The.iiii. chapytre

The messenger moneth yt though the chyrch be not ye nombre of folke only predestynate to blys[…]/yet may yt peraduēture be ye nombre of good and well byleuynge folke here and there vnknowen / whych may be peraduenture those whome we condē […] for heretyques for holdyng opynyon agaynst ymagys. wherof the author proueth the contrary.

WEll quod he yet maye yt be / yt the very chyrch of Cryst / is all such as bileue a right & liue wel where so euer they be / though ye world knowe theym not / and though fewe of theym knowe eche other. For god as saynt Poule sayth / know who be his. And Cryst sayth / y• agaynst his chyrch y• gatys of hell shall not preuayll / but the gates of hell do preuayll agaynst siners. And therfore yt appereth well that there can be no synners in hys chyrch / nor that there be none of hys chyrch but good folke. And vnto them our lorde is presente and kepeth theym frō errours / and gyueth theym ryght vnderstādyng of hys holy scryptures. And where they be forceth not / how fewe they be to gether maketh no mater. For our sauyour sayth / wher soeuer be two or thre gathered to gether ī my name / there am I also among theym. And so is hys very chyrch here & there of onely good men to the world vnknowē / and to hym selfe well knowē. And though they be fewe in comparyson / yet make they about in all the worlde a good meyny amonge theym. As god sayd whan ye chyldren of Israell were fallen to ydolatrye and worshypped ye ydoll Baall so ferforth that yt semed all were in the case / and mē knewe not who where otherwyse / yet sayde oure lorde as appereth in the.xix. chapyter the thyrd boke of ye kyngys / I shall reserue for my selfe.vii. M. yt haue not bended theyr kne before Baall. So y• wher ye synagoge and chyrch was thā / yt was vnknowen to man but yt was well knowen to god. And they were not hys chyrch that semed to be / but a company vngathered that no mā was ware of / nor wolde haue went. And so may yt be peraduenture now / that the very chyrche of Cryst is not nor many. dayes hath not ben the people that semeth to be the chyrche / but some good mē scatered here & there vnknowē / tyll god gather theym to gether and make theym knowē / and happely those that byleue agaynst ymagys & whome we now call heretyques. Thys is q I a reasō that Luther maketh hym self. By whyche he wolde brynge the very chyrch of Cryst out of knowlege / and wold put yt in dowt whyther ye saintꝭ that the chyrch honoureth / were good men or not. And wolde that yt myght seme peraduenture nay / but that they were happely not good. But the good men and sayntys in dede / were some other whom the worlde for theyr opē lewde lyuing reputed for nought. But where he sayth that the chyrch or synagoge of the right byleue was than vnknowen / that is not trew. For yt was well knowen in Hierusalem and Iudea / though yt had ben vnknowē who were faythfull in Samaria. And the scrypture also sayth not that these.vii. M. whom he wolde l[…]ue yet in Israell that had not bowed theyr knees befor Baall / were secrete and vnknowen / but he sayth onely that such a nomber of suche folke he wolde leue. But now for our purpose sythe ye wyll haue the very chyrche a secrete vnknowen not company and congregacyō / but a dysper[…]led nōbre of onely good mē / wyll you that those good men whych after your rekenynge make the very chyrch / shall haue the same fayth & none other than we haue / whych be now reputed for the chyrch / or ellys a fayth and bylyef dyfferent? What yf they h[…] ye same q he? Mary quod I […] wyll your newe by[…]lded chyrch […] thynge helpe your purpose. But they shall […] fa[…]e conferme the worshyp of ymagꝭ / p[…]y[…]ng to sayntys / and s[…]kyng to pylgrymagys as