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ye consyder well that Tyndall in these wordes wolde ye shulde wene that these folke of whom saynt Poule speketh in that place / be such as can not sauour the doctryne of Luther, frere Huskyn, and hym. But then consyder agayn vppone whome hys wordes fall. For ye dowte not nor hym selfe can not denye / but that hys doctryne ys farre frome ye taste of saynt Austeyne, saynt Hierōe, saynt Ambrose, saynt Cypryan, saynt Gregory, and all those olde holy doctours of Crystes chyrche vnto Luthers dayes and hys / or els as I sayd let hym tell me whyche of all theym dyd not abhorre that a preste shulde wedde a nunne. And therfore thus ye se yt by Tyndalys holy tale there were none of all them were they neuer so gret philosophers, neuer so well seen in ye law, neuer so sore studyed in scrypture / that cowlde vnderstonde ye thynges of the spyryte of god, bycause they were but naturall men not borne agayne nor created a newe wyth the spyryte of god.

How knoweth Tyndale that none of all these that hathe bene aduersaryes to his doctrine, yt is to wytte of all good men that euer were in crystendome syth Cryste was borne vnto Tyndalys tyme, was borne agayne or newe created wyth the spyryte of god. Howe hym selfe vnderstandeth his hyghe spirytuall wordes I wote nere / but I wote well that all those holy fathers were reputed for good crysten / and I wene they were all baptized and borne agayne of water and ye spyryte as our sauyour sayd vnto Nychodemus / & after yt they lyued well and spyrytually, and dyed well and spyrytually, as apperyth by theyr bookes and hystoryes wry[…]en of theyr lyues, and myracles shewed for them of god af[…]er theyr dethys. And vnto suche symple groce carnall peopell as we be / these thynges seme well to shewe that they were borne agayne of god & new created wyth his spyrite and so by Tyndalys owne tale shold seme able to vnderstande the thynges of the spyryte of god.

But yet wyll Tyndale none of that. For he lyketh not theyr iudgement / but he sayth that ye spyrytuall iudgeth all thynges. And where as saynte Paule in the place alledged by Tyndale sayth that the holy goost the spyryte of god sercheth euen the depe thynges of god, by cause that vnto that holy spyryte whych is god there is nothynge of god vnknowen: Tyndale taketh that hygh power vnto his wursh[…]ppefull spirytuall sorte / sayēg the spyrituall iudgeth all th[…]nges, and his spyryte sercheth the depe secretys of god. And with this not satisfyed / he amplifyteh and enhaunceth theyr holy serche vppon heyth / and sayth that the spyryte of theyr spirytuall sorte serche the depe secretys of god so far that what so euer god commaundeth them to do / they neuer leue serchynge tyll they come at the botome, the pyth the quycke the lyfe, the spiryte, the mary, and very cause why / and so iudge all thynge.

what an hepe of hyghe vehement wordes hath Tyndale here heped vp to gyther? who wolde not wene that he were wyth some holy medytacyon caryed vp in Ennoke and Helyas chare. But yet good crysten reder for all his holy tale / remember agayne the frere and the nunne, Luther and hys wyfe Tyndales owne mayster and maystres, the chyeff hed & author of his hygh spyrytuall fayth. For Lutherye wote well (yf Tyndale and his felowes be spyrytuall & electys) must as theyr fyrst author of theyr new spyrytuall secte, be nedys one of the very chyef. Let not therfore Tyndall (good reder) wyth his gay gloryouse wordes carye you so fast & so far away, but that ye remembre to pull hym bakke / by the sleue a lytle, and aske hym whyther his owne hyghe spirytuall doctour mayster Martyne Luther hym selfe, beynge specyally borne agayne & new created of the spyryte, whom god in many places of holy scrypture hath commaunded to kepe his vowe made of chastyte / when he then so far contrarye there vnto toke out of relygyon a spouse of Cryste, wedded her hym selfe in reproche of wedloke, called her his wyfe, and made her his harlot, and in doble despyte of maryage and relygyon both, lyueth wyth her openly and lyeth wyth her nyghtly, in shamefull inceste and abominable bycherye: dothe he the whyle after Tyndalys hyghe wordes serche the depe secretys, and neuer leue serchynge tyll he come to the botome, the pyth, the quycke, the lyfe, the spyryte, the mary, and the very cause of that commaundement why, and so iudgeth all thynge?

Thus good reders examyne hym / and then shall ye perceyue how fondly suche an hyghe pure spyrytuall processe, accordeth wyth such a baas fowle fleshly lyuyng. But Tyndale hath an hope that whyle he paynteth his prologe wyth such gay colours of spirytuall vertue: there can no man in the meane whyle remember and consyder what vngracious frute theyr deceytfull doctryne & false fayth bryngeth forth. And therfore to carye the reder farther of / from the remembraūce therof / he letteth goo by theyr fylthy lechery and holyly speketh of loue.

Chapter 8 of 95