The letters which johan Ashwell Prior of Newnham Abbey besides bedford, sent secretly to the Byshope of Lyncolne, in the year of our Lord M. D. xxvii. Where in the said prior accuseth George joy that time being fellow of Peter college in cambridge, of four opinions: with the answer of the said George unto the same opinions.  ☞ Every man that doth evil, hateth the light: and cometh not to the light, that his dedas should not be reproved. johan. iii.  


¶ The first opinion is (as M. priour saith) that a simple priest hath as large and as great power to bind and to lose, as hath a bishops, or the byshope of Rome.  
¶ The second that he imputeth unto me is that faith is sufficient without works.  
¶ The third that he feigneth on me, is that every priest may have a wife or a concubine.  
¶ The fourth, that every lay man may hear confessions.  
¶, v. And because he saith that I had men going on pilgrimage in de●is●on, I have set to the scripture that damneth worshipping of images.   

¶ Tandem vincat veritas.  

¶ Qui operit odium suum fraudulenter: revalabitur malicia ei●s in cetu. Proverbi. 26.  
He that kouere●h his hatred to hurt another: his malice shallbe openly declared.   
¶ Qui voluit l●pidem: reuer●etur ad eum. Proverbi. x●vi. He that rolleth a stone shall have it rolleth him again.   At last the truth will have the victory,  

¶ Here followeth the prior's letters taken out of his own hand word for word.  


¶ The superscription. To our most Reverend father in Christ and special good lord my lord of Lyncolne our diocesan be this delivered with speed.  
MOst Reverend father in god due recommendations had to you with humble obedience: I your spiritual child, loving subject, and daily bedaman is glad to here of your prosperous welfare, the which I and my brethren daily pray to god to continue. And where as your lordship wro te your loving letters willing them to be kept secret: so I beseech your lordship, that these simple letters of mine may be kept secret unto yourself. Also where as my Lord your suffragan informed your lordship one master joy by y● know ledge that he had of me what erroneus opinions he held: forso the some be out of my mind, and some I have called to my mind by the reason of your letters. ●●a opin●o erat quam ipse tenebat, quam tanta et tam larga potestas ligandi atque soluendi érat data a deo simplici sacerdoti, quan●a episcopo vel Romano pontifeci. Allegavit et probavit suam intentionem & opinionem per ista verba Christi dicent●s: ●ta in universum mundum predicate evange etc. Quia sicut misit me pater, et ego mitto vos. Hec ●um dixisset insufflavit & dixit eye se● in plurali numero: Accipite spiritum sanctum et quorum remiseritis per rer. eyes, & quorum re. re. sunt ergo. etc.  
¶ Se●unda opinio, an fides sine operibus sufficit Ipse tenebat quam sic. Et ego tenebam contra, quia di●us jacobus apos●olus ait, quam fides sin: operibus mortua est▪ Et sic pro & contra inter nos. Sed tamen in conclusion● sua ipse concessit quam opera fidei subintelliguntur in vera fide & perfecta, & sic conclusionem f●ciebat quam sola fides sufficit.  
¶ ●er●ia opinio, quam quilibet sacerdos potest habere urorem v●l concubinam: et posuit exemplum in beato Petro, qui habebat urorem ante vocationem & post vocationem. Sed frater m●us celer●rius tenebat quam non utebatur uxore sua post vocationem svam ad apostolat● sicut ante, sed Petrus faciebat ut apostolus P●ulus a●● in quadam epistola: Qui habent vx●r●●, ●●●quam non habentes sint. Et sic pro & contra erat m●●r ●os. Et fra●●r mens celerarius interr●g●bat ipsum, qua●e Ecclesia militans hic in terris ●ta statu●t ac ordinavit quam ministri Ecclesie non haberent v●or●s vel concubinas nunc sicut tunc, at ip●e respondebat. Nam lex ꝑ Ro. pontificem cum suis Cardinaub●s Episcopis ac ministris est lex positiva & per hoi●m facta, quapropter pont per hoinem cōfring● ac d●str●● ꝓ m●lior●proposit●, et allegavit illud dictum, Quod eius est destruere cuius est condere.  
¶ Quarta opinio erat, quam●libet la●cus pont audire confessiones: tur●a illud divi jaco. Confitemini alteru trun p●tam vr̄●. etc. E● frat meus celerarius fatebat hoc esse li●itum in ●ꝑe magne necessitatis, alias non: et allegau●●quam uriste dicunt, quam non est licitum in lege necessitas fac●t ●●●trū. Sed ipse dicebat contra atque tenebat quam in o●●ꝑe ꝑ ●llud dictū●. jaco. Confitemini. etc. ●terea voluit habere hoies peregre proficiscentes in derisum: ob quam causam non venit nunc ad memoriam. But for these & diverse other we have been sometime sine charitate ꝓpter circumstantes & sedentes. And sometime I have given him exhortation openly & sometime secretly that he should leave such Lutronus opimons. also M. chancellor made search for him diverse times when he came into the country but then he was ever at Cambrig in Peter house. And M. chancellor gave unto me straight commandment in your lordship's name that I should not suffer him to preach in no●e of your churches with out your licens & writing with your sealle, & so he came no more at me, nor I pray to god that he do not except he amend quia dictum vulgare infectionis with heresi, inlisy, & frenzy, etc., but I beseech your lordship that no creature may know that I▪ or any of mine do show you of these things for then I shall leusse the favour of many in my ●ontre. But I am, & have been, & will be ever at your commandment. Et sic valeatis in Christo jesu sicut cor in corpore meo.  
Your loving subject and daily orator johannes prior de Newenham licet indignus   

¶ More over I have hard sum reports that when he have been among lay persons at festis or yōkers in the country he hath had many lewd opinions among the people & some good folks would murmur and grudge at his sayings & some would rejoice therein.   

¶ The answer of George joy or gye as he calleth him.  
MAster prior, I marvel greatly, considering: the great kindness & love that you ever pretended toward me never opening your grief & mind to me so oft resorting to your place, never moneshing me (although you say that you exhorted me openly & secretly, which is not true) that you ne ver made any insinuation unto me of this your privy odious intent, but rather showed me outward lie a fair flattering countenance desiring me oft to abide with you: but (as I now perceive) all was to honte out somewhat of me whereby you might thus Ind ●ily betray me, and so do your spiritual father and other, such a secret sacrifice. Surely I had never believed although it was told me of many that you had thus accused me, had I not seen your own hand: which letters I would have wynited at as I do yet at other mennys false reports on me, if I had been but guilty all things (as I am not) which you do impute unto me than I would have let your letters lie still in darkness after your desire: Or if they had been but only harmful unto my boby & name which I am bound to defend: yet I would have suffered s●f●e silence ● pacyeno to have been my patrons & defenders before god, never to have answered you, comfortig myself in my god the God of all comfort, now expulset my native land thorough your letters losing my poor living, forsaking all my kin and friends, being in great poverty and kare in the which all you have set me for that I would avoid the cruel tyranny of your spiritual father & of other incenste by your letters. I would (I say) have comforted myself and do daily as god giveth me grace with this one comfortable saying of my saviour Mat. 5. Blessed are you when men cast rebukes and slanderous revilings upon you, persecuting you and report all manner of evil against you, belying you for my sake: Rejoice and be glade for great is your reward in heaven. This one sentence is enough to answer for me ● to comfort me against all slanders and false reports, and even against your letters as touching my person & fame. But in that your letters & opinions are slanderous & blasphemous against god and his truth, I may not suffer them to be head in darkness as you desired your most reverend father to keep them. Wherefore I shall by god's grace avenge & deliver his truth from your false opinions, & that by his true word that yet if thus, it would please god to open your eyes & show you his truth & call you to repentance ¶ first you say that one opinion was that I held, that as great & as large power to bind & to lose was given of god to a simple priest as to a bishop or to the byshope of Rome (which is more. Which intent & opinion (you say (I proved by these words of Chryst saying. Go your ways in to the world and preach the Gospel. etc. For as my father hath sent me, so send I you. etc. Sir, first ye shall know that what so ever the scripture affirmeth, I hold it for no opinion: but I believe it to be true for there ie great difference between faith & opinion And as for these texts which you say that I alleged to prove my intent, look you whether they make for your opinion of binding and losing in secret confession after your understanding, or rather to pertain to the open preaching of the ● orde of God. And turn to Mark in the. 19, chap. and look whether this your text. Quia sicut misit me pater. etc. followeth (as you alleg it) ●te in mundum universum with a conjunction causal as you falsely bring it in to show the cause of the sentē●e be fore. But turn to johan cap. 20. & there shall you see it stand without a Quia as a proposition first propounded of Christ in a comparison or similitude and afterward there disposed, the comparison declared both in the giving of the holy ghost & power to forgive & to hold sins Nether did ● allege these texts as you do at rovers so confusely one evangelist with another to confute your false opinion, not yet added I any sc●liret in plurali numero, for Solomon warneth Prouerbi orum. 30. that we add nothing to god's word lest we be reproved & found liars. And Christ spoke his vordes in the plural number at the giving of his keys to all his apostles: as ye may see joh. 20 without any scil●cet, if you know a verb of the plural number from the singular. But I pass over your ignorance, and shall prepare me to confirm the truth into the confutation of your false opinions, of the which. The first is that a bishope or the byshope of Rome (by whom you understand the Pope) hath a greater & larger power to bind & to lose given them of god than a simple priest. That the truth of god's word might be delivered from your false opinions and loosed from your violent wresting of holy scripture: and that it appeareth verily by your opinion, that you know not what Christ meant by the keys of the kingdom of heaven, neither yet what is understand by binning and losing: ye shall know that when Christ asked his disciples. Mat. 16. Whom say you that I am? peter (as the mouth of them all) answered that thing which they all believed: even thus. Thou art Christ the son of the living god. That they all believed thus as Peter openly confessed, the terte following declareth. For eu● incontinently he warned not only Peter, but all them whom he asked the question that they should not tell any man that he was jesus christ This, johan declareth in the. 6. chapter. Where Christ asked his disciples. And will you go away to? Peter answered as the mouth for them all. Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of everlasting life, & we believe (he said not I believe alone) & know that thou art Christ the son of the living god. Here Peter answered for them all the same thing that he confessed. Mat. 16. upon this therefore so faithful a knowledge & belief sen● in them all he promised them. Mat. 16. the keys of the kigdom of heaven, for where he saw like a faith there would he give like office: And as Bede saith in the Homelte of the same text. When all were asked in general. Peter alone for all answered, so that the same thing that Christ answered Peter, answered to them all in Peter, saying: Blessed art thou Simon bariona. etc. And to the shall I give the keys of the king done of heaven that what so ever thou shalt lose in the earth it shallbe loosed in heaven: And what so ever thou shalt bind in earth, i● shallbe bound in heaven. That he promised them all, these keys it is manifest in the performing of them. john. 20. ●a. Where it is told when these keys here promised were given, to whom they were given, and what he meant by them mark in the. 16. & Luk in the 24▪ both to telling the same story. They were given the same day that christ rose from death at the eavening, the disciples gathered together in an house for fear, the doors shut to them unto whom christ entered in saluting them saying: Peace be with you But first let us see what Christ meant by these keys your opinion is that these keys are the authority or power whereby Pope bishope or priest holdeth and absolveth the man that confesseth him into their ears, and of this power only (I dare say) you understand your opinion, and so accused me as adversary to it. But Master prior you shall understand that I mean no such power by these keys neither Christ meaneth any such by them For when he gave them these keys: he sent them not forth with them to hear confessions, but to preach his gospel, as witnesseth both johan, 20. and Mark, 16 so that these keys are annered unto the ●ffyce of preaching as ye may see at the giving of them. But if ye were well acquainted with Christis gospel, ye should have red year this in Matthew the 23. chapter. Woe be to you scribes and ●ariseis hypocrites for you shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. etc. How (I pray you) did the● s●i● it up? Luk declareth. cap II. saying woe be to you lawyers for you have taken away the key of knowledge, so that neither yourselves enter in, and yet forbid you then that would enter in. Now thanked be god which hath here told us at the last what he meant by his keys calling them the keys of knowledge: but I pray you how d●d the pharysays & lawyers shut up the kingdom of heaven? verily (even as Luke saith) in that they took away the key of knowledge whereby men should come thither, as now do their successors forbidding men to preach Christ'S Gospel, and to read his holy testament which is the very key of the knowledge of God our father and of christ his son to be our only saviour: this is the key that openeth the high way so the byngdome of heaven, this openeth the door of the which christ speaketh johan. 10. thorough them which door who so ever entereth shallbe saved etc. And for this cause Christ called his gospel & holy word the key of knowledge or keys in the plural number of the kingdom of heaven alluding unto the double property that one key hath both to open and shit. Now s●th the shitting up of the kingdom of heaven by the taking away of the key of the knowledge of god's word: then must the opening of it needs be the giving of the key of the knowledge of God's word. Which knowledge standeth in the preaching hearing & reading thereof, wherefore christ said at the deliverance of these keys Mark the. 16. Go your ways into all the world and preach my gospel. And johan cap. 20. As my father had sent me so send I you. Here may you see what Chryst meant by these keys promised Math. 16. & when they were given, Luke telling the same story more at large ●ayenge: Thus it behoved Chryst to suffer as it is written & to rise again the third day from death, that repentaun ●s and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations. For at the preaching of the law, men know their sins, & feal themself bounden, of the which know●eg and filing there followeth repentance. And at the preaching of the Gospel which promiseth remission of sins there followeth faith which loseth the capture cons●yence in to the quiet lyber●ye of the spirit. Now had they the word delivered them to be preached which he called the key of knowledge, ●ow were they inspired with the holy ghost, now was the key of david given them that openeth & no man shytt●th. ●po. 3. for after long communication & declaring himself to them he said these are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you: for all must be fulfilled which were written of me in the law of Moses, in the prophets and psalms. Then opened he their hearts that they mygh understand the scriptures, the property of a key is to open that which before was shut, thus, doth Luke allude and agree his speech with the properties of a key, for before in the journey to Emaus with the two disciples he saith their eyes were shut up and h●lden so that they knew him not, but after he had rebuked them for their unbelief & opened them the scriptures turning the key of his word in their hearts, the holy ghost working with all, their eyes were opened & they knew him. Here may ye see in the story of Luke how with his word he opened the hearts of these two disciples yet locked up in unbelief before they, returned to Hi●rusalem unto the other xi disciples. Now saith he, even as ● was sent, that is to say, to open men's hearts losing them with the key of my knowledge from unbelief by preaching and erpounding the scriptures, even so send I you, he sent not only them but hath sent hitherto & shall send preachers with the same key● es of knowledge of the word to bind & to lose like wise unto the worlds end. Note here also how oft Luke useth these words, their eyes were held, their eyes were opened, he oponed their wits ever more alluding unto the property of a key. Thus he opened their hearts with the key of his word to bring in his knowledge in to them, the holy ghost breathed into them and turning the kaye in their hearts into the right sense and under standing of his word, An example is set to in john of Thomas Dydimus which was not among thapostles at the geu●g of these keys of y● know lege of his glorious resurrection which was that Gospel and the very joyful tidings: wherefore his heart was yet locked up & holden in unbelief: not withstanding yet the other apostles did put this key into him & so begun to practise it upon him saying. ●idimus d●im: but this key turned not right in his heart ne opened it, for he believed them not but said: Except I see the holes of the nails in his have des & put my finger into them, ye except I put my hand into his side, I will not believe it. (Here was Thomas sore bound & held with the sin of unbelief) But after. viii. days, they being there within again & Thomas with them, jesus came in, the door shut & stood among them saying: peace be with you: & then said he to Thomas: put in thy finger here & feel my hands, put up thy hand and thrust it into my side, & be no more in unbelief but believe. Here the key of Christ's word turned right in though mass his heart losing it from unbelief, & he said D●s meus et deus meus, my Lord & my god. The word of god containeth both the law & the Gospel. The law is that which god commandeth us to fulfil, as are the. x. commandments, the gospel is the power of god unto health for every man that believeth. Ro. i. & it is the promise of grace & remission of sins given us thorough Chryst. The law is spiritual & requireth our hearts & our very effects: as to believe & to trust in God only to love him with all our hearts, soul, & m●de above all things. Here the law showed us our sins & of what sinful nature we are that can not fulfil these commandments: here it worketh wrath, it feareth & so vexeth our consciences at the knowledge of our sins that we begin n● to be angry with god's judgement wryking in us (such is the weakness of our sinful nature) ye and we in a manner despeyer: thus the law working her power and office in us, sin is increased, and we are led captive and bound under the law of sin which is in our members▪ Roma. seven. For the law is the power of sin. i Corin. xv. At these offices and use of the law preached or red, a sinful consciences feeleth herself bounden and held under the power of sin and karyed toward damnation as Paul declareth in his pistle to the Romans, there he expressing the nature & strength of the law, as every sinner touched of God may feal verily in his own heart at his conversion. But w●en the gospel cometh which is that joyful tidings, that christ came to call and to save sinners, & that grace & forgeue●es of sins is given thorough his death to as many as believe this comfortable promise: them the sinner hearing these tidings & believing them perfectly: feeleth his heart eased, comforted & loosed. But if he believeth it not: them is he yet held still bound in to damp nation: this is the binding & losing of the keys of gods word. This expressed he bretely in Mark saying. He that believeth & is baptized shallbe saved, & he that believeth not Shallbe dā●ned▪ & johan on this manner said: whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: & whose you shall hold, they are held▪ Also another manner of bindig and losing by these keys, the scripture rem●breth in the. 18. ca of Mat which place showeth us how the virtue of excommunication or separating of obstinate impenitent and open sinners out of the cōgrega●yon should be used first the sinner ought to be rebuked of his brother wh● he had offended, & then if he will not hear him to ●e monished before one or two witnesses, & yet if he hear them not to be complained of unto the holy congregati●. Whom if he yet will not hear/ th● to be separated from● the fellowship of the faithful. This communication o● putting out of the congregation Christ called in the said place of Matthew a binding: and the reconsiling of the same person (if ●● be penitent after this) is there called a ●osynge. W●er ●pp● he said unto his disciples on this ma ●●●. If this obstinate man will not hear the congre gation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to you as an heathen and publica ●●, that ●● to say, as an infidel excluded out of 〈…〉 s company. For verily I say unto you, 〈◊〉 so ever ye bind upon the earth they shallbe 〈◊〉 ●● heaven, and what so ever you lose on the ●r●● they shallbe loosed in heaven, that ie to say, whom so ever you put out of the congregation here, aft●r this form prescribed you, the ●ame thing is confirmed in heaven: and whom you receive aga●●g as penitent & sorry for his offences the same is rec●●ued in heaven. This manner of binding and losing Paul put in execution once upon the open sinners as ●e may read in the. v. ●ap of the first to the Corin. there binding and holding in him in his sin as an obstinate, op●n, unshametaced sinner now put out of the holy company, & after his great heaviness and repentance loosed him again reconciled and restored unto the congregation: as it is written in the. two. Corin▪ cap. two. Now compare the form & cause of Paul's executing of this manner of excommunication & absolving again unto our bishop's lightnings & thondringes of their excommunicatyons & hursynges, & lok● how they agree with Christ's word & Paul's form in all circumstances.  
