is verrey Goddis body and verrey breede,1 for so sais holy writte, and seyntes of Crist thowsandis. QUINTA HERESIS. The fyfft heresie, contened of the fyfft askynge, says, that prestis have powere to assoyle 2 men of synne, whom ever the pope lymytes, at his owne wille. Ande absolucions and indulgencis bothe fallen in mannes chaffare by byynge and sellynge; and so men may lightly for money be assoyled bothe of peyne and of synne, be thai never so synneful. But oure bileve techis us, that no synne is forgyven but if God hymself forgif furste of alle. Ande if his trewe vicare acorde to Gods wille, he may assoyle of synne as vicary of his God. But if he discorde from juggement of his God, he assoyles not, boste he never so muche. Ande herfore hit is nedeful that a preste have two keyes, of powere and of cunnyng, to acorde to Gods wille. Ffor if he want this connyng he nouther byndes ne assoyles; ne hit is not byleve that ne he may erre in this. Ande 3 1 bread. Wiclif's theory, as here expressed, worked out more fully in his treatises, was that which came to be known as consubstantiation. Luther adopted it, but it never took any hold in England. 3 wisdom. 2 absolve. amonge alle heresies or blasphemyes in oure Chirche, this is one the moste that men bene deceyved inne. And if a man speke herof by the law of God, he schal be prisoned, or done to deth as an heretike. SEXTA HERESIS. The sexte heresie, contened of the sexte askyng, sais, that men of private religioun bene more thikk saved then men that kepe trewly comyne Cristus religione; ffor, as thai say, thai have helpe of hor owne brether, specially in houre of hor deth, of body and of soule, and so bene not lad in to fendus temptacioun. But oure bileve techis us that comyn Cristus religioun passes al religioun of these newe ordris. Lorde! whedur we schuld trowe that Benet and Dominik, or Ffraunces, schuld passe the wisedome of Criste? Or whedur hit be wisedome to obeysche to siche prelatis, and bye the wille of Crist, that is God and thine abbot. Wele I wote that the Chirche was rewlud by Cristis ordynaunce, bifore these ordris coomen inne, better then hit was sithen. Ande so, sithen these religiouse dyen in this false triste, and have lyved in ypocrisie for the more parte of hore lyve, hit semes that suche gone prively 1 fiend's. til helle, and so be led in to fendus temptacioun, for thai ben hardid in errour of hor private ordris. And herfore clepid Crist Nichodeme fro the ordre of Phariseus, savyng hym and destroyyng of hit. Withouten doute tho ordynaunce that Crist hym selfe ordeyned, if hit were holden clene, hit were the beste of other; ffor therby is ilke degre myght iche man be saved. Ffor then wolde charite growe more, and envie be more distroyed. Thre membris of the Chirche, as prestis, knyghttus, and laboreris, wolden be sufficient withouten more diversite. God kepe his Chirche. Amen. SEPTIMA HERESIS. The sevent heresie and the last, that is contened of the sevent askyng, sais, that if we wirke by counsel of these newe ordris that leven1 the ordynaunce of Criste, we schal redely2 be saved. And herby bene men lad in to fendus temptacioun, and wrappid with synne ageyne the Holy Goste; and this is the werste synne that ever may falle to ony man. Wele I wote that freris wold not here this publischt in the pepul, for fallyng of hor ordre. But sithen it is not groundid in bileve, he is not on Gods halve that lettis hit for freris. Ande we schulde 2 of necessity. 1 leave. trow that foundyng of abbays and frerus and lettys mon that ne thai mowe 2 falle in the last synne. And herfore alle maner of men schuld know Cristis ordynaunce, and travaile therfore that hit were clenly kept; for hit is moste light, most profitable, and moste medeful. O Lord! if al the peple in Yngelonde traveyled in alle cuntreyes, and falsed the kyngis wille movyng to discordis agheynes the pes of the rewme,3 who wolde not say that suche a peple were perilouse in Yngelonde? mykel more if newe religious be skaterud in Cristendame, and gabben on the wille of Criste that is oure kynge, and moven not to pes and acorde as Crist and his apostilles did. What wonder is hit, thou batellis and other perillus come, that Crist has bifore saide? God kep his Chirche fro fals ypocrites and ungroundid newe statis,5 not foundid in Crystes lawe. Wele I wote that many say that monye of hom are seyntus; but nowther is this bileve, ne groundid in resone. Omnis plantacio quam non plantavit pater meus, eradicabitur, dicit Dominus in evangelio Johannis. 4 1 Something appears to be omitted here. 3 2 must. 5 states of life. II SIMON FISH [Simon Fish, who died of the plague in 1531, was a member of Oxford University and Gray's Inn, which he entered about 1525. Having taken part in a play which held Cardinal Wolsey up to ridicule, he fled into the Low Countries. But he soon came back to London, where he acted as agent for the sale of Tyndal's New Testament. Foxe, the martyrologist, gives two contradictory stories of the way in which the Supplicacyon came before the king. The more probable of these states that it was brought to Henry by two London merchants who read it to him aloud. When they had done, the king, after a moment's silence, said: 'If a man should pull down an old stone wall, and begin at the lower part, the upper part thereof might chance to fall upon his head,' meaning that Fish's proposal for dealing with the religious houses was hazardous advice until the royal supremacy had been established. Foxe says that copies of the libel were 'strawne abroade in the streetes of London,' at the meeting of Parliament and therefore probably with the connivance of someone in authority. The cardinal, he says, set about diligently to gather them up that they should not come into the king's hands: but, hearing that the king had received one or two copies, he went to him saying, 'If it please your grace here are divers seditious persons which have scattered |