How • chrysten man can not erre, and how he may yet erre — The Confutation of Tyndale's Answer, Part II

How • chrysten man can not erre, and how he may yet erre

Tyndale. ANd as they synne not, so they erre not. And on the tother syde as they synne, so they erre / but neuer vnto deth and damnacyon. For they neuer synne of purpose, nor holde any errour malycyously synnynge agaynste the holy goost / but of weakenes and infyrmitye. As good obedyent chyldren, though they loue theyr faders commaundementes, yet breke them ofte by the reason of theyr weakenes. And as they can not yelde them selues bond vnto synne to serue it / euyn so they can not erre in any thynge that sholde be agaynste the promyses whiche are in Chryste. And in other thynges theyr errours be not vnto dampnacyon, though they be neuer so greate, bycause they holde them not malycyously.

More. I Shall good chrysten readers make no longe worke aboute thys chapyter. For syth the hole somme therof is as ye se no thynge ellys in effecte, but that the trew membres of Tyndals electe chyrche, do oftē erre and yet neuer erre, euyn in lyke maner as they often or rather alwaye synne and yet neuer synne / whyche hys manyfolde folyshe heresyes in euer synnynge and neuer synnynge, I haue many maner wyse playnely refelled and confuted in the chapyter nexte before: I maye therfore & wyll […]ake a great dele the lesse laboure and busynesse in thys.

I wyll therfore but put you in remembraunce that all hys mater standeth onely in thys, that hys trewe membres of hys electe chyrche, after that they haue onys goten the trewe fayth that saynt Peter confessed / vnderstandyng the same in suche erronyous wyse as Luther and Tyndale teche them wyth many playne pestylent heresyes therin, as I haue before openly and clerely declared you / and when that they haue onys attayned that fayth, not wyth an hystorycall maner as a man maye beleue a story, but wyth a felyng fasshyon as the chyld byleueth that the fyre is hote, bycause he hath burned hys fynger, as Tyndale wyll tell you in a nother chapyter after / who so (sayth he) hath onys in suche a fasshyon attayned and goten that fayth / that is to wytte who so euer is ones enfect with […]hose heresyes, in such a fast felyng fashyon, can neuer after erre dāpnably. And why? For two causes sayth Tyndale. One bycause y• lyke as they can not synne of purpose, but of weykenesse & infyrmyte / so can he neuer erre in any thynge at all, yt shuld be agaynst the promyses that are in Chryste.

A nother cause is, bycause what other errour so euer such a trew faythfull electe mēber of his electe chyrch happen to falle into, so that it be not agaynst the promyses that are in Chryst, can not be dāpnable be it neuer so grete / all though the trueth that is contrary to that errour, be wryten sayth Tyndale euyn in the very gospell it selfe. And why can it be no dedely synne? bycause sayth Tindale that an elected men ber of his, can not holde it malycyously.

So that by this ye maye clerely se, that Tyndale affermeth & techeth for a treuth, that in all other thinges bysyde the promyses / a trewe member of hys electe chyrche maye somtyme erre, but neuer malycyously / and that is to wytte neuer but of weykenesse and furmentye, as hym selfe hath often all redy declared. And therfore they can not in any suche thynge synne dedely nor dampnably, be the thynge neuer so greate, and also wryten in the very gospell as he sayth after to.

By thys also ye may clerely se, that concernyng the promyses that are in Chryst / he sayth that a trew member can not erre at all, neyther malycyously nor of fraylte. For syth he graunteth errour of infyrmyte in other thynges onely that towch not the promyses / ye may clerely perceyue that concernynge the promyses he holdeth that a trew mēber of his electe chyrch can not erre at all in any maner of wyse, neyther of malyce, nor purpose, nor fraylte, nor weykenes, nor infyrimte. So yt as he putteth ī all other poyntes, onely malycyouse errour to be dedely synne & dāpnable / so putteth he concernyng the promyses, euery maner of errour to be dedely synne and dāpnable / be it of purpose and malice, or of infyrmyte, fraylte, or weykenes / and for that cause a trew member of his electe chyrche can neuer fall therin.

For yf he ment not thus, he wolde not so deuyde[…] these two kyndes of errour / one agaynst the promyses, and the other agaynst other thinges, as ye se hym do / but yf it were to teche vs that the tone were dedely synne and dāpnable euery waye, and the tother neuer dampnable, but yf it were holden of malice / and that therfore the trew member of his electe chyrch maye erre in the tone kynde, so it be not malycyously, bycause that ellys it is not dampnable nor dedely synne. But in the tother concernyng the promyses, he can neuer erre at all. And why? but bycause that euery errour therin were dedely synne and dampnable / & that one of his heresyes is as ye haue herd byfore, that a trew member of the elected chyrche can neuer synne dedely. And thys ye se therfore is hys playne doctryne / whych what treuth it hath we shall nowe playnely shew you.

Let vs fyrst begynne with errours agaynst y• promyses in Chryst. And therin let Tyndale tell vs fyrste wherfore a trew mēber of his electe chyrch, can not erre in any thynge that is agaynst the promyses y• be in Chryst / in suche wyse as they may in other great artycles of the fayth, that be no promyses. what hath he other to say, but bycause y• euery maner errour though it be not holden malycyously, is yet dedely synne & dāpnable, yf it towch any promyse / and that none other errour is dedely synne or dampnable, whyche towcheth no promyse, but yf it be holden malycyously.

Then must we forther aske hym, wherby he woteth and wherby he proueth, yt euery maner errour in euery artycle of any promyse yt is in Chryst, is dedely synne & dāpnable, though it come but of weykenes and fraylty / and none […]rrour in any other artycle, be it neuer so great is dampnable & dedely, but yf it be holden of malyce.

we must aske hym wherby he knoweth y• it is inowg[…] for his saluacyō, to byleue y• promyse of god in Chryst, tha[…] thorow Chryste he shalbe saued / & byleue not that Chryste & the holy goste be one equale god wyth y• father, by which thre persons & one god he shalbe saued. For ye Chryst is one god equale with the father, it is no promise made vnto vs / nor yt the holy goste is so neyther / but it is a thyng by god tolde vnto vs. And I maruayle mych by what menys Tindale can proue vs, that there is any lesse parell in not byleuynge of goddes other wordes, then in the wordes of hys promyses / syth he byndeth vs to byleue them both a lyke.

The cause of our saluacyō is not the bylyefe of the promyse, nor the truste therin neyther, of any proper nature of that bylyefe in the promyse / no more then the nature of our good workes, is able of it selfe for our saluacyon / but the ordynaunce of god, that it pleaseth hym to saue vs for our obedyence of hys commaundement bothe in the bylyefe and the worke. For as he coulde yf it so pleased hym, brynge vs all vnto the blysse of heuen wythout any good worke at all / so coulde he yf he lyste, brynge vs all thyther wythout any fayth at all. For he coulde brynge vs thyther wythout any knowledge gyuen vs therof, tyll we came thyther and had it. So it appereth clerely, that the cause of the saluacyon standeth all in the obedyence of goddes cō maundement / wherby he byddeth vs, and by hys byddyng byndeth vs, to captyue our vnderstandynge in to the obedyence of fayth and byleue hys promyses.