¶ But as for the keys which are the law & Gospel preached or read, for that the one bindeth and the other loseth the believers from sin and condemnation: it needeth not to dispute whether the pope hath more power to lose with preaching thereof then a bishop, or a bishop greater than a simple priest. For the Pope's high holiness may not descend to so vile a law an office although he were learned, and then bishops business may not attend to execute th'office & power of edifying they are so full occupied in destroying, the simple sir jahan is not now learned and yet if he were learned, he must have their authority which is hard to be obtained if he will preach the truth Peter & Paul were but poor simple priests in comparison to our holy father the Pope, to the most reverend Cardinals graces, and to our lords the bishops, & ye● I think they had as great & as large (as you say) power to lose & to bind with preaching the word of God as hath Pope, cardinal, bishop, abbot, or p●●our And as for the scripture, it putteth no such difference of lordly pours, neither knoweth ●● such lordly and ●●ought names: but saith to them, though the heathen play, the Lords, yet shall not you be so, it ●ayth not you shall be so: but vos aut● non si●. But set men to look whether it be truly translated into english that while they are in cōf●●●yng on text with another looking na 〈…〉 e for fa●tes in the translation where none was 〈…〉 a●tes and abomination might be balked or the less espied: but had they left honting for errors in the translation and conferring text to text, and compared your living ●o the gospel, they had seen them agree together as darkness with light, and the devil with with Christ. More over the scripture knoweth no such difference as you suppose between Pope, bishop and priest but calleth a preach a bishop and a bishop a priest if ye english these two words pres biter & Episcopus after the comen English as ye may ●ede. Act. 20. and. i ad Titum. And as for this name Pope or the overmost bishop, I find them not but that there were certain called the chief or principal of the priests unto whom judas went saying: what will you give me & I shall betray him and deliver him into your hands, as you had went to have delivered me by your secret false letters of the which chief priests it is written also Math. 27 that they called a counsel early with the elders of the people against jesus to deliver & to put high to death. Now (I trust) ●. priour, you see how the law preached bindeth, & the gospel loseth & how christ put the keys of his gospel in to the hates of his disciples once locked up in unbelief and ignorance, and how happily he turned them openning their hearts into the knowledge of him now risen by the power of his spirit, preaching & interpretinge them the law and the prophets ●osing their ●oittes & opening their eyes. And even so do the preachers of god's word daily that are sent & inspired with his spirit (all though they be but simple priests in your eyes & neither pope nor bishop) occupy their minds in his law day &▪ night & exercise these keys busily turning them in men's hearts whetting the word of god upon them and, as Paul exhorteth his Timothe preaching his word, are fervent in a season or out of season, improve rebuke, exhort with a● long sufferige, 2. Timo. 4 These men I say that thus preach and teach continually gods word and declare it purely have ●hr●keyes of the kingdom of heaven, these lose when they o●ē sinners hearts into repentance and faith they bind when they preach the law & hold styl● such as believe not their words but resist & persecute them. And you, M, prior and as many as neither can nor will preach but persecute them that God tendeth with these keys: you (I say) whethe● ye be Pope, Cardinal, bishop, abbot, pryou● or pre●s●e, neither lose nor bind, nor yet have you Christ'S keys but only those rusty traditions & laws of men to shut up the kingdom of heaven, ● to take away the knowledge of Chryst with ungodly inibitions, lightenings & thundering of excommanications, threatenings, persecutions, impresonynges, scourgings, and burnings, nothing fearing that terrible thunder ●clappe of Christ'S own mouth daily thundering over your heads. crying Mat. xxiii. Woe be to you scribes & Phari ●e●s hypocrites, for you shut up the kigdome of heaven before men, and neither yourself enter in, nor yet suffer you such as would come thereto to enterin And yet fear you not this terrible threatenige of ever lasting damnation hanging over your heads. These are your counterfeited kei●s and false pest lent persuasions to drive the people from the knowledge of God's word and their salvation, which word is the key and high way to the kingdom of heaven, ye say it is hard and dark▪ for the lay people/ but woe be to you saith I say ca v. that tell them the light to be darkness▪ you say that the scripture in English would make sedition, breed errors & heresies among the lay men & so to be evil for them: but woe be to you saith I say that say that th●●e which is good to be evil, ye say the letter slayeth thee, is unsavoury and bitter for them, but woe be to you saith I say again that say the which is sweet to be bitter. Thus is the holy, ●lear● good and sweet gospel of Christ belied shamefully & blasphemed of you. If it be bitter unsavoury, it is an evil savour, it is koucred and dark to you that perish she saith Paul. 2. Corin. 2. &. 4. It had been better for you to have obeyed the counsel of Gamaliel. Act. 5. then thus so manifestly repugned & fought against god: but you are so blinded with your own malice that you ●e not how sith you inhibyted the preachers, and the word of God to be ●aught and red of the lay men, and persecuted it, the more it enc●eseth, it groweth, it spreadeth, it thrusteth you down & declarh●h you openly to be the very Pha risaes, scribes, hypocrites, and eue● the very Antichristes', that Christ and his apostles prophesied to come in the last days. Repent, repent you therefore and ●e converted to God, ask grace and mercy, that he will illumine your hearts ● lose you with the keys of the knowledge of his holy word, and unlock your wits out of this blind ignorance and unbelief. Amen.  
¶ But yet sir, if your learning be so increased sith the time that you chased me away wi●h these your letters, that you can make me this objection, taken of Mark in the second chapter and Luk in the 5. that ●t is only god that forgiveth sins: and so the Apostles forgive them not. Then I answer you that there are many things pertaining only to god which be of his infinite goodness giveth unto us and calleth them ours. The keys which are the word ●● his, & yet he calleth the word ours and many things that were wrought with the same word, as in mat 10. where he said to the apostles. He ha●●e the sick, make clean the leprous, raise the deed, castout devils, which all were his works & yet he gave then power to do his works. The word where with they did these miracles, was his word, and yet he called it theirs, saying. Who so ever receive not you, neither will hear your words, etc., ye and even our own good works (as we believe) it is he that worketh them in us, as testifieth Isai● the. 26 and yet is he content of his liberality that we bore the name of them, and be called our works. but he rewardeth his deeds in us saith Augustin. Y● this solution satisfieth you not, then remit I you unto like manner of speech, a ●eremye. 15. Where God bade jeremy cast out the jews from his presence, saying: Eiice illos a fancy mea. And yet god ●asted them out his own self, and even so in like authority he said to the Apostles: Whose sins so ever you forgive, they are forgiven. etc. For after the familiar phrase and v●hemence of the Hebrew speech (as the professors of that tongue affirm) When god ●ad jeremy ●aste them forth: he would nothing else but that he should tell and preach them to be cast forth and led in captivity if they amended not their living, so when he said to th'apostles. Whose sins so ever you forgive. etc. He meant that to whom so ever you preach and tell them their sins to be forgiven, if they believe in me ● change their life, their sins are fongeven. For ●s at jeremies' preaching the ungodly were castoute, so at Thapostles preaching the penitent believers have their sins forgiven. And the unbelievers are holden captive in their sins.  

¶ M. Priour of New●hams second opinion  
NOw as touching your second opinion, which you say that I held: That faith with out works is sufficient, verily I never said so: but I might say that by faith without works a man is justified, which is Paul's saying in the third cap. to the Romans, & this sentence I believe as ●● we with Paul, & hold it for non opinion. And for a declaration of this Paul's sentence I will first tell you what is faith, what it is to be justified before god, & what is the ryghwysenes of faith First ye shall know that the apostle defineth faith in the▪ 11▪ ca to the Hebrews saying that faith is the very sure & substantial belief of him which is the same thing that we hope for: that is to say faith is an infallible & undoubted certainty in our hearts, whereby we believe and trust in the invisible God: and to open this definition yet more plainly. Faith is that same constant and fast persuasion in our hearts assured us by the holy ghost, certifying us of the goodness of God and of his promises towards us, by the which persuasion we believe verily his words and are assured in our hearts (the holy ghost testifying it in us) that he is our God, our father, to us an almighty helper and deliverer, and that we are received in to his favour by the death and merits of his son jesus Christ our saviour, upon the which belief and assured persuasion we love him so earnestly again that we cease not (the occasion and time offered) to fulfil his pleasures in doing the worker of love or charity to our neighbours. Of this lively faith Paul speaketh always, which by love is mighty in ope ration ad Gala 5. and mente no more dead faith in this his sentence. A man is justified by faith, them he mente of a dead man, when he alleged the prophet Abakuc saying, the rightwise shall live of his faith, for deed faith giveth no life  
¶ To be justified or to be made rightwise before God by this faith, is nothing else but to be absolved from sin of God, to be forgiven, or to have no sin imputed unto him of God.  
