The doctrine of Duns advanced. The blind papists are enemies to all good learning

ledge.

far less, and yet dureth unto this day, the old barking curs, Dun's disciples, and like draff called Scottists, the children of darkness, raged in every pulpit against Greek, Latin and Hebrew; and what sorrow the school-masters that taught the true Latin tongue had with them; some beating the pulpit with their fists for madness, and roarand know- ing out with open and foaming mouth, that if there were but one Terence or Virgil in the world, and that same in their sleeves and a fire before them, they would burn them therein, though it should cost them their lives; affirming that all good learning decayed, and was utterly lost since men gave them unto the Latin tongue? yea, and I dare say that there be twenty thousand priests curates this day in England, and not so few, that cannot give you the right English unto this text in the Paternoster, Fiat voluntas tua sicut in cælo et in terra, and answer thereto.

Ignorant priests.

Ignorance made us

servants to

And as soon as the signification of the ceremonies was lost, and the priests preached Christ no longer, then the common people began to wax mad, and out of their minds upon the ceremonies. the ceremonies. And that trust and confidence which the ceremonies preached, to be given unto ceremonies. God's word and Christ's blood, that same they turned unto the ceremony itself, as though a man were so mad to forget that the bush at the tavern door did signify wine to be sold within, but would believe that the bush itself would quench his thirst. And so they became servants unto the ceremonies, ascribing their justifying and salvation unto them, supposing that it was nothing else to be a christian man, than to serve ceremonies, and him most Christian that most served them; and contrariwise, him that was not popish and ceremonial, no Christian man at all. For I pray you, for what cause worship we our spiritualty so highly, or wherefore think we their prayers better than the poor lay men's, than for their disguisings and ceremonies? Yea, and what other virtue see we in the holiest of them, than to wait upon dumb superstitious ceremonies?

Yea, and how cometh it that a poor layman having wife and twenty children, and not able to find them, though all his neighbours know his necessity, shall not get with begging for Christ's sake in a long summer's day enough to keep them two days honestly; when, if a disSuised monster come, he shall, with an hour's lying in the Pulpit, get enough to find thirty or forty sturdy lubbers a month long, of which the weakest shall be as strong in the belly when he cometh unto the manger, as the migh

iest porter in the weigh house, or best courser that is in the King's stable. Is there any other cause than disguising and ceremonies? For the deeds of the ceremonies, we Count better than the deeds which God commandeth to be done to our neighbour at his need; who thinketh it as good a deed to feed the poor, as to stick up a candle before a post, or as to sprinkle himself with holy water? neither is it possible to be otherwise, as long as the signification is lost. For what other thing can the people think, than that such deeds be ordained of God, and because as it is evident, they serve not our neighbour's need; to be referred unto the person of God, and he, though he be a spirit, yet served therewith? And then he cannot but forth on dispute in his blind reason, God is greater than man, so is that deed that is appointed to serve God, greater than that which serveth man. And that when it is not possible to think them ordained for nought, what can I otherwise think than that they were ordained to justify; and that I should be holy thereby, according to the pope's doctrine, as though God were better pleased when I sprinkled myself with water, or set up a candle before a block; than if I fed or clothed, or holp at his need him whom he so tenderly loveth, that he gave his own son unto the death for him, and commandeth me to love him as myself?

that as

pre

And when the people began to run that the way, lates were glad, and holp to heave after with subtle allegories and falsifying the Scripture; and went and hallowed

then the

clergy holp them forward with falsifying the Scripture.

perstitious, the ceremonies, to make them more worshipful, that the lay people should have them in greater estimation and honour; and to be afraid to touch them for reverence unto the holy charm that was said over them, and affirmed also that Christ's death had purchased such grace unto the ceremonies to forgive sin, and to justify. O monster, Christ's death purchased grace for man's soul, to repent of evil, and to believe in Christ for remission man's soul. of sin, and to love the law of God, and his neighbour as himself, which is the true worshipping of God in the spirit, and he died not to purchase such honour unto unsensible things, that man to his dishonour should do them honourable service, and receive his salvation of. them.

