in churches, well and sufficiently instructed the primitiue church, and should yet instruct vs wel, if they were well considered: so that we should not neede so sore to contend for setting vp of other made by men. Whereby I haue perceiued much harme to arise, and no great profite: nor the scripture maketh not for them, but rather contrary. As concernyng which matter, I would your Lordship would please to read the Epistle of Baruch once agayne wryting of the same matter.

MarginaliaAnswer to the 19. article.Vnto the. xix. where you aske, whether I beleue that prayers of men lyuyng, do profite soules departed and being in purgatory? I made aūswere in the. xiij. Article.

MarginaliaAūswer to the 20. article.Vnto the. xx. where you do aske, whether men merite and deserue both by their fasting, & also by other deedes of deuotion? I haue shewed what I doe thinke therof, in the fift demaunde.

MarginaliaAunswer to the 21. article.In the. xxi. where you do aske, whether I do beleue, that men prohibited of Bishops tro preach, as suspect of heresie, ought to cease from preachyng and teachynge, vntill they haue purged them selues of suspicion, afore an hygher iudge? MarginaliaTruth taken many tymes for heresie, and heresy for truth.I saye, that men maye be wrongfullye suspected of heresie, either because they neuer thought to beleue such errours, as men by false suspicion do deeme them to fauour: or els when men as well of hygh state, as of low, by sinister iudgment may thynke that to be errour, which is the very truth. And of thys speaketh Esaye: Wo be to them (quod he) that calleth the light darkenes, and the darknes light: the truth, falsehode, and falsehode truth: MarginaliaEsay. 5.
Whether men probibited, ought to cease frō preaching.as the Byshopes and the Priestes, with their Oratour Tertullus, called Paule, sayinge thus before a iudge called Felix, vnto whose court they brought hym to be condemned to death: We haue (quod they) gotten here a prestilent felow, a sower of sedicion or discorde amonge all the Iewes of the worlde, and brynger vppe of the Sect of the Nazarens, which was also mynded to haue polluted our temple. &c. MarginaliaAct. 24.
Truth taken for falshode.This is to call by peruerse iudgement, truth falshode. And thus dyd theyr predecessours speake of the Prophetes, yea and of Christ hym selfe, MarginaliaChrist taken for a seducer.callyng him a seducer and preacher of heresie: which is writen for our instructiō. MarginaliaIn what causes men forbidden, ought not to cease from preaching.And men thus beyng suspected (as I woud none were) ought in no wise therfore to cease neither frō preaching, ne teachinge.

MarginaliaAct. 4. 5. 6.Ensample of thys we haue in þ^e Actes of þ^e Apostles, where is shewed, that when Peter and Iohn had done a myracle vpon a man that had ben lame from hys natiuitie (whom by the power of Christ, they healed and caused to goo where he pleased) the people hearinge of this, came running about Peter and Iohn. Peter seing this, dyd exhort the people in a Sermō, that they should not thynke hym and hys felowe Sainct Iohn, to haue done thys wonderfull thing by theyr owne power or holynes, but by the vertue of Christe, whome they and theyr head rulers had slaine.

While they were thus speaking w^t the people, there came vpō thē, the priests & officers of the temple, accōpanied w^t the Saduceis, beyng sore displeased that they should enterprise to teach the people, & preach that men should arise frō death by þ^e name of Christ, whom they had caused to be crucified, & therwith they layd handes vpon them and put them in warde vntil the next daye. The next day, they sent for þ^e Apostles before them, demaunding by what power, and in whose name they did this miracle. Peter made aunswere, MarginaliaAct. 4.If you (quod he) that are head rulers ouer the people, luste by examination to knowe by what meanes we dyd it, we would you shoulde all know that we dyd it thorow the name of Christ Iesu of Nazareth, whom you dyd crucifie: but god did cause him to arise agayne. In the vertue of his name doth this man that afore was lame, nowe stand before you here both hole and sound. For Christ is that hygh corner stone, whome you cast away, which shoulde haue buylded the peoples fayth vppon hym, neither is there any saluation without hym.

These great men, seyng that Peter spake so freely, & that he with his felow Iohn, were simple men, without any pompous apparel or great garde of seruaunts, being like idiotes and men vnlearned, wondred therat. At the last, they did commaunde them to departe out of theyr Councell house, whiles they should commō more largely of the matter. MarginaliaPeter and the Apostles prohibited by the Phariseis to preach Christ.Afterward they called the Apostles afore them agayne, commaunding them that they should no more preach ne teach in the name of Iesus. But the Apostles aunswered saying: I beseche you iudge better: ought we to obey you more then God, or no? For certainly we must nedes testifie of those thinges which we haue both heard and seene. MarginaliaAct. 4.Then the head priestes threatning them sore, dyd geue them straite charge, not to breake their precept, and so dyd let them go, not knowinge any cause why they might punishe them: for they feared lest the people would haue takē part with the Apostles, for the people gaue glorye to God for the miracle shewed by them.

MarginaliaPeter disobeyed the precept of the Phariseis.Notwithstandinge all these great threates, Peter wrought miracles still amongst the people, doyng them to know that glory therfore ought to be geuē to Iesus, by whose power and name they were done. Wherwith the harts of the people melted for ioy: so that they folowed after the Apostles, whether soeuer lightly they went.

The primate of the priestes hearing of this, & al that were about him, replete with indignation, laid handes vpon the Apostles, putting them in the commō prison. MarginaliaPeter deliuered out of prison.But the Aungell of God in the night opened the prison doores, and brought them oute saying: Goe you into the Temple, and stand there preachyng vnto the people al the words of life, that is to say, Christes doctrine: and so they did early in the morning. Then came forth the chiefe Priest, and they whom he vsed to haue about him, and called a Coūcell, in which were all þ^e priestes of Israel, or Auncients of Israell. So they sent vnto the pryson house for to haue the Apostles brought forth before thē. When theyr seruaunts came to the pryson house, and found the Apostles gone thence, they returned to theyr maisters, saying: we found the pryson fast shut rounde about in euery parte, and the kepers watching at the doores without, full diligentlye. But when we had opened the prison, we could finde no body within.

Then, as the high Priests and officers of the temple heard this, they were in a great perplextie, doubtinge what woulde thereof come. Then came one vnto them and shewed them, saying: beholde the men that ye put in pryson, are standyng in the temple preachinge vnto the people. MarginaliaAct. 5.Then went they thether and brought the Apostels with them, without any violence: but they were afraid lest the people would haue beaten them downe with stones.

Then they caused the Apostles to be brought into theyr Councell house, the hygh Priest begynnyng hys proposition against the Apostles in thys forme: Haue we not straightly commaunded you (sayd he) that you should not preach in the name of Christ? And see, you haue filled al Ierusalem with your doctrine. Will you bringe this mans bloud vpon vs, that we shoulde vnrightwisely haue caused him to suffer death? MarginaliaGod to be obeyed more then men.Then answered Peter and þ^e other Apostles saying: we ought to obey God more then any men. The God of our fathers hath raysed Iesu from death, whom you dyd sley, hangyng hym vpon a tree. Him notwithstanding hath God raysed & by his power auaunced to be our king and Sauiour: by whom shalbe geuen to all Israel, that will take repentaunce, forgiuenes of sinne.MarginaliaAct. 5.

These great rulers hearing this, their harts were therwith clouen a sunder, & they coūcelled together for to sley they Apostles. MarginaliaThe counsell of Gamaliell.But one good man amonges their multitude auised them otherwyse, whose aduyse they dyd approue. Then they called the Apostles again afore