we. And as depely condempne for heresy your opynyon to the cōtrarye. That is very […]outh q h[…]. But yt may be that of that very chyrch yt fayth & bylyef shalbe / that all thys gere is erronyou[…] and as playne ydolatry as was ye worshyppyng of Baal. yf that were so q I than had Cryst not kepe hym.vii. M. from ye worshyp of Baall in all the regyons that bere the name of crystendome / except these new folk of Saxony & Bohem whych your self gr[…]t[…] to be the herety[…]s as sectys co[…] out of the chyrch. And more than word[…]e w[…]re yt / yf all th[…] chyrch of Cryst sholde be clene […] infydelys and heretyques and no p[…] at all therof among the grete vnchaū geable […]rysten countre[…]s / whyche […] kept theyr fayth in one cōstant […]hy[…] ̄ deryued īto the begynnynge. For thys am I sure / that in all those regy[…] as I say / yf eny haue eny suche opynyon agaynst ymagys and sayntys / yet cometh he to ye chyrch amōge hys neyghbours / and there boweth hys knees to Baall yf the ymagys be Baall as hys neyghbours do. But go to let vs forth on a lytell ferther. And supposyng that there were som such secrete good folke as yt speke of that had ye ryght bylefe and were the ryght chyrch / & that they were so dyspersed a sondre yt they were to the world vnknowen / hath not god set an ordre in hys chyrche that some shall preche to the remenaunt for exortacyon of good lyuynge and inform[…] cyon wherein good lyuynge stādeth / as in fayth and good workys. Yes quod he. Had not Cryst quod I sact[…] m[…]te[…]al[…] to be mynistred ī hys chyrch by the preestys of ye same? Yes quod he. Now quod I yf some infydelys as Turkys or S[…]ysens hauyng herd of Crystys name / dyd long to knowe hys scrypture and his fayth / and herīg that there were many people that professed theym selfe for crysten mē / hole naciōs but they were al opē ydolatres and in a mysbylefe / and clerely deceyued and begyled / and that specyally by ye clergye yt techeth theym / how be yt there were yet a fewe good folke and ryght byleuynge whyche were not deceyued / whych among theym be the very trewe chyrche / but who they be / or where they be / or how to aske for thē / or yf he happen on theym / yet where by to know theym that can no mā tell hym / how sholde these infydelys come to the faythe / and of whom shold they here yt. For they being warned before yt there were many s[…]ctys of heretyques and but one trew chyrch / wolde neuer be so madde to lerne of theym yt they myght wene were wrong. And how shold they now come to the ryght whan the trew chyrch is vnknowen? They myght q he take ye scrypture. They shold quod I be therin lyke to Enuchus that coulde not vnderstande without a reder. And thā yf they toke a wronge reder of a wrong chyrch / all were ma[…]ed. And also they wold not trust the scryptures nor rekē that they had the ryght bokes of scrypture amōg false sectys / but wolde loke to receyue ye trew scrypture of ye ryght and trewe chyrch. And thus here yt appereth yf it […] th[…]/god had lefte none ordyn[…] ry way for hys gospell and fayth to be t[…]ught. But let go these infidelys and speke of our self which are (yf this way were trew) as fals[…] as they[…] where be thā prechers of thys very chyrche that sholde preche and teche vs better? For yt is no chyrch yf yt haue no prechours Yt hath quod he som that preche som tyme / but ye wyll not suffre theym. Ye punysshe theym and burne thē. Nay quod I they be wyser thā so they […]yll not be burned for vs / for they wyll rather swere on a boke yt they neuer sayd so / or ellys that they wyll no more say so. And in thys appereth that there is no suche secrete vnknowen chyrche of Cryst / that hauyng such opynyons is ye very chyrche. For ye very chyrch hath