookes I receaued vponupon S. Thomas day before Chriſtmaſſe, the yeare of our Sauiour a. M. ccccc. & xxx. with a letter written in this forme: Sir I hauehave ſent you ſuch bokes as you wrote for, and one moe of Raſtels makyng, wherin he goeth about to proue Purgatory, by naturall Philoſophie: whiche thyng (quoth he) I thinke be more eaſie to do, thē to proue it by any good Scripture. &c. This ſtuffe receaued, I was meruelouſly deſirous and tickled to ſee what reaſons he brought for his probations. And in the begynnyng and Prologe of the booke, he ſet ſeuen reaſons which he ſayd that fonde felowes alledged for thē to proue that there could be no Purgatory. And in deede they are very fonde that would deny Purgatory, if there were no better Argumentes to confute it then hee aſſigneth. But by Gods grace I will propounde vij. times ſeuen which ſhal hauehave ſuch pith, that their paineful purgatory ſhall not bee able to abyde the worſt of them, for theſe ſeuē that Raſtell aſſigneth are not worth one Beane.
When I had read and well pondered theſe reaſons, I thought that hee ſhould ſharpely hauehave confuted thē, as he might full well hauehave done, ſpecially ſith they were but of his owne imagination. Neuertheſſe when I came vntounto his ſolutions I founde not one but it had certaine poyntes repugnaūt vntounto the Scripture (vntounto which our reaſon muſt euer be obediēt)Mans reaſon muſt be obedient to the Scriptures. yea and alſo they were extremely iniurious vntounto Chriſt and his precious bloud.
Then left I him, & read: Syr Thomas Mores booke, to ſee what Scripture might bee brought for that purpoſe, and after that made I diligēt enquire to come by my Lord of Rocheſters booke which alſo writeth on the ſame matter, and when I had well examined their reaſons and had ſene the order and proceſſe of the Scriptures whiche they alledged:Aulus Gelius. I founde that clearely verified whiche Aulus Gellius ſayeth, that it were a great deale better for a man to bee ſharpely rebuked yea and openly to hauehave his faultes publiſhed of his enemy, then to bee coldly and ſlenderly prayſed of his frende.The rebuke of an open enemy better then the ſclender prayſe of a frend. For a mans enemy enſearcheth narrowly and gathereth together all that he can imagine, and ſo accuſeth a man more of a fumous heate then of any veritie: and therfore the audience (if they be wiſe) conſider his woordes therafter, and ſo geue very ſmall credence or els none vntounto them. But if a mans frende before audience doe prayſe hym ſlenderly and coldly, it is an argument that the perſon is very faultie, for a frende beholdeth all qualities and circumſtaunces, his byrth, bringyng vp, & what feates hee hath done all hys lyfe long: yea and applieth many thynges vntounto his frendes prayſe, whiche ſerue but ſinally for it, for he will leane nothing behynd that may be imagined to employ his frendes fame and honour. Now if in all theſe pointes he can not colour out a glorious apparant laud, but is compelled for lacke of matter to prayſe his frēd ſlenderly, then (if the audiēce be wiſe) they may ſoone cōiecture that he is no prayſe worthy, & alſo may well doubt whether that ſmall prayſe which he gaue him be true or not. Euē ſo, when I had read theſe bookes of Syr Thomas More and my Lord of Rocheſter, and ſaw the ſmall probations & ſlender reaſons that thoſe two witty and learned men had brought to confirme Purgatory: conſidering alſo that they are the chiefeſt frendes, proctours and patrones therof, and that they had applied many reaſons and Scriptures for their purpoſe (for lacke of matter) that rather made againſt them: yea and not that onelyonly, but alſo that they diſſented betwene them ſelues in their probations: for M. More ſayth that there is no water in Purgatory. And my Lord M. More & my Lord of Rocheſter can not agree.of Rocheſter ſayth that there is water. Maſter More ſayth that the miniſters of the puniſhmēt are deuils. And my Lord of Rocheſter ſayth that the miniſters of the puniſhment are aungels. Maſter More ſayth, that both the grace and charitie of them that lye in the paynes of Purgatory, are increaſed. My Lord of Rocheſter ſaith, that the ſoules in Purgatory obtain there neither more fayth nor grace nor charitie then they brought in with them. Theſe thynges cōſidered, it made mine hart yerne and fully to cōſent, that this their paynefull Purgatory was but a vayne imagination, and that it hath of long time but deceaued the people and milked them from their money.
