A comparison between the Old learning & the New,  
¶ Translated out of latin in English by Wyliam Turner.  
printed in Sowthwarke by me james Nicolson. Anno. 1537.   

The contents of this book.  

Of the sacraments.  
Of penance.  
Of confession.  
Of satisfaction.  
Of free-will.  
Of faith and works.  
Of merits.  
Of sin.  
Of the worshipping of saints.  
Of the supper of the Lord.  
Of the choice of meats.  
Of fasting.  
Of the difference of days.  
Of prayer.  
Of vows.  
Of counsels.  
Of matrimony.  
Of bishops.  
Of ceremonies.  
Of man's traditions.  
Of counsels & laws made by a multitude of bishops gathered together.    

¶ To the reader.  
Some there be that do defy  
All that is new, and ever do cry  
The old is better, away with the new  
Because it is false, and the old is true:  
Let them this book read and behold  
For it preferreth the learning most old.   

¶ Vrbanus Regius to a certain friend of his, wisheth CHRIST our righteousness.  
When our savour in the first of Mark had cast out of a man an unclean spirit, the jews were astonied, saying: what new learning is this? It was thought new to those wretches for lack of knowledge of scripture: which of all things was oldest, that is to say the Gospel, the which was long tofore promised by the prophets in the scripture, of the son of God jesus Christ. The same thing was said to Paul, when he preached Christ at Athene: they took him & led him to Marcis street, saying: May we not know what new learning this is, that ye teach? for ye bring in to our ears new things. Was the teaching of the Apostles (I pray you) straight way new, because it was thought new to the proud gentiles swelling and bound with their carnal and fleshly wisdom? Even such like things in these later days, do they all suffer: which teach purely the Gospel of the gracious favour and glory of God. Which do not abuse the word of everlasting truth for advantage: but as it were of syncernesse, but as it were of god, so speak we by Christ in the sight of God. This is the new doctrine (say our adversaries) lately devised & f●rnyshed in the shops or workhouses of heretics. Let us abide still in our old faith Let the holiness of our fathers, the authority of the counsels, the consent of the long time & so many ages, hold us in the ways of our fathers. Let the heretics go & shake their ears, with their new learning, which sprung and rose up of late. Those things which we teach came not all from Christ and the Apostles by writing, nevertheless they came by a faithful revelation, & showing unto us. To whom I will answer none otherwise than Christ answered the Saducees: Ye err (sayeth he) and are ignorant in the scripture. And would to God that I might purchase and obtain so much equity of a brainless kind of men as one heathen man showeth to another: that is, if they would first hear the cause or matter, and then afterward (if it please them) condemn him that is accused. Now they condemn innocentes without any hearing of their cause. And they cry unto us which defend the word of God with nothing but gallows, ropes, and fire, not witesafing us the least corner of the catholic church. In so much that I wonder of what spirit they be of. For that gentle and pleasant spirit of Christ, the which feedeth the mystical body, seeketh for the health and not for the destruction of them that err. charity the fruit of the holy ghost (as the apostle sayeth) doth think none evil, but is glad and rejoiceth with the truth, believeth all things, trusteth all things. Surely they that set aside the blind judgement of the affection, and look earnestly upon the matter, judge otherwise of us. For the old ancient fathers did never know or hear tell, of the most part of those things, which our condemners do teach: than ye may be sure that their learning ought not to be reckoned for old learning and apostolical. Furthermore not every thing that the old fathers wrote savoureth of the syncernesse and pureness of the spirit of the Apostles. Certain things which were devised with in these four hundredth years, ye rather even of late have been received by and by of them, as soon as they were made, namely this is their learning and so old that they desire for this, that the gospel almost should be cast away, and counted as a new teaching and learning. Therefore I would that they should know and understand that we do teach and preach the old and the true heavenly doctrine of the spirit: that is the gospel of god. The great mystery of holiness and godliness that god was declared in the flesh, was justified in spirit, seen of the angels, preached to the gentiles, that confidence was given to him in the world, & was received in to glory. What say you be these news: God did predestinate us that he might choose and purches us to be his sons, by Christ jesus in his own self, according to the pleasure of his will, that the glory of the grace of God might be praised, whereby he made us well-beloved, thorough his welbeloud, by whom we have redemption thorough his blood, forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace: This was the father's counsel upon us, before the beginning of the world, that he should save us, and call us with an holy vocation, not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which is given unto us thorough jesus Christ before the everlasting times, but it is opened and declared now, by the appearing of our savour Christ which put death away and hath thorough the gospel brought forth the life into light and mortality. The which thing seeing that it was promised so long ago by the prophets at the commandment of the holy ghost and now published thorough all the coasts of the world, how dare they for shame call it new learning? Cease you wicked men and staunch your blasphemies give glory and praise with us unto god: and embrace & love (as ye ought to do) the mysteries of the truth with devout minds, left ye be indurate and made hard hearted of god, with the reprobate and castaways: the which believe not the truth, but allow unrighteousness. The are is laid at the root of the trees. Wherefore I doing the office of a christian brother, have made a comparison between the new learning and the old, whereby dear brother thou may easily know whether we are called worthily or unworthily the preachers of new learning. For so did they call us of late, scorning and of a contempt, and you desired of me to know what I thought best to answer to these brainless and mad fellows. The which thing saying that it can not be expressed in an epistle: I thought it best to bestow a few hours in this matter, in these days called fastyngam, in latin carnis privium, which hath the name of the taking away of flesh. In the which days after the manner of the gentiles and heathen men, they use uncomely plays and games. Take in good worth the labour of your friend. Far ye well, and to God for me a sinner.   



¶ Of the sacraments. The new learing.  
It is enough and sufficient to receive the sacraments effectually and with fruit to have no stop nor let of deadly sin: And there is not required in a man a good motion within him which receiveth them, whereby of a congruence or of worthiness he may deserve grace: for the sacraments bring grace with them of the work that is wrought by them, or by the work itself: that is to say because the work is showed & ministered as a sign or a sacrament. This sayeth the master of sentence, in the four book in the first distinction. By the doctores.   

¶ The old learning.  
The gospel witnesseth that we be saved not by an holy sign, but thorough faith. Gene. xv. Abraham gave credence & believed God and that was reckoned to him for righteousness. Rom. iiii. Rom. x. If a man believe from the heart he shallbe made righteous. He sayeth not: that with the body an holy sign is taken unto righteousness. Also Abacuc. two. and Roma. the first. The just shall live by his faith. He sayeth not: He shall live by the sacraments. It followeth therefore after the old learning, that faith is necessary to be had in him that receiveth the sacraments with fruit.    


¶ Of penance the new learning.  
A man's will only naturally (doing that lieth in him) may dispose itself to the receiving of grace, by an act confirmable unto right reason, the which is morally good Also a man's will in putting away a stop or let, that is the purpose of deadly sin, of a good motion drawn out of free-will, may deserve the first grace of a congruence. In the second book of the master of sentence the xxv. distinction. What meaneth this learning else, but that (as Pelagius sayeth) the beginning of our justification cometh of ourselves, and the end of making perfect cometh of God? Then might a man by his own strength begin penance, which they call contrition: as though the beginning of it were in us. This learning maketh hypocrites, & maintaineth the pride of the old man.   

¶ The old learning.  
In the tenth chap. of zachary it is written. I will convert them because I will have mercy upon them Trenorum. v. Convert us Lord to thee, and we shallbe converted. John xv. Without me ye can do nothing. Philippens. two. God worketh the will ii Corinth. the iii Chapter. Every good thought is of God. Roma. xi. If it be of works, then is it not of grace ii Timothe the iii Chapt. If God at any time will give them repentance. etc. Therefore after the old learning repentance is the gift of God, the which grace that justfieth, worketh, and not the power which draweth out free-will. Before the time that a man have grace, neither his thought nor his will is good: neither hath he any good work, but all is sin: for as the tree is, such is his fruit. The person is a sinner, & also flesh: then, what other thing can it savour, win, and work but fleshly things. This doctrine maketh men lowly and beateth down the pride and arrogancy of the old Adam.    


¶ Of confession, the new learning.  
Who so ever cometh to the years of discretion, at the lest once in the year, he is bound to confess all his sins, both open and secret: with all their circumstances to his curate, or else he is not a christian man. And the bishop hath authority, to reserve, & keep only to himself the forgiveness of certain sins: by the reason of their great enormity the which a simple priest cannot assoil, but in the point of death, so do the new fellows say. As in the canon law, Cap. Omnis utriusque sexus. etc. and the Master of sentence about the xvii distinction.   

¶ The old learning.  
In the xxxi Psalm: I have said I will confess against me mine unrighteousness to the Lord, & thou haste forgiven me the ungodliness of my sin. Behold, the Prophet doth confess him to the Lord: & he getteth forgiveness of all his sins. Luc. xviii. the magician sayeth: be merciful to me a sinner, & he goeth home justified into his house. Where is here any rehearsing, of circumstances, & of hid sins, in the priests ear. Luce. seven. the sinful woman speaketh nothing, but weepeth and falleth lowly down at the feet of jesus, and she had by & by forgiveness of her sins, & herd said unto her: Depart in peace. Matthew the iii jerusalem and all jewry and all the country next to the flood jordane, goeth forth to John, and they confess their sins: namely in a general confession. For they granted themselves to be sinners: in as much as they axed baptism, a sign of repentance, yet for all that ye hear of no rehearsal of sins. We read in the acts that the same thing was done at Ephesus at the preaching of the apostle: yet for all that we see in no place these words, a peculiar or proper pressed: all hid sins, all circumstances, and such other. In the first of John the i chapter we have a confession which is of god's law, by the which we confess our faults lowly to God the knower of men's hearts: and he is faithful & righteous to forgive us them For he giveth grace to lowly persons, and resisteth proud men i Pet. v. Where as true penance is, truly there is also confession, as the true fruit of penance. We do not utterly forsake auricular or ear confession, but the additions of man's traditions are parted and sondered from wholesome doctrine, as chaff is from the corn. It is an wholesome doctrine and according to god's law, to require the law of the mouth of a pressed, and to learn of the bishop the way of the Lord. Malachi. two. Agge. two. i Timot. three Titum. i. Therefore I would not that the order of the church should be broken, which is i Corin. xii where the apostle after that he had made mention of the mystical body, showeth that Christ set in the church or congregation, first apostles, them Prophets or preachers thirdly teachers, why should teachers be in the church? Namely for this intent, that they having the fashion and the form of wholesome words should teach the church those things which be necessary for man's salvation: and resist with the sword of the sprite, the enemies of the faith & all ungodliness: and that they might preach the word both openly and privily, that they be fervent in season and out of season, that they rebuke, reprove, and exhort with all gentleness and learning ii Timoth. iiii. Let them know the face and countenance of their flock, and to be short, let them be full of those wertues, the which god requireth. Ezechiel. xxxiiii. of the watchmen or overseers of the house of Israel: If we perceive not and be ignorant in any thing that pertaineth unto a christian man's living, and it is not plainly taught in the open sermon, we must go to the curate, to-heare of his mouth the judgements and testimonies of the Lord. If any doubt arise in our consciences, whom ought we rather to go to, and axe counsel, then of the hyrdman of our souls? furthermore when we be faint hearted or have no courage and are vexed with tentations: we may not despise the remedy that god ordained. Thou hast God's word. Math. xviii. Where as ii or iii etc. And Ihon. xx. Whose sins ye shall remit. etc. Whom would not these fatherly promises provoke and allure to confession? where as the conscience is lifted up and stablished not by man's word, but by god's word, spoken by man's mouth. But these be man's additions to bind a man's conscience with a law, and to compel him to confess all his sins with all their circumstances at a certain time, to his own pressed or curate whatsoever he be: whereby men's consciences be marked with an hot iron. For he that is not confessed after the manner that is prescribed in the confessionalles, either by the reason of ignorance, or of a frail memory or shamefastness (ye though he be ashamed and repent him of his evil life with all his heart) yet for all that as long as he liveth he beareth about with him an unquiet conscience, and full of despair. And if a man take a little diligence, or have a good memory, or write his sins in a piece of paper, and poureth out into a friars ear, that can not well hear all the filthiness of his unclean living. good Lord how glad is he? that not only he hath satisfised the law: but because also that he hath taken of his shoulders a burden heavier than Ethna the hill that always burneth. Then as who say, he hath deserved forgiveness of his sin with this troublesome work, he standeth in his own conceit, which would have despaired, if he had not rehearsed his sins, after this manner. Let the bishops appoint learned men to hear confessions, and not blockheades: & then the people shall come to the priests by heaps and swarms. The which thing while they do it not, let them blame themselves, and not us, if the people set little by their curates. Farther more as concerning the reserving, and keeping behind of certain causes and chances, let the head rulers in the church tell a cause why they do differ and abhor so greatly the Apostles rites and teachings. A pressed or an elder & a bishop with Paul, be all one. The scripture maketh no such difference, of ministers, in the labour of the gospel. When the Lord sent forth his disciples into the world, he gave them like power, saying: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature: he that shall believe and be baptized shallbe saved. Mark. xvi. john. xx. he saith unto them: Take ye the holy ghost, & whosoever sins ye forgive, they shallbe forgiven. Where is here any difference, between a bishop & a simple pressed? Is it hard to know what this be to say: Whose sins ye remit they shallbe remitted? This is the doctrine of Christ and his Aostels.    


