A PLAIN Declaration made at Oxford the 24. day of july, by Master Richard Smyth, Doctor of divinity, upon his Retractation made & published at Paul's cross in London, In the year of our Lord God, M. D. xlvij. the xv. day of May.  
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Londini, Anno Domini M. D. XLVII.  
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.   

A plain Declaration made at Oxford the 24. day of july by Master Richard Smyth Doctor of divinity, upon his Retractation made & published at Paul's cross in London, the xv. day of may Anno Domini M. D. xlvij.  
SAlomon saith Dominus proteget gradientes simpliciter: God will defend them that walk plainly At my first return from London immediately after my Sermon which I made last at Paul's Cross according to my bounden duty & promise, I should have chiefly & most principally declared and set forth plainly and fully here in Oxford all that my Retractation which I red and professed openly at Paul's cross. But in this behalf I utterly deceived myself: For I did omytt and let pass my most weight matter, because I intented to set forth three things at once. The one was too show that the Declaration of all my doings as touching my books, was but a Retractation and not a Recantation. The second was the earnest answering unto such (as I hard say) had conceived by mistaking of my Retractation, that I should deny and condemn the sacrament of th'altar (wherein is present the very body & blood of Christ) and the sacrament of Baptism. The labouring in these two things withdrew and troubled me very much that I could not earnestly travail in setting forth of my retractation according to my duty. For as touching the first where as I said I made a retractation and not a recantation, it was but an excuse of my doings. For as moche is commonly signified and meant by Retractation as by recantation. And because that all men for the most part which heard me so say do gather and take hereof (as I am credibly informed) that I did stick still and stand to mine old doctrine in all things: And that the retractation sent abroad in my name was either none of mine, or else that I was compelled and forced to agree unto it: I am very sorry that they so did mistake me. But I am most sorry of all that I for my part through my dark utterance should give them occasion so to think. Wherefore at this time I purpose to read unto you my retraction which I declared at Paulis cross, unto the which I agreed and consented freely and willingly without any manner of force or compulsion. And to th'intent you shall well perceive that this is my doctrine and my belief, I shall to my power both now and at all times hereafter, when occasion shall serve, set forth, maintain and defend the same. And here I shall most earnestly require you, and in our saviour Christ beseech you, neither to mistake me on the one side, neither to be offended or grieved with me on the other side. For in this my retractation I do not deny the holy sacrament of the altar, nor the Sacrament of baptism, nor finally any other thing comprised in the body of holy scripture as necessary matter of our belief. And where as sins the time that I declared my retractation at Pawlis cross I wrote and sent abroad sundry letters for mine excuse, and made also as it were a gloze and an exposition of my said retractation, whereby I might seem rather to travail for to preserve mine estimation, then clearly and sincerely to set forth the doctrine which I in my retractation willingly did profess: In this and in all other my writings, readings and teachings, what so ever I have written, read or taught heretofore, this that I now teach I know to be true. For that I have groundly tried & searched the same. We have a saying Amicus Socrates amicus Plato, magis amica VERITAS: He is my friend, and he is my friend, but the truth is most my friend. Truth is to be in braced, truth is to be defended, truth is my profession. Nother my fame nor estimation of myself, neither friendship of my dear friends, nor any other things shall make me ashamed of truth. I remember what the Lord of truth doth say: He that is ashamed of me before men, I shall be ashamed of him before my father which is in heaven. Now therefore I will read unto you my Retractation.  

