¶ A Dialoge betwene Frier Iohn Brusierd  

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Details concerning the identity and career of Friar John Brusierd continue to be sparse. Craig W. D'Alton, 'The Suppression of Lutheran Heretics in England, 1526-1529', Journal of Ecclesiastical History, vol. 54 (2003), pp. 228-53.

and M. Thomas Bilney in Ipswitch, concernyng worshippyng of Images.

MarginaliaA Dialogue betwene Bilney, and Fryer Brusierd.Brusierd. ALthough you haue blasphemed most perniciously, the immaculate flocke of Christ, with certein blasphemies of yours: yet being moued, partly with your gētle peticions, partly pytying your case and towardly disposition, I am come hether to talke with you secretly, before the rumour bee disclosed, vpō the consideration of the threefolde errours whiche I see in you.

First, for that, when you began to shoot the darte of your pestiferous errour more vehemently then you ought, agaynst the brest of the ignoraunt multitude, you seme to powre vppon the ground, the pretious bloud of Christ, as with a certaine vehement violence, out of the miserable vessell of your hart. Where as you sayd that none of the Saintes do make interceßion for vs, nor obteine for vs any thyng, you haue perilously blasphemed the efficacie of the whole Church, MarginaliaA great blasphemie among the Fryers to set vppe Christ onely to be our Mediatour.cōsecrated with the precious bloud of Christ. Whiche thing you are not able to deny, especially seyng the same so incessantly doth knocke at the gates of heauen through the continuall interceßion of the Saintes, accordyng as in the seuenfold Letanie manifestly appeareth to be sene.

Bilney. I maruell at you, and doubtles, can not meruell enough but that the stronge & vayne custome of superstitious men, thinking them selues not to bee heard but in much bablyng, doth put an end of my admiration. For our heauenly father knoweth what we haue nede of before wee aske. MarginaliaOne Mediatour & no moe.Also it is written: There is one Mediator of God and mē, the man Christ Iesus. If then there be but one Mediatour of God & men, the man Christ Iesus, where is our blessed Lady? Where is then S. Peter and other Saintes?

Brusierd. I suppose no man is ignoraunt, but that the Diuines of the primitiue Churche haue all affirmed to bee one Mediatour betwene God and man. Neither coulde any at that time, prayse or pray to the Saintes, when as yet they liuyng in the calamities of this body, and wrastlyng with the contrary windes of this worlde, were not yet come to the port of rest wherunto they were trauailing. Paul (I graūt) did rightly affirme to be but one Mediatour of God & men, MarginaliaThe popes Calender maketh moe Mediatours now, then were in the primitiue church.what time as yet there was no Sainte canonised or put in the Kalender. But now, seyng the Church doth know, and doth certeinly beleue, through the vndoubted reuelations of God, that the blessed Virgine and other Saintes are placed in the bosome of Abraham, she therfore lyke a good mother, hath taught, and that most diligently, vs her children to prayse the omnipotent Iesus in his Sainctes, and also to offer vp by the same Saintes, our peticions vnto God. Thereof it is that the Psalme sayth: Prayse ye the Lord in his Saintes. MarginaliaNote thys argument, we must praise God in hys Sainctes, Ergo, we must pray to sainctes.Rightly also do we say and affirme, that Saintes may pray for vs. One man may pray for another, Ergo, much more may Saintes that do enioy the fruition of his high Maiesty. For so it is written: MarginaliaRom. 1.God is my witnes whom I serue in my spirite, in the Gospell of hys sonne, that without ceasing I remember you in my prayer alwayes for you. &c.

Bilney. I maruell doubtles, that you a mā learned are not yet deliuered out of the cōfuse dūgeon of heresie, through the helpe of the holy gospell: Especially seing that in the same Gospell it is written: MarginaliaIohn. 16.Verely, verely, I say vnto you, what so euer you aske the father in my name, he will giue it vnto you. He sayth not what soeuer ye aske the father in the name of S. Peter, S. Paule or other Sainctes, MarginaliaIn nomine meo.but in my name. Let vs aske therfore helpe in the name of him, whiche is able to obteine for vs of his father, what so euer we aske, lest peraduenture, hereafter in the ende of the world, at the straight iudgement, we shall heare: Hetherto in my name ye haue asked nothing.