¶ Of satisfaction. The new learning.  
A certain satisfaction is to be enjoined to him that is confessed for his sins that be past, according to the quantity or quality of the sins, that he may content and satisfy the righteousness of God. This hath the xvii and xviii distinction of the fourth book. By this doctrine the grace of Christ's redemption is darkened, overshadowed, and defaced, and man's works enhanced to the most high injury of Christ's passion.   

The old learning.  
Esay the liii Chapter. He is broken for our wickednesses. The father hath laid on his neck all our iniquities and wickednesses. I have smitten him for the mischief of my people. Here thou mayest see that Christ did satisfaction for the sins of all the world. Also i Pet. two. He bore our sins in his body, on the cross, that we should be delivered from sin, & should live in righteousness, by whose stripes we are healed. Also in the first epistle to the Corinthians the i chap. Christ is our righteousness and redemption. Ioh in the ten Chapter. Christ spent his life for his sheep. Rom. the .v. Chap. We be brought in favour with the father, by the death of Christ, and not by our satisfaction The same we have also Ephe. the i And colossenses i & ii Christ took away the obligation or handwryting, which was against us by that decrees, & he fastened it to the cross i joh. i. The blood of Christ cleanseth & purgeth us from all sin. He sayeth not our satisfaction doth purge us. Now have we proved by these places that onyly the death of Christ is our full satisfaction for the sins of all the world, and not our filthy righteousness. Let us than call those scourges or punishments which our loving father sendeth us, or we take ourselves (preventing the hand of God) correction, strokes and such other names as the scripture useth. This word satisfaction is a proud word and hated to all christian ears, that hear sometime the sound of this saying of S. Luke in the xv. Chap. When we have done all things which be commanded unto us, yet we may say that we be unprofitable servants.  
Let clay & ashes be ashamed of this proud word satisfaction for sin. Shame be unto us and righteousness unto God. If we with our works and corrections do make amends or satisfaction for our sins, them Christ died in vain. And by this doctrine the grace that bringeth us in the favour with God, is magnified by the blood of jesus, and man's work is little set by, to the most worthy praise of Christ's passion.    


¶ Of free will. The new learning.  
A man hath free will & choice not only in the state of innocency, but also of his fall and sin: And it is of so great virtue, that he doing that lieth in him, may remove the stop and hindrance of grace, & dispose himself to grace that justfieth. And lest a carnal man, proud enough of himself, should want nourishing for his arrogancy, they go about to strengthen and confirm this doctrine with scriptures falsely understand Ecclesiasticus in the xu (say they) sayeth and proveth free will, where as God is said to have left a man in the power of his own counsel, and to have given him commandments the which (if he do keep) they should keep and save him. And to this purpose they sweep & gather together, what so ever law or monition is any where in all the scripture. As who say we might gather well after this manner: God hath commanded that we should do this, he hath appointed the conditions of life, he threateneth pain to them that break them: ergo it is in our power to do that same? wot ye well here is a sure argument? much like unto this, the master biddeth the servant go an hundredth miles on one day: ergo he may go an hundredth miles on a day. Although I see many men of great reputation almost promising themselves the victory in the defending of free-will, with this short argument. When in the mean season they consider not how little this doctrine maketh for the glory of Christ which before all things ought to be sought. Is it not a great slander of the true learning, to teach after this wise: Grace given freely, or the general influence with the understanding, that understandeth or directeth aright, and the will confirmably willing, are enough to deserve the first grace, which maketh a man first to come in favour? Who would have looked for so much life and health in the man that was left half dead of the thieves, Luce. x. that although he could not heal himself, yet he might go in to the pothecary's shop, needing no horse, might show his grief, buy salves & pay for them when he had done? Go to I am content let them teach the justification can not be by our strength, with out grace that justifieth: yet they teach that the beginning of penance is in us, when they give unto us the preparing unto grace, doing as much as lieth in us, that we may deserve of a symlynesse the first grace by a good motion drawn out of the freedom of the will. Is not this to give the first good motion to nature? Moreover, they say: That a man by his natural strength, may fulfil gods commandments, as concerning the substance of the act, although not according to the intent of the commander that is god. If that be true, it is in a sinners power to amend or to continue in sin. If nature may do so much, what need have we of grace? When simple men hear those things when shall they at any time learn Christ truly? when will they give thanks for the unspeakable benefit of their redemption? A little thing holdeth me, but I lay on these teachers the saying of saint Peter: They deny the Lord that bought them, and they make merchandise, of the people of God, with their feigned words. When did Christ or the Apostles ever speak after this manner: The merit of congruence, the merit of worthiness, to do that lieth in him, free will, the productive virtue of free will? Thou christian man fly these sayings as the pestilent blast of the crafty serpent, where with he maketh our nature (which is proud already) to swell against God. Thou haste (good reader) a taste of the scoolemens' learning of free-will, the which hangeth nothing together. For when they be charged with scripture, in the despite of the Pelagians they will be thought favourers of grace, sometime with a marvelous evasion preferring a special help of God, before man's will both in willing and in working. And a little after they leap back again to the excellent gifts of their nature, lest they should be thought to favour the Manichees.   

¶ The old learning.  
Romano. the xiiii Chapter. What so ever is not of faith, that is sin. Then that good motion of free will before grace that justfieth is sin. Then what madness is it to will, to deserve grace by sin? Or what liberty is it, when a man can not do well of himself but only evil? what health is that, to have power to fall and not to rise or stand without the help of an other? the second to the Corinthians the third chapter. Our sufficiency or ableness to do good is of God. Roma. the third Chap. Faith justfieth. Before faith a man is a sinner and evil, then how can he have a good motion of himself, whom faith hath not steered up? how can a thorn tree bring forth a grape. joh. viii. Every man that doth sin is the servant of sin ii Petri. two. A man is brought in bondage unto him, of whom he is overcome. Ephe. two. By nature we be the children of wrath Goe vi. We be flesh, Io. iii. Except that we be borne again i Corin. two. A carnal man perceiveth not those things which be of the spirit of God. Then how can the servant of sin, the son of wrath, flesh, a carnal man: before he be regenerate, have mexe natural power & good motions of himself? Can an evil tree bring forth good fruit? Except that we be regenerate with the grace of Christ? (according to the image of the earthy Adam) we bear no goodness. saying that the holy ghost doth expressly and vehemently pronounce, that we be not only prone and ready to evil: but also evil in deed. furthermore the Lord maketh laws, but (before that thou bring in this conclusion: Therefore we may: or else wherefore have we so many precepts & threatenings?) learn of Paul Roma. the iii. Chap. that the law is the knowledge of sin and not the auctor of righteousness The law is spiritual & we be carnal sold under sin, Rom. seven. Therefore thou must be spiritual that thou may keep the law, which is not in thy power, but it is the grace of God: Wherefore thou may learn of the law, to know thy misery, that which after thou haste known, thou art compelled to go to Christ the perfection and the fulfilling of the law. The law justfieth the not, but it declareth to thy shame, how far thou art from the due cleanness of life by thine own fault. Therefore thou mayest not think thus with thyself: I have a good law, what needeth more, but my labour and diligence? I know good, reason will tell me what is right, I will lay to my hands, and I will be justified by my deeds, drawn out and commanded. Not so ye wicked persons, not so, hear and take heed of the holy words of scripture, and the proud pharisaical spirit shall have his comb cut. The Israhelites did cast in their minds when the law was set forth that they could do all things, looking on Moses face which was covered: But it was said unto them Deuteronomi. the .v. Chapter: Who can give them such a mind to fear me, and to keep my commandments? Surely justifying beginneth at fear and love. But ye see that they have not the fear of the Lord, nor such a mind as can do any good of itself. Therefore in Deutero. thirty. sayeth Moses. The Lord shall circumcise thine heart. and Ezechiel. xi. I will take away the stony hearts. And John the vi There cometh no man to me, except my father draw him. Wherefore ye hypocrites learn of the law your duty, feebleness and pains, and when ye feel Moses hands heavy, fly to him for succurre with all your heart, the which Romanor. viii. is describe to be the fulfiller of the law. Math. xi. Christ promised rest of the soul to all them that be laden. For when we do the best that lieth in us, we being evil trees, bring forth evil fruits, that is to say we sin. For such as every man is, such things doth he think, speak and work. But we be flesh therefore we savour of fleshly things. Why do we not grant with saint Austin in the book of true innocency, that when a man liveth after his own way and not after God, he is like the devil: for an angel should not have lived after an angel, but after God, that he might stand in the truth. A man hath nought of himself, but lying and sin: but if a man have any truth or righteousness, he hath it of the well, which is Christ: And that which we have by god's liberality, hangeth of god's power, and not of our might. first consider me well the words of the holy ghost. Ro. ix where he calleth his own the vessels of mercy, and Roma. viii. The children of God, be led with the spirit of god. isaiah. xxvi. Lord thou hast wrought all our works in us.  
Therefore knowledge thyself the handy work of the almighty maker, ordained in Chiste jesus to bring forth good works, that he hath ordained (mark which he hath ordained) that we should work in them Ephes. two. Therefore that thou consentest to the inspiration of God, hast a good will, and workest well: the grace of god worketh all these things in thee. Thou in deed consentest, wylleste, and workest: but god maketh the to consent, will, and work, so that this saying also may be always justly laid before thine eyes: what hast thou, that thou hast not received? If thou hast received it of other, why dost thou rejoice & boast, as though thou hadst not received it? i. Corinth. iiii. Not to us Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give praise. Behold now not thy free-will but bound. But if the son deliver thee, than salt thou be truly free. johan. viii. For we be delivered from sin by Christ, that we may serve righteousness. Roma. vi.    


¶ Of faith & works, the new learning.  
Not only faith justfieth, for works justify also, and faith may stand and be without, good fruits & grace that justifieth in him that is a breaker of the commandment of god. Therefore there are two kinds of righteousness necessary to salvation, that is to wite of faith & works. The one without the other (except a man have no time or leasur) doth not save a man.   

¶ The old learning.  
We suppose that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Ro. iii. Here the apostle doth not doubt or guess (as some do understand him a miss) for the truth of the greek hath we reckon or gather by reason: For Theophilactus doth expound this word & saith sillogizometha, as though by reasoning he gathered this foresaid saying. Wherefore works do not justify, but faith. And this is not my dream, but the most pure doctrine of the holy ghost, in the iii & four to the Roma. Where as the apostle reasoning by the scripture of Abraham being justified, most evidently proveth that faith is reckoned to us for righteousness. If Abraham (saith he) was justified by his works, he hath where upon he may boast, but not before god For what sayeth the scripture? Genest. xv. Abraham gave credence to God, and that was reckoned unto him for righteousness. And in the end of the fourth chapped he sayeth: That it was not written for him only, that it was reckoned to him for righteousness, but also for us, to whom it shall be reckoned. Nother understandeth he here only the ceremonial works of the law, but also of the ten commandements, the which is plain. Roma. iii. when he said that no man was justified by the works of the law, shortly after he sayeth: For the knowledge of sin is thorough the law. The which clause doth sufficiently show, of what works, of the law he speaketh. If it be so that our works also do justify, than Christ giveth but the half of our salvation, and then how many saviours shall there be? There is only but one justifier and saviour, that is Christ: by whom we be justified freely, thorough his grace. Roma. iii. Therefore works do not justify, but faith in Christ: not that faith the scoolmen call informis (that is a dead faith) but that true and living faith, working by charity. Gala. v. chapped. likewise as we be justified before god by faith, the which is the true justification: so before men (that see us in the face) we be justified by works: that is to say we be known to be righteous by the fruit of good works, of the which thing the words of saint james ought to be understand: so he that will look well on Paul's disputation of faith and works, shall easily perceive, why that we say that faith alone justfieth. For we fain not with this word alone, a faith that is without charity, but we show that works be not the beginning of our justification. Also we be not saved by works. Titum. iii. but according to the mercy of god, thorough the labour of regeneration, and by renewing of the holy ghost lest any man should boast of man. Good works are not forbidden by this doctrine, but faith the well of good works is taught and unto grace is given that is her duty. part of the praise is given unto us, by the new learning of scoolmen, the which thing how blasphemous a thing it is, the faithful Christian men can tell. And so the old learning taketh not away works, but setteth them in their place, that they may be witnesses of our faith, subdue the flesh, & serve our neighbour, but not that they should justify: saying that only faith of the mere mercy of god thorough his word doth justify a man. The person that is justified, worketh justly, yet for all that, it doth not boast of the righteousness of works as necessary to salvation, lest when it seeketh his own righteousness, it lose the righteousness of God, that is faith. Roma. x. And it granteth the very truth with Esay lxiiii That the righteousness of his works, is like a filthy cloth, defiled with the flowers of a woman. And he an unprofitable servant. The which is only the way to come to true righteousness of our works. That is when thou working busily, yet in all thy works knowlegest thyself a sinner: & flying only to the grace of the mediator, settest much by the price of our redemption For if the righteousness of our works, be of any value, the death of Christ hath not wholly and fully wrought our salvation, the which is blasphemous. The short argument of Paul standeth and is sure and unmovable: If the righteousness come of the law, then is Christ dead in vain: But Christ died not in vain, therefore ye boast in vain of the righteousness of works and of the law.    