Now yf thys be thus as of trouth it is / what dowte is there but that we be as vpon lyke rewarde, so vpon lyke parell & payne, bounden to byleue all other thynges yt god telleth vs, as well as the thynges whych he promyseth vs.

And therfore yf Tyndale wyll to the contrary loke to be byleued of any man in thys poynt / he muste accordynge to hys owne rule[…] brynge forth playne and open scrypture, by whyche god hath tolde vs by wrytynge, that yf we byleue onys hys promyses, care for no more. For as for all other thynges that be no promyses, he wyll that we be at lyberty to byleue as we lyste / so that there be no malyce in vs. And why at more lybertye of byleuynge god in hys other wordes, then in hys promyses? I can not perceyue what cause Tyndale can imagyne / but yf he be so madde to thynke, that god wyll in all hys other tales that hym lyste to tell vs, though they be wryten in the very gospell as Tyndale sayth after, haue vs yet at lybertye in beleuynge hym, bycause hym selfe wolde be at lybertye to tell vs for hys pleasure somtyme trew talys, and somtyme suche as Tyndale telleth, that is to wytte vntrewth and lyes.

Surely this is a maruelouse tale of Tyndale in my mynde / & a maruelouse dyfference that he putteth bytwene the bylyefe of the promyses and the bylyefe of all the other artycles of the fayth. As though the bylyefe of the promyses onely, were so farre aboue the bylyefe of any other artycle / when euery man that any wytte hath, maye well and clerely se, that the bylyefe of the promyses do so depende vpon some other artycles, that the bylyefe of those artycles gone, the bylyefe of the promyses and all to gyther were gone. As who so were (as many haue ben) so madde to byleue that there were no god at all / wyth hym were goddes promyses quyte gone. And hys synne were as greate that erred in not byleuynge there were any god, as hys that byleuynge there were a god, erred yet in that he byleued not that euer he made any promyse to man. And yet in goddes promyses Tyndale meneth onely y• promyses of god made vnto mankynde / for so farre go saynt Peters wordes,¹ qui in hunc mundum venisti, is Tyndals exposycyon to. And therfore as for Tyndale, ye se well so that he byleue that hys electe chyrche of mankynde shalbe saued / he maye wythout any parell chese whyther he wyll byleue that euer any angell is eternally saued or not / notwythstandyng that Chryst sayd of saynt Iohn̄ the baptyst, that the lest in heuen was greter then he.² yet bycause it was but a tale tolde by the mouth of Chryst, and not a promyse made / & specyally syth it was no promyse of any gyfte gyuen to man: Tyndale maye dystruste it and denye it yf he lyste, yf hys wytte haue any such wekenes, and so that he do it not of malice / for all that it is playnely wryten in the very gospell, and there tolde by goddes owne mouth.

Concernynge yet the promyses made to man / let vs cō syder whych thynges be promyses, and whych thynges be not the very promyses, but other artycles besyde. That we shalbe saued thorow Chryst and by Chrystes passyon, is a promyse. And yet that Chryst hym selfe was the same very person, by whom that dede shold be done, is more properly a tale then a promyse. And it maye be that a man byleuyng the promyse that mankynde shall be saued thorow Chryst, may yet erre in not byleuynge y• Iesus the sonne of Mary was that Chryste. And of trouth eyther in that errour or very nere to that errour, be all the hole secte of Iewes. So that it is as great parell not to byleue god in hys tale, whē he sayed thys is my welbeloued sonne in whom I myche delyte / as not to byleue hym in hys promyse made vnto Habraam,³ that of hys seed sholde such a sauyour come.⁴ For it is not all one to promyse that of hym sholde one come by whom the worlde sholde be saued, and to tell hym thys is the man that in my promyse I spake of. For a promise and a tale be not both one thynge. For though euery promyse by in dede a tale, syth no man can make a promyse but yf he tell it: yet is not euery tale a promyse, as euery chylde perceyueth. And therfore saynte Peter toke a sure waye, when he sayed, Thou arte Chryst that arte come into thys worlde / takyng it for a pryncypall poynt to byleue goddes tale. For the tale that thys was he whyc[…] as our sauyour sayde, the father in heuen had hym selfe tolde vnto Peter, that tale Peter confessed, that Iesus was Chryste whyche was then comen into the worlde. But the promyse whyche was the sauynge of the worlde that sholde be wrought in hym / that thyng saynt Peter spake not of there, as a thyng byleued and loked for afore / nor of the mene of the sauyng that it shulde be by hys passyon, that thynge saynte Peter as Tyndale sayth at that tyme knewe not of / so that ye tale and the promyse were not all one.

But surely cōcernyng the bylyefe of goddys promyses / Tyndale semeth to fare as the Iewes do. For lyke as many of them byleue, that thorow Chryste the world shall be saued / and yet they lese the frute of that bylyefe, bycause they wyll not knowe who is Chryste: euyn so Tyndale sayth,⁵ that he byleueth Chrystes promyse made vnto hys chyrche here in erth, that hys holy spyryte shalbe therwith vnto the worldes ende, and teche it and lede it into euery trouth.⁶ But he leseth yet the frute of that bylyefe (yf he byleue it as he sayth he doth) bycause that he wyll not knowe whyche is Chrystes […]hyrche here in erth. But lyke as the Turkes in stede of the trew sauyour of the world, worshyp the false deceyuer Machomet / so Tyndale in stede of the trew catholyke chyrche of Chryst (of whych chyrch Chryst wolde that euery man sholde lerne the […]routh, whyche the holy goste by Chrystes promyse techeth, and euer shall tech vnto it[…] and whyche chyrche muste for that cause nedes be a congregacyo[…] knowen) Tyndale taketh not onely a secrete scatered company vnknowen, but also a rable of fals malycyouse heretykes, techyng to the doctryne of goddes spyryt abydyng by Chrystes promyse in his catholyke chyrche, euyn clene the contrary.

And also where as Chryst when he turned the brede into his own precyouse body, & the wyne into his blessed blode, & cōmaūded the same to be done for euer in his chyrch after in remēbraūce of his passyō,⁷ & dyd in so cōmaūdyng make a faythfull promyse, yt hym selfe wolde be for euer with hys chyrch in that holy sacramēt / & for a perpetuall memory of hys bytter passyon that he suffered for vs, wolde gyue hys owne flessh[…] that suffered passyon, & hys owne blode that was shedde in hys passyon, to abyde perpetually with vs, accordynge to hys owne wordes spoken vnto hys chyrche, when he sayed,⁸ I am with you all dayes vnto the ende of the worlde: Tyndale wyll not now byleue that promyse at all / but as I haue in my fyrst boke by hys owne wordes proued you, maketh mockes and mowes at that blessed sacrament, and calleth it but cake brede, and reasoneth it rather for starche full lyke a starke heretyke god wote, and sayth it is neyther body nor bloude at all.

And thus where he so hyghly magnifyeth the bylyefe of goddes promyses onely, settynge all other artycles of the fayth as thynges of a seconde sorte / hym selfe byleueth as ye se the promyses as lytell as the tother.

