Whole Works, Tracts 2 · Tract 4 · Part 6
¶ D. Barnes did graciouſly eſcape M. Mores hands.
ANd alſo Frier Barnes albeit M. More.(that as ye wote well) he is in many other thinges a brother of this yong mans ſecte, yet in this, he ſore abhorreth his hereſie, or els he lyeth him ſelfe. For at his laſt being here he wrote a letter to me, wherin he writeth that I laye that hereſie wrōgfully to hys charge. And ſhew eth him ſelfe ſo ſore greued therewith, that he ſayth, he will in my reproch make a booke againſt me: wherin he will profeſſe and proteſt his fayth concerning this bleſſed ſacrament. But in the meane ſeaſon it well contenteth me, that Frier Barnes being a man of more age & of more ripe diſcretion, and a Doctor of diuinitie, and in thoſe thinges better learned then this young man is, abhorreth this yongmans hereſie in this poynt, as well as he liketh him in many other.
The more your maſterſhyppe Frith.prayſeth Doctour Barnes, the worſe men may like your matter. For in many poyntes he doth condemne your damnable doctrine, as in hys booke appeareth. And therfore if ſuch credence muſt be geuen to hym, then much the leſſe will be geuen to you. But peraduēture you wil ſay, y• he is to bée beleued in this point, although he erre in other. Where vntounto I aunſwere that if you will conſent vntounto him I would be well apayd and will promiſe you to wright no more in ☜ The Sacrament may not be worſhypped.that matter. For in this we both agrée, that it ought not to be worſhiped (yea and bleſſed be God all the other whom you call heretickes) And ſo both of vsus do auoyde Idolatry which you with ſo great daunger do daylye commit. And therfore if you alowe his learning then am I content that you diſſent from me. For let it not be worſhiped, and thinke as you will: for then is the perillpaſt. And ſith we agrée in this poynt, doubt not but we ſhall ſone agrée in the reſidue and admitte ech other for faythfull brothers. And your maſterſhip ſayeth, that he wrot you a letter proteſting that you lay y• hereſie wrongfully to his charge I thinke it was more wiſdom for him twiſe to hauehave written to you, then once to hauehave come and tell you of it. For it was plainely told hym, ye you The Papiſtes ſay that no promiſe nor couenaunt is to be kept with an hereticke.had conſpired his death, and that not withſtanding his ſafe conduyte, you were minded to hauehave murthered him: and for that cauſe he was compelled both being here, to kéepe him ſelfe ſecreatly, and alſo priuely to departe the realme.
And bleſſed be God, you hauehave ſufficienly publiſhed your purpoſe in More was fully addict to the mind of the Prelates and to kill and burne as faſt as they.your aunſwere againſt W. Tyndall, Where you ſay, that you might lawfully hauehave burnte hym. Here mē may ſée how perciable you are addict to our prelates. And how prone ye were to fulfill their pleaſures contrary to our Princes prerogatiue royall. And thankes bee to GOD whiche gaue you ſuch grace in the ſight of our ſoueraigne, that he ſhortly withdrewe your power. For els it is to be feared, that you would further hauehave proceded agaynſt his graces prerogatiue which thyng whether it be treaſon or not let other men define. But this I dare ſay, that it is Printed and publiſhed to our Princes great diſhonour: For what learned man may in tyme to come, truſt to hys graces ſafeconduite, or come at his graces inſtaūce or requeſt, ſith not onelyonly the ſpiritually (whiche of their profeſſion reſiſte hys prerogatiue) but alſo a laye man promoted to ſuch preheminence by More a Popiſh and a malicious tyraunt.hys graces goodnes, dare preſume ſo to depreſſe hys prerogatiue, and not onelyonly to ſay, but alſo to publiſhe it in Print: that notwithſtanding his graces ſafe conduite, they might lawfully hauehave burnt hym.