THe holy Prophet David (good christian audience) saith right truly: Omnis homo mendax. That is to wit: Every man is a Liar of his own corrupted nature: The which thing how true it is, th'elder & best Writers in the Christian Church, do evidently declare, because they all have erred in their books Wherefore the great Clerk saint Austen, in an Epistle written to Marcelia writeth of himself: Vos qui me multum diligitis, si talem me asseritis, utnunquam in scriptis errasse me dic●tis, frustra laboratis, nec bonam causam suscepistis; facile meipso judice superamini, quoniam non placet mihi cum a chariss●●is meis talis existimor, qualis non sum. That is to say: Ye that love me much, if ye said that I am such that ye affirm that I never erred in my writings or Books, ye labour in vain, ye have not taken in hand a good cause: ye are easily overcome, I myself being judge: For it pleaseth not me when I am esteemed such a man of my moast dear friends as I am not. Here we see that this blessed father saint Austen was not ashamed to confess his error in writing: which thing he did not by words only, but also in a certain Book wherein he wrote very many things in which he confesseth that he was deceived. This Book is called in Latyn, Liber Retractationum: And in English, a Book of Retractations or Revocations, of such things which he wrote amiss & erred in. Shall I now be ashamed to acknowledge myself to have been deceived in my Book of Traditions? Am I worthy to be resembled or compared to this noble ancient Doctor of Christ's church? Will ye not believe S. Austen in other points of our Religion because he erred, & also confessed his error in diverse and sundry things of his books? To be short, who of all the Writers of books erred not? S, Ambros, S, Hierome, Chrisostome, Hilary, Cyprian, Origen, Tertulian, and all the other Doctors of the church were deceived in some points of their Books, as learned men do well know. Why therefore may not. I err, or why should I be ashamed too confess mine Error and too revoke it? Ought not every good man and woman too be esory for my fall in this my Book, and too rejoice with me acknowledging the truth in this matter of man's Traditions, Precepts, Ordinances, Rites, Ceremonies? Who seeth not that I have a just cause to excuse my weakness and fault and ask of you mercy? which I trust I have outayned of the Kings gracious highness, and his most honourable Counsel: by whose goodness and clemency I am here admitted and suffered too show mine Errors and Faults in my book of Traditions, which I made of late entitled thus: A brief Treatise, setting forth diverse truths, necessary both too be believed of Christian people and kept also, which are not expressed in the Scripture, but left to the Church by the Apostles Traditions, made and set forth by Richard Smyth, Doctor of Divinity and Reder of it in Oxford. Which Book I do Reprove & Revoke in divers Faults in it, of the which I will a non recite certain particularly, and then I shall give unto you a true and General Doctrine of all those things of which I do entreat in that my Book, that thereby you may well perceive & see, after what sort they ought too be taken of Christian people that no man err therein *  
first, Whereas I sp●kyng in my book of Traditions, of the authority of bishops in making laws and ordinances, which the people ought to obey, I did say & teach in this wise: That men ought to obey the bishops commandment in all things lawful, upon pain of everlasting damnation. And that these words of Matthew: Do as they bid you, but not as they do, be understand not only of things contained in Scripture, but also of the Church's ordinances besides Scripture made by the Ministers of the Church, although the said Ministers do abuse their authority for their own benefit and profit. And further, where I taught that it is more convenient that the people obey their bishops commandments & Decrees although it be but in a thing indifferent of itself and not commanded by God, than that servants should obey their masters, or children their fathers and mothers. And finally, where I said concerning the same matter: That as subjects be bound to obey and fulfil their Prince's Laws, which are not contained in God's Laws being not against it, even so be Christian people bound too obey & do that which their Bishops biddeth them do. All these sayings I do now Revoke, Disannul and Condemn as erroneous and false. And do profess and acknowledge first that the authority aswell of the bishop of Rome, whose authority is justly and lawfully abolished in this Realm as of other Bishops & other called the ministers of the church, consisteth in the dispensation and ministration of God's word, & not in making Laws, Ordinances and Decrees over the people beside God's word without the consent and authority of the Prince and people.  
¶ Secondly, I say & affirm that no bishop nor none of the Clergy assembled together have authority to make any Laws or Decrees besides God's Law over the people without the consent of the Princes and the people: and if they do make any such, no man is bound to obey them.  
¶ Thirdly, I say that in those countries, where by the authority of the Prince they have made any such Laws, th'authority of those Laws doth not append and hang of the Bishops and the Clergy, but of the princes & chief heads in every country  
¶ Fourthly, I say & affirm that within this Realm of England & other the kings Dominions, there is no 〈…〉 Constitution 〈…〉 and available 〈…〉, but only by the kings ma●●styes authority or of his 〈…〉.  