¶ Of merit or deserving, the new learning  
When we do that lieth in us in drawing out of a good motion toward god by the freeness of the will, we deserve the first grace of congruity & semlynesse, although not of worthiness. Also the soul endued with grace by an act drawn out of the free-will & of grace deserveth worthily everlasting life. Behold christian reader, when as carnal wisdom shall hear that she hath such power, and can draw forth by natural power a good motion toward God, & may deserve thereby, will she not fall to the pharisaical pride? and will she not attribute to herself it that pertaineth to god? The which is nothing else, but to tread under feet the son of god, and to reckon the blood of the testament but as an unholy and a profane thing, by the which we be fanctifyed. Moreover our nature which leaneth and setteth to much by herself, swelling with this learning, is brought into confidence of works. For nature hearing that we partly can deserve everlasting life with our deeds: will enforce herself to heap together merits: the which being many and plenteous, she will trust and have a good hope in them: and when they fail an decay, she will fall in to despair: by the which error the worthiness and deserving of Christ'S death is defaced and hid with darkness, and man's conscience is builded upon the sonde of works, and surely at every tempest of tribulation it will fall.   

¶ The old learning.  
In the second Epistle unto Timothe the i. Chapter. God saved us not according to our works, but according to his purpose and grace, which was given unto us before the everlasting times. Such like is there also Tit. iii. Iten. Ephe. two. Ye be saved by grace thorough faith, and not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, & not of works, lest any man should boast. The scripture here taketh away the cause of deserving or merit from our works, and giveth to grace that we be saved. For that he saith: not according to our works, and also: not of you, surely he doth not admit or receive that act or deed that is drawn out of will, to the praise of salvation or merit. Christ deserved all things unto us with his blood. And we are justified freely Roma. iii. The heritage was not gotten by our labour, but by Christ's. The faith in Christ maketh us sons, therefore heirs: ergo, works do it not. Ro. iiii. To him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of favour, but of duty. To him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justfieth the ungodly, is faith counted for righteousness. Ro. viii. For I suppose that the afflictions of this life, are not worthy the glory which shallbe showed upon us. Lu. seven. When ye have done all things that be commanded you, yet say that ye be unprofyble servants. Esay. lxiiii. All our righteousness are as a defiled cloth. etc. i Corin. iiii. What hast thou that thou hast not received? Rom. xi. Who hath given him ought afore hand, that he might be recompensed again? Philip. two. It is God which worketh in you, both the will & also the deed, even of good will. If so be that God worketh in us goodness, what shall we arrogauntly claim and ascribe there upon to our power and strength? And if we deserve the bliss, why doth scripture call it grace? Therefore be not we saved by ours, but only by the works & merits of Christ. But where as the scripture sometime maketh mention of reward there can no man there upon take just occasion to swell and be proud: for faith working by charity is the gift of God, good works are the gift of God, so that, if God do reward us, we must understand that he doth not reward our works, but his own works in us. But thou if thou claim any thing there upon to thyself, then shalt thou receive no reward of glory with the wicked pharisees, but thou shalt feel the punishment of the fire of hell. And saying that it is so, it may be easily judged, who teacheth more truly. I with the Apostle do always exhort men, to the true good works, which be done in faith, always taking heed that a man by reason of them, trust not in himself, and be reproved with the pharisee. They do so prick and move unto good works, that they rest and put in them the hope of salvation, and the cause of merits: whereby at chanceth that every where men do them with this false opinion, to be justified and saved by them. We not despising the grace of God, do teach, both that we be saved only by the grace of God, and we build men's consciences not upon works, but upon the stone that is Christ, against the which the gates of hell can not prevail, and do always beat in this most comfortable gospel, or glad tidings. That heritage is given by faith, that the promises may be sure after grace. As sayeth Paul Ro. iiii. and .v. We justified by faith, have peace with God thorough Christ.    


¶ Of sin. The new learning.  
The lust or concupiscence that remaineth in a man after baptism, the law of the membres, infirmity, or sickness, is no sin neither venial nor mortal, and after baptism it is not original, but is the pain of sin. Nevertheless it bringeth forth sin. This opinion maketh a man that is baptized slow and dull to fight against the flesh, for he believeth that he is all whole & in safeguard.   

¶ The old learning.  
Concupiscence which showeth herself by her evil fruits, even in a man that is baptized, is sin of herself. Ro. seven. Here the Apostle sayeth: Now I mine own self do not this, but the sin which dwelleth & remaineth in me. The apostle doth not here speak in the person of wicked men, for wicked men do not consent to the law, they serve & obey not the law of god with their mind. S. Austen was sometime of this opinion, that the apostle had spoken these words in the person of evil men, but in his retractions, & against julian he doth revoke this opinion, and he said that at that time he understood not apostle aright. Now he that speaketh so, and was baptized, and was the elect instrument of God, and yet complaineth of concupiscence and calleth it sin, then let the scoolemen tell, whether the apostle doth well call that concupiscence, which bringeth forth evil fruits (except it be stopped) sin or no? Ye let them tell whether the holy ghost did err in that word. Verily i Corin. xiiii. the apostle thanketh God that he spoke more with tongues, than all the Corinthians did. Therefore so great an apostle knew with what words he should name concupiscence. When we follow that manner of speaking, we are chased out, mocked, and cast out as heretics of them that are little moved, with the cause of so great matters, so that they may triumph in the world and live in peace. Then the truth is, that concupiscence (the which bringeth forth the same fruits after baptism that it did before) is called sin: as the apostle doth exhort them that be baptized, Ro. vi. Let not sin reign in your mortal bodies. He doth not say concupiscence, but sin, for so the truth of the greek hath. Moreover there is no man but he knoweth that sin is known by the law, but this concupiscence is foreboden of the law, for it is sin. Infirmities surely & also pains do not fall under the precept. And it is known that the apostle sayeth Ro. seven. I did not know sin, but by the law, for I had not known that concupiscence had been a sin, if the law had not said thou shalt not lust, and by and by he calleth it sin. But this is the difference, namely before the baptism of the spirit and water, that concupiscence or lust was a sin reigning, but after the washing of regeneration, it is sin overcome and subdued: of his own nature in deed it is evil, but a man truly regenerate, and not walking after the flesh, doth repress and hold down sin with the spirit of grace, that it reign not, nor have the overhand, that there be no damnation unto them that be grafted in Christ. Roma. viii. For it is not reckoned him to damnation, for the spirit that resisteth the flesh. The which thing saint Austen in these words doth conclude: All sin is forgiven in baptism, not that it should not be at all, but that it should not be reckoned for sin. Now judge good reader, which of us speak more truly: they that make so light a thing of this old leaven of malice, calling it a little infirmity only, which nevertheless is no venial sin, do not know the grace of god, & do blaspheme us that make a great thing of it: as it is a great thing in very deed, & that we should have need of the great grace of God. We do exalt & magnify with kind devotion & godliness the blood of Christ: where with all sin is purged & redeemed that we lowly confessors & graunters of our sins, may find grace in the eyes of god the just judge.    


¶ Of worshipping of saints. The new  
Not only Christ is our mediator, but also the saints which reign in heaven with Christ: wherefore they ought to be called upon as mediators of intercession, the which purchase unto us many good things. Our Lord dividing his kingdom hath committed the one half of his kingdom, (that is mercy) to the saints, to be given and distributed unto the world: the other part (that is judgement) he keepeth behind for himself. For he that will obtain any thing of a prince he seeketh out some man of authority, at whose request he may obtain that he will have, the which should not speed if he came to the prince alone. Mary the mother of God if she broke the head of the old serpent, why should she not be a mean for mankind? Therefore our lady & the saints do work partly our salvation. The blessed virgin is the neck, Christ is the head, & we be the members: no good gifts come down into the members, but thorough Mary as the neck. Also the saints work miracles. For how many being sick with diverse sicknesses, have been helped at the monuments & tombs of the saints.   

¶ The old learning.  
A sinner alone may not appear in the sight of God, (for our god is a consuming fire. Heb. xiii.) except he be brought to him by a mediator, for whose merits sake he doth forgive the sinners trespasses. Christ is the mediator i Timo. two. Heb. ix. Ro. viii. our satisfaction i Io. two. our righteousness i Cor i. our priest for ever, Psal. cix. Heb. iiii. u.vii.viii.ix.x. Christ is not a fearful judge to faithful men, but an advocate, calling unto him those that be laden. Mat. xi. He is of so great mercy that he gave his life for his sheep. Io. x. Mat. xx. Then we ought not to be afraid of Christ, as if he were a judge, but we ought to come to the throne of grace, because we be sinners, that so we might be delivered of sin: for he is the lamb. etc. Mat. ix. Lu. v. He came not in to this world to call righteous men. etc. A sick man feareth not a phisicyan, but the sicker that he is the more desirous he is of the phisicyan. Shall that phisicyan which died for us, when we were yet sinners. Ro. v. be now unconstant and do no thing but threaten & kill, so that we have need of some man to play the mediator & mean between him & us, to suage his wrath? O unseming thought of a christian man. What a carnal and a fleshly dream is this? How fond a kind of fellows are these? how unlearned in the scripture? Who died for us? did Steven or Peter? Did not Christ die for us? & that of such a charity, as is not able to be expressed. Io. xv. Greater love them this can no man have, even that a man bestow his life for his friends. And yet for all that great charity we dream that Christ is a fearful tyrant & that he will put away a wretched sinner needing a phisicyan, with a cruel countenance & commit him to the tormentors, except he bring some saint with him. So worship we now the son of God which humbled himself to the death of the cross, that we not believing his words, when he sayeth: Come to me & I shall refresh you, I am the way, I bestow my life for my sheep, but dare be so bold as to accuse him of lying, & say these be void words which thou dost say. Thou hast committed mercy to the saints, thou canst do nothing else but threaten & undo sinners. I will turn me to some of the saints which shallbe me patron and advocate by the. Are not these sayings wicked & ungodly? yet they that would be reckoned most holy of all, be of this mind and opinion, & they condemn us of heresy before the matter be known. The scripture biddeth us axe in the name of Christ, such thing as we have need of, Iohan. xvi. and not in the name of saints. Reconciliation & salvation is in none other name. Actu. iiii. The priesthood of Christ is for evermore. And the apostle sayeth. Ro. viii. that Christ remaineth & abideth at the right hand of the father & maketh intercession for us. He is only the way to the father. johan. xiiii. By him we have an entrance to come to the father Ephe two. By him we have boldness and entrance to god in all confidence thorough the faith in him. Ephe. iii. He is our hope i Timoth. i. He came that he might save sinners. i. Timoth. i. He gave himself an oblation to god for us Ephesians. v. And we among so many praises of burning charity & free mercy have not learned yet to trust in him, which is our reconciler, and bringer in favour so gentle and liberal, that he did not disdain to be an oblation for sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of god thorough him: so mighty, that they that believe in him, can not be ashamed. Roma. ix. Farther more the mother that is a virgin usurpeth or taketh unto her none of those things, that they sing to her praise. I pray you for shame dare the corrupters of scripture give that unto the mother, which the holy ghost did prophecy of the son of God. Genesis iii? For he and not she did break the serpent's head. In somuch that I can not tell whether I should marvel more upon the gross & rustical ignorance of these great masters or that I should cry out upon the wicked & ungodly opinion that they have of christ. They have so little regard what they say, that all the thought that they take is, that always they should be saying something. And even as in times passed the philosophers of Epicures sect and the stoics affirmed that God did none other ways, and had no other subsistence, than they thought he had: and subscribed the nature of God with vain dreams & devices of their opinions, likewise our false divines do imagine Christ to give from him his mercy to saints, and to be a fearful judge, and that he damneth all sinners, except that he be pleased ●… suaged by the intercession of some saint. And this imagination pleaseth them well, and they command the church so to believe. Also these fellows make Mary the neck of the mystical body. Who can abstain from laughing (ye rather weeping.) They make articles of the faith beside the scripture of their own brain, and where they should only stick to the scripture, they bring forth old wives fables for sound and true things, mesuring all godly things with the plummet or line of our reason, and by the similitudes of this world. And when as they trifle both unlearnedly and ungodly, yet they be not afraid to drive to the fire as many as will not play the fools with them. And that in all points they may play the false doctors they wrafte the scriptures to confirm their errors, of the which thing I have spoken very largely in our commmune places. But left any man should think that I say this in the reproach of saints, so I think: that saints should be worshipped, but after the rule of scripture. saying that they be the glorious membres of the mystical body, the household many of God, and joined unto us with the most surest bond of charity. For charity perisheth not, but is made perfect in heaven: wherefore they love us, and covet with a brotherly love our amendment. Therefore let us reverently & holily keep the memory and remembrance of them, in the which we may see the wisdom of God, his goodness, power and the unspeakable riches of mercy, to the exercise of our faith hope and charity. For as oft as we remember their manly fighting against the gates of hell, and the manifold grace of god, the which the father of all comfort poured forth upon these vessels of mercy we are lifted up in hope and trust of so great goodness. And we be provoked to the following of so great perseverance by their virtues, set out as whement enticements. What good and devout man is there but he will desire with all his heart, that he might overcome the enemy of hour salvation, with such strength of faith as the saints were endued and harnessed with all, that at the last his enemies overcome, he might be associate and accompanied for ever more, with the elect and chosen of god? And when he doth see so excellent vessels of glory made of the children of wrath, and of the lump of perdition, not by man's merits, but by the power of the grace of god: that he will conceive a trusty hope of so merciful a father, the which made us worthy when he found us unworthy. Then if we pray to God for faith, hope, and charity. And seek the kingdom of heaven before all other things, we may follow the footsteps of the right saints, then have we worshipped the saints very well, and even as we should do. For the will of God and the saints is one, wherefore what other thing will they axe, than the amendment of a sinner, and the continual recording and remembrance of the laws of God. But that we should fly for succurre to them, in our adversity & need, that they may be means between us and God, they neither do require it: for they seek nothing but the glory of God, neither can we desire them to be mediators for us except we do injury to the most perfit & most sufficient mediator of all. Now seeing that the scripture is our candle, in the most dark night of this world, we be more sure that call upon God by Christ (the which thing the scripture doth command) than they which imagine new kinds of worshipping and invocations, of the which the scripture maketh no mention at all. Call upon me (sayeth the Lord) in the time of tribulation & I shall deliver the and thou shalt honour me. Psalmo. xlvi. And joel. two. Whosoever will call on the name of God for help shallbe saved. And in this matter we force not upon long time or long custom: for christendom or a christian man's living, standeth, not in the passing over of long time, or in the oldness or antiquity of custom, but in the scriptures of everlasting truth.  
Now good reader judge what kin of christian men they be, that fasten their hope not in Christ, but in creatures, knowing nothing at all how much help we have in Christ. They differ very little from idolaters, & while they go about most earnestly to honour saints, they dishonour them far out of rule and fashion that can be: even when they give away from god to the creature hope and confidence, the which is dew only to god. As touching the miracles read the xxiiii chapter of Math. and the second of the ii epistle to the thessalonians, & your mind shallbe at rest and certified.    