But here he would ſay vntounto me as he doth in his booke, that hee had forfayted his ſafeconduite, and therby was fallen into his enemyes handes. Whereunto I aunſwere, that this your ſaying is but a vayne gloſe: For I my ſelfe dyd read the ſafeconduite that came vntounto hym, which had but onelyonly this one condition annexed vntounto The condition conteined in Barnes ſafe cō duite.it, that if he came before the feaſt of Chriſtmaſſe then next inſueing, he ſhould hauehave frée libertie to departe at his pleaſure. And this condition I know was fulfilled, how ſhould hée then forfayte his ſafeconduite? But M▪ More hath learned of his maſters our Prelates (whoſe proctour he is) to depreſſe our Princes prerogatiue that men ought not to kéepe any promiſe with heretickes. And ſo his ſafe conduite could not ſaue hym. As though the Kynges grace might not No promiſe nor licence made to heretickes by the kyng, without the conſent of our Prelates is to be kept and obſerued.admitte any man to go and come fréely into his graces realme, but that he muſt hauehave leaue of our Prelates. For els they might lay hereſie agaynſt the perſon, and ſo ſlay hym cōtrary to the Kyngs ſafeconduite, which thyng all wiſe men do know, to be preiudiciall to his graces prerogatiue royall. And yet I am ſure that of all y• tyme of hys beyng here, you cā not accuſe hym of one cryme, albeit (vntounto your ſhame) you ſay that hee had forfaited his ſafe conduite. Theſe wordes had ben very extreme and worthy to hauehave bene looked vponupon, although they had bene written by ſome preſumptuous Prelate. But that a lay man ſo hyghly promoted by his Prince, ſhould ſpeake them, and alſo cauſe them openlye to be publiſhed among his graces commons, to reiect the eſtimation of hys royall power, doth in my mynde deſerue correction. Notwithſtandyng, I leaue the iudgement and determination vntounto the diſcretion of his graces honorable counſell.
And as for that holy prayer that M. More.this deuote young man as a newe Chriſt, teacheth to make at the receiuyng of this bleſſed Sacrament, all his congregation: I would not geue the paryng of a peare for hys prayer, though it were better then it is, pullyng away the true fayth therefro, as he doth. How beit hys prayer there is ſo deuiſed and penned and paynted with layſure and ſtudy, that I truſt eueryevery good Chriſten woman maketh a much better prayer at the tyme of her houſell, by fayth…ull affection and by Gods good inſpiration ſodenly. Frith is an vnmete maſter to teach vsus what we ſhould pray at the receiuyng of the bleſſed Sacrament, when he wil not knowledge it as it is, but take Chriſtes bleſſed body for nothyng but bare bread, and ſo litle eſteme the receiuyng of the bleſſed Sacrament, that he forceth litle whether it be bleſſed or not.
Where he diſcōmendeth my prayer & ſayth that I am an vnméete maſter Frith.to teach men to pray, ſeing I take away the true faith from it, and ſayth that eueryevery woman can make a better when ſhe receiueth the Sacrament. I would to God that eueryevery woman were ſo well learned that they could teach vsus both. And ſurely I intended not to preſcribe to all men that prayer The modeſty & meeke ſpirite of Iohn Frith.onelyonly but hoped to helpe the ignoraunt, that they might either ſpeake thoſe wordes, or els (takyng occaſion at them) to ſay ſome other to ye laude and prayſe of God. And as for your fayth (which you call the true fayth) muſt I néedes improue. For it will not ſtand with the true text of Scripture as it playnly appeareth. But to Chriſtes body is to be eaten with fayth & not with the teeth.the fayth in Chriſtes bloud I exhorte all men, and teach them to eate hys body with fayth (and not with téeth) which is by hauyng hys death in continual remembraunce, and digeſtyng it into the bowels of theyr ſoule. And becauſe you ſo ſore improue my prayer, to conclude my aunſwere agaynſt you, I will write agayne. And let all men Iudge between vsus.
Bleſſed be thou moſt deare & mercyfull A prayer made by Iohn▪ Frith to be ſayd before the receauyng of the Communion.father whiche of thy tender fauour and benignity (notwithſtāding our greuous enormities committed agaynſt thée,) vouchſauedſt to ſende thyne owne and onelyonly deare ſonne, to ſuffer moſt vyle death for our redemption. Bleſſed be thou Chriſt Ieſu our Lord and Sauiour, whiche of thyne aboundaunt pitie conſideryng our miſerable eſtate, willingly tookeſt vppon thée to hauehave thy moſt innocent body broken and bloud ſhed, to purge vsus and waſh vsus which are laden with iniquitie. And to certifie vsus thereof, haſt left vsus not onelyonly thy word which may inſtructe our hartes, but alſo a viſible token, to certifie euen our outward ſēſes of this great benefite, that we ſhould not doubt, but that the body and fruite of thy paſſion are ours (through faith) as ſurely as the bread, whiche by our ſenſes we know that we hauehave with in vsus. Bleſſed be alſo A godly & good prayer.that ſpirite of veritie whiche is ſent frō God our father through our Sauiour Chriſt Ieſu, to lightē our darke ignoraunce, & leade vsus through fayth into the knowledge of hym whiche is all veritie. Strength we beſeech thée our frayle nature and increaſe our fayth: that we may prayſe God our moſt mercyfull father and Chriſt hys ſonne our Sauiour and redemer.
Amen.