But now let vs go ferther in hys wordes, & se for what cause he sayth, that none other errour in any thynge saue the promyses can be dampnable, be they neuer so greate. Lo thus he sayth,

Tyndale. In other thynges that be not the promyses, theyr errours be not vnto dampnacyon, though they be neuer so greate, byca[…]se they holde them not malycyously. As now, yf some when they rede in the new testament of Chrystes bretherne, wolde thynke that they were our ladyes chyldren after the byrth of Chryst, bycause they knowe not the vse of the spekynge of the scrypture / or of the Hebrues how that nygh kynnesmen be called bretherne, or happely they myghte be Iosephes chyldren by some fyrste wyfe, neyther can haue any to teache hym for Tyranny that is so greate / yet coude it not hurte hym thowgh he dyed therin, bycause it hurteth not the redempcyon that is in Chrystes blood. For though she had none but Chryst / I am therfore neuer the more saued, neyther yet the lesse though she had had. And in suche lyke an hundred that plucke not a mans fayth from Chryste, they myghte erre and yet be neuer the lesse saued / no though the cōtrary were wrytē in the gospell. For as in other synnes, as soone as they be rebuked they repent / euen so here as soone as they were better tawght, they sholde immedyately knowledge theyr errour and not resyste.

More. Here haue ye good reders the reason and ye cause, wherfore the trew membres of Tyndals chyrch can neuer synne dedely, though they erre in any artycle that is no promyse, be the article neuer so great. The cause is sayth he, bycause that lyke wyse as in all other synnes as soone as they be rebuked they repente / euyn so as soone as they be better taught, they repēt theyr errour, and byleue the trouth, and resyste not / and for that cause it is no dedely synne in the mene season, before they be rebuked and taught better, all though they dyed in those errours, were the artycles neuer so great, and the contrary trouth wryten in the gospell, so that they be none of the promyses.

Thys is the hole somme and effecte of thys hole chapyter, though he tryfle with other thynges bytwene. And therfore wyll we fyrste aske hym by what scrypture or by what reason, he proueth that euery person whych is elected to be saued, shall repent as soone as euer he is rebuked of any synne that he doth.

He wyll shew peraduenture, that Dauid dyd so, & happely some other to. That wyll be a very bare argumente. Dauid was an electe person / and he dyd so, ergo euery elected person doth so? Thys argument wyll be very lyke the forme of arguynge, that yonge chyldren vse in grammer scholes. Asinus meus habet aures, & tu habes aures, ergo tu es asinus meus. Myne asse hath eares, and thou hast eares / ergo thou arte my a[…]se.

Fyrste I suppose y• Tyndale wyll hym selfe agre what so euer he sayth here, that suche rebukynge at whyche hys electe persone shall alwaye so soone repente and retourne, hadde nede to come after the rage passed[…] as hym self sayth, that when the rage is paste he shall repente. For yf suche a rebuker come whyle the rage is on hym, whyle the man is forwarde vppon hys vyage, and as Tyndale sayth vpon hys greate occasyons caryed forth wyth concupyscence, thorow the frute of the synne that breketh out of hys membres / the rebuker may fortune at that tyme to speke twyse ere he go backe agayne wyth hym. ye and what so euer Tyndale say, when the great […]ge is passed to / yet is there many a man in heuen that hath after baptysme fallen full often to synne, and not repented alway at the fyrst rebuke / but not withstandyng many rebukynges & mych callynge vppon, bothe by theyr frendes and good gostely fathers, ha[…]e yet lyen l[…]nge th[…]in / and […] all that haue a[…]ter amē ded and pro[…]ed full ve[…]tuou[…]e men, and elles g[…]d forbede. And thys poynt is so open and euydent, not onely in scrypture, but […]lso at euery ma[…]nes eye / that I nothynge fere but that euery wyse man, wyll in thys poynte take Tyndals […]al[…] for a very false inuented foly.

A[…] then syth he mak[…]th thys poynt the gro[…]de of the tother[…] that is to wytte that euery electe pers[…] shall[…] in lyke wyse at the fyrste techyng, as soone as he is better taught, repente euery errour that he holdeth / it shall well folowe that the seconde is as false and as folysshe as the fyrst, and so is it in very dede.

For it maye be full well that a ryght good man maye be mysse ledde by suche as Tyndale is / & thorow such folkes false perswasyons, maye fall in errours and heresyes mo then one, not onely besyde the promyses, but also in the promyses to / extendynge some to farre and cuttynge some to shorte, as Luther, Huyskyn, and Tyndale do. And theyr vntrewe doctryne maye be so depe entred and roted in the good symple soule, that when he is by better men better taught, he shall not repent hys errours at the fyrste nor at the seconde tyme neyther, but defende them many a tyme & ofte / and yet shall at length wyth helpe of goddes grace, applye hys wyll rather indyfferētly to perceyue the treuth, then frowardly to stycke styll in heresye / & so shall fall in to ye ryght way agayn, and very clerely se that those blynde heretykes had ledde hym in darkenes before.

For ellys yf Tyndale sayd trew, that euery elect person wolde be reformed at the fyrste / it muste folow that who so euer dyd not when he were better taught, retourne and be reformed at the fyrste, w[…]re a fynall reprobate and sholde neuer be saued. And then were it vayne to talke wyth hym ofter then onys, yf he wold not tourne at the fyrst as soone as he were onys well taught. For by Tyndals tale, he y• is electe shall by and by a[…]sent vnto the trouth, as soone as it is tolde hym, and forthwyth repent hys errour.

If the olde holy doctours and sayntes had ben of Tyndals mynde / they sholde haue lefte in heresye many a man whom they coulde not conue[…]te at the fyrste, and yet conuerted them after very well. And truely yf saynt Ambrose had taken it for an vndowted token of inuyncyble malyce in heresye, when so euer hym selfe was not at the fyrst techynge byleued and obayed / it is very lykely that he neuer sholde haue c[…]uerted saynt A[…]stayne to the treuth, from mo erro[…]s then one.

For th[…]ugh saynt Poule counsayle Titus,⁹ that ye man why che[…]er[…] an […]retyke, he sholde after one warnynge or twayn[…] e[…]we[…] y[…]t ment he not to forbyd hym the oftener callynge vp[…]n hym after, wyth good & holsome coūsayle.

For as […]aynt Chrysosth[…]m sayth, yf the deuyll do not dyspayre to turne a man at last from god vnto hym selfe, though he myste hys purpose oftentymes before, and that so farforth that he letted not to a[…]say Iob agayne & agayne for all the pacyence that he founde in hym, and all y• prayse also that god gaue hym hym selfe / it were a great shame yf a good man sholde dyspayre to conuerte a synner from the deuill to god, bycause he can not bringe it to passe at onys. And yet by Tyndals doctryne, yf a synner dyd not repente at the fyrste rebukynge, and he that were in errour leue his errour at the fyrst trewe techyng / we muste nedes perceyue therby that he were none electe, and consequently that he were a playne reprobate, that fynally sholde be dampned what so euer were sayd or done vnto hym / and that it were therfore in vayne to go any more aboute to tourne hym agayne to god, but l[…]ue hym styll to the deuyll. were not thys wene you good reders a godly wyse waye?