And where in my foresaid book of Traditions, I said that tenths of Benefices be 〈◊〉 only to them that do preach and teach the Scripture, and also that he that serveth not the Altar nor preacheth not the Gospel can not justly live by the tenths, but is in conscience bound to restore the profits and fruits taken thereby: Which my sayings as it lieth in words & sentences is seditious and slanderous to the Kings majesties procedings and the Laws and Ordres of this Realm, which have granted tenths and Tithes to many Ley persons: Therefore this my saying as it may be taken, & justly by the words 〈…〉 they be put, 〈…〉 to defend nor 〈…〉: but I require that I may 〈◊〉 them and declare them gently, that I meant not in these my sayings of any. Lay men, to the derogation of the Laws and Statutes of this Realm: but I meant only of Curates and priests which receiving their Tithes, do not their duties accordingly,  
And where also in my said book of Traditions, and likewise in my book of the Sacrifice of the Mass, I following Pamascene and other Ancient Authors, wrote, that the Disciples of Christ did make certain Canons, which saint Clement did gether together and put in writing, and that these same Canons must be taken for the Apostles doctrine and teaching, and their words without doubt to be believed & kept as that which is contained expressly in scripture. Now having red many things, which at that time I had not diligently marked & weighed: I do think, affirm, and confess that doctrine to be not true, but a vain, unlawful, unjust, and unportable burden to Christian consciences: And that those Canons pretended to be of thapostles making and gathered of saint Clement, not to be made of thapostles: or if they were, not to be made otherwise than but for an order in the Church for that time, not ever for to endure whereof many at this time in no wise be too be observed: And those which do remain, not to be of that force as God's law to charge men's consciences otherwise, then as man's Ordinances and Policy which may be taken away by Superior powers aswell & with so little scruple of conscience as other of them which many years a go were taken away, & to sum clean contrary laws made  
In the said book of Traditions also I said & affirmed, that Christ and his Apostles taught and left to the church many things without writing which we must both believe steadfastly & also fulfil obediently under pain of damnation ever to endure. Amongst the which I rehearsed by name a great number to be obeyed, kept & followed: as the observation of Lent from flesh or wine, the keeping of the Sacrament in the Pyx, the receiving of it at the priests hands, the hallowing of the water in the Font, the thrice dipping of the Child in the water at the christening, the putting, on of the Chrisom, the Consecration of the Oil, & Anointing of the christened child, the hallowing of the Altars, the praying towards the Taste, the Sensing of the aultare, the Washing of the hands, & saying Confiteor, and li●ting up of the Sacrament at the Mass, the making or Holy Water, That the xii Apostles (every man a piece for his portion) made the Crede, & many more besides these. And after like sort I spoke of Canons, Decrees, and Ordinances of bishops and general counsels.  
Now I do confess the said doctrine as concerning thobserving of the said Traditions under that pain, to be false and Tyrannical, an unjust, unlawful, and untrue burden of men's consciences, not fit to be taught, preached, or defended,  
Likewise of the believing of things where I did say, that there are diverse things not expressed in the scripture which we are bound to believe equally with those things which arr written in Scripture, in the number o● which I did confusely & indiscretely for an example bring some of the afore rehearsed and other many. As concerning many things in my book put, and the more number there by me reckoned and named, I affirm and say to be false, and in no wise true, but very dangerous and unjust, onerous to the consciences of christian men: and too be true only in those Doctrines which necessarily may be gathered, & consequently do follow too the words and sentences in Scripture, so that in effect they may be justly counted to be in scripture, though the very form of words be not there: Of the which in my Book is very few, yet some I did rehearse: as Baptismus puerorum, Descensus Christi ad inseros, Virginitas Marie, Trinitas personarum, Processio Spiritus sancti, and a few other.  
And because I would declare the true acception, dignity and authority of scripture too be distinct, diverse, & of higher, surer, more stable and firm order and credence, than the other unwritten Traditions & Assertions, wandering in th'observation of many years, & the church's canons and Decrees, ordinances and traditions left by succession.  
Here I do declare, set forth, confess, affirm, and assert my true & steadfast opinion, belief and faith in these things propounded & uttered unto me as concerning scripture written, and other Traditions unwritten and not declared in the said holy Scripture. 
1 Thaucto●…ite of scripture.   
The scripture of th'old and new Testament written by th'inspiration of the Holy ghost concerning our belief, is too be believed, accepted & taken as an undoubted truth, not to be altered, reformed or changed by any man, nor to be minished nor abrogate by any custom, but under peril of damnation to be believed, and under the same danger to be followed, having authority given unto it by almighty god, taught & inspired by the holy ghost depending of no man's authority, nor violable or defesible by any power, otherwise then under the peril & danger of eternal damnation.  
