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than he is, or had more pleasure than he hath, is of a worldly imagination.

And all the spirits that be in heaven are in as good case as they can be, and have all the delectation they can have, and therefore to wish them in a better case, or to study to do them more pleasure than they have, is fleshlyminded popishness. The pleasure of them that be in heaven is, that we hearken to God and keep his commandments, which when we do, they have all the pleasure that they can have in us. If in this life I suffer hell gladly, to win my brother, to follow God, how much more if I were in heaven should I rejoice that he so did? If in this world when I have need of my neighbour, by the reason of mine infirmities, yet I seek nought of him, save his wealth only, what other thing should I seek of him, if I were in heaven, where he can do me no service, nor I use any pleasure that he can do me?

They that ven do chiefly dewe hearken

are in hea

sire that

to God, and do his will.

All popish imaginations are idolatry.

THE devil desired to have his imaginations worshipped as God, and his popish children desire the same, and compel men so to honour them, and of their devilish nature describe they both God and his saints. And therefore I say, all such fleshly imaginations, as to fast the Wednesday in the worship of St. John, or of St. Catharine, or what saint it be, or to fast saints' eves, or to go a pilgrimage unto their images, or to offer to them, to do them pleasure, thinking thereby to obtain their favour and to make special advocates of them, as a man would win the favour of another with presents and gifts, and thinking that if we did it not, they would be angry, are plain idolatry and image service, for the saint delighteth in no such. And when thou stickest up a candle before the image, thou Candles. mightest with as good reason make an hollow belly in the image and pour in meat and drink. For as the saint neither eateth nor drinketh, so hath he no bodily eyes to delight in the light of a candle.

Another is this, God giveth not the promises that are

We recieve all things of God our Father, for Jesus Christ's sake, his Son and our only Saviour.

We must do all things of love.

Sacrifices.

in Christ for bodily service, but of his mercy only, unto
his own glory. Yea and of the father's goodness do all
natural children receive. Ask a little boy who gave him
his gay coat? he answereth, his father. Ask him why?
and he answereth, because he is his father, and loveth him,
and because he is his son. Ask him whether his father
love him? and he saith Yea. Ask him how he knoweth it?
and he saith, because he giveth him this, or that. Ask
him whether he love his father? he saith, Yea. Ask him
why? he saith, for his father loveth him, and giveth him
all thing. Ask him, why he worketh? he answereth, his
father will so have it. Ask him, why his father giveth
not such and such boys coats too? Nay, saith he, they be
not his sons, their fathers must give them as mine doth me.
Go now, ye popish bond-servants, and receive your re-
ward for your false works, and rob your brethren, and
reign over them with violence and cruel tyranny; and
make them worship your pillars, poleaxes, images, and
hats. And we will receive of the merciful kindness of
our Father, and will serve our brethren freely of very love,
and will be their servants, and suffer for their sakes.
thereto our good deeds which we do unto our neighbour's
need, spring out of our righteousness or justifying, which
is the forgiveness of our sins in Christ's blood, and of
other righteousness know we not before God. And con-
trariwise, your righteousness or justifying which standeth,
as your faith doth, with all wickedness, springeth out of
your holy works, which ye do to no man freely, save unto
painted posts.

And

And when he alleged the sacrifices of the old law, I say they were sacraments, and preached unto the people, (as no doubt, our candles once were) and were no holy works to be referred unto God's person to obtain his favour, and to justify the people, and that the people should do them for the works' selves. And when the people had lost the significations, and looked on the holiness of the deeds to be justified thereby; they were image ser

vice, and hateful to God, and rebuked of the prophets, as it is to see throughout all the Old Testament.

Then he juggleth with a text of St. Paul (Rom. xiv.) Rom. xiv. Let every man for his part abound, one in this idolatry and another in that: when the sense of the text is, Let every man be sure of his own conscience, that he do nothing except he know well, and his conscience serve him, that it may be lawfully done. But what care they to abuse God's word and to wrest it unto the contrary?