I dare boldely saye that Tyndale hym selfe yf he shold mete wyth a man of the trewe catholyke fayth, and sholde fynde hym fas[…]e therin when he wolde teche hym hys heresyes / though he coulde not at the fyrste techynge nor at the seconde neyther, brynge hym from the trouth, yet wolde he not leue hym so by hys wyll / but wolde assaye hym ofter, and prece vpon hym styll, not without hope to wynne hym and begyle hym at the laste. Now saye I then to Tyndale, that hys hope of the mannes chaunge to hys secte, eyther bycause hym selfe shall in the laborynge of hym to drawe hym to it, playe the deuyls parte, and thynke that though an electe shall turne from euyll to good alway at the fyrste mocyon, and that therfore yf he turne not at the fyrste it is in vayn to go any more about hym / yet a reprobate though he turne not from hys present good state vnto synne at the fyrste, shall turne after well inough / and therfore he wyll laboure hym styll to his secte. And then in thynkyng thus, Tyndale taketh y• catholyke fayth for good and his owne secte for nought. Or elles yf he take the catholyke fayth for false, from whyche he g[…]th about to gete the man / and hys owne secte for good, to whyche he lab[…]reth to brynge hym: then I saye that syth he wyll not leue of when hys doctryne is resysted at the fyrste, he condem[…]neth play[…]ely the hole tale that he telleth here. For yf euery pe[…]son electe, shall as he sayth here, repente hys errour alway[…] at y• fyrst, as soone as he is taught the treuth / then th[…]s man that at the fyrste after the treuth onys taughte hym by Tyndale, dyd for all that resyste it / made Tyndale surely to knowe, that he was none of the electes, and that he therfore was a reprobate of god, that fynylly sholde be dampned with the deuyll / & so shold Tyndale lese no more labour about hym.

And thys were thus after Tyndale, though the mānes errour were but in suche artycles as be no promyses. For yf it were in any of the promyses, that Tyndale shold fynd a man after baptisme byleue as ye chyrch byleueth, agaynst the heresyes that he byleueth / that is to wytte byleuynge agaynste Tyndale, that goddes promyse of saluacyon in the blode of Chryste, doth not quyte put awaye shryfte and all penytencyall workes towarde satysfaccyon, and all punysshement for any synne repented, to be sustayned eyther in thys worlde or purgatory / but that so to byleue & truste in goddes promyse, is a dampnable erroure agaynste goddes promyse: yf Tindale I say fynde such a man, he shold by hys owne tale here perceyue that man forthwith for a desperate heretyke / bycause that yf hym selfe saye trewe, that none electe person can after hys baptysme euer fall in to any errour concernynge any of the promyses, then shold hym selfe knowe that he whom he founde in that errour cō cernynge goddes promyse[…] were a fynall reprobate / & then sholde let hym alone and lese no labour in turnyng of hym. And sauyng my cheryte, I beshrewe hym hartely that he dothe not so.

But thus good Chrysten reders ye maye well perceyue, that there is no treuth in Tyndals tale. And that the profe of all hys hole conclusyō in thys chapyter, that none electe can fall into any errour agaynste the promyses / and that all other artycles they […]epente theyr errours as soone as they b[…] taught the t[…]uth[…] and that they repente all theyr other synnes as […]oone as they be rebuked / hangeth all by the mone shyne. And that neyther of both hys heresyes, towarde the profe wherof he wolde make thys conclusyon serue / […] why[…]h two the tone is that none electe person can after hys baptysme synne of purpose nor wyllyngly, and ye […]other that necessaryly dependeth theruppon, that who so euer after baptysme breke any of goddes cōmaundemētes wyllyngly and of purpose, shall neuer after be saued / can take here none an[…]e holde at all. But as they be bothe twayne by the blast of the deuyls mouth blowē out abrode, agaynste the stronge rockes of Chrystes catholyke chyrch, and the myghty magesty of god / so be they bothe twayne there fallen to wrake, and shatered all to fytters.

yet for bycause that Tyndale in suche thynges as be no promyses / in all whyche thynges he sayth be they neuer so greate, the electe maye erre and dye in that errour for lacke of good techynge, and yet neuer be dampned therfore, bycause they hurte not the redempcyon that is in Chrystes blode: bycause Tyndale I saye for hys ensample of suche kynde of thynges as be no promyses, putteth y• perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady / it is good to cōsyder in what maner he handeleth it.

Tyndale. If some of them (that is to wytte the trew membres of the electe chyrche) when they rede in the new testament of Chrystes bret[…]e[…]e, wolde thynke that they were our ladyes chyldren after the byrth of Chryst, bycause they knowe not the vse of the speky[…]ge of the scrypture / or of the Hebrues how that nygh kynnesmen be called brether[…]e, or happely they myghte be Iosephes chyldren[…] by some fyrste wyfe, neyther can haue any to teache hym for Tyranny that is so greate / yet coude it not hurte hym thowgh he dyed therin, bycause it hurteth not the redempcyon that is in Chrystes blood.

More. Consyder good reder, how many thynges here falle vppon Tyndals hedde at onys, by hys owne fond handelyng of thys ensample.

Fyrste it is foly for hym to put, that for tyranny nowe any man sholde lacke techynge, that those chyldren were not borne of our ladyes body / syth that artycle is as well & comenly knowen as any of y• promyses / and as longe hath ben knowen, and as fully, and as comenly byleued thorow Chrystendome, as any other artycle of the chrysten fayth. And none artycle is there almost in the chrystē fayth which hath not had mo heretykes agaynste it, then this artycle of our ladyes perpetuall vyrginyte / so that it is now so well knowen, and that solucyon also of nygh kyn[…]ed called bretherne amonge the Hebrews, that Tyndale neuer neded to cumber hys boke therwith.

Bysydes this, hym selfe & his owne doctryne destroyeth hys owne solucyon. For he sayth that we be bounden to byleue none artycle, but yf it be proued by playne scrypture. Now though he teche now the trew members of hys electe chyrche, the thynge that euery chylde can tell all redy, that amonge the Hebreus the nere kynnesmen were called bretherne: what hath he taught thē therby? any other thinge, then that the scrypture doth not proue, yt our lady had euer any mo chyldren then Chryst. He doth not yet by the scrypture teche his trew membres, to perceyue yt she had no mo, but onely that the scrypture sayth not playne the contrary. But then doth he by hys owne rule bysyde, teche them that they maye byleue at theyr lybertye yf they lyst, that she had mo chyldren in dede. And ferthermore he techeth them, that they shold in no wyse take it for any sure article of theyr by lyefe, that she was a perpetuall vyrgyn, and neuer had mo chyldren after Chryst. Thys poynt he techeth playnely after his maister Luther, as ye haue herd all redy thorow out his hole tytle, wherin he laboreth to proue that ye apostles haue lefte nothyng vnwryten, the bylyefe wherof were necessary to saluacyō. whych false assercyon of his I haue in dyuers places of my formar bokes clerely cōfuted / & in the ende of my thyrd boke haue answered and auoyded all his hole chapyter therof. But now syth in thys present place, Tyndale hym selfe graunteth, that the cause why an electe person shall be saued, though he happen to erre & thynke yt our lady was not a perpetuall vyrgyn, is bycause that he shall repente that errour when he is taughte the contrary: playne it is to any man, yt hym selfe therin cōfesseth now, yt it is a necessary artycle for saluacyon, that to euery man at the leste wyse to whom it is opened & taught / syth the cause of his saluacyon whyche before byleued the contrary, is by Tyndale hym selfe the repentyng of hys formar errour.