Notwithſtanding God hath left vsus two Purgatories. One to purge the The Purgatoryes, that God hath ordeyned.hart and clenſe it from the filth whiche we hauehave partly receaued of Adam (for we are by nature the children of wrath. Ephe. ij.) and partly added thereto by conſentyng vntounto our natural infirmitie. This Purgatory is the word of God as Chriſt ſayth. Iohn. xv. Now Iohn. 15.are ye cleane for the worde whiche I hauehave ſpoken vntounto you. This purgation The Purgatory of the hart.obtayneth no man but thorough fayth, for the vnfaythfull are not purged by the word of God, as the Scribes and Phariſeis were nothyng the the better for hearing his word but rather the worſſe for it was a teſtimony againſt them vntounto their condemnatiō. And becauſe we receaue this purgatiō The Purgatory of the hart, is fayth.onelyonly through beleuyng the word, therfore is the vertue of this purgyng applied alſo vntounto fayth, for Peter ſayth. Act. xv. that the Gentiles hartes were purged thorough fayth, that is to ſay, through beleuing the word. And what word is that? verely the preaching that Chriſtes death hath fully ſatiſfied for our ſinnes and pacified for euer the fathers wrath towardes vsus. &c. This fayth purifieth the hart and geueth vsus a will and gladnes to do what ſoeuer our moſt mercyfull father commaundeth vsus.
Neuertheleſſe becauſe our infirmitie The Purgatory of the members.is ſo great, and our mēbers ſo weake and fraile that we cā not eſchew ſinne, as our hart would, and as our wil deſireth: therfore hath God left vsus an other Purgatorye whiche is Chriſtes croſſe. I meane not his materiall croſſe that he him ſelfe dyed on, but a ſpirituall croſſe which is aduerſitie, tribulation, worldly depreſſion. &c. And this Heb. 12.is called the rodde or ſcourge of God wherewith he ſcourgeth eueryevery ſonne The Purgatory of the mēbers is the croſſe of Chriſt.that he receaueth, that we may remember his law and mortifie the old Adam and fleſhly luſt which els would waxe ſo rebellious that it would ſubdue vsus, raigne in vsus, and hold vsus thraull vnderunder ſinne. When ſoeuer we hauehave committed a crime thē is God preſēt with Pſal. 89.this rod as he ſaith Pſal. lxxxix. If they defile my ceremonies and not obſerue my cōmaundementes, then with a rod ſhall I puniſh their ſinnes and with beatyngs ſhall I reward their iniquities, but yet my mercy ſhall I not take from him neither will I deceaue hym of my promiſe.
This croſſe muſt we …eceaue with a God nayleth vsus to the croſſe, to heale our infirmities.glad hart and thanke our louing father for it, for it is but a medicine to heale our infirmitie and to ſubdue our rebellions members. But when our members are fully mortified, that is, when death hath ſubdued our corruptible body, and our fleſh cōmitted to reſt in the earth, then ceaſe the Purgatories that God hath ordeined, & then are we fully So euill was the life of the Papiſtes that they imagined a Purgatory for them ſelues.purged in his ſight.
If our Clergy could hauehave found in their hartes to hauehave taken theſe Purgatories vppon them, they had neuer neded to imagine any other, but ſith their lyfe begā to waxe ſo diſſolute, ſpecially ſith they ſhould be the ſalt of the earth and lanternes of light: It was neceſſary for them to imagine Purgatory after this lyfe, for els they might be ſure that the moſt part of them were neuer like to come in heauen.
Iudge Chriſten reader whiche haſt the ſpirite to diſcerne and knoweſt the voyce of Chriſte what reaſons Raſtell hath brought and how he hath ſoluted them: for in my mynde both his reaſōs and ſolutions are ſo childiſh and vnſauery, ſo vnlearned and baren, ſo full of faultes and phantaſies, that I rather pitie the mans deepe ignoraunce and blindneſſe (which hath ſo deceaued him ſelfe through Philoſophie and naturall reaſon) thē I feare that he by his vaine probations ſhould allure any man to conſent vntounto hym.
Iudge and conferre the Scriptures which Sir Thomas More and my Lord of Rocheſter alledge for theyr opinion, and I doubt not but that God ſhall open thine eyes to eſpy that thing which hath blinded them.
Iudge and compare the Scriptures together which I hauehave brought to confirme my purpoſe, ponder their reaſōs and my ſolutiōs vntounto them, and I am ſure thou ſhalt perceaue that my ſmall learnyng hath condemned theyr hyghe eloquence, that my foly hath brought to nought their wiſedome, and that my youth hath diſcloſed their old and feſtred ignoraunce.
And this is euen the old practiſe of The wiſedome of the world fooliſhnes afore God.God: to choſe the foliſh thynges of the world: to confound the wiſe: to choſe the weake to confounde the mightye: And to choſe the vyle thynges whiche are of no reputation: to confound them of high degree: that no fleſh might boſt it ſelfe in his ſight to whom onelyonly be prayſe and thankes for euer.
Amen.