:

And in the last end, to utter his excellent blindness, he saith The wise man, Luther, thinketh that if the gold were taken from the relicks, it would be given unto the poor immediately; when he seeth the contrary, that they which have their purses full, will give the poor, (if they give aught) either an half penny, or in his country the fourth part of a farthing. Now I ask M. More's conscience, seeing they have no devotion unto the poor, which are as Christ's own person, and for whoin Christ hath suffered his passion, that we should be kind to them, and whom to visit with our alms is God's commandment ; with what mind do they offer so great treasure to the garnishing of shrines, images, and relicks? It is manifest that they which love not God's commandment, can do nothing godly. Wherefore such offerings come of a false faith, so that they think them better than works commanded by God, and believe to be justified thereby. And therefore are they but image service.

A sure to

ken of a

false faith.

ence between

Christ's

And when he saith, We might as well rebuke the pouring A differof the anointment on Christ's head: nay, Christ was then mortal as well as we, and used such things as we do, and it refreshed his body. But, and if thou wouldest now pour such on his image to do him pleasure, I would rebuke it.

natural body, and a painted

image.

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THE THIRD CHAPTER.

IN the third chapter he bringeth in miracles done at St. Stephen's tomb. I answer that the miracles done at saints' tombs were done for the same purpose that the miracles which they did when they were alive were done; even to provoke unto the faith of their doctrine, and not to trust in the place, or in bones, or in the saint. As Paul sent his napkin to heal the sick, not that men should put trust in his napkin, but believe his preaching.

And in the Old Testament, Elias healed Naaman the heathen man in the water of Jordan; not to trust in the water, or to pray in that place, but to wonder at the power of God, and to come and believe, as he also did. And that his bones, when he was dead, raised up a dead man, was not done that men should pray to him, for that was not lawful then, by their own doctrine; neither to put their trust in his bones. For God to avoid all such idolatry, had polluted all dead bones, so that whosoever touched a dead bone, was unclean, and all that came in his company until he had washed himself; insomuch that if a place were abused with offering unto idols, there was no better remedy than to scatter dead bones there, to drive the people thence, for being defiled and polluted. But his boues did that miracle, to testify that he was a true prophet, and to move men unto the faith of his doctrine.

And even so miracles done at the holy cross were done to move men unto faith of Him that died thereon, and not that we should believe in the wood.

He saith that pilgrims put not trust in the place, as necromancers do in their circles, and saith he wotteth not what, to mock out the text of our Saviour of praying in the Spirit. And in the end he confoundeth himself saying, We reckon our prayers more pleasant in one place than in another. And that must be by the reason of the place, for God is as good in one place as in another, and

also the man. Moreover where a man pleaseth God best, thither is he most bound to go. And so that imagination bindeth a man to the place with a false faith, as necromancers trust in their circles.

And again, if God had said that he would more hear in one place than in another, he had bound himself to the place. Now as God is like good every where generally, so hath he made his testament generally; wheresoever mine heart moveth me and am quiet to pray unto him, there to hear me like graciously.

God is like good in

every

place.

The people were specially called to the temple to behold the monuments there, whereby they might the better

And if a man lay to our charge, that God bound them unto the tabernacle, and after to the temple in the Old Temple. Testament; I say that he did it not for the place's sake, but for the monuments and testimonies that there preached the word of God unto them; so that though the priests had been negligent to preach, yet should such things that there were, have kept the people in the remembrance of the testament made between God and them. Which cause, and such like only, should move us to come to church, and unto one place more than another. long as I come more to one place than another because of the quietness, or that something preacheth God's word more lively unto me there than in another, the place is servant, and I not bound to it: which cause and such like taken away, I cannot but put trust in the place as necromancers do in their circles, and am an image server, and walk after mine own imagination and not after God's word.

And as

my

And when he saith, We might as well mock the observance of the paschal lanıb; I answer, Christ our paschal lamb is offered for us, and bath delivered us, as Paul saith, (1 Cor. v.) whose sign and memorial is the sacrament of his body and blood. Moreover we were not delivered out of Egypt. And therefore inasmuch as we be overladen with our own, I see no cause why we should become Jews, to observe their ceremonies too.

And when he saith, Holy strange gestures; I answer,

learn the mighty power of God.

Paschal

lamb.

1 Cor. v.

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