Now then it is so that Tyndale doth in sundry places, confesse & agre that thys poynt can not be proued by playn and euydente scrypture. Ergo he confesseth here playnely, the cōtrary of that he so fastely before hath affermed, whyle he taught that there is no thyng to be byleued for a suerty, but yf it be proued by playne and euydent scrypture / and that the apostles haue lefte no thynge vnwryten, whyche men are bounden to byleue vppon payne of dampnacyon.

Thys doctryne of hys mayster and his owne hath he as ye now se by hys owne handelyng of this mater, here vtterly destroyed and dampned.

Now yf he wyll happely for shame, laboure to seke some shyfte, and saye that he meaneth no more but to put thys dyfference bytwene the artycles of the fayth in the promyses, and all other artycles, that none errour in any of the other is dampnable, tyll the man that mysse byleueth be better taughte the trouth / and that then he is bounden to byleue them, whyther they be in scrypture or not / but in the bylyefe of the promyses, euery errour and ignoraunce also is dampnable ere euer they be taught. For no man shalbe saued but yf he be taught them and haue the faythfull bylyefe of them: thus muste Tyndale nedys saye for aught that I can se / or ellys muste he cōfesse, that one pece of his doctryne playnely destroyeth a nother, cōcernyng his dyfference bytwene the promyses and other artycles.

But yet abedeth styll agaynste hym, that syth he confesseth the perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady, to be now that it is taught necessary to be byleued, whiche is not wryten in scrypture: styll I say standeth it styffely agaynst hym, that he hath destroyed all his pryncypall grounde, where about his mayster & hym self haue taken so great labour to make men wene that nothyng was necessaryly to be byleued, but yf it were euydentely wryten in holy scrypture.

But now concernynge his dyfference, bytwene the necessyte of the bylyefe of the promyses, and the bylyefe of the other artycles / we shall tell hym y• it wylbe peraduenture hard for hym to proue his sayenge trew, specyally takyng the promyses as hym selfe taketh them.

For in the begynnyng vpon the fyrst prechyng of saynt Peter,¹⁰ when there were so many so sodaynly chrystened therupon / wherby can Tyndale proue yt all they were fully taught y• fayth of the promyses before they were baptysed, or that none dyed ere euer they were taught any ferther / or that yf they dyed forthwith vpon theyr baptysme, that then theyr chrystēdome stode theym not in stede for lacke of ferther instruccyō of the promyses. Concernyng which I dare be bolde to say, that they were neuer taught the doctryne y• Tyndale calleth so necessary, y• he techeth the lacke of that fayth in the promise to be dampnable. For they were I say neuer taught, y• they must byleue that y• promyse shold saue them & gete thē of all theyr synnes at any tyme after theyr baptysme cōmytted, at theyr bare repentaūce, alway full remyssyō of synne & payn, & all in purgatory or in this world eyther, and without any regarde of any good wurke at all, or of any purpose therof, other then bare repentaunce and fayth in the promyses. I dare well saye they dyed all that were th[…] baptysed, ere euer they herde any thynge of this poynt […]f fayth in the promyses / whych was neuer thought vpon by saynt Peter nor any of hys felowes then, nor yet no man elles, tyll it was deuysed by the deuyll, & put forth by heretykes whē cheryte waxed cold many a wynter after.

If Tyndale make vs many questyons of them y• were so sodaynly chrystened so many at onys in the begynnyng: we wyll yet be bolde to tell hym y• many chyldren dye now soone after yt they come from chrystenyng, ere euer they be weshed out of y• chrysome / of which I suppose yt some were neuer taught fully the fayth of the promyses ere they dyed.

If he say to thys that though they were not taughte it actually, yet by the gyfte of god in the sacrament, it is taught and infunded into theyr soules habytually: then wyll we aske hym wherby he proueth then hys dyfference, bytwen the fayth of the promyses and of the other articles / but yf he proue vs that onely the fayth of the promyses is infused, and of the other artycles not. whych when he proueth you, byleue hym / and in the meane whyle, byleue that hys euasyon is not worth a fly.

If he wyll say that the chyldren baptysed, and so forthwyth departynge, haue no fayth at all / but be saued onely by the fayth of theyr frendes, and by that our lorde hath receyued them to the sacrament of baptysme, and by the sacrament of baptysme hath receyued them to grace & glory, without any fayth of theyr owne: then gyueth he to the sacrament agaynste all hys other doctryne, a great effycacite of grace, and maketh it not onely a sygne. And yet graunteth he then bysyde, the thynge that he denyeth / that is to wytte that some maye be saued beynge ignoraūt, not onely of some of the promyses, but also of them all.

Besydes thys, yf we wolde graunte hym the thynge that he can neuer proue: yet were he neuer the nere. For though it were trewe that wythout bylyefe of all the promyses, no man myghte be saued / but that the bare ignoraunce of any of them were dampnable, and that the ignoraunce of any other artycle were not dampnable, nor the contrary bylyefe tyll they were opened and taughte: yet syth men were (as Tyndale hath here confessed) bounden vpon payne of dampnacyon to byleue the perpetuall v[…]rginite of our lady, and to repente theyr forma[…] errour to the contrary as soone as they be taughte it, notwythstandyng that it can not be proued by playne and euydent scrypture: then muste Tyndale graunte that it is lyke wyse of euery other lyke artycle, that is to saye of euery artycle, whych is trewe and muste be byleued when it is taught bysyde the promyses, though it can not be proued by scrypture, no more then the artycle of y• perpetuall vyrginite of our lady.

Then aske we Tindale how knoweth he those artycles whych be necessary artycles of the fayth, of which artycles the contrary bylyefe were dampnable after the trouth of those artycles taught, the same artycles not beynge wrytē in scrypture. Doth Tyndale knowe them by any other meane, then by the chyrche / syth they be not taught hym by scrypture? For it were harde that he sholde in such a mater byleue y• authoryte of any one man, but yf that eyther god byd hym byleue hym, or that for lacke of scripture he proue the trouth of hys doctryne by myracle, or by myracle proue hym selfe to be appoynted by god to teche hym / by reason wherof he myghte be […]yleued, though he proue not euery partyculare poynt of hys doctryne by a seuerall myracle / excepte as great or greater myracles be done or haue b[…]ne done by some yt techeth or hath taught y• cōtrary. In which ꝑplexite god wyll eyther neuer brynge vs or neuer leue vs.