Christ's

death purchased

grace for

This I have declared unto you, that ye might see and feel every thing sensibly. For I intend not to lead you in darkness. Neither though twice two cranes make not four wild geese, would I therefore that he should believe that twice two made not four. Neither intend I to prove unto you, that Paul's steeple is the cause why Tenterden Thames is broke in about Erith, or that Tenterden steeple steeple. is the cause of the decay of Sandwich haven, as M. More jesteth. Nevertheless, this I would were persuaded unto you (as it is true) that the building of them and such like, through the false faith that we have in them, is the decay of all the havens in England, and of all the cities, towns, high-ways, and shortly of the whole commonwealth. For since these false monsters crope up into our consciences, and robbed us of our Saviour Christ, making us believe in such pope-holy works; and to think that there was none other way unto heaven, we have not ceased to build them abbies, cloisters, colleges, and religi- chauntries, and cathedral churches with high steeples, striving and envying one another, who should do most. And as for the deeds that pertain unto our neighbours, and unto the commonwealth, we have not regarded at all, as things which seemed no holy works, or such as God

The build

ing of abbies, cloisters,

ous houses

have been

a great decay to the good

state of this realm.

would not once look upon. And therefore we left them
unseen to, until they were past remedy, or past our power
to remedy them, inasmuch as our slow bellies with their
false blessings had juggled away from us, that where-
So
with they might have been holpen in due season.
that the silly poor man (though he had haply no wisdom
to express his mind, or that he durst not, or that M. More
fashioneth his tale as he doth other men's to jest out the
truth,) saw that neither Goodwin sands nor any other
cause alleged was the decay of Sandwich haven, so
much as the people had no lust to maintain the common-
wealth, for blind devotion which they have to pope-holy
works.

THE SOLUTIONS AND ANSWERS UNTO M.
MORE'S FIRST BOOK.

IN the first chapter, to begin the book withal, to bring you good luck, and to give you a say or a taste, what truth shall follow, he feigneth a letter sent from no man.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.

ping.

In the second chapter, besides that it is untrue, this Worshipuse to have been ever since the time of the apostles, he maketh many sophistical reasons about worshiping of saints, relicks, and images, and yet declareth not with what worship, but juggleth with the term in common, as he doth with this word church, and this word faith, when the words have divers significations: for all faiths are not one manner [of] faith, and so forth, and therefore he beguileth a man's understanding. As if a man said, The boy's will was good to have given his father a blow, and another would infer, that a good will could be no sin, and conclude that a man might lawfully smite

Subtle juggling and words.

True worshipping of saints.

True worshipping of God.

Bodily exercise.

his father. Now is good will taken in one sense in the major, and in another in the minor, to use scholars' terms, and therefore the conclusion doth mock a man's wit. Then disputeth he, the servant is honoured for the master's sake, and what is done to the poor is done to Christ, (as the popish shall once feel for their so robbing them) And the twelve apostles shall have their seats and sit and judge with Christ, (as shall all that here preach him truly as they did,) and Mary, that poured the ointment on Christ's head before his passion, hath her memorial, and therefore we ought to set candles before images. First I ask him by what rule his argument holdeth? And secondarily I answer, that the true worshipping of saints is their memorial: to follow them as they did Christ. And that honour we give them, and so do not ye papists, but follow the steps of your father the pope, as he doth the steps of his father the devil. And as for sticking up of candles, I answer, that God is a Spirit, and in the Spirit must be worshipped only. Faith to his promises, and love to his laws, and longing for the life that is in his Son, are his due honour and service. All bodily service must be referred unto ourselves, and not unto the person of God immediately. All outward things which we receive of God are given us, to take our parts with thanks, and to bestow the rest upon our neighbours. For God useth no such things in his own person, but created them for to give them us, that we should thank him, and not to receive them of us, to thank us for that were our praise and not his. Fasting, watching, woolward going, pilgrimage, and all bodily exercise must be referred unto the taming of the flesh only. For as God delighteth not in the taste of meat, drink, or in the sight of gold or silver, no more doth he in my fast and such like, that I should refer them unto his person, to do him a pleasure withal. For God in himself is ast good as he can be, and hath all the delectation that he can have. And therefore to wish that God were better