mus trāslateth it, conciliator dei & hominum. That is to say: There is one God & Mediatour or peace maker betwixte God and mā, the man called Christ Iesus, which gaue him selfe for the redemption of all.Marginalia1. Tim. 2.

Thus (I say) I beleue Sainctes in heauē do pray for vs, as petitioners, but not as Mediators. Yea, all they, I weene, do pray & long that the day of iudgemēt may soone come, accordyng to the saying of Paul: Solicita creaturæ expectatio rauelationem filiorum dei expectat. The feruent desire of the creature waiteth when the sonnes of God shall be reueiled. And againe: Omnis creatura congemiscit, & nobiscū parturit vsque ad hoc tempus. MarginaliaRom. 8.Euery creature groneth with vs & trauaileth in paine together vnto this present. Which shalbe for þ^e accōplishment of glory both to them and to all other elect of God to be hys children and coinheritours with Christ.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAūswer to the xvj. article.In the xvj. Article where you demaunde whether I beleue that oblations & Pilgrimages may bee deuoutly and meritoriously done to the Sepulchers and Reliques of Saintes? I say, that what they may bee, I can not perfectly tel: For God cā so worke, that vnto those, whom he hath chosen to bee inheritours with hym, all thinges shal turne to a good conclusiō, as sayth S. Paul to the Romaines in this wise: Vnto those that loue God, all thynges shall well succede and woorke together for their furtheraunce in goodnes. MarginaliaRom. 8.
Pilgrimages and oblations.Of whom it is written in the Psalme: Blessed is that nation that hath the Lord for their God, the people whom he hath chosen to bee his inheritours. MarginaliaPsal. 33.Yea their euill dedes shal not hurt them, but come well to passe for the increase of vertue. MarginaliaEzech. 33.For, as it is sayd, in the Gospell: Cui minus remittitur minus diligit. MarginaliaLuke. 7.To whō lesse is forgiuē, he loueth lesse. And again, it hurted not Onesimus, that hee ran away from his maister Philemon: MarginaliaAll thynges worke to the best to the godly.but God wrought, that by occasion thereof hee mette with Paul, which conuerted hym to the fayth of the Gospel, who before was without belefe  

. Therfore, whether they may be done meritoriously or no, I will not define: God wotteth. But this I say, that God did neuer institute any such thyng in the new Testament, whiche is the veritye and rule for all Christen people to folow and beleue. Yea that onely is of perfit surety, and none other, but as it is agreable and hath ground of the same. And lyke as we haue no certaine doctrine institute of Christ, ne his Disciples, teachyng vs thus for to do: no more is there any merit appointed of hym therfore, as I shewed afore where I told my mynde of our merites.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaPiè Pietas, defyned.Moreouer, where ye put Piè, whiche I call deuoutly: very true deuotion (that is called in Latine pietas) is that, whiche hath annexed therewith diuine promises for this presēt lyfe to come: Marginalia1. Tim. 4.as witnesseth Paul 1. Tim. 4. which is nothing els but the obseruation of Christes law, that in the Psalme for þ^e purenes therof, is called argentū igne examinatū, purgatū septuplū, MarginaliaPsal. 11.Siluer fined often and many tymes, thorowe fier. It hath no chaffe in it, as hath mens traditions, but is pure and cleane wheate, as sheweth Ieremye writyng in this wise. Quid paleis ad titricum? Propter hoc ego ad prophetas, dicit dominus, qui furantur verba mea vnusquisque a proximo suo, & seducunt populum meum in mendacijs suis & in erroribus suis. MarginaliaIerem. 23.What is the chaffe to the wheate? Therefore beholde I will come agaynst the Prophets, sayth the Lord, that steale my woorde, euery one from his neighbour, and deceiue my people in theyr lies and in their errours. MarginaliaTrue deuotiō, or pure religiō, what it is.And this deuotion is þ^t which S. Iames calleth the pure Religiō of Christ, saying: Pure and immaculate religion afore God the father is, to visite fatherles children and widdowes in their vexation. MarginaliaIac. 1.
Pure religion.Whereby he meaneth all needy people that are succourles and helpelesse, without counsel & other almes, according to our habilitie, whē soeuer we see thē in neede or distresse.