Such things as in the Acts 
2 Things in scripture for a tim● commanded.  of the Apostles or any other place of Scripture, as for a time was taught and setforth for an introduction of the weak in the faith, not to remain for ever, as faith increased was abrogate, none otherwise than it was thauthors mind and intent they should: those that concerned eating, drinking, covering or discovering of heads, or such other extern rites and ceremonies, rather concerning an order among men outwardly to be for a time observed, than an eternal law to rule and govern the soul.  
Such things as sometime be 
3 Things ●ecessary●y gatheed of scripture.  called traditions not expressly and by words found in holy scripture, but which may necessarily and well be gathered of holy scripture, are to be believed and followed, in somuch & as far as they may truly be gathered of the scripture, or consequently do follow the words and intentes of the same.  
Traditions pretended to be made 
4 Things ● belief ●ot necessarily gathered of scripture.  of thapostles, & by some authors ascribed to them as concerning things to be believed not found in scripture directly nor necessarily, & directly consecuting & following to scripture, lawfully & with out peril of damnation may be doubted of, & also denied and refused by the superior powers; & such as have Authority in the church.  
There be many things ascribed 
5 ●●●●ed f●●●ed diccon's. doctrine.  to thapostles, & called traditions deduced from the time of thapostles & read in the name of old Authors, and set forth under the pretenced title of their name, which be feigned, forged & nothing true, full of superstition and untruth, feigned by them which would magnify their own power and authority, as is the Epistles of Clemens, Anacletus, Evaristus and Fabianus, & other which arr set forth by the bishop of Rome and his complices, which be forged, feigned and of none authority nor to be believed, but counterfeited by them: who with the colour of a●●tiquitie, would magnify that v●●●ped power of the bishop of Rome.  
Traditions of 〈…〉 ●●●ther 
Things ●●ncerning ●…aners ●ot neces●…rely gathered or scripture.  they be in deed or 〈…〉 so ancient that they 〈…〉 used from the begyn●●● 〈…〉 & the time of 〈…〉 have been appointed 〈…〉 of later days by 〈…〉 bishop of Rome 〈…〉 by general 〈…〉 superiority of one 〈…〉 ●●●…ther: Watching, 〈…〉 sensings, 〈…〉 and all other such Rites, Ceremonies and comen Orders to be used in the church of God, doth not ●ynd but where they be received, and by disuse may be abrogate, or by contrary law made in any country by th'authority of the superior powers may be clean taken away, & other Rites, Canons, Traditions & Ceremonies brought in for them with out any danger of sin or grudge 〈…〉. And with any such 〈…〉, the kings 〈…〉 may either 〈…〉 cause, or of his 〈…〉 any cause 〈…〉 man from be●●… 〈…〉.  
〈…〉 with whom 〈…〉 have dispensed 〈◊〉 all, 〈…〉 free from them, 〈◊〉 use his said liberty with 〈…〉 sin or scruple of 〈…〉, either to the kings majesty which gave liberty, or to him which hath obtained the 〈…〉 ●●●pensacion. None otherwise than in any other act, statute or proclamation made by human policy, the kings majesty and the high powers may. When contrary wise that that is God's law and commanded by scripture always to be observed, no man can dispense with if, nor give any man liberty to break it, under danger of sin & corruption of conscience.  
This is my full, firm, and stable bele●e as touching the scripture written, & Traditions unwritten, & what thing soever I or any other heretofore have preached, taught, written or indited to the contrary of these my assertions & belief now declared unto you: or if any man hereafter (which God forbid) should preach, teach or set forth any thing which is not consonant & agreeing to these aforesaid articles and assertions, believe good hearers, and know you iurely, that it is a false, untrue & devilish doctrine and ungodly usurpation upon the holy Scripture, contrary too the true, pure, and Catholical doctrine of Christ's church. In the which ●aythe and belief contained in the said. vi. Assertions, I do intend good hearers with the grace of almighty God to live by Christ, and all my hope is also too die therein if need shallbe. And whensoever God shall call me thereunto (his grace assisting) I shallbe ready.  