¶ The rightwiseness which is allowed before god that cometh of faith is sometimes in scripture call led his mercy or favour toward us & in us, where by he is moved for Christ's bloods sake to promise us forgiveness. And sometimes it is taken for his truth & faithfulness in the performing of his promise, & of this is he called just or rightwise, faith full and true. Wherefore the scripture commonly joineth these two words, mercy and truth or faith fullness together especially in the psalms as I noted in the argument of the 89. Psalm, and as Da vid prayeth god in the. 31. psalm. to deliver him for his rightwiseness sake: that is for his mercy's sake or for his truths sake, and in the. 5▪ Psal lord lead me forth for thy rightwiseness sake. The mercy whereby god is moved to promise us his benefits goeth before, and his truth in performing followeth, now the manner of the scriptures is, to use the one for the t'other, as the kingdom of heaven for the gospel which goth before and is the knowledge of the way to the kingdom, and because of hearing the word, cometh faith. Ro. 10, therefore to hear in scripture is sometimes taken for to believe, as john in the. 6. Every man that hath hard and is learned of my father cometh to me, that is to say, every man that believeth on the father. etc. and in the same ca He that cometh to me shall not hunger, which saying the sentence following expoundeth thus, He that believeth in me shall never thirst or shallbe ever satisfied, here, to come to Chryst which followeth faith in him is taken for ●o believe in him and sometime that at goeth before is taken for that at followeth, as may appear well to them that are exercised in reading of holy scripture, as the key of knowledge and the gospel are all one, for that one cometh of the t'other. furthermore. Paul in the. ● &. 19 ca to the Ro. & in the. 3 to the Phy●●. declareth two manner of rightwiseness: one he calleth the rightwiseness of the law or our own rightwiseness, & the other the rightwiseness of god or of faith. The rightwiseness of the law is that at is gotten by works of the law, the rightwiseness of faith is that whereby God of his mercy reckoneth us rightwise for our fayhtes' sake. Outward works show us rightwise before the world, but faith justfieth us before God, Abraham's outward deed in obeying God and going forth to offer his son Isaac, Gene. 22. and james. 2. was a testimony of his faith, and declared him rightwise before men, after the rightwiseness of the law, but his faith justified him before god ●onge before ye● Isaac was borne. Gene. 15. Also we are justified before God only in that we are chosen in Chryst before the world was created. Eph. 1. Of the which election and justification, our faith when god giveth it us, certifieth our hearts, & afterward when our faith breaketh forth in to good works (for true faith can not be idle) then are our works a testimony before men of our foyth, so that our faith is a secret and a sure persuasion to ourself of our election before God, and our works that proceed of faith are a testimony of our faith to the world, of the which outward works the world judgeth us rightwise after the rightwiseness of the law. But here let m● take heed lest they despise the rightwiseness of faith as heresy, & stand to the righwysnes of their own works. Ot whom thus speaketh paul. ●o. 10. They are ignorant of the rightwiseness which is allowed before god, & go about to stableshe their own righteousness: wherefore they are not under the ryghwisnes of God. There Paul (as I pointed you to be fore) bringeth in Moses, Leuiti. 18. & in Deutero. 30. describing these two rightwiseness, as one contra rye to the t'other, of the which description I will not here tarry, read the places and Paul's pistle to the Ro. & to the Gala. & understand it if god will give it you. This is therefore Paul's sentence to the Romans in the third chapter. We suppose that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law, understanding it of justification, and of that rightwiseness that is of lively saith & allowed before God, as I have declared it before. And for the probation of this sentence, the Prophets, christ his own fel●e, and his Apostles spent all their labours and lives, & especially Paul labouring above all other to confirm it, as it appeareth in his pistles, and especially in his pistle to the Romans. Wherein he laid this sentence of the iustyfyinge by faith, at the beginning as his principal proposition and chief foundation grounded of the testimony of Abakuc the prophet. Against the which proposition, the jew which sought for the rightwiseness of works, as now do the false Christian, a non objected saying, as you do now If faith only justifieth, wherefore then is the law with so many good works commanded us to fulfil it? Paul answereth. By the law come men into the knowledge of their syunes. And because ye should understand by the law he mente the moral law, & not the ceremonial. He gave ex●ple in the 7. ca of the moral law saying. I had not known the concupiscence had b● sin except the law had said. Thou shalt not lust And now therefore (saith he Rom 3, (the rightwiseness of God is made manifest with out the law by the Gospel from faith to faith which rightwiseness was sometime preached of the Prophets and proved by the testimony of the law, And now are men justified freely by Goody mercy and by the redemption that is ●● jesus Christ thorough faith in his blood etc. R●●. Then again objecteth the Jews as now doth the Christian/ in the beginnige of the 4. ca, What then shall we suye to Abraham our father after y● fuessel: what goat he by his works? Was he not justified by them? If Abraham (saith Paul) were justified by his works/ so hath he whereof to rejoice/ but not before God. And even here is james question soluted jaco, 2. saying. Abraham our father▪ was he not justified by his deeds when he would have offered his son Isaa●●yes verily▪ as here saith Paul he had to rejoice before men but not before God that is to say he had that deed which justified him and declared him just outwardly before men with the rightwiseness of the law for his obedience: but as concerning the rightwiseness of faith before God (saith Paul (Abraham believed in god and it was reckoned him for rightwiseness. This is Paul's first argument to prove his principal proposition which argument he taketh of the example of Abraham father of the people of God In whom the form of rightwismakinge was first declared and set forth for our example, These ●onde argument Paul deduceth of the definition of this word Was reckoned: which standeth in the said authority of Genesis. 15, and it signifieth a reckoning & a free forgiveness of a duty which the detto●r is not able to pay saying, To high that is the reward not reckoned of favour but of duty: And to him that worketh not but bel●▪ n on him that justifieth the ungodly. Faith is reckoned (for rightwiseness (faith saith he and not) even as David saith, Blessed is that man to whom the lord reckoneth not his sinn● he said not blessed is he that worketh but he to whom God reckoneth not synnie that is to say although he be a sinner and not able to come out of debt yet will not God of his mercy reckon it unto him ●e lay it to his charge for that the penitent sinner believeth that Christ made satisfaction for him & paid the ransom for it with his precious blood. And upon this free forgiveness be sealed him a quittance with the seal of circumcision which was a token to him that he was justified by his faith, But we have now a more sure and livelier ●oken of our rightwisemakinge by faith for god hath confirmed us in Christ he hath anointed us he hath consegned us unto him and given us his holy ghost for an earnest of his promise to be justified by faith, 2. Cor 1 and Ephe. 1, thus saying After that you hard the Gospel which is the word of truth wherein ye believed ye were sealed with the holy spirit which is to us as an earnest penny to be assured of our promised heritage, which is purchesed us by redemption into the praise of the glory of God. more arguments Paul maketh in the same▪ 4. cap. to the Romans, for the probation of his sentence, espy them out if you can and desire God to give you understanding. Also ye shall know that christ came not as a lawyer like Moses, but he was the very redeemer and reconciler of the believers thorough his blood into his father's favour & grace. The law was given by Moses, but remission of sins and the holy ghost is given by christ, johan 1. ye and that unto all & upon all that believe. Ro. 1 Oh what consolation is in this one place set forth for feared and troubled consciences? surely no ●on ge can express it, for although we want good works (as we want all, for there is not one that doth good, for we are all sinners) yet let us believe that for Christ'S sake we are received freely into our father's grace. This rightwiseness is set forth of his mercy for us, without the works of the law, wherefore surely, it were great blasphemy against Christ, and no less defiling of his mercy seat, not to receive the merits of his passion, that is to say, the rightwiseness by faith, but to turn it into our sinful works. If any man (be he never so holy) should be justified by his works then had Christ ●ayth Paul to the Gala. in the second chapter died in vain for that same man: let us therefore receive Christ's rightwiseness now offered us let us trust to his rightwiseness and merits & not to our own, nor yet to any others, for all our rightwiseness saith I say in the. 64. chapter are as the spotted and foul clothes of a menstrouse. It is verily a great blasphemy to refuse this sure and free forgiveness in Christ'S blood, ye & a damnable thing to repute it as heresy and to seek for works of our own invention upon this hope and be life to deserve heaven and to be justified by them. For this article to be known Paul sweat so sore in his pistles and laboured in his preaching, But yet let not blind carnal reason make this obyection against him saying. If faith without works justifieth, than need we not to do any good works? Not so sir, for by faith therefore are we justified to ●hentente we should do good works & never cease, and therefore Paul after that he had sufficiently proved his conclusion, did set to in the. 12. Chapter to the Romans, more good works than ever we are able to do, setting works in their place, and faith in her place, for if the works are not ●one of faith, then are they sin. Roma. 14.  
¶ Now master prior because you are not greatly acquainted with Paul's doctrine, although he be your patron and painted at your gates: because his arguments are to high for them that never felt faith, nor yet tasted the feeling of the spirit of faith in the school of the cross. I will descend with you in a more sensible demonstration to prove Paul's sayings true & to damn your opinion. Paul as he was going to persecute Christ's church was smitten down a murderer and rose again a justified man, which yet had done no good works, but only believed in jesus Christ that smit him down and spoke unto him, ergo faith only justified The young innocent now christened and departed I think you will grant is justified, but not by his works, ergo. The these that hanged by christ was justified upon the cross, but not for any works that he there did, ergo for his faith only. Whersore sir, me think ye were to hasty to judge me a Lutheran and an heretic for affirming or holding any saying of holy scripture, which I know well you understand not, & to impute unto me that which I never said, and so privily to accuse me where upon to avoid the cruel tyranny of my lord your reverent & spiritual father with his adherentes that yet fight against the Lord and his anointed▪ I was constrained to lose all that I had and to flee. Sir stand you to your glistering good works and glorious meretes believing to be justified and forgiven for them & not in Christ's death, and trust you to them (if you will). For as for me which am an heretic and a Lutheran in your opinion, I shall by god's grace fear with Jobe all▪ my deeds, and pray with David. O lord I beseech the enter not into judgement with thy servant, but save me & deliver me for thy rightwiseness sake & not for mine, that is to say save me for thy mercy's sake & not for my merits. Also I shall by God's grace after that measure of the faith that god hath given me, believe to be saved in this faith, that is to say, that my saviour Christ hath died for my sins, & is risen for my ryghtwysmaking b● whose death & sufferings, my father in h●uen is peased & hath received me into his favour for Christ's bloods sake, so that now christ hath redeemed me & saved me, he is mine, and all his mere●s are mine. His rightwiseness, his wisdom his holiness▪ his satisfaction, his fulfilling of the law, & all his good deeds ●r mine, as sufficient to serve me for my salvation, and yet will I not cease to do good works, but rather am I bound for this love to do more than ever I am able, though I trust neither to my noun nor yet to any others. Thus have you a reckoning of my faith as concerning this article. Now to your. 3. opinion.   