euer had some that hath abydē by theyr fayth and theyr prechynge / and wold neuer go backe wyth goddys worde to dye therfore. And thys chyrch that we be of / that take your chyrch for heretyques haue had many suche martryris therin / ye byleued as we do agaynst your opynyons / as appereth by the hystoryes and by many of theyr bokes / where as of your secrete chyrche I neuer yet foūde or herde of eny one in all my lyfe / but he wolde forswere your faythe to saue hys lyfe. Where be also you preestys & your bysshops? For such must they haue yf they be the chyrch of Cryst. Now such can your chyrch haue none / ye be ech to other vnknowē And though some of suche chyrches haue a false opynyō that euery mā is a preest / and euery woman to / yet thys heresye false as it is wyl not serue this vnknowen chyrch. For ye holders of that opynyon do put / that no man may for all that take vpon hym to preche or medle as preest / tyll he be chosen by the congregacyon. And where can that be […]t thys y[…]gynary chyrch / of whych n[…] mā know[…]h other? And where as our lord sayth / where soeu[…]r […]e two or thre gathered to gether in my name there am I wt them / he spa[…]e not as thoug[…] euery two or thre what so euer they were sholde make hys chyrch / but that where so euer there came […]o gether two or thre in hys name that be of his chyrch there is he wyth theym. And s[…] doth the one t[…]xte of the s[…]ryp[…]r[…] in ye gospell playnly declare / as yt is well set out and open[…]d by the holy doctour and gloryous martyr saynt Cypryan / in his epystle agaīst No[…]cyā. whā our sauyour sayth also th[…]t he whyche w[…]lde not amende by hys fawte shewed hym before two or […] wytnes / sholde be c[…]mplayn[…]d vpp[…]n vnto th[…] chyrch / dyd he meanes secrete chyrch[…] whyc[…] no man wyst where to fynde[…] Now wh[…]n the apostle wryteth vnto the Corynthyens / t[…]t rather thā they sholde ple[…]t[…] and stryue in the lawe before the i[…]ydelys / they shold set such as were in the chyrche lytell set by / to be iudges in theyr tempo[…]ll suytꝭ / of what […]hyrch dyde he spe[…]/of such one as no mā wyst where to seke yt? This vnknowen chyrch whych they be dreuen to seke that be lothe to […]nowe th[…] chyrch / wyll n[…]uer serue. But ye chyrch of Cryst is a chyrche well knowē. And hys pleasure was to h[…]e yt knowen and not hyd. And yt is bylded vpon so hygh an […]yll of ye holy st[…]ne / I […]ane vpon Cryst him self / that yt can not be hyd. No[…] potest absconde c[…]tas supr[…] supra m[…]ntē posit[…]/The cyte can not be hyd that is set[…]e on […]n hyll. And he wolde haue hys faythe dy[…]ulged and spredde […]brode openly / not alway[…] whispered ī hukermoker. And therfore he boūd hys pre[…]hours to stād therby & not to reuoke his word for no pain. For he sayd yt he dyd not lyght ye candel to put yt & hyde yt vnder a busshel / for so wold no mā do / but he had kīdeld a fire which he wold not shold lye & smolder as coles doth in quēche / but he wold yt shold burne & gyue lyght. And therfore foly were it to say ye Cryst which wold haue his chirch spred thorow ye world / & euery where gathered ī cōpany / wold haue yt turned to a secret vn[…]nowē single sort seue[…]ed a sōder & scatered about ī corners vnknowē to all ye world & to thē self to. Now where they say yt there is none of ye chyrch but only those yt be good folk / this wold make ye chyrch clerely vnknowē were the peple neuer so many & ye pla[…]e neuer so large. For who cā know of ye multitude who be good ī dede & who be nought / syth yt b[…]d may sodainly be mēded vnware to ye world / […] ye good as sodainly waxē wors. Now lay they for ye ꝓfe of ye opyniō / ye wordꝭ of Crist / which luther allegeth also for ye same ētēt ī his