¶ Of the supper of the Lord, The new learning.  
The sacrament of the aultare must be given only unto priests under both the kinds, and to lay men only under the kind of bread, because that Christ by a natural accompaning or following is whole under both the kinds, according unto that saying of the sequence: The flesh is meat, & blood is drink, Christ abideth for all that whole under both the kinds. A lay man must take his rights every year once at the least according to the chapter Omnis utriusque. etc. The mass of a priest is a sacrifice both for quick and dead, and the sin & the uncleanness of the person of the minister stoppeth not the fruit, seeing that the wrought work of the mass hath strength, and the oblation is made in the person of the whole church: wherefore it is a great merit, for by it we deserve much to ourselves, and also to other. Wherefore the ordinances of masses be good, and yearly obytes be profitable. For in other good works the wickedness of the person of the minister taketh away the cause of the merit: here it letteth nothing, where as the faith of the church is considered, and not the worthiness of the person. This is the sum: A wicked man and an ungodly, having only a dew intent, although he be an abominable in the sight of God, yet for all that in this cause, because he beareth the person or is in the room of the church, he abiding a sinner and a damnable person, he purchasseth and deserveth unto other men, remission of sin and everlasting life. This they say.   

The old learning.  
The apostle in the first epistle to the Corinthians the xi chapter, preparing the supper of the Lord, did write that he took of the Lord that he taught and gave to the Corinthians. And when he expounded the business and matter concerning the supper he giveth both the kinds indifferently to all the brethren, even as Christ did ordain. Mathe. xxvi. Mark. xiiii. Luke. xxii. Here we have the word and the fact of the Lord, and of his minister Paul and also of the primitive church, in the which as then faith was more lively, charity was more fervent hope was more sure, and holy christendom was more purer, for it was nearer the quick spring. If it be so that it is not leeful for us to keep the word and the deed of Christ, & specially in a great matter, as is the sacrament for what intent shall the church of God have the scripture expounded and declared? Did not even the new writers (as Gerson) say: That neither the bishop of Rome nor general council, nor yet the church ought to change the learning that was given us by the evangelists, & by Paul? If it be lawful to every man that list, to change in the sacraments of the church, those things which Christ taught to be kept, & the apostles both taught and kept: I pray you what case shall the church be in then, which shallbe compelled to believe that Christ the wisdom of the father, & the apostles did teach christendom such unperfect gear & so negligently that their successors had need to supply, amend & make perfect those things that Christ & his apostles left behind them raw & unperfect? Will the Saracens, the Arabians, & the Agarens (whom we call Turks) suffer that any man at his pleasure after this fashion should change their Alcoram, & would sometime take something away, sometime utterly abrogate & disannul it, that their lawmaker had written, something unwarely, or without diligent heed & deliberation? And we christian men except we suffer the church to be turned out of frame & perverted, to be darkened & to be pulled in sunder & minished, Ye to be utterly cast away, we be banished & destroyed as the enemies of the church. Put the case that these be tolerable: who can abide that idle fellows shall make merchandise of it that was left to be the memorial and remembrance of the death which brought life, whereby they make a sacrifice of the mass, & crucify Christ again, as much as lieth in them? For if it be so that they work with their daily sacrifice (as they call it) remission of sin, I pray you then what sins did the blood of the new & everlasting testament take away? This is therefore our catholic belief of the supper of the Lord.  
first: The supper of the Lord ought for to be done after the ordinance of Christ i. Cor. xi. that our faith may be increased, our charity may be kindled, our hope may be made sure, by the continual remembrance of the death of the Lord: & that we knowing the cause of the most precious death of the Lord, may be daily more and more steered up, to give thanks for the unspeakable love, to destroy the body of sin and to walk in newness of life.  
Secondarly, Therefore the supper of the Lord is a memorial of the death of Christ, which brought salvation and not a sacrifice, but a remembrance of the sacrifice that was once offered up upon the cross.  
Thirdly, There is a promise. Psal. c.ix. that Christ shallbe our bishop for evermore ordained of the father: and this promise is performed, for Christ hath entered once in to the holy place, by an oblation making perfect for evermore. Hebr. ix. and ten so that we need not to have him offered up for us again, the which dieth no more.  
Fourthly, We know of the book Leviticus, that the oblation of Moses was made for sins, when the oblation did satisfy and the blood did wash. Then if this one sacrifice, (in the which Christ did offer up himself) did satisfy for the sins of the whole world, according to the prophecy of Esay. the liii Chapter. He did bear our sins, and he was torn for our wickednesses, and i joh. the ii Chapter. He is our satisfaction and so forth: it followeth and is a good argument, that all the oblations which are beside this, be vain and void the which they pretend?  
fifthly, To raise up a new oblation is to set little by the first, to prove God a liar and to deny Christ which bought us, after the words of saint Peter ii Pet. two.  
For when they say that sins be released & forgiven in the sacrifice of the mass, when the son of God is offered up both for quick & dead, it followeth after their opinion, that that only sacrifice of the cross did not satisfy for all sins. And I pray you is not that even to forswear & deny the Lord which did redeem us, not with corruptible things, as with gold & silver but with his own precious blood, when we say that it is done by the virtue of that mass, the which all scripture doth say cometh to us by the death of our Lord jesus Christ?  
sixthly. Yet for all that we do not affirm the sins be remitted only by the partaking of the supper of the Lord, but when we do remember with a true & a kind faith the benefit of our redemption, in the which the son of god did give his body a sacrifice for sins, & shed his blood to wash away sin: by this faith we be justified & made righteous, & we obtain remission of our sins, gotten by the death of Christ. And this is a dilicyous feast of souls, of the which they that are not partakers shall perish.  
Christ in the vi Chap. of John sayeth. My flesh is meat in deed, and my blood is drink in deed. The bread that I shall give, is my flesh the which I will give for the life of the world. Except we eat this flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, we shall not have life in us, but we shall perish. For it is the bread of life, giving life to the world. The which bread to eat, is to believe in Christ as he sayeth: I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall not be an hungered, and he that believeth in me shall never be thirsty. Verily verily I say unto you, he that trusteth in me hath everlasting life. For as the body is fed with natural bread, so the soul is refreshed & liveth with this heavenly bread. For when the soul believeth that Christ is the price of our redemption, our satisfaction, and our righteousness, with this faith it eateth the flesh, and drinketh the blood, and according to the words of Christ joh. vi. by so wholesome an eating shall we live for ever. These be so great things which be rehearsed about the table of the Lord. God grant that this ceremony of Christ, may be restored to his old strength and integrite again, that we which be the body of Christ our head, admonished of the love of God in the supper toward us, may grow together with unlowsable glue of love, as it becometh membres, purging the flock with the bolt of excommunication, and eating truly the flesh of the Lord, that is to believe in Christ crucified, and that we may be grafted in him by the likeness of his death, and that we may be partakers with him, of the most glorious resurrection.  
Amen.    


¶ Of the choice of meats. The new learning.  
It is not lawful to eat every day all sorts of meat, for it is necessary that we abstain from flesh every friday and saterdaye, and on the embering days and in lent: for he that doth otherwise without the Bishop of Rome's bulls or the pardons of the legates of the sye of Rome, doth sin, and shallbe reckoned an evil christian man, ye a wicked and an ungodly heretic.   

¶ The old learning.  
In the xi Chapter of Leviticus, and the xiiii. of Deuteronomion, the choice of meats is prescribed unto the jews, which were under Moses, so that it was not lawful to eat what so ever meat they list. But let us which are commanded of Paul to the Gal. the .v. Chapter. to stand fast in the liberty, in to the which Christ hath brought us, and that we should not put our necks under the yoke of bondage again, give heed and attendance what our master Christ and Lord doth say: Math. xv. Hear and understand: It that goeth in to the mouth defileth not the man, but it that goeth out of the mouth that defileth a man. These words of Christ take away the choice of meats so that it is lawful in the time of the new testament to eat flesh or fish whether ye will without any sin. In the first epistle to Timo. the four Chap, the holy ghost doth call the forbidding of meat & of marriage, the doctrine of the devil: For God hath created meat to be received with giving of thanks of them which believe, & have known the truth: for the creatures of God are good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanks giving: for it is sanctified by the word of God & prayer. By this one text of the Apostle is plucked up by the roots, what so ever hither to men have taught or commanded of the choice of meats. For the holy ghost calleth it devilish doctrine the which no man can keep & obey without the loss of his salvation. Let it move no man that saint Jerome doth wrest these sayings against the Tacyan and the Marcionites, doubtless our consciences be delivered from the choice of meats by these words of the holy ghost. Therefore who so ever he be, martion or any of this time that bindeth with a commandment that thing which Christ would have to be free, he is reproved with this text as unkind to God, and a despiser of a good creature. colossenses the ii Chapter sayeth Paul: Let no man judge you in meat and drink. If you be dead with Christ from the elements of the world, why be you holden with decrees, as if ye were living in the world? This text also is plain against all the praisers and preachers of man's traditions, the which do trouble men's consciences with man's precepts, of the choice of meats. Although this maketh against the observations of the jews, yet it plucketh up by the roots all the traditions of men in this matter.  
For if Moses law in that point be abrogate and put down, the which was once ordained of God: how much more justly the constitutions of men ought to be disannulled & put away? by the which these cruel tyrants coveth a kingdom in men's consciences. Gala. i. If any man preach any other gospel or glad tidings unto you, than ye have received, hold him accursed. Therefore what soever other thing is thrust into our hands against and beside the word of God, to bind men's consciences, by the sentence of the holy ghost it is accursed, wherefore we must refuse it both with hand and foot. Titum. i. Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith, and not taking hide to jews fables and commandments of men, the which turn from the truth.  
Unto the clean are all things clean, but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing clean, but even the very minds and consciences of them are defiled. Who would not abhor those precepts which turn from the truth? Even so the holy ghost decketh man's traditions with his title with the which tradition the deceivers of men's minds go about to bind men's consciences, where as God biddeth not. Here I do not regard thoshe great praisers of abstinence, the which will name me the Epicure of Christian men as saint Jerome called Jovinian, as though I went about to louse the bridle of gluttony. Tese fellows will dispute with a full belly of fasting, and yet they eat fesans, partridges, and all the picked dainties that can be found in a country.  
Now tell me I pray you what have I said beside the sentences of the holy ghost? I do not teach the abuse, but the right use of the creatures of God, with giving thanks. I take not thought only for the belly. but also for the conscience. Foyes with these man's traditions, men's consciences be marked with an hot iron, and God is worshipped with commandments of men: the which thing in the xxix of Isaiah, he hateth and abhorreth. It is a very jeopardous matter to lay snares for men's consciences and to offend against the christian liberty which cost so much. If any man lay against us saint Jerome, or any other of the fathers: I answer that the fathers were never in that blindness, that they would be believed more than the scripture. He despiseth not the fathers which enforceth himself and laboureth to glorify the father of all which is in heaven.  
He that in the matter of conscience doth think, that God should rather be obeyed, than man, doth not contemn men, but magnifieth God, the Lord of men and angels. And the condition and state of christian men is not so, that they ought to take example or rule of living of the prophets of jupiter, that abstain from flesh and sudden meat, or of the temple of Eleusis or Ceres or of Orpheus, yet that holy man is not ashamed of his monkery of so void words in the second book against jovinian. As touching offending, I have taught always according to the Apostles doctrine Roma xiiii. that we should have a respect and regard of weak persons, that he that eateth, despise not him that eateth not: He that eateth not, let him not judge him that eateth. And albeit he sayeth there is nothing unclean of itself, but unto him which reckoneth that it is unclean: yet for all that he will not that our brother should be grieved with the abuse of our liberty, and to be lost with meat, for whom Christ suffered death. There be other far greater things than meat and drink that a christian man should regard, namely, peace and edifying. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy ghost.  
Therefore let us follow those things that long unto peace and to the edifying of our brother one toward another. Hast thou faith? keep it to they self before God. And i. corinth. viii. Knowledge maketh man to swell charity edifieth, take heed lest your liberty offend those that be weak. All these be the wholesome doctrines of the holy ghost, & give none occasion of gluttony, as the defenders of traditions do dream.    