AND now concerning another book which I made of the Sacrifice of the Mass, where the moast chief and principal article of our faith, and moast directly pertaining too the redemption of our sins and to our salvation is: That our saviour Christ jesus by his moast precious death and effusion of his moast precious blood upon the cross did redeem man kind, taking away our sins, pacifying the indignation of his father, and cancelling thobligation that was against us: In which Sacrifice making unto his father, our said saviour Jesus' Christ as saint Paul saith plainly to the Hebrews, was not a priest after the order of Aaron, forasmuch as he was of another Tribe: and also, that priesthood was impertite and unprofitable bringing nothing too perfection: But our saviour Christ made his sacrifice upon the Cross perfectly, absolutely, and with the most highest perfection that could be, somuch, that after that one oblation and sacrifice for sin made by him but once only, neither he nor any other creature should at any time after, make any more oblations for the same. And for as that saint Paul saith, he was called an eternal priest of the order of Melchysedech, and not of Aaron.  
This faith ought every man and woman undoubtedly to believe and openly to profess upon pain of everlasting damnation, and also too die in this profession if case shall so require: The which moast wholesome & moast necessary doctrine of our faith I not diligently considering, as many times too right great clerks & learned men in much writing in like matters it hath chanced to say too far. The infirmity and weakness of men being such, that seldom in many words error hath escaped. So in my book of the Sacrifice of the mass, I did incircumspectly & rashly write and set forth too the people, that Christ was not a priest after the order of Melchisedech, when he offered himself upon the Cross too his father for our sins, but was a priest after the order of Aaron. And that when Christ did offer his own body too his father after thorder of Melchisedech 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉, it may not be understand of the sacrifice of the cross, but of the sacrifice that Christ made at his Maundy in form of bread and wine. To the which in deed saint Paul's doctrine is contrary, both in other places, and in th'epistle ad Hebreos very manifestly, against whom (who without doubt had the very spirit of God) Neither it becometh, nor I will not willingly teach or defend any thing. Wherefore you shall impute that, good Audience, too the frailty of man's nature, and too my negligent marking, having at th●● time rather a respect too a fantasy that then I had in my mind, than too the true and infallible doctrine of scripture. And moreover in the same my book, I said not only that the Sacrifice of the mass is the self same substance of christ, but also the self same oblation or offering of our saviour Christ's very flesh and blood which himself once offered to his father on the cross to appease his wrath. And that the priests do continually and daily in the mass offer not only the self same body of Christ, but also to the same effect, that Christ did offer himself to his father at his Maundy. Of the which words and doctrine, if they be not very warily & circumspectly read, and more favourably taken then the words as they lie, may well bear, it might be gathered, that priests herein be equal with Christ. priests of thorder of Melchisedech, appeasing the wrath & indignation of the father of heaven, crucifying or offering Christ to the same effect that Christ in his own person did upon the cross, which is a blasphemy intolerable to be herd of christian ears. For Christ as saint Paul saith, was but once offered, once gave up himself for the redemption of our sins on good friday on the cross, nor never before nor after was offered for us, but in a sacrament and as a commemoration of the same. And so of the Maundy or Supper of our Lord, Christ himself saith Hec quotiescunque feceritis, in meam commemorationem sacietis. Ones he died for our sins, and once again he rose for our justification. He dieth no more, & his sacrifice was so good so full, so pleasant, so precious to god, that there needed no more oblations to appease god, nor only for the sins past, but also for all the sins to the day of Doom.  
There need no more sacrifices, no more offerers, but as having a respect and a remembrance of that most holy, most perfit, and most entire Lamb, then & for ever offered up for us. But these before said I can not deny but spoken of me and written, And as I do not now like them, so at th'example of saint Austen and other good doctors, I am not ashamed to retract them, call them again, & condemn them. For when I followed mine own invention not directed by Scripture, I began as the nature of man is to wander, and at the last went clean contrary too God's word.  