Therfore conclude I, that Tyndale must nedes graūt, that he knoweth not those articles but by the chyrch.¹¹ which chyrche hath proued it selfe by myllions of myracles,¹² and which chyrche god byddeth hym byleue,¹³ and sayth he wyll dwell therwyth alwayes, and sende hys spyryt to teche and enforme it, and lede it into euery trowth.

Of thys chyrch therfore must Tyndale lerne those artycles, or els can not be bounden to byleue them, & to repente hys forma[…] errours to the contrary, but yf he say that hym selfe haue them by specyall reuelacyon of god, pryuately shewed vnto hym selfe. And then yf he saye so, he muste eyther byleue them alone / or elles yf he wyll be byleued in them / & haue other men byleue them with hym / then muste he proue vs them by scrypture or myracle. And syth I dare answere for hym, that in suche artycles he lacketh those two / there is no remedy for hym but he must nedes confesse that he is taughte the suerty of those artycles, and lerneth whyche they be, onely by the chyrche of Chryste.

Then aske we Tyndale forther, whyche is that chyrche of Chryste, by whyche he is taught to know those necessary artycles from all other / the bylyefe wherof is not necessary to saluacyon. He can not saye that he lerned it of any vnknowen chyrche, for no suche company can he knowe for the chyrche / but he muste nedes confesse that he lerneth to knowe those artycles by the knowen chyrche. And then by whych knowen chyrche? let hym name any whych he wyll, excepte the knowen catholyke chyrch whyche hym selfe impugneth / and he shall name a company of no credence in that poynt. For by hys owne agremente they muste lacke scrypture for those artycles (for of such artycles we speke) and they haue no myracles. wherfore fynally when he hath all done / thys artycle alone of the perpetuall vyrginyte of our lady (the cōtrary errour wherof after ye trouth taught, hym selfe confesseth to be dampnable) dreueth hym of very fyne force, to confesse that the chyrch by whych he knoweth the vndowted treuth of thys artycle, syth he knoweth it not by playne and euydēt scrypture, is not his owne secrete vnknowen chyrche of elec[…]es, whych as ye se hym selfe can not yet well descrybe vs, udr any knowen chyrche of heretykes / but the very comen knowen catholike chyrch, which hym selfe goth all thys whyle aboute to impugne and destroye. In whyche onely chyrche Chryste hath promysed to dwell and abyde, to teche it euery necessary treuth vnto the ende of the worlde / & vnto the onely fayth of which chyrch, he hath promysed and g[…]uen the gyfte of wurkyng myracles. whyche myracles […]yth we clerely se perseuer and contynue in thys chyrche onely / we maye clerely therby se, that thys chyrche onely is that chyrche also, to whyche onely the tother promyse of the holy gostes perpetuall resydence and inspyracyon was made.

To thys poynte is Tyndale now good chrysten r[…]der dreuen of necessyte / but yf he wyll saye that thys hole multytude of y• knowen catholyke chyrch, is not the very chyrche, but onely the good men & electes y• be within the same.

Now yf he wene to escape out so / he shall be soone set in. For then at the leste wyse he knowledgeth, that there are no good men out of thys chyrch / nor no man hath any trew sure fayth but it be lerned of thys chyrche, or of some membres of the same. And then syth hym selfe and hys felowes be out of thys chyrche / both wylfully fyrst departed out, & after worthly cast out: them selfe be none of them of whom the trouth can be lerned. Also to say yt he therin byleueth onely the good men of the knowē chyrche / that thyng hath hym self made impossyble to serue hym / for they be by hym the onely electes, whych may by hys own doctryne though they can do no dedely synne, do horryble dedes yet, and so seme very nought. And in thys comon knowen chyrch, the comon knowen fayth or bylyefe is all one, bothe wyth the good and the badde, though the lyuynge be dyuerse. If Tyndale dare denye that / lette hym loke in the workes of saynt Austayne, saynt Hierom, saynt Cypryane, saynt Ambrose, saynt Basyle, saynt Gregorye, saynt Chrysostome, & all the other olde holy doctours and sayntes, of euery tyme thys fyftene hundred yere / and he shall not for very shame saye nay, but that agaynste Luther & hym those holy sayntes had the same fayth that ye comon catholyke lay people haue yet vnto thys daye / as for ensample, that it is an horryble abomynacyon, that any monke or frere sholde wedde a nonne. wherin yf Tyndale dare say that I lye / let Tyndale as I haue often sayd, brynge forth of all the olde holy sayntes, some one that sayde the contrary / whyche I am very sure he can not. So that fynally, Tyndale is comen agayn to the same poynt, that he must in fayth and bylyefe of such artycles, byleue the comon consent of the hole chyrche / and not take hys doctryne of any one man or any few, that wolde in fayth vary, swarue, and fall from the comon fayth of the hole catholyke chyrche / not though there fell awaye parcell mele, so many that they lefte the chyrche for the fewer parte.

For god shall for the knowledge of hys trewe chyrche euer more amonge many other thynges, specyally prouyde twayne. One, that they whyche departe out therof shall neuer agre to gether in one bylyefe. Another, that y• lyghte of myracles shall neuer shyne amonge any of theyr chyrches, but onely in hys olde trewe catholyke chyrche remaynynge. And therin shall they styll contynue, wythout any wonders wroughte in any of the false coūterfeted chyrches of heretykes, vntyll that Antychryste shall come hym selfe / whyche as helpe me god I very greately fere is now very nere at hande. But when he is ones comen / our lorde be thanked he shall not very longe endure, ere Chryste shall hym selfe wyth the blaste of hys blessed mouth, blowe that prowde beste to noughte.

Now good Chrysten reder, syth it is proued playnely vpon Tyndals owne handelynge of thys artycle of our ladyes perpetuall virgynite, that Tyndale coude not haue lerned y• trouth of that artycle of any man, but yf he lerned it by credence gyuen to the comon knowen chyrche, whych he wyll not knowe for the very chyrche, but impugneth it / and syth hym selfe graūteth also, that the contrary erroure of that artycle is dampnable after the trouth taughte, for as mych as hys owne elected persons that so haue erred before, can not be after saued but by repētaūce of that errour: he muste nedes confesse also, that of all other lyke artycles whyche come in questyon, & are not in the scrypture eyther spoken of at all, or not playn & euydentely proued / the sure trouth and certeyntye can not be had by no man, but it be fyrste comenly lerned of the same chyrche, by credence gyuē therunto, for the truste of Chrystes promyse made therto, that hym selfe and hys holy spyryte wolde for euer be resydent therin,¹⁴ and teche it euery necessary trouthe / that is to wytte euery trouth,¹⁵ to the bylyefe wherof he wolde haue hys people bounden.

