A14151:130
The practise of prelates. CompiledThe practyse of prelates. Compyled
The practise of prelates. Compiled by the faithful and godly learned man, William TyndaleThe practyse of prelates. Compyled by the faythfull and godly learned man, Wyllyam Tyndale
London: printed by Anthony Scoloker and William Seres. Dwelling without Temple bar, 1548London: printed by Anthony Scoloker and Willyam Seres. Dwellynge wythout Temple barre, 1548
Title page typeset from the transcription.
¶Howe they prove all their general counsels.¶Howe they proue all theyr generall counsels.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Which reason is like as though young monks newly professed,1 should come by the rules of their order & ordinances of their old founders and would go about to keep them: & the old cankered monks should call them back unto the corrupt and false manner that now is used, saying: ye err. Do only as we teach you / for your profession is to obey your Elders. According unto the rules of our order and ordinances of our founder shall they say: We can teach you none other, shall the old monks say / nor can lie unto you, ye ought therefore to believe us and to do as we bid you. The young monks shall answer, we see that you lie, clean contrary unto all that is written in our rules and ordinances. The old monks shall say ye can not understand them except we expound them unto you / neither yet know y• they be your rules / except that ye believe y• we can not lye unto you. For how can ye know that these be your rules and ordinances / but as we your elders tell you so? Now when we tell you that these be your rules and ordinances how can ye be sure undoubtedly that it is so / except ye believe undoubtedly that we can not lye? Wherefore ⟨image 43⟩if ye will be sure that they be your rules & ordinances / then ye must first believe that we can not lye. Leave such imaginations & disputations therefore and lay your rules and ordinances out of your hands and look no more on them, for they make you err And come and do as we tell you / and captivate your wits and believe that we can not lie unto you, and that ye can not understand your rules and ordinances. Even so if thou say it is contrary to the scripture: they answer that thou understandest it not / and that thou must captive thy wit and believe that though it seam never so contrary, yet it is not contrary: no if they determine that christ is not risen again & though the scripture testify y• he is risen again / yet (say they) they be not contrary, if they be wisely understand. Thou must believe / say they, y• there is some other meaning in the scripture & y• no man understandeth it: but y• we say / whether without scripture or against it / that must thou believe that it is true.