Wherefore, I heartily exhort every man as touching matters of faith to found the same upon God's certain, true, and infallible word: lest by doing the contrary, they fall into superstition, idolatry, & other manifold errers as I myself sometime, and many other (although I do not come hither too accuse any man) yet I perceive of 〈◊〉 time have done. Wherefore, these my two books, the one of the Sacrifice of the mass, and tother of the Traditions unwritten, in those points before rehearsed, & all other wherein they be not full consonant to scripture, I forsake & renounce 〈…〉 erroneous, and against the true word of God. Requiring the good christian reder whosoever shall read them, to give no further 〈◊〉 unto them than I would my false: That is, not to take as undoubted truth all that is therein written; but as written of a man 〈…〉 falleth: to be so 〈…〉 be consonant to scripture, 〈◊〉 they be not against scripture, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 human persuasion, which may either be so 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉, 〈…〉 soon shall 〈…〉 consonaunt to scripture 〈…〉 〈…〉 that I much 〈◊〉 & 〈…〉 that I wrote them in th●se points, And I desire every man that hath any of the said books ●s 〈◊〉 of them, and to give no 〈◊〉 to th●…m in all such things in them written, as be not consonant to the scripture, as they avoid occasion 〈◊〉, and tender the truth 〈…〉 and his glory 〈…〉 Amen.  
〈…〉 understand 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 of my doc●●●●… which I preached here in 〈…〉 ●eportinge 〈…〉 that th●se four thin●… to 〈…〉: y● 〈…〉 the ●●rites of christ: 〈…〉 person and the worthiness of the work The truth is they did mistake me, applying those words to our justification, which I spoke of the works of a man that is already justified. But to th'intent that no man hereafter shall waver or doubt of my faith and conscience, in the matter of justification: This is my certain & true doctrine therein, wherein I am fully resolved and persuaded, which I have ever taught sins I have been a teacher of the scripture, purposing (god willing) ever to remain in the same. This I say and affirm good audience, that this saying; that we be justified by only faith in Christ, is no new invented saying or proposition, but many times used of the best and most ancient doctors: as Origen, saint Basyl, saint Chrysostome, Ambrose, S. barnard, and divers other m●●and is a sure and undoubtful truth spoken of them in this meaning and sense, to seclude and put away the merits of all men's deeds, how good so ever they seemed to be, and only to ascribe the glory and merit of our justification to Christ and to his holy blood and passion, by which we are sanctified, redeemed & made good So that it was of them used to abate our pride, and to take away our glory, that we should truly acknowledge in us the benefit of god, the weakness, imbecility, and insufficiency of ourselves, not that a Christian man may contemn or despise good works, or that we should think a christian man's life to be an idle & a sluggish life, destitute of the fear of god, hope, repentance, charity, prayer, fasting, alms deeds, and all good works, and obedience to the commandments of god. But that we should acknowledge, that when we have done all that ever we can do, that we are but unprofitable servants, & have deserved no thanks for our works or merits, but by the mere grace and goodness of god through the merits only of his dereste beloved son Christ jesus. Which doctrine that only faith in Christ doth thus justify, is true, catholic, and a necessary doctrine to be taught to christian men in this manner: The which doctrine the most part of all which I have red of the ancient doctors do confess and teach. And therefore it may after this sort justly and truly be set forth published and taught also among us christian men, although this saying hath been evil taken and depraved of some as false and erroneous. And if a man in deed should think thus, that believing well (if a man might do so) and doing evil or doing nothing at all according to his belief and profession having time and space thereto, yet he should be saved, he surely thinketh foolishly and madly and so as never learned man wrote or thought that was a christian man and in his right wits. For scripture is plain: He that loveth God keepeth his commandements: And they that be Christ's sheep, hear his voice: and do thereafter. wherefore they that take preachers teaching that we be justified by only faith as though they would have them do no good works, they take them wrongfully, foolishly, & contrary to their true meaning, and understand them not: whose meaning is (as I suppose) to show the weakness of man, and the goodness of god: the infirmity of us, the benefit of christ: the imperfectness of our works, tha abundant grace of our saviour: that bating of our pride, the glory of the cross of Christ: man's weakness and gods power. And in very deed all our works fasting, prayers, alms deeds, pains, torments, poverty, abstinence, and all kind of suffering, which a man is able to do or abide, is not able to deserve or to get remission of sin, For it is only the mere mercy and great liberality of almighty god, thorough only death of his son jesus Christ, that freely pardoneth our offences, and maketh us acceptable to him. In whom we believing faithfully, and putting all our confidence and trust in him, and fully and firmly cleaving to him, can not be deceived, but on his back and with him we shallbe carried into the house of his father in heaven