[Back to Top]

The other part of this religion shewed by Saincte Iames is: That a man should keepe him self cleane frō the world: and that do they, which be not affectionate so vn-to any thyng therin, but that they haue þ^e thynges of the world, or occupy þ^e same by true dealing, so that they cā finde in their hart to depart from them whē God shall please, or charity so requireth.

[Back to Top]

Thus doyng we shall folow the exhortation of blessed Paul, whiche writyng to the Corinth. sayth thus: Brethren, the tyme is shorte: this remayneth, that they which haue wiues should be as they had them not: and those that wepe, should be as they wept not: and those that bye, as if they were without possession: and they that occupye this world, as though they occupyed it not: for the fashion of this world passeth away. Marginalia1. Cor. 7.And this meaneth none other thing, but that we shuld not loue ne dread any worldly thing, passyng measure or inordinatly, but God aboue all thynges, and all other thynges in hym or for hym: and he that thus doth, fulfilleth the commaundement of Christ, spoken to the riche man in the Gospell, where he saith: Go and sell all that euer thou hast, and come folowe me. MarginaliaMath. 19.
What it is to sell away all for the Gospell.For he hath sold away all that euer he hath, that surely entendeth for the loue of Christ, to helpe the poore with all that hee may. Voluntas reputatur pro facto: The wil is accepted for the dede, as is sayd commonly. And this saying both of Iames, and also of the Euangelist, I thyncke verely belongeth to all Christen men that they should performe it, none excepte, neither lay man, ne woman (as we vse to say) but to them as well as to any whom we call religious.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaReliques & Tombes of Saints.As cōcerning the reliques and tombes of Sainctes, I haue sayd vnto your Lordshyp afore, MarginaliaOur ladies milke.what I doo thinke of the milke of our Lady, MarginaliaThe bloud of Hales.the bloud whiche they say, is at Hayles, Norwich, and other places, with such other: wherof (I trust) you do know what ought to be done. And I beseche God you may do therein as your office doth require, so shewyng exāple vnto other Prelates, to folow your Lordship in good doing, as is comely for a Primate to do, remembryng alway, as Paul sayth: the tyme is short, and therfore it were good to set to hand in tyme.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaMoyses Tombe vnknowē.Finally, holy Moyses, when he died, would be so buryed that no man shoulde know which was hys graue, as it is witnessed in þ^e boke of Deuteronomie: & that, (as þ^e expositors testifie) was bicause the Iewes, which were prone to new fangled worshyppyng, should not fall into Idolatry, worshyppyng hym as God, for the great and manifolde miracles that were wrought by hym while he was aliue.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaTo thinke Pilgrimage to be meritorious, is no point of our beliefe.To conclude, I saye, it is no poynt of my belefe, to thynk that oblations and pilgrimages at Sainctes graues & reliques, are meritorious workes, ne yet that there is any deuotion in so doing: That is godly which is institute by Scripture. If you thinke contrary, I would desire to knowe for mine instruction, what part of scripture should make therfore, against me.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaAunswere to the 17. article.In the. xvij. where ye do aske, whether the fast of lent, and other apoynted by the common lawe, and receaued in common vsage of christen people (vnlesse necessity otherwyse requireth) are to be obserued? I say, that in myne opinion, they are to be obserued, and fastyng discretly done is commendable, for so shall a man auoyde slouth and be the more ready for to serue God, and also hys neyghbours: and therby tame the rebellion of carnal concupiscence, accordyng to the saying of þ^e Poete: Sine cærere & baccho friget Venus: Without wyne and good fare, luste waxeth could. And as S. Herome: MarginaliaThe saying of Hierom.Venter mero estuans spumat in libidinē: The body inflamed with wyne, bursteth out into luste.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaFast brokē is of it selfe no sinne.Yet shal not the breaking of these fastes make a man to do deadly sinne, excepte in hys mynde be some other malicious affection therwith annexed, as rashnes of mynde, despite, or such lyke, MarginaliaNo positiue law without the foundation of scripture, bindeth to deadly sinne.for so much as no positiue lawe of man, made without foundation of Scripture, maye bind any person: so that in breaking of suche, he shall therfore sinne deadly. And of thys sort made by

[Back to Top]