¶ Master prior of Newnhams third opinion.  
YOur third opinion is, that I should hold that every pressed may have a wife or a concubine, Sir this may welbe your own opinion, for it was never my I take god to record that a priest might have a concubine, but this believe that it is lawful & standeth with holy scripture, that every priest which have not the gift of chastity, aught to have his own wife, & no nother man's nor yet a concubine. Although your church militant (as you call it for they are better soldiers than preachers) permitteth the priests in some places to have their concubines paying their annual tributes to their bishops for their lecenciall lust and in many places, to their great slander, their Commissares, Scribes with other officers wink at their whoredom & adultery for bribes, for favour, or fear. You told me once secretly as we walked after supper between your barn yard and your high gates, that the Pope had dispensed with the Cardinal to keep a concubine, which thing then (as little learning as I had) I could not believe to be lawful, but that it had been rather lawful (for as much as he had not the gift to live chastely if ye said true) to have married and live in chaste matrimony with his own wife. Nether believe I that your church milytante did godly to inhibit priest or any woman to the holy & honourable sacrament of matrimony, which God did institute for every man and woman that would receive it, and denied it no man, as a sacrament that maketh lawful the acts of wedlock, which committed without wedlock, is sin and dampdable. You say that I took for my example saint Peter, which was a priest, and yet had he a wife, both before Chryst called him to the office of an apostle, and also after his calling Which example you can not deny. But then bring you in for your help to confute my saying your brother celerer called, johan Berde, or johan Sal pho, a man of like learning and could better skill in making of a pease r●ke then in alleging of holy scripture saying, that Peter used not his wife aft●r his calling, & to prove this he allegged Paul in a certain pistle (say you) for neth●r of you could tell where in what pistle nor yet understood you your own allegatyon saying. They that have wives let them be as though they had none. This text there fore ●aule writ not to Peter only & to the other married apostles, but to the Corintheā●, and to all vas that are of Chhistes' church ye to all the world, now if you understand this same Paul's say● goe in the. 7. ca in the first to the Corintheans. They that have wives, let them be as though they had none as your brother Celerer allegged it for Peter, that is ●o say let them not use their wives, them after your minds, ought no man that have a wife to have the fellowship of his own wife. Here may men see what clerkly dysputers ye are & what privy promoters & accusers of Christian men your spiritual and most reverend fathers in God have procured them. The text therefore is thus vnderstand●n, as the circumstance of the letter declareth it▪ let them that have wives be as though they had none, that ●s, let not their minds be so inordinately drowned in lust and tangled with kare for their household that they be hindereth from preaching of the word, if they be called thereto, or else be letted from the hearing and following of the word● y● they be otherwise called. By this text Paul extended noless to forbid amaryed man the chaste company of his wife and the due benevolence (as he calleth it in the same chapter) them the byers' seller to not use his goods lawfully, when he saith in the text following. They that buy let them be as though they possessed nothing, that is to say, let them not be so greedily glued to their goods, but that when they see occasion they can be content gladly to depart from them to relieve the necessity of the poor, & for the declaration of this his mind he showed the cause why he thus said, adding thereto saying thuo. For I would have you without to much ●are and trouble. If Paul by this text should forbid any man the company of his wife (as you ●reamed) then should he say contrary to himself in the same chapter, saying. Let the man geum unto his wife the due benevolence, & let the wife likewise unto her housvand. But be it in case taht peter (as he did undoubted) had the company of his wife after his calling. did he offend god in so doing or no? If ye say that he offended, than blasphe●● you and dishonour you the sacrament of matrimony whereby god sanctified and made honourable the chaste use thereof as Peter used it. If he did not of ●ende, why then ●yke you so sore for Peter to defend him for well & lawfully doing? But here and ye were well opposed you might be found to be in the heresy of the Ta●iās & like heretekes that d●pned matrimony as unpure, which god sanctified with his word, and instituted as pure, holy, honourable and good, honouring it with his presence & first miracle, forbidding it no man or woman that would mary. To put you out of doubt of Peter's fellowship with other Apostles with their wives after their calling: ye shall know that there were at the Corintheans certain false prohhetes which observed Paul's living & the other apostles (as you observed mine) to carp their conversation & to myneshe their authority, and to defame them to the people saying (as it appeareth by Paul's answer) that he fasted not, nor was chaste, but led his wife about with him, unto whom paul answered sharply on this manner 1. Cor. 9 Have we not power to eat & to drink? Other have we not power to l●ade about sister to wife as well as that other apostles & as the brethren of the lord and as Cephas? Other only have not I & B●rnabas power this to do? Here is it plain that C●phas which is called Peter with other apostles led about their wives with them. whom paul after the manner of the scripture calleth their sisters ●n●dyd ●●●aham. G●n 11, 20. Isaac. 26. salomon. Can. 4. for that they were of like faith & profession in Christ's religion with their husbands. Why should not the man be associated with his wife whom god commandeth to forsake father andmother, and to c●●ue to his wife▪ And Christ come maundeth also that whom God joineth let no man separat? Think you that the Apostles regarded these commandments of god so light as to leave their own wives one flesh & blood with them knit together with so fast a bond that only death must depart them? The wife saith paul. 1. Corrin. 7. hath no power over her own body, but her husband. & likewise the man hath no pow●r over his own body, but the wife, withdraw not you● selves one from another except it be with a common consent of both, and that but for a time (he saith not for ever both to go into religion) but for a time, to give yourselves to fasting and prayer, and afterward come again unto the same thing lest sathan temp●e you for your incontinency. The apostles for a suer●y had cast matrimony in an higher r●u●rence and honour than you think they had, a●d abhorred it not as unpure & profane as the ●orbydd●rs thereof do, and as did like heretics.  
¶ That a priest which have not the gift of chast●● ought to have his own wife it is manifest, by the Apostle 1. Cor. 7. saying. ● o avoided fornication let e●ery man have his wife, here he excepted noman, no not a priest (if a priest be a man) let him have his wife (saith he) and not a concubine or another man's wife, and l●t every woman have her housb●de▪ He ●rcepteth never Nun nor any other religious. But here you will say that they have vowed chastity. And I say it is chastity man and woe man to live together in chaste matrimony desiring no nother. And if you say that they have vowed to live without the desire of the feloshype & company of man (for one to desire another in mind is sin except they be man & wife) which you call vi● ginal chastity: them say I again that they have vowed that thing that lieth not in their power, & so perform they it never. They that vow this chastity therefore let them look before they leap. God at thy first creation griffed into man and woman as he hath done into all creatures a certain secrets natural property to beget, to conceive, & to bring forth another ●n like kind & that lawfully with honour. Which natural ordinance and prope● tie it lieth not in man to au●ter and to change, nor yet to put away from his heart the natural love and desire to the other kind whom God created to be his fellow helper unto this natural effect. No more than it lieth in the liberty of the lively tree well planted to cease from bringing forth her fruits in her time, except God altered this his natural ordinance by some singular gift. For it is neither vow nor mann●s tradition that may alter nature, But yet many have strived to put away concupiscence without matrimony and to obtain a gift of chastity by their own works and enforce men's febleing their bodies: but the more they strived against nature, the less they prevailed, & the more burning they suffered: and why? because they despised the remedy commanded by god's word to be received, & went about to heal their decease with thyr own works and inventions. God ordained chaste matrimony as an holy and honest remedy for this natural burning and unlawful lust, commanding by his Apostle. 1. Corint. 7. that it they can not be continent & chaste, let them mary For it s better to marry them to burr ne but your church militant believeth it better, to burn in all manner of filthy concupiscence and lust, ye to live in open adultery and sin then to mary. And therefore under the pretence of the setting up and extolling of their inordinate orders/ have they so observed the glory of honourable matrimony whom they have set in such despite & opprobry reputing it so unpure and unclean, that it may not be ●owyed with their holy orders, ne celebrated in certain of their state holy times of the year without their dispensation. They thought thorough the forbinding of matrimony their priests, to have institute in their church a more pure and cleaner state of perfection then ever God ordained, but to what a chaste end their holy ●puros● is come, every man may see, for all the world speak evil and shame of them, & every man abhor th●m for their pride and unclean living. But wherefore did your church militant for died their priests to mary? Because they were sure to have more advantage by their adultery and whoredom th●n ever they should have by their chaste matrimony. For if they had wives then should not the bishops, Cancelers, Commissares, Scribes and summers be fed so fat with their adultery and sin as they are. If the priests had wives, than shall they have a better name and fame, then should th● yoke & kares of matrimony abate their pride and increase in them virtue and meekness. But pa●au●●ture they will say that the troublous sorrows and ●ar●ull state of matrimony should hinder them from preaching and teaching their parochians, nay verily, for nothing hath letted them more from that office, than their wealthy idle and unchaste ryving and riches, and nothing