Brusierd. Where ye meruell (with what minde I can not tell) that I beyng a learned man (as you say) am not deliuered yet from the confuse dungeō of heresie, through the helpe of the Gospell: much more do you that are farre better learned then I, cause me to maruell at your foolishe admiration. Neither can I chuse but laugh at you, as one being rapt to the thyrd heauen of such hygh misteries, and yet see not those thinges, which be done here in the lower partes of terrene Philosophie. For what a ridiculous thyng is it, for a man to looke so longe vppon the Sunne, that he can see nothyng ells but the Sunne, nor can not tell whether to turne hym? Moreouer, what student is there in all Cambridge, be he neuer so yong, that knoweth not, MarginaliaArgumentum ab autoritate destructiue.that the argument of authoritie, brought out negatiuely, hath no force?

Bilney. So as the Phariseis tooke Christ, you take my wordes, much otherwise then I ment.

Brusierd. Your woordes, whiche wander farre from the scope of Scripture, I do not like. What is in your meanyng and lieth inwardly in your minde, I can not tell.

MarginaliaPraying for taking away temporall infirmities.Bilney. Such as inuocate the helpe either of Christ, or of any other Saint, for any corporall infirmitie, to be deliuered from the same, may bee well resembled to delicate pacientes, who beyng vnder the hand of Phisitions, and hauyng medicines ministred agaynst their diseases: not abidyng the paine therof, rap all asonder: Wherfore I say, no mā ought to implore the helpe of God or of any Saint, Marginalia* He meaneth absolutely, without condition.* for corporall infirmitye.

Brusierd. O most pernicious and perilous heresie of all that euer I heard. Thus you flying the smoke, fall into the fire, and auoyding the daunger of Scylla, you runne vppon Carybdis. MarginaliaScylla and Charybdis, be two daungerous rockes in the sea.O hart of man wrapped in palpable darknes. I wishe Maister Bilney, that you would but once search and set out the first origine of these Rogation dayes: For so we read in the Churche story, MarginaliaBy this church storye, he meaneth belyke, Legēda aurea, otherwise called the legend of lyes.that they were first ordeined by Pope Gregory, with fastyng, prayers, and holy proceßions, agaynst the pestilence, by the infection of the ayre then reigning among the people. At what tyme, the people then goyng in the proceßion, a certaine Image like to our blessed Lady, painted with the handes of S. Luke the Euangelist, did go before them, about the which Image, in the honor of the virgine, aungels did sing this Antheme, Regina cœli lætare. &c. O Queene of heauen bee glad. To the whiche Antheme the Pope also adioined this: MarginaliaThe Popes Letanie at Rome.Ora pro nobis Dominum. &c. pray to the Lorde for vs. Wherefore, seyng the Angels did worship the Image of the glorious virgine Mary in the honor of her: and seing moreouer, the holy father Pope Gregory, with all the clergie, did pray for corporall infirmitie, it appeareth manifestly that we ought to worship the Saintes, and also to giue honor, in a maner, to their Images: farther also to pray to almightie God & all Saintes, for corporall infirmitie, that we may be deliuered from the same: so that they may say the like for vs, whiche is sayd in the Gospell: Send them away, because they cry after vs. MarginaliaScripture well applyed. And although there be infinite places inexpugnable to be alleaged out of the holy Scripture, wherwith we might easely resiste this you errour: yet standyng herewith content, as sufficient at this present, we will procede now to your second pestiferous errour: wherin you, like an ingrate childe, go about to teare out the bowels of your mother. MarginaliaWhether the Pope be Antichrist.For in that you say and affirme blasphemously, the Byshop of Rome to be the very Antichrist, and that his priuileges haue no force agaynst the gates of hell: in so saying, what do you but like a most vnkind and vnnaturall childe, spoyle your louyng mother of all her treasures, and wounde her being spoyled, and being wounded, plucke out her bowels most miserablye vppon the earth. But for somuch as there is nothyng so absurde or so hereticall, but shalbe receiued of some itchyng eares: I would therefore now heare you declare, how he sitteth in the Temple of God, as God, being extolled and worshipped aboue all that is named God, or how that hee sheweth hym selfe as Lord in power and signes, and wonders deceitfull.

Bilney. Although incredulitie doth not suffer you, notwithstandyng your learnyng, to vnderstande these thinges: yet I will goe about something to helpe your incredulitie herein, through the helpe of the Lorde, besechyng you, that settyng all superstition apart, you will vnderstand those thinges that are aboue. Do ye know the table of the. x. Commaundementes?

Brusierd. Accordyng as the Catholicke Doctours do expounde them, I know them meanely. But how you do ex-