Now foloweth it forther good chrystē reder vpon this, that Tyndale is in thys mater so caught in a nette of hys owne makyng / yt he must eyther lye tomblyng styll therin lyke a fole, and the more he stryueth therwyth the more all waye meshe and entangle hym self faster and faster therin / or wysely gyue vp hys heresyes and renounce hys formar errours / and from hensforth vtterly knowlege & confesse, that agaynste hys hole purpose he is vpon hys owne wordes clerely conuynced & concluded, not onely that the very chyrche is the comon knowen chyrche whyche hytherto he hath denyed and styffely stryueth agaynst, but also that in the sacramentes, vowes, fayth, and good wurkes, and fynally euery thynge wherin the catholyke knowen chy[…]che and hym selfe haue bene at varyaunce / he muste lerne the trouth of the same chyrche,¹⁶ and therin byleue that chyrche, & gyue credence therunto. whyche yf he do not endeuour hym selfe to do, but resyste theyr doctryne / god whych hath commaunded hym to byleue and obay the chyrch, shall neuer worke wyth hym towarde the bylyefe.

And thus good chrysten reders for the fynall conclusyō of thys chapyter / here ye maye playnely se, that I myghte well yf I wolde wyth thys same chapyter make an ende of all the hole mater. For ye well remēber that all our mater in this boke, is bytwene Tyndale and me no thynge ellys in effecte but to fynde out whyche chyrche is the very chyrche. For syth he seeth hym selfe playnely bounden to gyue credence to that chyrche whych so euer be it / he therfore in all hys boke bryngeth it in to darkenes, & laboreth to make it vnknowē / bycause he wold not by the knowlege therof, haue hys heresyes knowen and reproued.

And now ye se that as our lady wolde, by hys folysshe handelynge of the artycle of her perpetuall vyrgynyte, he is quyte ouerthrowen / and hath it playnely proued vnto hym vpon hys owne wordes, that the very chyrche is none other, but thys that he denyeth / that is to wytte the comon knowen catholyke people, clergy, lay folke, and all / whych what so euer theyr lyuynge be (amonge whom vndowtedly there ar[…] of bothe sortes many ryght good and vertuouse) do stande to gether and agre in the confessyon of one trew catholyke fayth, wyth all olde holy doctours and sayntes, and good chrysten people bysyde that are all redy passed thys fyftene hundred yere byfore, agaynste Arrius, Otho, Lambert, Luther, and wyclyffe, zuinglius, Huten, Hu[…]se, and Tyndale, & all the rable of such erronious heretykes.

And therfore as I say, sauynge that I wyll go ferther to shew you som what of hys ferther foly / ellys myghte I well euyn here bothe ende thys present chapyter, and also thys hole worke / wherin with a few of hys owne wyse wordes, Tyndale hath confounded hym selfe, and stroyed all hys hole mater.

For as towchyng hys accustumable raylynge in y• ende of hys chapyter, wyth whyche he wolde seme to touche the catholyke chyrche / it is all so clene agaynste hym selfe, and so clerely describeth and depeynteth hym selfe and his own felowes, that yf we wolde laboure sore to fynde oute what euyll we myght say by thē we coulde fynde no better thyng to put vs in remembraūce of euery poynt of theyr myscheuouse maters, than Tyndals owne wordes that he wryteth here hym selfe. Lo thus he sayth.

Tyndale. But they whyche malicyously mayntayne opynyons agaynste the scrypture, Here shold he say as for ensample they that mayntayne that frerys maye wedde nonnes.

or that that can not be proued byscrypture, One of these thynges is as ye haue herd, y• perpetuall vyrginite of our lady, which hym selfe hath cōfessed in this same chapyter, that the trew membres of his electe chyrch, must nedes byleue after that they be ones taught it. And then yf them selfe be bounden to byleue it, they be bounden to stande therby & mayntayne it. And so speketh Tyndale clere agaynst hym selfe.

or suche as maketh no mater vnto the scripture, He meneth such thynges as were not of necessyte requysyte to be wrytē in scrypture / and therfore he wryteth lyke hym selfe. For there is not one article of the fayth y• of necessyte neded to be wrytē, but that god coulde both haue taught them & kepte them without wrytyng. As he hath taughte & kepte some / as for ensample y• ꝑpetuall virginite of our lady, which Tyndale hath both denyed, & confessed, & denyed agayne, & woteth neuer where to hold him / y• deuyl so troubleth his braynes. and to saluacyon that is in Chryste, whyther they be trew or no / The chyrche hath none suche as make no mater to saluacyon. For euery thyng that god wyll haue byleued pertayneth to saluacyon / syth the contrary bylyefe is dysobedyence to god that so taughte it hys chyrch, bycause he wolde haue it byleued. And y• the perpetuall virginite of our lady is of such sorte, Tyndale hath hym selfe openly & playnely agreed / & yet wold he now secretely stele backe agayn. Not wyttyngly peraduenture, but yt the deuyl pulleth hym backe by his cote skyrte vnware.