should further it more than to have experience of the cross & trouble, nothing more hindereth the word than the preacher thereof to have an evil name: & that the most part of them never preached nor taught their flock nor n●uer shall, and among these few that preach because they have no wives▪ they destroy more with their evil example of living, then eue● they edified with their preaching, which slanderous enormity might be reform if they would receive that honourable and holy remedy of chaste matrimony ordained of God for them. ●edlok (saith the Apostle Hebre in the. 13. cap.) is honourable for all men (he excepted none) and the chamber bed undefiled, but whoremongers & adulterer's god wylliuge. If it be honourable for all men, how should it dishonour priests that live in perpetual burning and desire of other men's wives, servants and daughters? Why may not chaste matrimony agree with your holy orders? Is one sacrament iniuryouse, harmful or dishonest to another? All your Church militant with their school doctors say and affirm that the sacraments give grace to the receivers of them, and how then happeneth it, that the holy ordered priests may not receive the grace of matrimony? But (as I said before) with out doubt these forbydders of holy matrimony are of the sect of those heretics that dampened matrimony as unpure, believing that it may not be used without sin: of the which now are those curates which will enjoin their parochians that shall be married, one not to know the t'other (abusing Tobias example) in days after the celebration of the sacrament, & will forbid married persons to give their du● beneuol●ce (a● Paul calleth it) to ●●he other in l●nte & other of their holy times. These men doubtless believe that the act and use of matrimony is sin and injurious or irreverent unto the sa me sacrament that maketh it holy, lawful and honourable: these men know not the virtue & grace of the word of God, which maketh an holy and ●hast act of that which is sin without the same wo●d Paul. ●, Thessa. 4. commaunoeth the Thessalonians the holy and honourable use of matrimony saying. Let every one of you know to possess his vessel in holiness & honour. Which doctrine of Paul these curates rather ought to iustructe them: then to inhibit them that thing which the word sanctifieth and maketh honourable. Bringing the married people into this error and cumbrance of consciens to believe that they sin, when they do well, & to make sin there none is But the blind leadeth still the blind. Paul ●● his pistles both to Tymothe and Titus warned them that among all other qualities and conditions belonging to any man to be chosen priest or over seer of Christ'S flock, they should see that he were a married man & the man of one wife, that is to say, a liver in chaste matrimony And wherefore commanded Paul so diligently this point of matrimony to be observed? verily because he would have them blameless, for he s● no better remedy for their chastity and good fame to be preserved them by chaste matrimony. And why he esteemed a married man worthy for the cure of any parish, he telleth Timothe saying: for if it be seen unto you that he governeth well his own household, bringing us his children in subjection with all reverence: then may you suppose that the same man shall also well instruct and teach an hole pareshe or town. But if he can not rule and govern his own house (saith Paul) how shall he teach and take the charge and cure of the congregation of god? Paul saith. 1. Cor. 7, that married persons shall have bodily trouble & what is trouble else but to be cast in to the pleasure of god to learn much virtue? The governing of his house is an introdu ction unto a greater cure, there shall he practise & begin to monish in time, & learn to correct with discretion and love, now to be rogue and sharp▪ ●●en to be merciful and soft, all in time & in good order to keep them in subjection, fear & learning Then must he learn to be are the weakness & sickness of wife, children, and servants with other vi sitations of god as loss of goods, death of his children, or wife, ●yth other infinite adversities & common kares of matrimony. This though Paul to be a school & introduction into the spiritual cure of an hole pareshe. But at this school were never our priests & bishops, but rather brought up in courtly wealth and lust. etc. They have form & reform many years all other states and other men's livings, until now they theirself are so far out of frame, that no state or order hath more need of reformation than they their selves. And the word of God that should reform their enormities: they will not suffer it to come into light: but god for his mercy redress this wicked state A men.  
¶ It is not so long a go that chaste matrimony was foreboden the priests. For at the counsel of Nicene (when they had wives) where they would have first separated and divorced them from their wives. There rose up an holy man & confessor called Paphuncius (look in the decrees 31. distinct &. in. 2. lib. Ecclesiasti tripartite history Ephiphanio scho last interpret. cap. 4) which man said sl●●fly against it, affirming that wedlock was honourable for all men & that it is chastity, a man to hold him to his own wife. And thus persuaded he the general coum sell, that they should not lay such a burden upon any men, affirming it to be grievous. Which should be the occasion of fornication & adultery both to them that were then married and to their wives▪ These words spoke Papbuncius in the presence of all the counsel: notwithstanding yet he himself was no married man. And the counsel commended and allowed his sentence, and decreed nothing as concerning that matter at that time, but left it in every man's liberty: but si●h that time the church (as they say) hath foreboden them to mary. Here ye may see that other that counsel did a miss and erred in approving it lawful for them to have wyue or else the church that did forbid it: but the counsel can not err (say they) wherefore then the church erred that decreed the contrary? Of the which Church thus prophesied Paul in the. 4. Chapter of the first pistle to Timothe saying, that in the later days some should depart from the faith, giving heed to spirits of error, and to the develleshe doctrine of men speaking lies thorough hypocrisy, having their consciences marked with a hot yern, forbidding to mary, and commanding to abstain fro meats which god created to be received with giving thanks. etc. Thus may you see how lively Paul did set forth your Church militant here in earth in our own colours that forbade matrimony and meats. etc. ye and of what spirit she is governed, and whose doctrine she followeth. Oh good God, how many souls have they drawn with their selves to hell by this one law with forbidding man & woman to mary. What burnings, what concupiscences and vnlaw full lusts have this synagogue of Satan caused and compelled to reign and to be karyed about in these persons hearts day and night, that would mary and may, and dare not? ye what adultery fornication with other us clennesses followeth up 'pon this devilish doctrine and law of forbidding matrimony? And yet thoughtt they (if covetousness & ambitious dominion were not the cause (to have iustitute and set up a more pare sperytual state and order then ever God made. But the holy fruits of their spiritual ordinance declare the ghostly author, your brother Celerer (say you) asked me wherefore the Church militant ordained that the ministers of it should not have wives or concubines as well now as then, unto the which question you feign an answer in m●ne name like as you feigned the interrogation, for if he had asked me any such question: I would have denied his false supposition, for before this devilish ordinance they had no concubines but lawful wives, & the answer that you feign is impertinent to such a question. Wherefore if I should have answered him demanding me why the church militant ordained that they should have no wives, I would have said, because they thought to have a better advantage by their concubines then by their wives, & because matrimony is more cōbr●s & karefull, then to live with another man's wife or with an whore, whom he may forsake and take another when he lusteth. But you thought your letters should never come to light and therefore you writ your pleasure.  
¶ But God at last shall ask a reckoning wherefore his holy sacrament first of all institute is now forbode & despised, wherefore they prison & torment priests that mary. As verily as the blood of Abel cried & obtained vengeannce, shall the blood of other good men vexed & slain, obtain the same to fall upon these pursuers & sheders of like innocent blood for keeping of god's commandments.   

¶ Whether a lay man may hear confessions  
FOuertly, you say that my opinion was, that every lay man may hear confessions, Sir I am not remembered that ever I had any communication with you of this matter: but if I had: I think I had said not that ever lay man, but some lay man ●nd that after this form which Christ prescribet● in the▪ 5. chapter of Matthew, preferring love and concord all sacrifices, a● if a man hath offended his brother and afterward touched with repentance do to him knowledging his offence desiring him of forgiveness reconciling each other: do not this lay men that heareth and forgiveth him hear his confession and absolve him? Also if a man hath any g●ugge and inquietne● in his consciens by the reason of sin committed that evermore troubleth and feareth him of damnation, and this man can not be quiet and comforted ne have any peace in his heart and assured how & by what means he may have that sure forgiveness, which is thorough faith in Chryst, without the which no consciens may be sure and at rest from the fac● of sin and damnation, of the which quiet rest Paul speaketh to the Romans in the▪ 5. chapter▪ saying Because we are justified by faith we are at peace with god thorough our Lord I sus Chryst▪ etc. and because there are now so many blynée curates that know no● this sovereign remedy for sinful and unquiet consciences, but rather damn it for heresy and persecute it. If such troubled conciens (I say) go unto a dy●cr●t learned lay man for want of learned priest (as now thanked be god there are more lay m● that koow this salve than priests) for counsel and comfort▪ showing him his grief and decease desering his counsel and prayer: doth not this man after james mind saying. Confess or show your sins to each other, and pray one for another that you may be saved? Then say you that your brother cel●red said that it was lawful but in time of great need. Merely I never see greater need than even now to fetch this wholesome and s●ete salve that is to say, that only faith in Christ'S death instifyeth and set our hearts at rest at the lay man or women: the priests for the most part are so ignorant, so proud and so malicious that they had liefer persecute this saving health of manne● soul▪ then to receive it & minister it to their sick flock.  
