When a man feeleth that his heart consenteth unto the law of God, and feeleth himself meek, patient, courteous, and merciful to his neighbour, altered and fashioned like unto Christ, why should he doubt but that God hath forgiven him, and chosen him, and put his Spirit in him, though he never cram his sin into the priest's ear?

One blind reason have they, saying, How shall the priest unbind, loose, and forgive the sin which he knoweth not? How did the apostles? The Scripture forsake they, and run unto their blind reasons, and draw the Scripture unto a carnal purpose. When I have told thee in thine ear all that I have done my life long, in order and with all circumstances after the shamefullest manner, what canst thou do more than preach me the promises, saying, If thou repent and believe, God's truth shall save thee for Christ's sake? Thou seest not mine heart, thou knowest not whether I repent or no, neither whether I consent to the law, that it is holy, righteous, and good. Moreover, whether I believe the promises or no, is also unknown to thee. If thou preach the law and the promises (as the apostles did) so should they that God hath chosen, repent, and believe and be saved: even now as well as then. Howbeit antichrist must know all secrets to stablish his kingdom, and to work his mysteries withal. They bring also for them the stories of the ten lepers, which is written in the xviith chapter of Luke. Here mark their falsehood, and learn to know them for ever. The fourteenth Sunday after the feast of the Trinity, the beginning of the seventh lesson, is the said gospel, and the eighth and the ninth lessons, with the rest of the seventh, is the exposition of Bede upon the said gospel. Where, saith Bede, of all that Christ healed, of whatsoever disease it were, he sent none unto the priests, but the lepers. And by the lepers interpreteth followers of false doctrine only, which the spiritual officers, and the learned men of the congregation ought to examine, and rebuke their learning with God's word, and to warn

congregation to beware of them. Which, if they were afterward healed by the grace of Christ, ought to come before the congregation, and there openly confess their true faith.

But all other vices (saith he) doth God heal within in the conscience.

Though they thiswise read at matins, yet at high mass, if they have any sermon at all, they lie clean contrary unto this open truth. Neither are they ashamed at all. For why? they walk altogether in darkness.

OF CONTRITION.

of the leaven of the Pharisees,

CONTRITION and repentance are both one, and nothing else but a sorrowful and a mourning heart. And because that God hath promised mercy unto a contrite heart, that is, to a sorrowful and repenting heart, they, to beguile God's word and to stablish their wicked tradition, have feigned that new word attrition, saying, Thou canst not Attrition is know whether thy sorrow or repentance be contrition or attrition, except thou be shriven. When thou art shriven then it is true contrition. Oh! sorry Pharisee, that is thy leaven, of which Christ so diligently bade us beware. (Matt. vi.) And the very prophesy of Peter, Through covetousness with feigned words shall they make merchandise of you. (2 Peter ii.) With such glosses corrupt they God's word, to sit in the consciences of the people, to lead them captive, and to make a prey of them: buying and selling their sins to satisfy their unsatiable covetousness. Nevertheless the truth is, when any man hath trespassed against God, if he repent and knowledge his trespass, God promiseth him forgiveness without ear shrift.

If he that hath offended his neighbour repent and knowledge his fault, asking forgiveness, if his neighbour forgive him, God forgiveth him also by his holy promise.

(Matt. xviii.) Likewise, if he that sinneth openly when he is openly rebuked, repent and turn, then if the congregation forgive him, God forgiveth him; and so forth whosoever repenteth, and when he is rebuked knowledgeth his fault, is forgiven.

He also that doubteth, or hath his conscience tangled, ought to open his mind unto some faithful brother that is learned, and he shall give him faithful counsel to help him withal.

To whom a man trespasseth, unto him he ought to confess. But to confess myself unto thee O antichrist, whom I have not offended, am I not bound.

Whom a man of

fendeth to him must

he confess.

