A reply unto M. Hardinges answerA replie vnto M. Hardinges ansvveare

I trust no man will gather of that I have said here, that it is none offence to do against God's commandment. My meaning is far otherwise. Neither say I, that this saying of Christ in Matthew, Drink ye all of this, or that in John, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his Blood, ye shall not have life in you: Or other commandments of Christ, be not to be kept: but this is that I say, and that every Catholic man saith: that the universal Church doth better understand, which are the commandments of Christ, and how they ought to be kept, then Berengarius, Wycliffe, Hus, Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, Cranmer, Peter Martyr, or any their scholars, and followers, which now be sundry sects. As for example: God hath thus commanded, Thou shalt not swear: and, Thou shalt not kill:¹ and if thine eye cause thee to offend,² pull him out, and cast him away from thee. Whereas certain sects of Heretics, as namely they which be called Waldenses, and Picardi, by their construction hereof have maintained opinion, that no oath ought to be given or made in no case or respect: likewise that in no case or respect, a man may do an other to death: and also that after the outward letter of the Gospel, sometime a man is bound to pull out his eye, and cast it from him: which thing hath been done by some of the Picards, as it is reported, as though else Gods commandment were not kept: this hath so been understanded by the Catholic Church confessing nevertheless these to be Gods commandments, as in time, in place, and in certain cases, a man might, and ought, without breach of Commandment, both swear, and kill: and likewise keep his eye in his head and therein offend God nothing