¶ Of fasting, The new learning.  
We must fast certain days under the commandment, as the apostles even the four ymbring days, and the lent.   

¶ The old learning.  
Our life is a warfare or soldiers life joh. seven. We must fight continually with an enemy that we have at home with in us, namely the flesh: lest he being made to fat & wanton with excess of meat and drink, prevail against the spirit. Take heed to youreselves (saith Christ Luc. xxi.) lest your hearts be overcome with surfeiting and drunkenness, that the day of the Lord come not unto you as a snare. Rom. xiii. doth the holy go●st command to cast away the works of darkness, & to put on the armour of light, & he rehearseth unreasonable eating, & banqueting & dronknesse among them. He doth appoint no certain day, but only he sayeth make not provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it: willing that we should abstain from unreasonable eating and drunkenness, to put away the works of darkness: not for one or two days, but at all times: Let no man think that this fast is a christian man's fast which now reigneth, is commanded, and hygly praised, when we fast certain hours, and other days make lusty cheer, worshipping our belly for our God. In the which thing we be worse than the heathen men, which did order their livelihood not to pleasure, but to the health and strength of their bodies. For they considering what excellency and worthiness there is in the nature of man, did perceive how fowl a thing it were to flow in excess, to live deliciously & pleasantly, and how honest it were to live scarcely, measurably, sadly and soberly The Apostle monisheth us i Tessalo. v. of our state and condition. We (sayeth he) are the children of light and the children of the day, let us be sober: he biddeth us not do so for ii or iii days, but all the time that we bear about this body of sin. Who can here in so great diversities of complexiones prescribe measures and days? Every man knoweth himself how long he hath need to fast, & what punishment he needeth to tame his flesh withal. Therefore we do not prescribe daily fasts as the Esseyes did, nor yet with the makers of traditions fasts appointed to a certain time: but we exhort to continual soberness, and to see that the flesh be brought under, lest when the Lord cometh we be found careless without any thought. And after this manner always we do exhort, move, and drive, in season and out of season the church and congregation of Christ, to a temperate life, and to a fast seeming a christian man, always saving the liberty of a christian man. But we do refuse and cast away, that fulbelly & drunken fast, as stinking hypocrisy the which we cast in Gods teeth, even as a merit, and yet it maketh nothing for the subdwenge of the flesh, saying that it being proud by the bodily exercise only regardeth not true holiness. I will send these hypocrites unto Esay the prophet to the lviii chap. were as they may learn sufficiently what manner of fast God would have. think you (sayeth he) that I love this manner of fasting whereby men at prescript & certain days chasten themselves, going with their heads writhen down like an hook, strewed with asses, and clothed with sackcloth? Wilt thou say that this manner of fast, and that upon this or that appointed day is more accept to the Lord: but rather even contrariwise, this manner of fasting do I allow & love: forgive thy dettres wrapped in shrewd barganes, and louse their violent obligations, set them at liberty whom thou didst cast in prison for det, & break from them all manner of bonds and yockes, divide out thy meat and drink to the hungry and thirsty, and the port wayfaring stranger lead thou home to thy house, when thou seyest the necked, cloth him, & turn not thy face from thine own flesh. Here thou seyest that the body in deed must be chastised, but that outward punishment doth little avail, except thou orden it to the fasting of the mind, that is, to abstain from evil desires and affections, and from covetousness and unmercifulness. And that ye may fast after this wise, ye need no choice of meats except the manner or cause of taming of the flesh require it. For thou dost abstain and usest very skarscely all manner of meat to the sustenance of thy nature: therefore thou mayst use fish or flesh, whether thou wilt: how be it fyfshesde a manner of flesh as witnesseth the Apostle i Corinth. xv. and Plini, in his history of nature: lest any playing the jew, should wrench his nose at this.    


¶ Of the difference of days, The new learning.  
The days be not equal and alike, some be holy and so be not all, wherefore the sunday is holy day to all christian men, to be hallowed in idleness, likewise our ladies days, & the apostles days, & other chosen of the church to keep holy day and to abstain from labour so that if any man do any servile or handy labour, and work in the afore said days, he sinneth. Wherefore if any man constrained by necessity do any work, either at home, or abroad on the holy day, he shallbe more cruelly handled of the bishops, officiales, and curates, than if he had committed adultery, or had pilled his negboure with usury.   

¶ The old learning.  
Certain days must be appointed where upon men must forbear from handylaboure not that the day should be holier and worthier in the which we meet together, but that the inordinate coming together should not minish the faith in Christ. And that we may hear the better and more commodiously, the word of everlasting health, & may receive the supper of the Lord, and show to God with common petition the necessity and need of the church, and that we may pray together. There must needs be certain days appointed in the which (while as the business of the soul is in hand) we must abstain from profane & household labours. Yet for all that we must take heed lest we lose and destroy men's souls with snares of commandments: and take heed that we play not the jews and observe days, as they observed the sabbath day, & the feasts of the new Moon, against the doctrine of the holy ghost, (Gala. iiii.) as though they were necessary to be kept for righteousness. For that were to cast away the liberty of faith, & to turn again to the weak and beggarly elements and ceremonies, and to deny Christ. The hebrews were commanded to keep the sabbath day, but when the light came, the shadow vanished away, so that it is not lawful now to any man, to orden any law, or make sin, where scripture maketh none, and leaveth the liberty.  two. Let no man judge you in the part of the Sabbath day etc. Saint Austen speaketh thus of the Sabbath day in his book of true innocency: saying that the keeping of the sabbath day is taken away, the which is shadowed by the vacation & rest of one day, he keepeth a perpetual sabbath day that having hope of the rest to come, giveth himself to holy works, & doth not boast in his own works, as though he had received them of none other, & knowledgeth that he worketh in him, the which even in working is quiet & at rest. Therefore saint Jerome sayeth very well, that in the new testament all days be equal, & like holy, & that every day is the holy day of the resurrection, & that it is lawful to fast always and to eat the body of the Lord, & always to pray. And the apostle Roma. xiiii. will not that he should be rashly judged, that which judgeth the same of every day. Those things that were commanded or forbidden in the law, as concerning days, meats, clothings, places and persons, or outward things, they were ordained & laid on men's necks, for the time of correction: But now when the grace of the gospel doth shine, they vanish away, and liberty reigneth, where by we worship God no more with certain days prefixed, and with outward works, as the jews did, but in spirit and truth. For these ceremonies of the law did belong to the jews, and not to the gentiles Actu. xv. Ye may see plainly. Mat. xii. Mar two. Luce. xiiii. joh. v. and ix how that Christ the author of our liberty, did entreat the Sabbath day. Therefore it were the bishops duty to put down some of those holy days, the which christian people have no need of, the which give occasion to the people, both to lose their money and their souls.    


¶ Of prayer. The new learning.  
We must pray at certain hours, as at matynes, sixth hour, the third, the first, at evensong and at such other. And it is made more conveniently in churches hallowed unto God according to this saying: Bless the Lord in the churches. etc. My house shallbe called the house of prayer. There be many things in the temples, which stir up devotion as the majesty of the place, the christened bells, organs, sacring bells, singing, wax, candles, the relics of saints, pictures, images, hallowed vestiments, the sacrament of the altar, hallowed altars, in the worship of saints, banners, supplications, the anointing of the church, and the hallowing of the same, the holy water, which even the devils be afraid of, the presence of angels, for it is written Genesis. xxviii. This place is terrible, and there is a sure promise of hearing as it is in the third book of the kings the viii. Chapter. The Lord answered to the prayer of Solomon: I have herd thy prayer, which thou prayed before me, I have hallowed this place which thou haste builded, that I may set my name there for evermore and mine eyes and my heart shallbe there for evermore. etc. Also there be certain hallowed deeds, and they be hung up on the church doors, a certain number of pater nosters and aves must be kept, also there be some prayers which have pardon longing thereto. Also we must say a pater noster every day to our own Apostles, & to the saints which we have chosen unto ourselves, for devotion.   

¶ The old learning.  
The blessed trinity is to be worshipped in every place. Psalm c.iii O thou my soul give thanks and bless the Lord in every place of his lordship. Christ also sayeth joh. iiii. The hour cometh & now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth: for verily such the father requireth to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and verity. Where as Christ doth answer the Samaritane, asking him of the place of prayer, and sayeth: Woman believe me, the hour cometh (ye, & he said that the hour was even then) when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet in jerusalem worship the father i Timo. two. sayeth Paul: I will that men pray in every place lifting pure & clean hands, without wrath, arguing or altercation. Likewise in the vii chapter of the Acts where saint Steven checking the blindness of the jews, advancing the temple of Solomon, sayeth: But he that is highest of all dwelleth not in temples made with hands.  
As sayeth also the prophet Esay lxvi Heaven is my seat & earth is my foot stool, what house will ye build for me sayeth the Lord? or what is my resting place? hath not my hand made all these things? and all these things be made sayeth the Lord. On whom then shall I look? even him that is of an humble & a lowly spirit, standeth in awe of my words. We have the words of the father, & of the son, & of the place of prayer, the which the holy ghost spoke, shall we not believe the son whom the father commanded to be herd? Mat. xvii. And he did say with an earnest affirmation: Woman believe me. etc. I know that there was in the old law the ark of the covenant, and the sumptuous temple of the Lord, where as the jews had the promise of God ii Para. seven. Mine ears shallbe lifted up unto the ears of him which shall pray in this place for I have chosen this place. But what shall we do now? saying that Moses is gone, which was the servant of the whole house of the Lord, & the son cometh jesus Christ which is the Apostle and the bishop of our faith & confession. Heb. iii. & that he is come to prepare the quick temples of God, as a bishop of good things for to come, entering by a greater & more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands (that is to say) not as man's building, neither by the blood of goats & calves, but by his own blood he entered once for all in to the holy place, & found everlasting redemption. Heb ix. He is gone that gave the law, & an other is come in his room, by whom grace is given joh. i. Aaron is gone, for the true priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech is come. To conclude, the figure is vanished, because the light hath shined. Then what need we so costly & glorious pomp of ceremonies in the new testament? we dispraise not those buildings, to the which the people cometh to hear the word of god more commodiously: but we dispraise the abuse & the error, namely, that they keep no measure, & can never make an end of building & decking of such royal churches. Exo. xxxvi. at the commandment of Moses, the crier forbiddeth, that neither man nor woman should offer up any more to the building of the tabernacle: for the people offered up a great deal more, than need was. Now our criers without end & measure require gifts of the people to the buildings of temples. Where doth Christ require in the new testament such ornaments of churches? and where doth he appoint such building to be made? Commanded not he us to worship the father in spirit & in verity? The which two words condenne the whole tragedy of ceremonies, which we think profitable & good for prayer. For what helpeth to the spirit and truth of worshipping of God, such infinite diversity of vestiments, bells, organs, and songs of diverse kinds? If those things kindle devotion, & steer up a man's mind to God, it were best that not only churches but also houses, towns, high ways & streets should be full of yangling of bells, & be replenished with images. The Lord requireth the spirit and truth, and we contrary wise show and set forth a carnal pomp, & solemnite of ceremonies, the which is not only as great as all the jews fashions and rites, but passeth them far, both in number and greatness, having in stead of the spirit the flesh: for the truth, most coloured and painted hypocrisy: for we spend the whole day with singing, sacrifysing and mumbling. We speak with tongues, but no man preacheth, which should speak unto men, to edify, exhort, and to comfort i Cor. xiiii. The Apostle will liefer speak .v. words with his understanding, that he may iustruc & teach other also, rather than ten thousand with tongues. We order out psalms without understanding for advantage & lucre, making a sound without devotion, & alas the word of God is compelled to give place to this blind service, & the ordinance of the apostle also. We cry now a days as the jews cried in times passed: jeremy. seven. The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, God's service, God's service, God's service, trusting in words of dying: where as all this business of ceremonies, is plain hired gear for money, that it may be fulfilled, that the Lord said. Malachi. i. Who is there among you that will shut the doors, & will kindle mine aultare freely for nought? wherefore it followeth, I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of hosts, I will take no reward of your hands. If that the tragedy and spectacle of ceremonies liketh you so well, go to, let us bring home again the whole jewysnesh, and the whole manner of worshipping of the jews, let us deck up Aaron, let us orden levities, let us kill and offer up sheep, oxen, and calves: and even let us be circumcised with the mad jews, and let us look for an other messias, that may bring us in to the land of Canaan: not by the power of the Lord, but of the world. Surely if that most costly and sumptuous worshipping of God is Christ's religion, in the which holiness consisteth, I grant that I can not tell what is our religion. But if Christ be our Lord and master, and his doctrine be the doctrine of the father, the truth and the way, then is the whole heap of ceremonies nothing less, than the worshipping of God. Where do we read in the gospel of hired prayers which ye will let a man have for money, and if he give no penny, he shall have no pater noster? where doth the Lord allow buying & selling, chopping and changing in holy things? As for those places which they bring for the appointing and assigning of a certain place of prayer, every man may see that they handle them without any manner of judgement, and with plain ignorance of scripture. It is even of the same sort that they fain, that the devil is afraid of holy water, as though he were not more afraid at the sight of a christian man, whom the ointment of the holy ghost, hath made holy, and is the temple of the holy ghost?  
And as for that, they they bring for the hallowing of deeds, and the number of pater nosters, and the Psalter of our lady & such other, it is more vain, then any trifles be in the world, and more foolysher than the tales which old wives tell in winter nights by the fire side. Therefore we must pray to the father of heaven thorough our Lord jesus Christ in spirit and truth in every place, that our prayers be not bound to places. For either we go in to our privy chamber and shut the door after us, & pray unto the father, which is in secret: or we pray in every place after the learning of saint Paul, in the first epistle the ii chapter to Timoth. For the whole world is the temple & church of God. The heaven & the heaven of all heavens are not able to receive the Lord, how much less than this church? If I ascend up to heaven, (sayeth the royal prophet) thou art there: if I descend and go down to hell, thou art present. And God his own self sayeth by jeremy the prophet in the xxiii. chapped. I fill both heaven and earth. And the apostle in his preaching to the men of Athens, sayeth: God is not far from us, for we live in him, are moved, and be in him. Actu. xvii.    


