The wisdom of the

world fool

ishness

afore God.

sure that the most part of them were never like to come in heaven.

Judge, Christian reader, which hast the spirit to discern, and knowest the voice of Christ, what reasons Rastell hath brought, and how he hath solved them; for in my mind both his reasons and solutions are so childish and unsavoury, so unlearned and barren, so full of faults and phantasies, that I rather pity the man's deep ignorance and blindness (which hath so deceived himself through philosophy and natural reason,) than I fear that he by his vain probations should allure any man to consent unto him.

Judge, and confer the Scriptures which Sir Thomas More and my Lord of Rochester allege for their opinion, and I doubt not but that God shall open thine eyes to espy that thing which hath blinded them.

Judge, and compare the Scriptures together which I have brought to confirm my purpose; ponder their reasons and my solutions unto them, and I am sure thou shalt perceive that my small learning hath condemned their high eloquence, that my folly hath brought to nought their wisdom, and that my youth hath disclosed their old and festered ignorance.

And this is even the old practice of God: to choose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, to choose the weak to confound the mighty, and to choose the vile things, which are of no reputation, to confound them of high degree; that no flesh might boast itself in his sight, to whom only be praise and thanks for ever. Amen.

A PROLOGUE,

WHEREBY A MAN MAY THE BETTER PERCEIVE THE
OCCASION AND WHOLE CAUSE OF THIS BOOK.

of the book

Beggars.

THERE was a brother of ours, named Simon Fish, Simon Fish (which now, I trust, resteth in God's hands) whose the maker eyes God had opened, not only to espy the wily walk- of the Suping of hypocrites and ruin of the realm, which through plication of their means was nigh at hand, but also to mark and ponder the peril of men's souls, and how that the ignorant people, by their seduction, was fallen into that frantic imagination, that they more feared the Pope and his decrees, which are but vanity, than God himself and his law, which are most righteous and eternal. This man, therefore, of a fervent and burning zeal that he bare to the wealth of the commonalty, brake out and touched these hypocrites, in a little treatise, which he called The Supplication of Beggars, willing that we should give the abundance of our riches unto the poor, to whom it is due by the law of God, and that we should no longer suffer ourselves to be despoiled and robbed of a sight of sturdy lubbers, which under a false cloak of virtue and prayer, deceive the poor of their living, and both the poor and the rich of their souls' health, if credence be given unto them.

Our riches stowed on

are to be be

the poor.

there is no

And where these wily foxes would have pretended Either the cloak of purgatory, affirming that it were due unto purgatory, them, because they pray for their friends' souls that else the Pope is they might come to rest; he answered unto that point merciless. preventing their objection, and proved that either there could be no such purgatory, or else that the Pope were a merciless tyrant, which (as he saith himself) may deliver them from thence, and will not except he have

Whereat
M. More

first began to fume against such as deny pur. gatory.

Rastell fol

loweth

M. More.

money. At this point began M. More to fume, and took upon himself to be proctor for purgatory, (I will not say that he was hired thereto of our spiritualty, although many men dare swear it,) and to confirm his purpose, he wrested sore the Scriptures, and triumpheth also that the very miscreants and idolaters believe that there is a purgatory. He addeth thereto (to establish his matter withal) that there is no man which believeth that there is a God, and that the soul of man is immortal, but he must needs grant that there is a purgatory. There took Rastell his hold, which is a Printer, dwelling at Paul's Gate in London, and of Master More's alliance, which also coveteth to counterfeit his kinsman, although the beams of his brains be nothing so radiant nor his conveyance so commendable in the eyes of the wise. Notwithstanding this, Rastell hath enterprised to dilate this matter, and hath divided it into three Dialogues, imagining that two men dispute this matter by natural reason and philosophy, secluding Christ and The names all scripture. The one of them (that should dispute this matter) he calleth Gingemin, and feigneth him to be a Turk, and of Mahomet's law. The second he nameth Comingo, an Almany, and of Christ's faith. And he maketh the Turk to teach the Christian man what he should believe.

of the dis

puters in

the matter

of purga

tory.

The sum

and contents of Rastell's three dialogues.

The first Dialogue goeth about to prove by reason that there is a God, which is merciful and righteous. The second intendeth to prove, that the soul of a man is immortal. Against these two dialogues I will not dispute, partly because this treatise should not be over long and tedious, and partly because that those two points, which he there laboureth to prove, are such as no Christian man will deny; (although many of his probations are so slender, that they may well be improved.) But as concerning his third Dialogue, wherein he would prove purgatory, it is wholly injurious unto the blood of Christ, and the destruction of all Christian faith, if

men were so mad as to believe his vain persuasions. And therefore I thought expedient to compare this third dialogue with all the deceitful reasons unto the true light and pure word of God, that at the least Rastell himself might perceive his own blind ignorance, and return again into the right way. And if any man have been deceived through his book, (as I trust there are but few, except they be very ignorant,) that they may repent with him and glorify God for his inestimable mercy, which hath sent his light into this world to disclose and expel their dark and blind ignorancy, that they may see his ways and walk in them, praising the Lord eternally. Amen.

THE FIRST BOOK,

WHICH IS AN ANSWER UNTO RASTELL'S DIALOGUE.

THERE is no man as I think that hath a natural wit, but he will grant me that this book of Rastell's making is either true or false. If it be false, then, howsoever it seem to agree with natural reason, it is not to be allowed; if it be true, then must we approve it. Natural reason must be ruled by Scripture. If natural reason conclude against the Scripture, so is it false; but if it be agreeing to Scripture, then is it to be heard.

Of this I may conclude, that if Rastell's book be If natural agreeing to Scripture, then is it true, and to be allowed; reason conif it determine contrary to the Scripture, then is it false, and to be abhorred, howsoever it seem to agree natural reason.

with

Now is there no Christian man but he believeth

against the Scripture, then is natural reason false.

Rom. v.

John xi.

surely that if Christ had not died for our sins we should all have been damned perpetually, and never have entered into the joys of heaven, which thing is easy to be proved, for Paul saith, (Rom. v.) As through one man's sin, that is Adam, ensued death in all men unto condemnation; even so through one man's righteousness, which is Christ, came righteousness in all men unto the justification of life. Also, (John xi.) It is necessary that one man die for the people, that all the people perish not. So that we had been condemned and had perished perpetually, if Christ had not died for us. But Rastell, with his Turk Gingemin, exclude Christ, and know not of his death, wherefore all the reasons that they can make unto doomsday, can never prove purgatory, (except they imagine that we must first go 2. Rastell's to purgatory, and then after to hell ;) for this is a plain book clearly conclusion, that without Christ, (whom they exclude) and quickly confound- we can never come to heaven: what fondness were it then to invent a purgatory. Now may you see that Rastell's book is fully answered, and lieth already in the dirt, and that his third dialogue is all false and injurious unto the blood of Christ. As for the first and second dialogue, although there be some errors both against divinity and all good philosophy; yet will I pass them over, for they are not so blasphemous against God and his Christ as the third is.

ed.

Rastell

beaten to

the wall.

Notwithstanding, I will not thus leave his book, although I might full well, but I will declare unto you what solutions he maketh to these seven weak reasons, (which he hath propounded himself,) for he avoideth them so slenderly, that if a man had any doubt of purgatory before, it would make him swear on a book that there were none at all. Besides that, it hath not one solution, but there are in it certain points repugnant unto Scripture, so that it is great shame that any Christian man should print it, and much more shame that it should be printed with the King's privilege.