boke yt he made agaīst Ambrosi[…]s Catherina / yt is to wyt the wordꝭ wherin our lord sayd vnto saīt Peter / yt agaīst his ch[…]rch gates of hel shold not puayle/by whych w[…]dꝭ Luther doth (as he thīketh & sayth hī self) meruelous gayly ꝓue / yt th[…] cā be no mā of ye chyrch but he yt […]. For […] h[…]th so many folyes & fautꝭ therī / & so mych īcōuenyēce & absurdyte folowīg thervppō / yt it is more thā meruayl yt […] child of one w[…]ꝭ study ī sophistry […] for shame fynd ī his hart to brīge it in place for eny ernest argumēt. For fyrst yf mē deny hym yt ye gates of hell do in ye place sygnyfy yt deuyll then he cā neuer ꝓue it / & thā is al his reasō wyped quyte away. Now do there in dede dyu[…]rs olde […]mētors & doctors of ye chirch take ī yt place for ye gatꝭ of hel / ye gr[…]t[…] tyraūtꝭ & heretyques / by whose ꝑsecucions & heresyes as yt w[…]re by two gatys / many a man hath gone in to hell. And our sauyour ꝓmyseth ī ye place / yt neyther of those two gatꝭ / yt is to wyt neyther paynym tyraūt nor crystened heretyque / shold puayl agaīst ye chirch[…] For though they haue dystr[…]yed & sh[…]l d[…]stroy many of ye chyrch / yet shal th[…]y not be able to distroy ye chirch / but th[…] chirch sh[…]l stād & be by god pserued ī d[…] spit of all theyr teth. And thꝰ ye se how son[…] Luthers special arg[…]mēt were o […]rthrowē wt trouth. But yf a mā wolde graūt hī yt ye gates of h[…]l dyd here sygnify ye deuyl / yee sh[…]ld we not nede to graūt hī yt ye de[…] as he is called of go[…] […] of ye pope / ergo they be not ye chyrche / […]his argumēt ꝓueth yt there is ī erth no […]yrch […]t all. For what chyrche […] he fynde or ymagyn in erth that doth n[…] synne / & specyally yf yt were true yt him selfe sayth amōge hys other heresyes / where he holdeth sty[…]y yt all the good wor[…]ꝭ of good mē be sīnes / & yt mē sīne ī yt they do good? And thꝰ he wold both […]uē ye chyrch to be only a secret vnkn[…] wē sort of folk yt do not synne / & yet he […]ōfesseth yt there be none such. And so as he go[…]th about to take away the very c[…]yrch yt is well knowē / makynge as though he wold fynde out a better / he leueth ī cōclusyō no chyrch at all. And to such a fōde & false ende must they nedꝭ beīg yt al / yt wyl make yt a nōber of only such as be good mē […] do not synne. For yf he shold be in yt alway whā he i[…] out of synne / & out of yt whā he is in synne / thā shold a mā ꝑaduēture be in yt ī ye mornīge & out of yt at none / & in agayn at nyght. So yt who were ī yt / or whā / or where yt w[…]re / who coulde […] out of goddꝭ f[…]uour Cryst him […]elf said to hys apostles / now be you clene but not all / & yet were they al of his chyrch Albe yt yt one of thē was as our s[…]uyor sayd hym self / a deuyl. Dyd I not […]yd he […]hese twelf of you / & one of you is a deuyll? And yf there were none of the chirch but good mē as lōg as they were good / thā had saīt Peter bē onꝭ no ꝑte of ye chyrch after ye Cryst had appoīted hym for chyef. But our lord in thys hys mystycall body of hys chyrche / caryeth hys mēbres / som se[…]e / som hole / & all sekely. Nor they be not for euery synne clene cast of from ye body / but yf they be for fe[…] of īfe[…]ciō cut of / or ellꝭ wyllīgly do departe & s[…]perate thē self as do these heretiques / yt […]yther refuse ye chyrch wylfully thē self / or ellys for their obstinacy be put out. F[…] tyl their […]uburne h[…]rtꝭ do shew thē īcurable / ye body bereth thē yet about […]yke & noughty & ca[…] cold as they be / to ꝓue whith[…]r ye warmne[…]e of grace goyng th[…]rowe thys hol[…] my[…]ycall body of Crystys chyrch myght get yet & […] sū lyfe in thē. But whā ye tyme sh[…]ll come yt thys […] plesaunt /some p[…]ynfull / to cure her.

Chapter 35 of 73