¶ Of vows, The new learning,  
Vow to the Lord & perform it that the ye vow Psal. lxxv. Therefore we may vow & we ought to give it that we vow: for there a is law made of giving to them which vowed. In the four book of the sentence it is written. A vow is made when a man of his own will promiseth that he will do or keep some good thing, to the which otherwise he is not bound, although he be bound after the vow be made. There be iii principal & substantial vows, that is: of poverty chastity & obedience. He that is once made a religious man or a pressed, is bound to live so for ever, by his vow.   

¶ The old learning.  
A vow is a law (say the school men) made to perform such things as men have vowed It is plain what the holy scripture doth affirm and judge of the law, and of the works of it. Now is man not justified, or made righteous by the law and works of Moses law: how much less by the work of vows, when as scripture utterly refuseth and defieth all man's traditions, and God will not be worshipped with laws of man's traditions, Esay. xxix. Math. xv. Marc. seven. For only faith in Christ doth justify and not works what so ever they be, and sincere faith will not suffer men to put confidence in their works. In deed faith bringeth forth works because she worketh by charity, but she suffereth no man to trust unto them with this ungodly opinion, that he should be justified by them, because that were to deny the Lord that bought us with his precious blood. Vows are wont to be taken with none other opinion, than that by them sins should be done away, and to deserve grace and remission of sins: therefore they spring of the ignorance of Christ's religion, & they be plainly wicked & therefore they be nought and of no price. For even the school men say, that those things be no vows, which do turn to the damage or hindrance of a man's salvation: seeing that a vow hath the same things following, which an oath hath, that is: justice, judgement & truth. To will & desire to be justified by works, is to cast away the grace of Christ: and that is to lose the true health and salvation. Therefore these vows that be so greatly boasted of, be no vows, and of no value, for this short argument of Paul fearful to all vowers shall stand: if righteousness be of the law, than Chryst died in vain. Galat. v. Ye are gone quite from Christ as many as are justified by the law, and are fallen from grace Gala. two. We know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of jesus Christ. If these things be said unto the jews, the which presumed to be justified by the works of moses law, who can abide our ungodliness, which look for those things by the works of our laws, the which only Christ giveth in faith? Therefore it repenteth us of our reckless vow, & we desire forgiveness of God, for our sin done by our foolish vow, & we turn again to the liberty, which Christ's blood got unto us with a sure belief, and defying the masters & teachers of works, the open enemies of Christ, & we rather hear the saying of the holy ghost: Gala. v. Stand in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free, & wrap not yourselves again in the yoke of bondage. As touching the places, which they bring out of the old testament for the maintaining and stablyssing of vows, they make nothing for the purpose: for the manner of vowing pertained unto the jews, & now be put away as be sacrifices. Actu. xv. faith in Christ maketh all outward things free: neither doth the bondage of vows, and our liberty agre. What need many words? Our vows be without faith, & therefore they be sin. Now who would be afraid to leave & forsake sin?    


¶ Of counsels, the new learning.  
The gospel is divided into counsels and commandments, we be bound to keep the commandments & not to despise the counsels. The counsels be in & .v. of Math. to love our enemies, not to resist evil, not to strive in the court or law, to lend every one that needeth, & such other like. The which if they were commandments, they were to heavy burdens for the new law. Thus say the Parisians.   

¶ The old learning.  
We have a counsel in the gospel of living single Math. nineteen. & i Corint. seven. But they that be in the fift of Math. they be no counsels but precepts: the which thing is manifest by the circumstance of the text. For Christ doth threaten, the which he would not have done, if he had only counseled. He that doth threaten a pain, doth propound & set forth, a law, & counseleth not. Moreover it is commanded: Love thy neighbour as thyself. That love containeth in it those things, which we have spoken of. And also lust is forbidden, & therefore be the aforesaid forbidden. When mat. he had rehearsed those things which the scoolmen reckon among counsels, sayeth by & by after: That ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven. Math. v. Likewise also saint Luke (after that he had reckoned up these laws) sayeth: And ye shall be the sons of the most highest. Therefore they that do them not, shall not be the children. Surely a counsel her would not have spoken after this manner ye thus did Chrisostom. Austen, Hilary understand the words of Christ. Then if the Lord commanded all those things, why do we that be servants, louse and & break the laws of the Lord for our pleasure?    


¶ Of matrimony. The new learning.  
The fourth degree of kindred stoppeth matrimony. There be xii impediments of matrimony, which hinder marriage to be made, and lose it if it be contract, namely, error, condition, vow, kindred, fault or crime, the diversity of worshipping, power bond, honesty, if thou be of affinity, if thou be impotent in rendering duty. These hinder marriage to be made, & if it be made break it again. Certain things there be which hinder marriage to be made, but they lose it not if it be contract: that is the time of not spousing, and the forbidding of the church. Also a spiritual kindred is gotten by the sacrament of baptism & confirmation or bishoping the which letteth matrimony to be, and putteth asunder it, that is made. Iten the order of subdeacon, deacon, and priesthood stop matrimony to be taken, and put it away if it is taken, because that the vow of chastity is joined to those orders. Also if there be a divorcement, both the man and the woman must abide unmarried.   

¶ The old learning.  
There be degrees of kin or consanguinity and affinity red to be forbidden in the xviii of Leviticus, namely: father, mother, stepmother, a natural sister, lawful sister both of father and mother, cousin, aunt of the father's side & of the mother's side, the wife of mine uncle, the daughter in law, the wife of my brother, stepdoughter, the son of the stepson or stepdoughter, the sister of my wife my wife being alive. Here is forbidden the first degree of affinity, & the second of kine or consanguinity: though the daughter or nefe of my brother or sister is not reckoned to be forbidden. Seeing that these be provided & taken heed of, by the law of God, they must needs be honest, so that it were foolish hardiness for a man put his decrees, to the word of God. Those things that be spoken of the times that be void of spousels, & of the forbidding of the church, they be man's inventions. And the spiritual kindred hath no testimony in the scripture. Therefore if it shine and glister with never so far and goodly a likeness, we may as easily despise it, as receive it. Why doth not holy fraternite let marriage, by the which we are all knit together in Christ? They be my brethren and my sisters as many as confess Christ. That the order is a let unto matrimony, it is nothing else but falls speaking through hypocrisy: for if matrimony be a sacrament, (as they say) I can not see, why holy order can not suffer the holiness of matrimony. Marriage is honourable, as the holy ghost witnesseth Heb. xiii. And they think that the holiness of matrimony is contrary to the holiness of order, the which thing the Apostle never knew i Timo. iii. Tit. i. Where he will that a bishop should be the husband of one wife: and ii Timo. iiii. He calleth it the learning of devils if any man forbiddeth matrimony i Corin. seven. He sayeth not only it is better to marry than to burn: but he commandeth openly in this manner: For the avoiding of fornication, let every man have his wife. Who is that every man? is it not manifest that marriage is free to all men which have not the gift of chastity? Saint Jerome showeth a cause, why in the ix of the Acts. Christ called S. Paul a chosen vessel: namely, because he was the storehouse of the law and of the holy scripture. And against jovinian he sayeth: I will bring forth Paul the Apostle, whom as oft as I read, I think that I hear not words, but thundering. But they which defend the filthy syngle living, despise this thundering of this chosen vessel, as the barking of a dog, & they think that he that is within orders, sinneth deadly if he marry a wife. God the father did orden marriage, the son did commend and honour it with his presence and with his first miracle, the holy ghost pronounced it honourable, Paul the servant of jesus Christ forbiddeth not bishops and deacons to be married: And they which boast them of the Gospel, number the marriage of priests among deadly sins, as a profane and unholy thing, the which the holiness of order can not suffer. Why believe they not at the least the sentence of holy fathers? for Theophilactus upon the viii Chapter of Matthew sayeth: Learn here that marriage hindereth not a man from virtue, for the prince of the Apostles had a mother in law. furthermore we do allow no divorcement, but in case of fornication, as Christ sayeth Math. nineteen. where as it is lawful for the ungylty after the divorcement to marry again: the which thing might be easily done if the man adulterer or the woman should be killed, after the law of God duty. xxxii. Now they tarry both unmarried the which is a divorcement rather in name and in word then in deed. The text of Math. nineteen. is manifest: (Whosoever forsaketh his wife, but only for fornication and marrieth an other, he committeth adultery.  
For this clause that is put between: (except it be for fornication) declareth & ruleth the whole sentence, that if any fornication do chance in the mean season, he that forsaketh the woman adulterer and marrieth an other, he being unguilty, that he committed none adultery. And why do not we in such cases, go rather to the scripture, that is inspired of God, then to those writers of sums? saying that the Apostle ii to Tim. the iii. Chapter pronounceth and sayeth that the scripture is profitable for correction and teaching.    


¶ Of bishops. The new learing.  
A Bishop is of higher authority than a simple priest, and hath the reservation and keeping behind to him of certain causes: for the higher that the degree is, the greater and more is the power. And this new learning winketh at and overseeth the pomp & pride more than worldly, of them which call themselves the successors of the Apostles and preach not the word of God, the which is the most worthy high office in the church.   

¶ The old learning.  
When there rose a contention among the disciples, which of them should be thought greatest among them, Christ said: The lords of the gentiles have domination over them, but it shall not be so among you. Where as Christ would have taken clean out of the disciples minds the desire of honour. For if our Lord and master did not come to be ministered to, but to minister and serve other (as it is Math. xx.) how much less shall it become servants, to swell and be proud with worldly desire of honour? The which thing the Apostle teacheth plainly. i Cor. iiii. So (sayeth he) let a man reckon us, as ministers and servants and disposers of the secrets of God: he sayeth ministers and servants, and not lords and princes of the world. So in many places of his epistles, he calleth himself This place (sayeth he) maketh against them, which do give themselves to sloggysnesse, idleness, and to sleep, & think that it is an offence, if they read scripture: and despise them as babblers and unprofitable, which are occupied in the law of the Lord both day and night, not taking heed, that the Apostle commanded even learning also after the rehearsing of the conversation of a bishop.    

¶ Of Ceremonies.  
Men reckon that ceremonies have the name of a town in Tuscia called Cerete, and by ceremonies we mean the worshipping of God, but outwardly.  

¶ The new learning.  
The ceremonies which our fathers ordained, must be kept, and not changed, the which are worshipping of god. For the religious men, and rude priests do defend the ceremonies (what so ever they be) so stiffly, as though holiness consisted and stood in them only. For we have seen in these times, the holy orders contend and strive with unstaunchable hatred among themselves for ceremonies.   

¶ The old learning.  
We may not serve neither to the right hand, nor to the left hand, but we must walk in the kings high way. Our life is in that case, that we can not be without ceremonies. For we be not angelical spirits, but men: & as long as we live in this visible world, in the preson of this body, we must needs have difference of works, of places, of offices, of times, of persons, & of other things. For we be (as the apostle sayeth. Romano. xii.) many membres, and one body, & not having all one act or office. But after that the light of the gospel came, and followed the shadow of the law we should use very few ceremonies, as we have baptism and the supper of the Lord, after the ordinance of Christ in the new testament. For we use (as we be always ready to the worst) to set much by ceremonies, and to conceive a vain opinion and confidence to be justified by them, if they be perfectly done: & if we leave them undone, we conceive a foolish fear, (that is) of every hand a naughty conscience. Therefore lest we should serve away from the pryke of true holiness, let us take faith and charity unto us, as the rulers and guiders of ceremonies, in the which if they were done, they might be done godly. Before all things we must take great hide and diligent provision, lest ceremonies hurt and destroy the head & the root of our religion, which is faith in Christ. faith and belief in Christ is only our righteousness, which worketh afterward by charity, the which if it continue in safeguard in the liberty of the spirit, ye may live and be occupied in the ceremonies of the church without any blame. For he that is justified, by faith, keepeth ceremonies, lest he should offend those that be yet weak in the faith, not as necessary to righteousness, but as a teaching and a bringing up for weaklings: believing steadfastly, that all those outward things be free unto us thorough faith, and that we own nothing to any body but only love. Roma. xiii. By this rule the Apostle being conversant among his brethren, without the yeoperde and the loss of conscience and faith, was so free by the spirit of faith, that for all that he made himself an underling and a servant of all men, and was of all fashion, to save some at the least. He had knowledge, but he know that knowledge did swell, and charity did edify. i. Corinth. viii. and ix He granted that all things be lawful unto him, but that all things be nor profitable, that all things be lawful, but all things do not edify. And he did follow those things which belonged unto peace, and to edifying. We will follow this Apostle not giving our liberty to the occasion of the flesh, but in serving one an other by charity. Galat. v.  
Here must the overseers and ministers of the church be monished, that they unlade the congregation, holden down with so many ceremonies and laws, that almost the condition and state of the jews were more tolerable, than the state of Christian men. Now, it is not only foolishness, but also wickedness, that Christian men should strive among themselves for ceremonies (I can not tell what) whose bag is, charity, and not ceremonies. Ihon. xiii.    