¶ But these two manner of confessions presuppose a penitent and a contrite heart humbled and unfeignedly confessed before God. Of the which manner of confession David speaketh in the▪ 32. Psal, after the Hebrew count in the. 5 verse: I said, I shall confess my ungodliness which is against me to the Lord, and even straight thou forgivest it me. Nether is it gods law that men's consciences should be clogged with telling of all their sins that ever they have done in to a priests ear: which is impossible for any man to do. When David saith psal. 19 Who may attain to the knowledge of his sinful nature? Which jeremy cap. 17. confirmeth saying▪ shrewd and unable to be searched is man's heart. Who can number and tell all his sins which so many circumstances as the Pope's law prescribeth us? and yet his disciples teach ve and preach that we can have no forgiveness of our sins, except wr confess them into their ears. Which doctrine not only vereth not a little many a good simple consciens: but bringeth many for fear and shame into desperation. If no sin be forgiven wythtout it be rehearsed and told them in their ears as they teach us, them shall we never have quiet consciences For we commit full many & they to, which we can neither see nor remember. Also it is no small injury to Christ's blood to attribute the forgiveness of our sins (as they teach) ●o the self confession. When it is only faith in gods pro mice thorough Christ'S blood that bringeth us forgiveness of our sins & giveth us res●e and p●ace in our consciences. Roma▪ in the. 5 Chapter. And yet to stableshe their cumbrous confession they are not a shamed to abuse the holy scripture changing the truth (as Paul saith to the Romans in the first Chapter) in to a lie, taking for them this place of Matthew in the. 8. Chapter where Chryst commanded the man healed of his lepry to go & show himself unto the priest. Which place maketh plain against them. For the man was hole and clean both body and soul before he bade him go for his faith first had purified his heart▪ and then Christ healed his body, for Christ'S cures were perfit in healing the hole man. Now this man healed, christ bade him go show himself to the priest, he bade him not go shrive himself to the preyste. He bade him go show his skin and body For the priests office was to judge & to decern when there the lepry was gone or not, and to dispose the offering for the cleansing of the sore, and to have a good portion thereof for his duty, as ye may read Leuitici in the. 13. and. 14. chapter, and as the terte following in Matthew declareth, if you would▪ diligently note it, and confer the law and the Gospel together and remember that Chryst said he came not to break Moses law but to fulfil it Christ therefore would not defraud them of the●r duty, neither be prejudice unto their office, lest they should have accused him of breaking of Moses' law, for they honted for such occasions fast enough to bring him away, and therefore he bade the man now healed go show himself to the priest, that the priest might have his privilege in the judgement of his cleansing of the lepry, adding to this commandment, that he should offer the gift tha● Moses commanded to be offered (for this was that morsel that the covetous ourselves gaped so greedily for) and christ would not the pressed to be disappointed of his prey, adding also these words. In to a testimony to themself, that is, to testi fie to the priests hearts, that although they honted to take him as a breaker of Moses law, yet here in this cure they mygh well see him observe it into their own condemnation, if they did other wise accuse him as any transgressor thereof, as they did not with standing at the last, their own conscience wytnesing against them, And even of the violent wresting and false interpreting of his own text to serve for our spiritual belies and their ambiguous empery men may gather and see plainly many other places and texts of holy scripture to be like wise perverted and turn into their traditions. But God avenge & deliver once his pure holy word from the captivity of these pestilent scorns and glorious glozing hypocrites.  
Amen.   

Of pilgrimages and worshipping of Images.  
THen you say that I would have men inderision that went on pilgrimag, for what cause it came not then into your mind, ●ok & you can call the cause in to your mind, & who told you▪ this▪ for I can tell you full well, & who conspired with you to observe me & to write my sayings and to conceive such secret letters, but the lord will see to it & avenge Ero. 5. Sir I mocked them not▪ but he that sitteth in heaven hath them inderision. It is the lord that scorneth them▪ Psal 2. and that worthily because they forsake him the living god alone for all sufficient, and ever ready to help all that call upon him in faith? verity, and will run after strange gods▪ into hills, woods and so●y●ary places, there to worship stocks & stones (ye & paraventure to do worse things) of man's making Are not these men to be laughed at, or rather to be lamented, that may and aught to worship god at home in their chamber, and yet will forsake, wife, children and household (whose presence they behove) and spend both body and goods in long and weary tranclynges to fall down and worship a stock or a stone made with man's hand? Are not these the people scattered so broad thorough out all the land of Egipte to seek chaff? Erodi in the. 5. chapter Read the second precept as it standeth Erodi in the. 20. chapter, read the law, the Prophets and the new testament, and look how grievously God threateneth these godgoers and saint sek●rs that should have but one God, him only to honour and to serve, as Chryst testified in the. 4. chapter of Matthew, and that in spirit and truth even at home in their hearts. Stand it not written Erodi in the 22 chapter. He that offereth to any gods, that is to say, unto any image, save unto the Lord only: let him die without redempeyon? He abhorred strange gods so sore, that he forbade his people to name them, Exod in the. 23. Chapter. Hear what I say saith in the. 65 chapter. I have stretched fort my hands all this long time passed unto a nation that forsaketh me, and seeketh strange Gods, ● hych nation goth not the right way, that is to say, not after my mind and commandments. Which nation exaspereth and angreth me being present, and yet go they forth to offer in groves and woods, doing sacrifices there at autares of stone, sitting and kneeling by tombs and shrines, sleeping in chu● rhes full of images: let the school men excuse this falling down before images kissing of their feet, kneeling, praying, holding up of hands, steking up of candles, and giving them gifts. ●c. calling for their help in sickness & peril of making their vows unto them. Let them cloak their worship with duly and Hy●erdulia and yet shall it be Idolatria, when they have made the best for them that they can. God will not be worshipped with our inventions, but as he himself hath commanded he forbade even the making of Images. For he see that they should steal away his worship. Thus said he isaiah in the. 4. chapped. I am he that is called the lord: which give not my glory to any other creature neither yet my praise to any carven Images. Except you be ashamed of your stocks and I doles in woods and hills, in whom you delighted and leave your groves and gardens, which ye chose for yourselves, you shallbe like oaks whose leaves fall a way and like a garden with out water, for the glyst●ryng glory of these Images shall be turned into stub, and the makers of them in to sparkers of fire, and both of them shallbe burnt up together noman quenching them I say in the first chapter Read in also in the end of the second chapter. And hear what the prophet Baruch saith of those idolaters in the. 6. chap. Their gods verily have golden crowns upon their heads, from whom the priests fetch gold and silver and bestow it upon their selves. Also they give of the same gold and Iwels to hores and make gay their harlettes their with, and after that these harlettes have offered them again, they receive them and deck their gods with the some. And yet are not these gods clean from roust & worms, although they be covered & decked with purple, they must wipe away the dust from their fates, for their houses are full of dust, ●c. Read the. 44. Chapter of isaiah.   

A 〈…〉 you put your most reverend father in mind for forgetting, saying: But I beseech your lordship that no cerature may know that I or any of mine do show you of things, for them I shall lose the favour of many in my country. etc. Oh ●uel favoured owls, backs, & night ●aues that thus fear the light. O n●gotium perambulons in tenebris O privy poison walking in darkness. feared you them more the god? Had you liefer lose the favour of God then of men? Is this the zeal you bore to god's word? Had you liefer let it lie still strangled with hesesye them you shallbe disclosed and lose the favour of men? Wh●● christian man would with draw you his favour for avenging Gods truth from heresy? These are the godly spiritual that take so great pain in persecuting, presoning & putting to doth with so great labours & study the poor innocent souls & menbres of Christ for the pure zeal they have to god & to his word: secretly they dare accuse, but not openly. In darkness dare they stand and shot forth their be was dipped in venom, but not in the light. They think to make the truth a liar which saith in his gospel: there is nothing so secretly done but it shallbe disclosed. But it is your own glory your own honour and idle beles lust that you se●e & hont for so greedily, and not to deliver God's truth from heresies, for it is his tre●e word and the very lively members of his poor church that you yet persecute so cruelly, Which abominable blindness if you will not know & repent you at so many daily exhortations, warnings, and threatenings by gods own word both in Latin and in english so merciful offered you: look for no nother but the vengeance and wrath of God now hanging over your heads, shortly to be powered down upon you. Plagues daily are sent into your kingdom, and even the Pope's he● which is Antichrist to now broken, Bobylon is fallen in deed, and all her carven and graven gods are braced against the ground. isaiah in the. 21. chapter. flee you therefore out of Babylon & let every man save his life. jeremy in the. 51. chapter. For there are many things that threaten an heavy fall and change to your Popeshe kingdom. The Lord of powers hath decreed to ab●te the pride of all stoutness, & to pluck down all the great glorious of th'earth. isaiah in the. 23. chapter. It is the word of God (I tell you yet again) that they and you persecute so cruelly. It is christ whom you fight against in vain so blindly, and it is the breath of his mouth, that is to say his almighty word that shall destroy you But wherefore would you not that any creature should know that you accused me? Merely christ declareth the cause in the third chapter of johan saying. Men loved the darkness more than the light because their works were evil, for every man that doth evil ha●eth the light, neither cometh he to the light lest his works be reproved. God be praised which like as at the beginning he drewforth the light of darkness, now causeth the truth to comforth thorough your false opinions & letters Amen. Your spiritual father was negligent in keeping your letters. Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine: et carnem facit brachium suum. jeremy in the. 17, Chapter,  
¶ Now (Master prior) if you can declare your opinions otherwise and confirm them by ho lie scripture truly and purely understonden: show forth your mind in the name of God, and I shall gladly make answer again thereunto: but in the mean season (as right is and beseemeth every christian) I submit this my answer to your letters 〈…〉 that can and will judge it after the scripture by the spirit of God, Qui miscreatur & benedicat tibi.  
Illuminet vultum suum super te ut congnoscas in terra viam suam, et in omnibus gentibus salutate suum. Amen.  
¶ Yours to his little power George joy.     

¶ The story of my state, after the bishop had received the prior's letters.  