They of the old law had no confession in the ear. Neither the apostles, nor they that followed many hundred years after, knew of any such whispering. Whereby then was their attrition turned unto contrition? yea, why are we, which Christ came to loose, more bound than the Jews? Yea, and why are we more bound without Scripture? for Christ came not to make us more bound, but to loose us and to make a thousand things no sin which before were sin, and are now become sin again. He left none other law with us but the law of love. He loosed us not from Moses to bind us unto antichrist's ear. God had not tied Christ unto antichrist's ear, neither hath poured all his mercy in thither, for it hath no record in the Old Testament, that antichrist's ear should be Propiciatorium, that is to wit, God's mercy- It hath no stool, and that God should creep into so narrow a hole, so that he could no where else be found. Neither did God write his laws, neither yet his holy promises in antichrist's ear; but hath graved them with his holy Spirit in the hearts of them that believe, that they might have them always ready at hand to be saved thereby.

record in the Scripture that

God should creep in

and hide antichrist's

himself in

ear.

SATISFACTION.

Christ is an everlasting satisfac

tion.

Baptism lasteth

ever.

AS pertaining unto satisfaction, thiswise understand, that he that loveth God hath a commandment, (as St. John saith in the fourth chapter of his first Epistle) to love his neighbour also: whom if thou have offended, thou must make him amends or satisfaction, or at the leastway, if thou be not able, ask him forgiveness, and if he will have mercy of God, he is bound to forgive thee. If he will not, yet God forgiveth thee, if thou thus submit thyself. But unto Godward, Christ is a perpetual and an everlasting satisfaction for evermore.

As oft as thou fallest through frailty, repent and come again, and thou art safe and welcome, as thou mayest see by the similitude of the riotous son, (Luke xv.) If thou be lopen out of sanctuary, come in again. If thou be fallen from the way of truth, come thereto again, and thou art safe: if thou be gone astray, come to the fold again, and the Shepherd, Christ, shall save thee, yea, and the angels of heaven shall rejoice at thy coming, so far it is off that any man shall beat thee or chide thee. If any Pharisee envy thee, grudge at thee, or rail upon thee, thy Father shall make answer for thee, as thou seest in the fore-rehearsed likeness or parable. Whosoever therefore is gone out of the way, by whatsoever chance it be, let him come to his baptism again, and unto the profession thereof, and he shall be safe.

For though that the washing of baptism be past, yet the power thereof, that is to say, the word of God, which baptism preacheth, lasteth ever and saveth for ever. As Paul is past and gone, nevertheless the word that Paul preached lasteth ever, and saveth ever as many as come thereto with a repenting heart and a steadfast faith.

Hereby seest thou that when they make penance of re

pentance and call it a sacrament, and divide it into contrition, confession, and satisfaction, they speak of their own heads, and lie falsely.

ABSOLUTION.

THEIR absolution also justifieth no man from sin. For with the heart do men believe to be justified withal, saith Paul; (Rom. x.) that is, through faith and believing the promises are we justified, as I have sufficiently proved in other places with the Scripture. Faith (saith Paul in the same place) cometh by hearing, that is to say, by hearing the preacher that is sent from God, and preacheth God's promises. Now when thou absolvest in Latin, the unlearned heareth not. For how, saith Paul, (1 Cor. xiv.) When thou blessest in an unknown tongue, shall the unlearned say Amen unto thy thanksgiving? for he wotteth not what thou sayest. So likewise the lay wotteth not whether thou loose or bind, or whether thou bless or curse. like manner is it if the lay understand Latin, or though the priest absolve in English. For in his absolution he rehearseth no promise of God: but speaketh his own words, saying, I, by the authority of Peter and Paul, absolve or loose thee from all thy sins. Thou sayest so, which art but a lying man, and never more than now verily.

In

Thou sayest, I forgive thee thy sins, and the Scripture, (John the first) That Christ only forgiveth and taketh away the sins of the world. And Paul and Peter, and all the apostles, preach that all is forgiven in Christ and for Christ's sake. God's word only looseth, and thou in preaching that mightest loose also, and else not.

Whosoever hath ears let him hear, and let him that hath eyes see. If any man love to be blind, his blindness on his own head and not ou mine.