John xvii. Note well this. sin. And (John. xvii.) Sanctify them, O father, through thy truth and thy word is truth. And thus thou seest that God's truth dependeth not of man. It is not true because man so saith or admitteth it for true: but man is true, because he believeth it, testifieth and giveth witness in his heart that it is true. And Christ also saith himself, (John v.) I receive no witness of man. For if the multitude of man's witness might make ought true, then were the doctrine of Mahomet truer than Christ's. WHETHER THE APOSTLES LEFT OUGHT UN- the apostles taught any thing that they did not write. Whether BUT did not the apostles teach ought by mouth, that they wrote not? I answer, because that many taught one thing, and every man the same in divers places, and unto divers people, and confirmed every sermon with a sundry miracle; therefore, Christ and his apostles preached an hundred thousand sermons, and did as many miracles, which had been superfluous to have been all written. But the pith and substance in general of every thing necessary unto our souls' health, both of what we ought to believe, and what we ought to do, was written; and of the miracles done to confirm it, as many as were needful. So much is written as is neces salvation. So sary for our that whatsoever we ought to believe or do, that same is written expressly, or drawn out of that which is written. For if I were bound to do or believe, under pain of the loss of my soul, any thing that were written, nor depended The Scrip- of that which is written, what holp me the Scripture that is written? And thereto, inasmuch as Christ and all his apostles warned us that false prophets should come with ten verities. false miracles, even to deceive the elect if it were possible, wherewith should the true preacher confound the false, ture writ ten, must confound the unwrit except he brought true miracles to confound the false, or else authentic Scripture of full authority already among the people? Some man would ask, How did God continue his congregation from Adam to Noah, and from Noah to Abraham, and so to Moses, without writing, but with teaching from mouth to mouth? I answer, first, that there was no Scripture all the while, they shall prove, when our lady hath a new son. God taught Adam greater things than to write. And that there was writing in the world long ere Abraham, yea, and ere Noah, do stories testify. Notwithstanding, though there had been no writing, the preachers were even prophets glorious in doing of miracles, wherewith they confirmed their preaching. And beyond that, God wrote his Testament unto them alway, both what to do, and to believe, even in the Sacraments. For the sacrifices which God gave Adam's sons, were no dumb popery or superstitious Mahometry, but signs of the Testament of God. And in them they read the word of God, as we do in books, and as we should do in our Sacraments, if the wicked pope had not taken the significations away from us, as he hath robbed us of the true sense of all the Scripture. The testament which God made with Noah, that he would no more drown the world with water, he wrote in the Sacrament of the rainbow. And the appointment made between him and Abraham, he wrote in the sacrament of circumcision. And therefore, said Stephen (Acts vii.) He gave them the testament of circumcision. Not that the outward circumcision was the whole testament, but the sacrament or sign there. For circumcision preached God's word unto them, as I have in other places declared. But in the time of Moses, when the congregation was increased, that they must have many preachers, and also rulers temporal, then all was received in Scripture, insomuch, that Christ and his apostles might not have been There can no more be taught us than is contained in the Scrip tures. Purgatory. The heathen thought nothing more madder than the doc trine of the resurrection. believed without Scripture for all their miracles. Wherefore, inasmuch as Christ's congregation is spread abroad into all the world much broader than Moses; and inasmuch as we have not the Old Testament only, but also the New, wherein all things are opened so richly, and all fulfilled that before was promised; and inasmuch as there is no promise behind of ought to be shewed more save the resurrection; yea, and seeing that Christ and all the apostles, with all the angels of heaven, if they were here, could preach no more than is preached of necessity unto our souls: how then should we receive a new article of the faith, without Scripture, as profitable unto my soul, when I had believed it, as smoke for sore eyes? What holp it me to believe that our lady's body is in heaven? what am I the better for the belief of purgatory? To fear men, thou wilt say. Christ and his apostles thought hell enough. And yet (besides that the fleshly imagination may not stand with God's word) what great fear can there be of that terrible fire which thou mayest quench almost for three half-pence? And that the apostles should teach ought by mouth which they would not write, I pray you for what purpose? because they should not come into the hands of the heathen for mocking, saith M. More. I pray you what thing more to be mocked of the heathen could they teach, than the resurrection, and that Christ was God and man, and died between two thieves, and that for his death's sake all that repent and believe therein should have their sins forgiven them? Yea, and if the apostles understood thereby as we do, what madder thing unto heathen people could they have taught them that bread is Christ's body, and wine his blood? And yet all these things they wrote. And again, purgatory, confession in the ear, penance and satisfaction for sin to Godward, with holy deeds, and praying to saints with such like, as dumb sacraments and ceremonies, are marvellous agreeable unto the superstition of the heathen people, so that they needed not to abstain from writing of them, for fear lest the heathen should have mocked them. And The apostles taught nothing that they were afraid to write. Sacraments fications. Moreover, what is it that the apostles taught by mouth, and durst not write? The sacraments? As for baptism and the sacrament of the body and blood of Christ they wrote, and it is expressed what is signified by them. also all the ceremonies and sacraments that were from Adam to Christ had significations; and all that are made have signimention of in the New Testament; wherefore, inasmuch as the sacraments of the Old Testament have significations; and inasmuch as the sacraments of the New Testament (of which mention is made that they were delivered unto us by the very apostles, at Christ's commandment) have also significations; and inasmuch as the office of an apostle is to edify in Christ; and inasmuch as a dumb ceremony edifieth not, but hurteth altogether (for if it preach not unto me, then I cannot but put confidence therein, that the deed itself justifieth me, which is the denying of Christ's blood); and inasmuch as no mention is made of them, as well as of other, nor is known what is meant by them; therefore, it appeareth that the apostles taught them not, but that they be the false merchandise of wily hypocrites. And thereto, priesthood was, in the time of the apostles, an office which if they would do truly it would more profit than all the sacraments in the world. The popish And again, God's holinesses strive not one against another, nor defile one another. Their sacraments defile one another. For wedlock defileth priesthood more than whoredom, theft, murder, or any sin against nature. They will haply demand where it is written, that women should baptize? Verily, in this commandment, Love thy neighbour as thyself, it is written, that they may and ought to minister not only baptism, but all other in time of need, if they be so necessary as they preach them. And finally, though we were sure that God himself had given us a sacrament, whatsoever it were, yet if the signification were once lost, we must of necessity, either seek All the sacraments, taught either in the Old Testament or new, have significations. sacraments strive one against another. Sacraments without significations, are not to be received. up WHETHER THE CHURCH CAN ERR. Whether can err, or not. What the very church is, and what faith saveth. the church THERE is another question, whether the church may err. Which, if ye understand of the pope and his generation, it is verily as hard a question as to ask whether he which hath both his eyes out, be blind or no; or whether it be possible for him that hath one leg shorter than another, to halt. But I said that Christ's elect church is the whole multitude of all repenting sinners that believe in Christ, and put all their trust and confidence in the mercy of God; feeling in their hearts, that God for Christ's sake loveth them, and will be, or rather is, merciful unto them, and forgiveth them their sins of which they repent; and that he forgiveth them also all the motions unto sin, of which they fear lest they should thereby be drawn into sin again. And this faith they have without all respect of their own deservings, yea, and for none other cause than that the merciful truth of God the Father, which cannot lie, hath so promised, and so sworn. By faith we are made the sons of God. And this faith and knowledge is everlasting life; and by this we be born anew, and made the sons of God, and obtain forgiveness of sins, and are translated from death to life, and from the wrath of God unto his love and favour. And this faith is the mother of all truth, and bringeth with her the Spirit of all truth. Which Spirit purgeth us, as |