Luke and John (Luke, xxiv. 1. John, xx. 1), of the women who carne to the sepulchre to anoint the dead body of Christ. Luke saith, " On one of the Sabbaths early they came to the sepulchre." And so saith John by the same words, the which was the Sunday, as no man doubteth. For it is our faith that Christ rose the third day. So may you read, Gen. i. 5, where the text saith, "It was evening and it was morning one day :" that is to say, the first day, which we call the Sunday.

And thus also say they, that were best learned in the tongues amongst Christian writers: John Chrysostom, Lactantius, and Erasmus. For the preservation of the true meaning of the word of God and right use of his blessed sacrament he hath given unto the church Apostles, Prophets, pastors, doctors, and others (Eph. iv. 11), who should teach us the Scripture and writings of the Prophets and Apostles, which were declared to be true, with many signs and tokens: that we should not waver with every wind, and be carried into errors by the doctrine of man that we should not feign new doctrine out of our own brain, but believe as the holy church of the Patriarchs, Prophets, Christ, and the Apostles; who taught the people as they wrote, and wrote as they taught; that no man after their death should deceive the people, whom Christ redeemed with his precious blood, with false and preposterous doctrine. Those ethnic and Jewish doctors of the Pope, howsoever they brag of the name of the holy church, be no other than the defenders of the synagogue of antichrist.

Sure we are, that Christ, the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, be saved, and believed no more, nor any otherwise, than they have left unto us by writings. Better it is to be certain of our doctrine and salvation with this holy church, than to asso

ciate ourselves with this rabble of liars; who boast and brag of their abominable and ethnical ceremonies, which are condemned in the Scriptures to be laws for the holy church. God give them grace to read the holy Bible, and to have a little understanding of it! Then thou shalt see, who and where is the holy church, that these dreamers attribute unto their father the devil and antichrist of Rome. And if they say unto thee, that thou must not take the text after thine own mind, but after the mind of holy doctors, who have written in the Scripture; think with thyself, that God hath given thee the Scripture to read therein to thy salvation, as well as unto the doctor.

Further, that thy doctor preach not a lie for the truth, God hath given thee the Scripture to judge thy bishop, doctor, preacher, and curate; whether he preach gall or honey, his own laws or God's laws.

Further, say boldly and fear not, for it is true, that in matters and causes of weight the doctors agree not one with another: no, many times not with themselves; as every man knoweth, who hath read them with judgment. And as good arguments shalt thou find in them to disprove, as to prove the things, that this late found catholic church of the devil would establish.

Again, think which was the most pure church and free from heresies: the church before the doctors wrote, which only was taught by the simple text and words of the Apostles; or the church that hath been taught these many years by the blind doctrine of men? Then thou shalt see that these doctors, that they' speak of, have put out God's laws and brought in their own, as the pharisees and rabbins did in the old church. Be not afraid of their holy name, but trust to the holiness of Scripture, then shalt thou not be deceived. They say, the holy church must be: heard and obeyed. True it is, but our faith is not:

grounded upon those that be of the church, though they be the true ministers of God's word; but upon the word itself. (Matt. xvi. 18.) Therefore, when the authority or testimony of the church is alleged, man, that loveth his salvation, must search where and what the church is, what times, and when the writers were most sincere, and not believe these yesterday's birds, that sing as the popinjay, they know not what, as they be taught out of a shameless school, that began with murder, is maintained with sacrilege, and shall be destroyed with the clearness and brightness of the Son of man coming to judgment.

It appertaineth unto no man, in what authority soever he be, to judge who preacheth false, or who true; but unto the word of God only, which interpreteth itself, when it is with judgment conferred. But of this is required a more prolix work, which God shall give in time.

Now the works of this precept be also these: godly to preach his word, and to use the sacraments as he teacheth in his word, to hear them reverently that truly preach, to honour the word of God, and help to the preferment thereof as much as may be, to succour the professors thereof, which be, have been, and ever shall be (if they preach truly) in the most miserable condition of the world. (Matt. x. 22.) To neglect the preaching of God's word, as those do, who look for the fleece and care not for the sheep, is a work against this commandment.

To abolish the preaching of the word as those do, who have brought into the church massing and mumbling of canonical hours (as they call them), which neither they that say them, nor they that hear them, understand, is a work also against this commandinent. They say, God understandeth them: what then? So he understandeth likewise the cuckoo and the lowing of the cow, which is as good and

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better praise unto God than the superstitious and unknown prayer that thou mumblest. For they use the gift that God hath given them, to sound an unknown voice: and thou abusest the gift of God, which gave thee a tongue, to edify thyself and thy neighbour, likewise to preach the Lord omnipotent; but thou makest thy tongue an instrument to speak thou wottest not what. When thou shouldest cry for mercy and say, "Lord heal my soul, for I have offended thee;" thou sayest, "I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not departed by iniquity, from my God." Thus the Psalms and the books of the Scripture thou readest without judgment, and knowest not what Psalm is meet for thy necessity and the state of the people that be present, no more than he who never saw the Scripture. Yea, sometimes thou readest a false history, and either thou attributest the honour due to God unto the saint whom thou worshippest, or honourest him upon earth, whose soul, peradventure, is in hell. For Austin so saith, that all be not glorified souls with God, whose relics inen worshipped in the earth.

To teach false doctrine, is a work against this commandment. Likewise to depravate the use of the sacraments otherwise than they be taught in the Scripture, is against this commandment. It is to use them to another end than they were instituted for. So is, to honour them, as they do, that enchant the water of the font, and chafe it with many a sigh and deep-fetched breath. Such offend also, as honour the bread and wine, which the Scripture doth not only teach to remain in their substantial essence and nature without changing, but also reason and all the wits of man do the same. Further, the beasts of the earth, fowls of the air, and fishes of the water, know there is no change of bread nor wine, and witness.

that the Scripture is true: bread to remain bread, and wine, wine. (1. Cor. x.)

Further, to augment the ceremonies of the church, and bring in a new Judaism and Aaronical rites, is against this commandment. As the bishops have used the matter, there be more ceremonies in the church of Christ than were in the church of the Jews, as it shall easily appear to him that shall confer our church with the books of Moses. Seneca reprehended the rites of the Jews, and chiefly the sanctifying of the Sabbath. What would he say, if he saw our churches, that have not the ceremonies commanded by God, but by man to the dishonouring of God?

To neglect a charitable deed to our neighbour upon the Sabbath day, is to break the Sabbath (Matt. xii. 12. Luke, vi. 9): not to cease from doing of ill, but to abuse the rest and ease of the Sabbath in sports, games, and pastimes, keeping of markets and fairs upon the Sabbath, is not to use well the Sabbath. It is as much as to ferry to God and to work to the devil, for specially all unlawful plays and sports be used upon that day.

It is against this commandment to keep or dedicate any feast to any saint, of what holiness soever he be. Therefore saith the law, "Ye shall celebrate the feast unto the Lord." (Exod. xxiii. 11.) This honour should be given only unto God. only unto God. In the Old Testament was no feast ever dedicated unto any saint, neither in the New such feasts happened after the death of the Apostles, as it is written in Eusebius. And better authority have they not, that be the authors of these holy days, the which the council of Lyons hath given us; they have not above two hundred seventy and three years in age, and are the leaven of the Pope. In Trip. Hist. there is no mention of saints' holy days; few of St. Jerome, and likewise of St. Austin. The Sunday and the hours

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