¶ Of man's traditions. The new learning.  
There is a canon or a rule, the which maketh equal the constitutions of pope's and bishops with the gospel, and it affirmeth that the gospel can not be well upholden except the statutes and ordinances of the fathers be kept, as Leo the four sayeth in the twenty distinction in the chapter. De libellis. All things that be necessary to be known to our salvation, be not expressed in the canonical scripture, but the holy ghost afterward that the scripture was written, did show many wholesome things unto our forefathers. johan. xvi. I have many things to say unto you, which ye can not bear at this tyme. And those things that were in practise than, are not now all written, but even given from one to an other as by hand, and are come even to our time, as Damascen in a sermon of the dead writeth, that the memory of faithful deadmen came unto us from the apostles times.  
Moreover Paul taught the people, that he purchassed unto Christ, when he was with them many things the which were never written. Also he that heareth not the church let him be counted as an heathen & a publican therefore she may make laws and constitutions necessary for man's salvation. Also that is necessary to salvation, whose transgression is deadly sin, but the ordinances of the church be such, the first is proved by Abbess in the proemy or preface of the decretales. And in the first chapter of constitutions, he allegeth Calderine, johan Andrea and Thomas. And for this purpose maketh the text in the chapter. Quo iure the viii. distinction. where as it is written that the breaker of the traditions of the church sinneth deadly, because that also the positive law bindeth in matters of conscience, ergo they bind. Hereupon johan Mayre with great pride & disdain sayeth in the four distinction the iii q. To think that he that breaketh the commandments of the church sinneth not deadly, is an error.   

¶ The old learning.  
Matthew the xvii Chapter the heavenvly father maketh his only begotten son doctor and teacher of the church, saying: Hear him. And he put his words in his mouth. Deuteronomy xviii he sayeth: And I will be a revenger and a punyssher of them which refuse the learning of this doctor. He which sayeth johan. seven. My doctrine is not mine, but his, which sent me, that doctor is the everlasting wisdom of the father, the way, the light, the truth, whom we believe stedstly that he both would and did give unto his church, not botched, clouted, or unperfect and unstable learning, but sound, perfect, and unchangeable, to the which needeth nothing to be put to, as an addition: for those things that are necessary for to be known for man's salvation, be contained plenteously in the canonical scripture. Sometimes the Apostles spoke and treated upon the kingdom of God, more plenteously in speaking, than it is written in books, yet for all that, as for the sum of the sentence and doctrine, they preached none other thing, than the gospel, which we have written: so that those things which pertain unto a christian man's life, must be learned of no where else, but of the bible, that is of the new testament and of the old. For all scripture, given by the inspiration of God (saith the Apostle ii tim iii) is profitable to teaching, to improve, to inform, & to instruc in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect and prepared to all good works. Then why do we thrust in the churches hands the laws of men, as necessary to Christ's regilion? I do not speak here of the civil law, I know that the laws of secular power are to be kept for the conscience sake: for they have their strength of God's law. Rom. xiii. I speak of the decrees of men, with the which they would bind men's consciences. furthermore the Apostle in the ii Tim iii. chap. praiseth the holy scripture with a great verdict & praise saying:, The holy scripture may make the wise unto health thorough faith which is in Christ jesus. Who dare set this title before his constitutions, that they may make you learned to salvation? this honour is only dew unto the holy scripture of God. Farther more, if there were any things showed our father's a. M. year ago by the holy ghost, the which were not known (in time of the flowering of the church, that newly did springe up) to the Apostles and to the church, they be either necessary to salvation, or not necessary. If they be not necessary, but ordained for the time, why is a man's conscience bound with them? If they be necessary, either there is an other way to salvation now, than was in the primitive church, or else they were all damned that departed before that revelation: for they knew not the thing that was necessary to their salvation. The which things, saying that they be the most vain that can be and foolish, and that the same manner of justifying and salvation is now, that was than, and was than, that is now: why make we those things necessary, that be not necessary? And why set we so little by the liberty of the gospel that we had as leave our dreams, as the most holy gospel? we do not reject and refuse the constitutions and ordinances of bishops, which vex not the conscience, but pertain and be profitable for the common peace and tranquillity of men's conversation: only we defy & reject those laws, in the which either they command or forbid under pain of deadly sin, without the law of God. Only god ought to reign in the conscience, in whose hand peculiarly be means souls. The Apostle calleth him the adversary of God, which goeth about to sit in the temple of God, and boast himself as a God ii Tessalo. two. And ii Cori. iii. We be the ministers of the new testament, ministers of the spirit and not of the letter. What avail man's constitutions to justification if ye say that they prepare to obey God the easier? I answer: There is nothing that can prepare the mind to keep the law of God or fashion it but only the grace of God. The Apostle Galat. i. pronounceth accursed, not only man, but also an angel of heaven, that durst preach an other gospel than Paul preached. If it be the power of God to salvation, of all that believe, why do we mingle and join our chaff with so great a power? And in the first to the Corinthians the third chapter: Other foundation can no man lay, then that which is laid, which is jesus Christ. If no man ought to put any thing to Moses law duty. xii. why should we add & put unto the gospel any thing? saying even Cameracensis a scooleman, calleth it the most perfect law and rightest, and the straightest in precepts. Why do we not leave our laws, and follow the business that Christ appointed, Math. the last: Teach all people to keep all things what so ever I have commanded you? We be ministers & servants of Christ, and disposers of the secrets of God. Now is it required of the stewards or disposers that they be found faithful. These privities and mysteries be the articles of our faith of the Gospel, the wisdom of the cross, the knowledge of grace gotten by Christ: Let us preach these things for the health of the people of God, and let us not abuse our power the which the Lord gave us to edify with, and not to destroy ii Corinth. the xiii cha, The Canon or rule that maketh the ordinances of father's equal with the Gospel, is openly ungodly and wicked, the which even our adversaries can not receive, if they knew the canon of the scripture. To be short, faith where with a righteous man liveth is conceived, taken, and drawn out of the canonical scripture, and not of the decrees of the fathers, as saint Austyne witnesseth, in the ix book of the city of God the xviii Chapter. Then wherefore should I receive it as an article of my faith, that which the scripture inspired of God hath not? I am commanded to prove and try sprites whether they be of God or no: the which liberty of judging of all doctrines by the scriptures, no man will take from us. The words of saint John in the xvi Chapter stablish nothing man's traditions: for God did fulfil his promise at Wytsonday when he sent the holy ghost, and led his disciples in to all truth: the which before that time they could not bear. Who will deny that the memory and remembrance of those that be departed did come from the Apostles unto us, saying that saint Paul the first to the Tessalonians the fourth chapter commanded the Tessalonians, that one should comfort another, with the word of the resurrection of the dead in Christ? But now that we may answer to their rhetorical argument, where in they reason, that by the breaking of the ordinance of the church, a man sinneth deadly, we answer: that the knowledge of sin is by the the law. Roma. the iii Chapter. The Apostle speaketh of God's law, and not of man's. Always understand I of man's law that is clear or whole man's law, the which assayeth to bind man's cōscyence● & I moved by the scripture, think that a man's conscience neither aught, nor can be bound with man's constitution: for we are endued with liberty which we will use, the which liberty is the liberty of the conscience i Corin. the iii Chapter. All things be yours, whether it be Paul, either Apollo, either Cephas whereby we understand that neither Paul, nor Cephas hath authority to bind men's conscience, where God doth not bind. The first to the Corinthians the twelft Chapter Be ye not made servants of men. colossenses the second Chapter. You being dead with Christ, why be ye holden still with decrees? And for the most part such constitutions be contrary to the word & deed of the Apostles. But as Gerson beareth witness in the second lection of the spiritual life the vii corollary: It is not in the pope's power, neither in the counsels power, nor in the church's power to change the learning given and taught of the evangelists and of Paul: Master Gasper Satzger did see this in the defension of the constitutions of the church, the which openly and plainly granteth: that the learning that is without the scripture, though it be good, yet bindeth not by god's law. And it is no marvel, for only Christ ought to reign in man's conscience by his word, which only may save and condemn.  
Math. the ten Chapter. Fear not them which can kill the body and not the soul, but fear him which can cast both body and soul in everlasting fire. Truly if they can make a constitution and command it under pain of deadly sin, they may kill the soul, but the truth of the gospel is otherwise. The sentence of ezechiel is pronounced against them in the xiii Chapter: Woe be to them that make bolsters under the the head of every age, to catch souls that they might kill souls which die not. How doth the scoolemens' learning of the power of binding of men's constitutions agre with itself? saying Thomas granteth plainly, that the commandments of the positive law bind more with the intent of the lawmaker, then with the words of it: so that he is more to be reckoned a breaker of the commandment that doth against the intent of the lawmaker, them he that swerveth from the letter of the ordinance of the law. But the intent of the maker of the positive law is not, that his precept should be always kept, because that many impediments may chance in the which it is not expedient to keep the law, ye sometime the keeping of the precept were damnable. Wherefore in every precept of the positive law, the exception of a reasonable cause is admitted. Now put the case that theridamas is a law that a man shall not eat flesh on the friday, & that a pressed shall not have a wife. Here the intent of the lawmaker is to bring to goodness. But it chanceth if we keep those laws, that either the liberty of a christian man be in jeopardy, or we offend against God's law. In this case the positive law bindeth not, for the intent of the lawmaker is not to kill any man, or to give an occasion to break God's law. But saying that it can not be satisfied and fulfilled, doubtless it remitteth and looseth those things that it did decree. And if their chance any reasonable cause of breaking such a tradition, it will pronounce the transgressor assoiled and clear and not rash: but what more reasonable cause is there, than avoiding of deadly sin, or the jeopardy of conscience? Paul was content so to chastise his flesh (to avoid offending of his brother), that he would never eat flesh rather than to offend him.    


¶ Of Counsels and laws made by a great multitude of bishops gathered together. The new learning.  
If the authority of counsels be despised, all things in the church shallbe doubtful & uncertain, for the heresies that were once condemned in the counsels shall come again. Therefore it is not lawful unto a private man to affirm or teach any thing against the counsels. For the council is gathered together in the name of Christ, it is ruled of the holy ghost, and therefore it erreth not, so that the constitutions of the counsels be the constitutions of the catholic church, whom the council doth represent. But those things that the church ordaineth, are as well to be observed and kept as the canonical scripture. Nother is it needful that the council add or put testimonies of scripture to his determinations, saying that the Apostles and the elders did not stablish the first council holden at jerusalem with scriptures. Actu. xv.   

