owne tongue, than in a learned unknowne tongue; and whether they commend the prayer in a strange tongue or no.

15 Whether they would have the masses and Gospels openly to be read in churches in the vulgar tongue, rather than in the Latine tongue.

16 Whether they commend that children should only be taught the Lords Prayer, and not the Salutation of the virgin, or Creed.

17 Whether they do thinke the woodden beads which the common people doth use, worthie to be denied, or not.

18 Whether they do thinke the whole Scripture ought to be translated into English; or that it should be more profitable for the people, than as it is now read.

19 Whether they would have the organs and all maner of songs to be put out of the church of God.

20 Whether they do think that it pertaineth to the bishops to punish any man with bonds or imprisonment, or that they have any temporall power and authoritie.

21 Whether they thinke that constitution to be godly, that no man should preach in another mans diocesse, without letters of commendation, and licence obtained of the bishop.

22 Whether they thinke the vowes of religious men, and private religion, to be constitute or ordained by the Spirit of God, neither by any meanes to be repugnant to a free and perfect christian life.

23 Whether they beleeve that we should pray for the dead; or beleeve that there is a purgatorie; or that we are bound by necessity of faith, to beleeve neither of them; but that it is free without sinne, either to beleeve it or not to beleeve it.

24 Whether they beleeve that morall philosophie and naturall, do prevaile any thing for the better understanding of the Scriptures, and for the exposition and defence of the truth.

25 Whether they thinke that the popes indulgences and pardons are rather to be rejected than received.

26 Whether it be contrarie to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles, that Christians should by any meanes contend in the law, to seeke any maner of restitution.

27 Whether they beleeve all things pertaining to salvation and damnation to come of necessitie, and nothing to be in our owne willes.

28 Whether they beleeve God to be the author of all evill, as well of the fault, as of the punish

ment.

29 Whether they thinke masse only to be profitable to him which saith it; and whether every man may alter or leave out the rite and order of the masse, without hurt of faith.

30 Whether they beleeve that there can be any moral virtues without the grace of christian living, or that the virtues which Aristotle hath set out, are rather fained.

31 Whether they think it heresie, to teach the people, that it is free to give tithes unto priests, or to any other poore man.

S Whether they do thinke it more Christianlike to take away the images out of the churches, or to permit them there to adorne them and honor them.

33 Whether they thinke it the part of a Christian man, that preachers should exhort men to pilgrimage, or to the worshipping of reliques.

34 Whether that thou Thomas Bilney, being cited upon heresie to appeare before my lord car

dinall, and before the day of thy appearance, not having made thy purgation upon those points that thou wast cited, has preached openly in divers churches of the citie and diocesse of London, without sufficient licence from the bishop, or any other."

Concerning the answeres unto these articles, (gentle Reader) for so much as in the most part of them, Bilney with Arthur seemed to consent and agree (although not fullie and directly, but by way and manner of qualifying) yet because he did not expressely denie them, it shall not be needfull heere to recite them all, save only such wherein he seemed to dissent from them.

To the first and second articles he answered affirmatively.

To the third he said, "I beleeve that many of the popes lawes are profitable and necessarie, and do prevaile unto godlinesse, neither in any point are repugnant unto the Scriptures, nor by any meanes are to be abrogate, but of all men to be observed and reverenced. But touching all those lawes I cannot determine: for, as for such as I have not read, I trust notwithstanding they are good also: and as for those that I have read, I did never reade them to the end and purpose to reprove them, but according to my power, to learne and understand them. And as touching the multitude of lawes, Saint Augustine in his time did inuch complaine, and Gerson also, who marvelled that we could by any meanes live in safetie amongst so many snares of constitutions, whenas our forefathers being pure before their fall, could not observe one only precept."

To the fourth article he said, "that the catholike church can by no meanes erre in faith, for it is the whole congregation of the elect, and so

knowne only unto God, which knoweth who are his: otherwise, no man should be ascertained of another mans salvation, or of his owne, but only through faith and hope. For it is written, (Eccles. 5.) No man knoweth whether he be worthie of hatred or love. It is also sensible, and may be demonstrate so far forth as it is sufficient to establish us in all things, that are to be beleeved and done. For I may truly say of the generall councell being congregate in the Holy Ghost; Behold heere the catholike Church, denominating the whole by the most worthie part."

To the fifth article, he answered affirmatively in these words, Cum sint libri Laicorum, adorare oportet, at non imaginem, sed prototypon.

To the sixth article he answered, "that he did not beleeve that they are in heaven, being so taught by the Scriptures, and holy fathers of the church."

"that it is not to

To the seventh article he said, " be thought contrarie."

To the eighth article, whether a man may not observe the feasts and fasts of the church prescribed, he thought "that there is no man, but he ought to observe them."

To the ninth article he said, "that we are likewise bound as unto parents."

To the fourteenth article he answered thus: "The fourteenth chapter of St. Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians, mooveth me to beleeve, that it is best, that the people should have the Lords Prayer, and the Apostles Creed in English, so that their devotion might the more be furthered by the understanding thereof, and also that thereby they might be the more prompt and expert in the articles of their faith: of the which it is to be feared, a great number are ignorant. Surely I have

heard many say, that they never heard speake of the resurrection of the bodie, and being certified thereof, but they became much more apt and readie unto goodnesse, and more fearefull to do evill."

To the fifteenth article he said, "he would wish that the Gospels and Epistles should be read in English. For I would (saith Paul, 1 Cor. 14.) rather have five words, &c. That the church might be edified, &c. And Chrysostome exhorteth his hearers to looke upon bookes, that they might the better commit unto memorie those things which they had heard. And Saint Bede did translate Saint Johns Gospell into English."

Touching the eighteenth article, for the translation of the Scripture into English, "concerning the whole, he did partly doubt. Notwithstanding, he wished that the Gospels and Epistles of the day might be read in English, that the people might be made the more apt to heare Sermons. But heere some will say, there might also be danger for errour. Whereunto he answered: But good and vigilant pastors might easilie helpe that matter, by adding the plaine interpretation of the fathers in the margents, in English, upon the darke and obscure places, which would put away all doubts. O how great profit of soules should the vigilant pastors get thereby, which contrariwise through their slothfulnesse bring great ruine and decay!"

To the five and twentieth article, as touching pardons, he said, "that as they be used, and have

As touching pardons.] There was no point from which Luther derived with greater success the eloquence with which he thundered against the Vatican, than that of the antichristian doctrine of pardons and indulgences, and the dis. graceful traffic in the sale of them, so prevalent in his days. But that part of the history of the Reformation needs not to