and for the blynd zele of them make sectes, brekyng the vnyte of Chrystes chyrche, for whose sake they oughte to suffer all thynges / and rese agaynste theyr neyghbours (whom they […]ught to loue as them selues) to sle them: suche men I saye are fallen from Chryst and make an idole of theyr opinions. For except they put truste in suche opinions and thought them necessary vnto saluacyon, or wyth a cancred conscience went about to disceyue for some fylthy purpose / th[…]y wolde neuer breke the vnyte of fayth or ye sle theyr bretherne. Now good reder, cōsyder who make sectes, y• is to saye sondry partes & dyuisiōs, & breketh the vnite of Christes chyrch, whyther the catholyke chyrch yt was agreed all of our mynde, byleuyng purgatory, & the equall godhed of Chryste wyth hys father and the holy goste, and the blessed body and blode of Chryst in the sacramēt of the aulter, & all the other holy sacramentes, & the perpetuall virginite of our lady, & prayed vnto her and other holy sayntes, & dyd reuerence to theyr relykes, images, & kept holy dayes and fastyng dayes, and byleued all very faste & fermely yt is was abomynable sacrylege for a frere to wedde a nonne. In all these thynges and many other good thynges mo, were all good chrystē peple agreed in one by the spyryte of god without any varyaūce / as appereth playnely bothe by the olde cōtynued bokes of s[…]ruyce vsed in the chyrches thorow chrystendom, & by the bokes of y• old holy doctours & saintes ī euery age of tyme / sauyng onely when such heretykes as Arrius, wycliffe, Luther, Lambert, Huyskyn, Husse, & Tyndale, and such other lyke, here & there, some in one tyme, some in another, and the very wurst in our tyme, haue ben by y• deuyll styred vp, to stroye y• trew fayth & vary frō the catholyke corps of christendom, & make new fond sectes of theyr owne folysh braynes. And where he speketh of kyllyng and sleyng theyr bretherne / hym selfe can tell well inough y• good chrysten prynces & other vertuouse people, dyd in ye begynnynge gretely forbere such heretykes / tyll y• they were fynally fayne in auoydyng of theyr sedicyous trouble, & for the repressyng of theyr inemendable malice,¹⁷ to folow thensample of saynte Poule / and as he betoke some of them to the deuyll, to the punysshement of theyr bodyes in helpe of theyr soules or ceacynge of theyr synfull blasphemy: so by tēporall lawes & bodyly punyshemēt, to fynysh ye infynyte malyce & intolerable trouble of those heretykes, for the sauegarde of good people in peace & trāquyllite. which comon peace & quyete yf the heretykes had not perturbed / they had ben them self mych more esely handeled. But as Tyndale knoweth that this is trew / so knoweth he well agayn that the heretykes haue ben those, y• dyd in chrystendom begyn to fyght, kyll, and sle, before y• thē selfe were kylled & slayne, or any thyng foughten withall / and yt they began to be kylled & foughtē withall, by theyr owne importune malice, wherby y• catholyke people were constrayned and cōpelled to kyll them in the necessary defence of innocentes. And y• this is trew / Tindale knoweth very well, both by the storyes as well of England as of other places, and also by ye experyēce of his own dayes in Almayn, thorow the cruell insurreccyō there of his owne felowes the heretykes of his own secte. which rose there, and robbed, burned, and killed, not one noughty knaue or two in a towne as good kynges and prynces do these horryble and incorigible heretykes, and yet somtyme s[…]ant ones in tenne yere, & in some good towne not onys in tenne score yere / but hole goodly monasteries they burned vp and destroyed / and some where all the chyrches almost thorow the hole contrey, robbed, spoyled, and bare awaye all that euer they fonde / dyspyghted the sayntes images, relykes, the crucyfyx & the blessed sacramēt, robbed mayhemed, and murthered many good vertuouse people. And by goddes good sufferaunce, they ceaced not at the clergye / b[…]t fely[…]g frute, went ferther & fell to theyr lordes landes. So that they that wynked and cared not for goddes part, were fayne to wake within a whyle & care for theyr owne part. And then they fell vpō the heretykes agayn, & kylled of thē aboue.iii. score thousand in dyuers places all in one somer. Synnes which tyme in Swycherlande euyn thys laste yere zuinglius set his heretykes in a rage agayne, to pyll & spoyle the trew catholykes of his owne countre. But god gaue the victory to his faythfull folke, that were full loth to fyghte wyth them, sauyng y• very force draue them to the felde, where they bare ouer theyr enmyes. And zuinglius hym selfe tharcheretyke of all / was there dedely woū ded & taken, & after y• burned vp. Such fayre fortune had Tindals master there, of whō he toke his heresies agaynst the blessed sacramēt. And therfore, where Tyndale speketh of kyllynge of heretykes whom he calleth his crysten bretherne / he knoweth it well hym selfe yt his owne vnhappy felowes the heretykes I say them self, began fyrst y• guyse. And as they begā it euē so they kepe it styl. And surely there is no dowte but that Tyndale hym selfe hath longed long, & yet euer loketh for, yt as the Lutheranys & zuinglianys haue begon to ryse & ruffle in rebellyon in sondry partes of Almayne / so he myght se his disciples assay some fete here. But I trust ī goddes grace & in the kinges goodnes, theyr hartes shall all faynt ere they come therto. And yf ye deuyll were so stronge with thē as to styre them vp / I wold wyshe Tindale among them & frere Barns to. For I lytell dowte yf they dyd, but both captayns & cōpany (as zuinglius and his bushment came shortely to myschyefe) yf god syt where he sat, sholde haue lyke lucke.

Now is this a playn cōclusyō, that bothe they that trust in theyr owne workes, Lo what a parell here were, yf a frere sholde put any truste in chastyte & kepynge of his vow. But & yf he trust in lechery with weddyng of a nonne, then is he saufe inough / bycause that wurke is not hys owne wurke but the wurke of the deuyll, and of the synne that breketh out of his mēbres. And they also that put truste in theyr owne opinyons / be falle[…] from Chryste, and erre from the waye of fayth that is in Chrystes blode / and therfore are none of Chrystes chyrche, bycause they be not buylt vppon the rocke of fayth. Thys doth hym selfe and hys felowes that are heretykes. For the artycles that the hole catholyke chyrche put trust[…] in, be not the opynyon of any man but the sure doctryne of god. wherof the certayntye of the truth depēdeth vpon the promyse of our sauyour hym selfe, whyche hath promysed that they holy goste shall teche hys chyrche all trouth and lede it there vnto. And therfore yf it be trew as in dede it is, that the whych truste in theyr owne wurkes, and make idols of theyr owne opynyons, and breke the vnyon of the chyrche, and make sondry sectes, and kyll theyr chrysten bretherne, be fallen from Chryst & from the waye of fayth that is in Christes blode / and therfore are none of Christes chyrche, bycause they be not buylt vpon the rocke of fayth: then must it nedes folow, that Luther, Lambert, zuinglius Huskyn, and Tyndale, and all other of theyr sondry sectes, be fallen from Chryste and are from the waye of fayth that is in Chrystes blode / and therfore are none of Christes chyrche, bycause they put trust in theyr owne vayne inuencyons, and make idols of theyr owne fals opynyons. For whyche they breke the peace and vnyte bothe of the chyrch and of the fayth, by makynge of sectes and sownyg sedycyon and dyssensyon to styrre vp rebellyon and insurrecciō agaynste theyr neyghbours and theyr gouernours, and therby cause the robbery, pyllage, spoyle, and murder of theyr good catholyke Chrysten bretherne. And do put also theyr truste in theyr owne workes, not in fastyng, prayeng, almoyse, or any good wurke / but in destruccyon of monasteryes, castynge oute of relygyon, expulsyon of chastyte, wyth weddynge of nonnes and lyuyng in lechery, prophanyng of chyrches, pollutyng of aulters, blasphemynge of sayntes, rasshyng downe theyr images, castynge out theyr relykes, dyspyghtynge our lady, de[…]ylynge the crucyfyxe, and fynally mockynge and mowynge at the blessed sacrament. And thus abusynge them selfe, they declare lo very clerely that they be not buylte vpon the rocke of fayth / but wyth the breth of dampned spyrytes be blowen downe to the deuyll. I praye god amende them, and set them on that rocke agayn. And here an ende of this chapyter / in which ye se lo to what pleasaūt passe fyrst his ryall ridles of synne and not synne, erre and not erre / & after hys ryall raylynge of makynge sectes[…] brekynge of vnite, kyllynge of chrys[…]en bretherne, trustyng in theyr wurkes, is by the perceyuyng of his owne wordes fynally brought […]nto / and euery myschyefe that he layth agaynst the knowen catholyke chyrch, eche after other fall in his owne necke / wher[…] that fagotte lyeth so surely bounden on hys sholder[…] that as longe as he lyueth wyth all the shyftes he can fynde, he shall neuer well shake it of.

Matth. 16. ↩
Lucae. 7. ↩
Matth. 17. ↩
Genesis. 22. ↩
Matth. 28. ↩
Iohā. 16. ↩
Lucae. 22. ↩
Matth. 28. ↩
Ad Titum. 4. ↩
Ac[…]uū. 2. ↩
Lucae. 10. ↩
Matth. 28. ↩
Iohā. 16. ↩
Matth. 2[…]. ↩
Iohā. 1[…]. ↩
L[…]cae. 10. ↩
1. Timoth. 1.
↩

Chapter 4 of 15

How • chrysten man can not erre, and how he may yet erre

Footnotes