The old learning.  
John in the four Chapter of his first epistle biddeth prove sprites whether they be of God or no, therefore it is lawful for christian men to judge the spirit of counsels: for they say that the holy ghost is author of the council. What rule shall we have I pray you to prove and try sprites beside the word of God? This, saying that is sure, true, seven times purged, and a candle in a dark place, shallbe a touch stone to prove & to try all learning of men by. If the holy ghost doth rule the councils, and the same spirit of truth taught the Apostles every truth, and if the Apostles did preach that and give it unto us, it followeth that the constitutions and the counsels must agree with the learning of Christ and the Apostles, that is, with the holy scripture: for the spirit of God differeth not from himself, he is simple & his learning is simple. But saying it is openly known that the counsels have decrees contrary to holy scripture, and also to the holy ghost? Who will forbid us to doubt upon such constitutions of counsels? The Apostles learning will that a bishop should be an husband of one wife. There is a council that forbiddeth bishops the use of holy matrimony: what authority is here? The doctrine of Paul is the Gospel and the law of God, the which ought not to be changed, saying that it doth threaten death and cursing even to the angelical spirits, if they durst bring any other Gospel. But now if they orden and determine those things which be contrary to the scripture, who will deny but they may err? I have not said this to despise the counsels, that be counsels in deed, but we set God above the council. For we grant according to the promise of our savour, that Christ is present in the congregation that is gathered in the name of Christ, but we grant no man power and authority to decree & orden any thing in the church of God against the scriptures. We receive no man that cometh in his own name. John the .v. chapter and that speaketh not of the father, but of his own self. Beside this, the scripture giveth no greater power to a general council, than to ii or iii gathered in the name of the Lord: the which congregation hath authority to excommunicate him that rebelleth and is stubborn and an open sinner, but it hath not authority to make precepts and to thrust them in to men's consciences that be free. furthermore the scripture hath prophesied, that false doctores should come in the latter days, in the name of Christ, the which shall deceive many men, saying: I am Christ. The which most earnest warning of our savour not without a cause maketh us more ware and circumspect, that we should not believe every spirit. In deed these be goodly and glorious names, The church, The council to be gathered in the name of Christ: but Christ and the Apostles have warned us, that those things alone should not move us the which did describe these latter days, with so horrible colours, that it is wonder men can not perceive these things. Cyprian in a certain council, where as were lxxxvi bishops sitting, taught wrong of the baptizing of heretics, and for the most part all the bishops of Aphrica, Numidia and Mauritania erred with him. If it be so that the counsels err about the sacraments of the church, who can safely without yeoperdy from hence forth believe the counsels, making laws without scripture? Moeroever, the same things may chance (we do not doubt) to great and general counsels, that have chanced unto the particular and provincial counsels. And surely I think and hold that then all things shallbe more doubtful & uncertain, when the authority of the word doth fail the which ought to be sound and undefiled.  
For the church gave not authority to the word, but the word gave authority to the church. And when the congregation believeth the gospel, it is safe, and the heresies which in times paste were banished away and quenched, they were quenched with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God Truly heresy is plucked up by the root none other way, than with the word of God & wholesome learning. Therefore the Apostle will that a bishop should be fenced and harnessed with wholesome learning, that he may overcome them that resist and fight against him. Put the case that the council did orden any thing without scripture, by & by will Gerson, and learned and honest men with him say: We must believe more the saying of one man fenced with the authority of canonical scripture, than to the declaration of the pope or the general council. I pass over here the manifest saying of Innocentius in. chap. Come venerab. De excep. that is to wite: That no proof is to be admitted against the scripture, but all thing should be holden without doubt. Here upon it followeth, that it is not lawful for the council to charge the congregation with any thing without the consent of the scripture. And the council of jerusalem decreed nothing without scripture, boasting & advancing the holy ghost only. For beside the word of Amos the ix Chapter. all other things had strength of the scripture, & not only of the will of many. For the Apostles & seniors commanded that the people should abstain from those things, that were offered up to idols, from blood, from strangled, and from fornication. The chief and the sum of the matter was: That a man should be justified not by the works of the law, but by grace, the which righteousness of faith, long time ago was approved with the witness of the law and the prophets. Romano. iii. furthermore, if the Apostles did sufficiently teach by the authority of the holy ghost, the manner of justifying an unrighteous man, why did they that came after devise & imagine other ways of justifying? For those things that they called necessary, were not necessary for rygteousnesse, but for charity. For the occasions of falling of the weaklings were to be avoided. To be short, it that the Apostles determined, they might uphold and prove by scripture. As concerning it that was offered unto idols, it is plain enough: for they had it in deuteronomy that the brother should not be hurt or despised. Our brother is despised, if we give him an occasion of falling. They did know that it was lawful to eat all meats that were to be sold in the shambles, and that to the clean all things are clean, that all things are lawful, but all things are not expedient or necessary, and that there was nothing of itself commune or unclean, but they would not that their brother should be offended, for whom Christ died. Farthermor. Exod. xxxiiii. it is clearly commanded the jews that they should not eat of the things that are offered up, the which observation and keeping (saying that the law stock so stiffly as yet in the jews' hearts) without offending could not haystely be taken away and be contemned. Genesis. ix. the eating of blood is forbidden, the same also is forbidden: Levitici. seven. xvii. and xix The Lord commanded to abstain from strangled. Exodi. xxii. and levit. xxii. whoredom fornition are forbidden. Deutero. v. and xxiii The council had at jerusalem might have been strenghtened and stabilyshed with these places of scripture, the which made the jews that they could not enjoy the liberty of Christ with an whole and a sound conscience. Wherefore the law of charity commanded, that the offending of our brethren should be avoided. Let our counsels defend their constitutions with scriptures, or let them command those things that be grounded upon the scripture: let them have a respect to the avoiding of offences.  
Let them lay nothing on men's necks, but those that are necessary, after the same way that they were necessary which were ordained of the Apostles at that season, and no man shall withstand them. Therefore brethren I beseek you for the mercy of God (for here we do not entreat of landemarkes, or of frail things, but of soul health) take heed and look upon the thing that is in all points greatest of all other, set all affections and troubling of your minds aside, & weigh the matter truly and sincerely. Let no man seek those things that be his, but those that be jesus Christ's. Let no man rate, snatch, & speak against his brother. I have a conscience also, I think worshipfully by the fathers and the counsels. I do not despise the prophecies or the interpretations of scripture, but before all other things I love and regard holy scripture as the only treasure of the congregation. The scripture is of greater authority (sayeth saint Augustyn) than all the capacity of man's wit. If it had been sufficient unto us, to have holy men, excelling both in wit & in learning to rule the church or congregation: what need it to orden the canon of scripture? If they only make decrees of outward things, in the which we have liberty, why do some charge men's consciences with these things, and so lad them that they command & beat in as diligently, ye a great deal more diligently man's laws, then the most holy law of God? As for me self wittingly & with my will I deceive no man, nor I will affirm or hold nothing, which is disagreeing to the word of God, and the tatholike congregation. So earnestly move I to the word of God that yet I would not the occasion of falling should be given, the which specially doth springe (as this time is) of the traditions of men. And I do not study for all that, I that might utterly destroy ceremonies, and the statutes of the fathers: but I did give warning as it was my duty. For there was great difference between the keeping of ceremonies and man's traditions, and the righteousness of God, & that theridamas was a certain righteousness which must be earnestly looked upon, that we may know after what fashion men's consciences should be stablished & made strong against the gates of hell: and in what things true penance and amending of our living doth stand. In the mean season for the keeping of peace and charity I move & exhort to keep the ceremonies & traditions of the church & the fathers, where as they hinder not the study of true holiness, or have no blame or fault. Only I moved that we should not think, that all the strength of holiness did stand in despising or keeping of ceremonies. If any man will confute it that we have written, without the bitterness of envy: let him handle the matter as it were with his brother, & not with his enemy, for we be ready to confute without stubbornness, & to be confuted without any anger or stomach at al. If that I be thought to any man, more haysty and stirred than the mystery & service of the word can bear, let him not be angry with me, but with them which overcome me with their devilish & ungodly overseeing & winking at abuses & errors They grant plainly that there be marvelous great abuses in the church: but amend them not, where as they be so oft warned of them, both in season & out of season: the which they know well enough to be the seed of discord, pestilence & destruction of true holiness But let us leave alone this kind of men which be not servant in the spirit, & would to god that they said not with the unwise man, in their heart: There is no god. Well-beloved brother I have drawn out this gear after a rude fashion not gathering together all things which might have been spoken (as it doth appear) for this matter, but out of a great heap I took a few things here & there, but I will treat upon these matters in our common places more at large. The grace of Christ be with the. Amen.    
¶ The end of the old learning and new.   

¶ To the Christian reader.  
THat thou mayest the better understand (good reader) the articles of Fre will, Faith, Good works, and of merits, which in this present book be treated upon I shall here briefly show what God doth and hath done for us, and what we again ought to do for his sake as they that be thankful of the benefits received of him. And first will I declare the manner of justification, remission of sins, and salvation, which in scripture are all one thing, of whom it doth come, and to how many things it is applied.  
first it is applied unto God, for Paul sayeth Rom. viii. It is God that justfieth or maketh righteous. etc. And Ro. iii. That he only might be righteous and the righteous maker of him which is of the faith on jesus.  
secondarily it is referred unto Christ Actu. iiii. sayeth Peter: There is none other name given unto men under heaven, in the which we should be saved. Roma. iii. sayeth Paul: Without deserving are they made righteous or justified, even by his grace thorough the redemption that is done by Christ jesus, whom God hath set forth for a mercy seat thorough faith in his blood, to show the righteousness that availeth before him. etc.  
Thirdly it is applied unto mercy. Tit. iii. Not of works or deeds of righteousness which we wrought, but after his mercy he saved us. Roma. viii. Therefore when God would show wrath, and to make his power known, he brought forth with great patience the vessels of wrath, which are ordained to damnation, that he might declare the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he hath prepared unto glory, whom he hath called. etc. Item. i Pet. i Blessed be God and the father of our Lord jesus Christ, which according to his great mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope.  
Fourthly it is attributed unto his election, Ephe. i. According as he hath chosen us by him, or ever the foundation of the world was laid, that we should be holy and with out blame before him in love. joh. xv. I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye go and bring forth fruit ii Timo. i. God hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling not according to our deeds, but according to his own purpose and grace.  
fifthly it is attributed unto grace. Ephe. two. By grace are ye saved thorough faith, and that not of yourselves. Gala. i. I marvel that ye are so soon turned from him that hath called you in the grace of Christ. Tit. two. The grace of God that bringeth salvation unto all men, hath appeared.  
sixthly it is assigned unto the word. joh. xv. Now are ye clean because of the word, which I have spoken unto you. Esa. lv. Like as the rain and snow cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thither again but watereth the earth, maketh it fruitful and green that it may give corn and bread unto the sour: So the word also that cometh out of my mouth, shall not turn again void unto me but shall accomplish my will, and prosper in the thing whereunto I shall send it.  
Seventhly it is asscrybed unto faith, as Rom. iii. I speak of the righteousness before God, which cometh by faith on jesus Christ. And Roma. iiii. Unto him that believeth on him that justfieth the ungodly, is faith counted for righteousness. Ro. v. Because that we are justified by faith, we have peace with God thorough our Lord jesus Christ.  
eightly it is attribute unto good works as jac. i. Ye see then, how that of deeds a man is justified & not of faith. The places are so manifest (notwithstanding the common opinion) the faith only justifieth, that I am sure it troubleth no small number of people: and peradventure it may astonny even them, which count themselves well learned. For it is a great thing to bring the old and wily fox to a lease. Ye it is even a new thing unto the proud pharisees to say, that good works are not meritorious to obtain heaven by: for hitherto have they founded and underpropped their church with nothing so greatly, as with this opinion. What hath abused fasting more than thereby to obtain heaven? For fasting after their own choosing, they left the true fast, that God requireth and commandeth. Esa. lviii. & zach. seven. What caused more abuse of the supper of the Lord, them to use it that is the remembrance of the benefit and sacrifice for our sins, for a net & hook to gather & catch money with? saying that it is a work meritorious, & a sacrifice for redeeming of sins. Sometime were none chosen priests but such as were endued with such gifts as Paul requireth in a bishop: now that the B. of Ro. kingdom requireth many fauterers & adherents & that purgatory may be swept and kept clean, the which is no office for such Lords as bishops be, therefore sir John lacklatyne shall suffice for that office well enough, and mass shallbe made a sacrifice to purge and cleanse pylgatory, purgatory should I have said: Lord Lord open once our eyen, that we may see the blasphemy done to thy holy blood. Now will I go to your consciences ye that boast so greatly of good & meritorious works: I require you by the answer, that we all shall give at the great day: Did Peter that was prince of the apostles (as ye say) ever say nasse for the dead either himself or by other? show here upon any authentical chronicle or his own writing. If ye can not, than grant that it is an invention of your own, ergo a lie and a thing that shall perish with your days. If God's mercy shudle be bound to send souls to your purgatory, and at your massing again to release them, than were Christ no jesus, and God no father but a servant of yours, and contrary to his own words & doctrine. Leave therefore your new erroneous doctrine, and with the old teachers give God humbly glory. What caused more the abuse of honouring of saints: which dying in charity, are joined with us is charity, and therefore as true membres of one body, cease not to pray with us, so that worshipping their pictures & images, we rather blaspheme God, which hath forbidden such manner of worshipping, than worship them. But lest I be to tedious unto thee (good reader) therefore will I do my diligence to express the pith of all this matter in few words.  
God the father thorough the love that he had to his son Christ jesus, did cast his mercy unto us, which were sunken into the depth of sin and pitied us, & of his mercy and pity he chose us that we should be holy and without spot in his sight. And to them that he chose, he instilled the grace of his spirit, and sent them the word of health which they received thorough believing it: & than come they to the feeling of the goodness of God, and of very love are ready to fulfil what soever God commandeth them: and look how much they believe, even so much they work. And though it be true that we be justified in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid, yet is that only know to God, and we have no feeling of it until faith come. And even as God cometh downward, (for he thorough Christ had mercy on us, and of mercy did chose us before we were, and than after we come into this world instilleth grace thorough his spirit and than sendeth us his word, which the spirit causeth us to believe, & worketh faith in us, from whence all good works flow) even so do we go upward, and by my faith do know surely that God hath sent me his word & grace thorough his spirit to cause me believe it & therefore conclude that he hath chosen me, & hath mercy unto me thorough Christ his only son which is the image of the invisible God, first begotten before all creatures. Now is my duty again when I have & perceive this goodness of God the father and his son jesus Christ to me ward, that I stand not still and let his grace be vacant and idle in me: but (according to the spirit the he hath poured in me, and the grace that is given me, to use his gifts according to his will & commandment) to proceed from virtue to virtue, as from step to step alway approaching our loving father's kingdom nearer and nearer, where he sitteth & raineth world without end. To the which bring us he that will all mankind to be saved.  
AMEN.   

¶ Faults escaped in the printing.  
The iiii. leaf the two. page the xii. line read. Far ye well, and pray for. etc.