ON the saturday sevennight before advent sunday, the year of our Lord. M. D. XXUII. there were letters sent as from the Car dinall by one of his officers to cambridge, delivered to the vice Canceller called Doctor edmond's master of Peter college, where I was then feolwe. In which letters he was commanded to sense me up to appear at Westminster the wendesdaye following at. ix. of the clock with Bylney and Artery, for certain erroneus opinions. etc. Our master sent for me on the thorough in to the country, and I came to him, on the monday. He showed me the letters, I read them, and saw the Cardinal's sign manuel subscribed in great letters▪ and his seal. I got me horse when it snowed, and was cold, and came to Londen and so to westminster not long after my hour, when Bilney and Artery were in examination. Which thing when I hard of, and knew but those two poor sheep among so many cruel wolves I was not over hasty to thrust in among them, for there w●s 〈…〉 with other of their faction. And I thought to hear how these two little lambs should speed year I would put myself into those lions mouths. I went to my dinner & tarried walking in the city. At last on the Saturday I came to a Master of mine called sir William Gascoingue, the Cardinals' treasurer: and showed him my errende, but he knew all the conveyance of my cause better than I (for I believe yet he was the author of all my trouble) and he had me go in to the chamber of presence & there do ctour Capon should present me to the Cardinal. I was but a course courtier never before hearing this term chamber of presence ne knew where it was and I was half a shamed to ask after it, & went in to along entry on the left hand, and at last happened upon a door & knocked, and one opened it & when I looked in, it was the kichen, than I went back into the hall, & asked for the chamber of presence & one pointed me up a payer of stairs. There stood I in the chamber of presence when I would with all my heart have been absent, waiting for doctor Capon almost an hour, for I was not over hasty to ask after him, there no man knew me nor I them, there was a great fire in the chamber the wether was cold, and I saw now and than a Bishop come out, but I durst not stand nigh the fire for fear of burning, their was in all about a dozen bishops, whose solemn and lordly lokyn pleased my not. Whom when I beheld between me & the fire as they passed forbye, in good faith me though I saw nothing else but the galouse and the hangmen: but as grace was none of them knew me Then the treasurer sent for me down into his chamber, and there he told me, that the cardinal sent not for me. Then I began to smell their secret● conveyance, & how they had counterfeited their lords the Cardinals' letters. And here the treasurer sent me to the bishope of Lyncolne, telling me that a suffragan had accused me. Which suffragan I never see nor knew. I went a good pace toward the bishops place & overtook his chancellor called doctor Rains showing him that I would speak with my lord, he showed my lord of me and said that I must come again the morning at vi. of the clock I d●d so, & waited for my lord at the stairs foot till it was about. viii. My lord came down and I did my duty to him, he asked me, be you M. jove? ye forsooth my lord ꝙ I. Abide said he with my Chancellor till I come again (for my lord with all the bishops took their barges to wait upon the Cardinal that morning to Grenewiche to the king) I desired my lord to be good lord unto me & show me eyes pleasure, what his lordship would with me, & wherefore I am thus sent unto him: and he answered me like a lord & bade me tarry with his chancellor & said I should wait upon his laiser there took I my leave of my lord & saw him no more ¶ Then because M. Gascoigne road home the same day into bedford shire, & bade me over even to come again on the morrow & tell him how I sped: I desyerde M. chancellor to go to him promising to come again at such a time as he would appoint me at my lords coming home, for he told me that my lord would come again the same day about. two. or, iii. of the cloak. I came to M. Gascoing which I perceived by his words favoured me not, & he rebuked me because I studied Arigene, which was an heretic said he, & he said that I held such opinions as did Bilney & Artery: which discomforted me very sore, when I perceived him to be my enemy whom I took for my good master: there I saw him last 〈…〉 hour & showed myself to M. chancellor. And there danced I a cold attendance till all most night, & yet my lord was not come, than I went to M. chancellor whom was Watson the scribe, desiring him that I mought depart for I though my lord would not come home that night, saying that I had far to my lodging, & I loved not to walk late lo the they were I perceived, and especially the scribe that I should go: but they would neither bid me to supper nor promise me lodging, & I made haste saying that I would come again on the morrow to see & my lord were come home. Then said the scribe where is your lodging? & here I was so bold to the scribe a lie for his asking, telling him that I lay at the green drogon toward bishops gate when I lay a mile of, even a contrary way, for I never trusted Scribes nor pharisaiss, & I perceived he asked me not for any good. Here I bade them both good night. As I went now I thought thus with myself, I am a scholar of Cambridge under only the vice chauncelers' jurisdiction & under the great God the Cardinal, & M. Gascoinge said the Cardinal sent not for me, I will take a breathe year I come to these men again. On the morrow I was not over hasty to come to the chancellor, but as I walked in the city, I met with a scholar of Cambridge and he told me that the bishop of Lincoln had sent his servant busily to inquire & to seek me, what is the matter ꝙ I? Marry ꝙ he it is said that he would give you a benefice for preaching in his diocese, A benefice ꝙ I? ye a Malefice rather, for sore ward they men for well-doing. Then I got me horse & road fro my Benefice, & left college and all that I had and conveyed myself toward the sea side ready to flee farther if need were. But many a foul jeoperdouse & forowfull journey had I year I came there. And in my traveling I met with a good fellow o● mi old acquaintance which marveled greatly to see me in so strange a country to whom I o●ened my mind showing him partly of my kareful state, troublous & painful iournes that I had both by unknown ways & also be night many times. Be my trowthe ꝙ he I marvel ye be not rob so many thievish ways as you have riden. And then he warned me of a thievish place that I must needs ride buy, & asked him again know you the place & what great men dwell thereabouts? ye well said he, than ꝙ I But dwell there any bishops that way? (for I had liefer have met with. xx. thieves then with one bishope) nay ꝙ he then was I glad, & road on my way, & ever blessed me from bishops, But the bishop of Lincoln laid privy wait for me to be taken & my feet bound under an horse ●ely to brought in him. Then be as the great bishop of Ely our visitor, angry supra▪ modum, and yet he would have cited me viis & more ●is expulsed me my college when I was gone (had my flight prevented his coming, Sed benedictus dominus qui non dedit me in captione dentibus eorum. Amen.  
¶ Now M. prior, if there be any thing in this my answer that offendeth you, blame yourself & not me, you first rolled the stone, & I am not yet (thanked be god so feabled, but that by gods help, I am able to roll it you again, not to hurt you as you hurted me, but rather to heal your ignorance with the true knowledge of god's word And where as I am not so patient in my answer as I ought to be, & as you desire, I pray you impute it unto the common decease of all men borne of Adam whose child I am, & yet staned with those ●arna● affects souked out of him fro my conception & can not be fully mortified but by death, then to be perfit renewed in spirit & made like our brother christ the first begotten among his many brethren. But yet of this one present comfort we are here alsure that believe in god's promise, that is to say, all our infirmities & sin (of the which as long as we are in this mortal flesh we can not be perfectly delivered) to be swelowed in Christ's death thorough our faith, neither shall they be imputed unto us, Christ being our righteousness, wisdom, holiness, our redemption, & our satisfaction before his father, your letters (as god knoweth) wrought me much trouble, & more than I will express at this time, but much more had they wrought me if I had tarried, they drew out of my breast many a deep sigh, & many a salt tear out of my eyes, they made me suddenly to i'll, to forsake my poor● living, my college, my learning my promotion and all that I had. They drew me forth with great poverty & not with a little heaviness & peril by sea & land out of my native land Whose desire yet holdeth me, for that I would right gladly return & dare not, being exiled into a strange land among rude & boisterous people, with whose manners I can not well agree, which i● to me no lytell cross, your letters caused me not only to forsake my kin & friends, but they slandered me so g●eudusly that they made them to forsake me, & so to hate me that yet I can not come again in to their favour, for they abhorred me so sore after that your secret letters had openly defamed me, that they would not suffer me to come into their houses nor speak with me, nor help me, but fled fro me & loathed me as I had been a kocketrice which slaith only with his sight, which before both loved me and were right glad of my company, which all I dare have borne against me which never offended you● but only to evil counsel & ignorance, for I think you have a good zeal to god, but (as Paul saith) not according to knowledge. For if you had know en Christ & his word you would never have done thus unto me I know it well. But I forget it and forgive it you as I would God to forg●ue me my sins, desiring only a better mind in you endued with perfit knowledge ●●●●th where upon I writhe this answer for your instruceyon to deliver you (if God will (from ignorance & errors: for many a man believeth another to err, when he himself is far out of the way, but the scripture bringeth every man into the right way & the very spiritual ingeth all things. Now therefore that we ●ought both savour & understand a like one thing according to jesus Christ: & glorify god the father with ove mind and mouth. I desire you to read my answer yet again with a patience & with an heart purged from all carnal affects, & confer it with the scriptures purely not wrested with men's gloss nor with long customs, nor yet with the Pope's decrees & his church which without the scripture are danyned in there own self, for he hath decla red & declareth himself daily with his membres to be nothing less than those men which ha●●e been hitherto received & taken of many and yet do daily persuade & boast them to be, the word of God contrary wise uttering him with all his to be that adversary of whom Paul prophesied & painted so lively under the person of that sinful man & son of perdition in the second chapter of the second pistle to the Tessalonians, warning us of this adversary & Antichrist, saying: Let noman deceive you by any means, for the lord cometh not except there come a departing before (of the which departing read 1. Timo. in the fourth chapter, and in one place of the scripture after Peter's mind expound another) and that sinful man be opened even the son of perdition which is an adversary, and is extolled against all that is called God, & getteth himself a worship above all worship & honour so that he shall sit in the ●●mple of God, & show himself as god. Paul saith that we are the temple of God. and doth not the Pope and his with their traditions sit deeper in our consciences then God with his commandments? Men make more conscience at the breaking of the pope's laws then gods, and fere more to break them then Gods, for the breaking of the Pope's laws only is all this persecution, presoninge, loss of goods, shame and burning, and not for the transgressing of god's precepts. The very church of God never persecuted any man ne put them to death nor never shall. Abel slew not Cain, neither Isaac persecuted Ishmael. Read forth the same▪ 2. chapter. ●. Tessaloand lok● whether the Pope be not antichrist. God give you grace by reading his word to deceive Christ from antichrist, and god from the ungodly, to i'll by time out of Babylon, and to save your soul.  
Amen.   
¶ At S●rassburge the. 10. day of june. ¶ This little bo●e be delivered to johan Ashwel Prior of N●w●h● Abbey besides bedford with speed.