The B. of Salisbury.The B. of Sarisburie.
pp. 2–32 passages
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.
The B. of Salisbury.
The B. of Sarisburie.
This tale against that godly man Doctor Luther, is scornful, and slanderous, blazed abroad by Pigghius, Hosius, Staphylus the renegate, and such others, only of wilful malice and hatred of the truth, and therefore not worthy to be answered. Doctor Luther showeth what terrible tentations the Devil layeth to trap man withal, taking occasion sometime of well doing, sometime of evil: sometime of trueth, sometime of falsehood. And for example he showeth that the ⟨p. 3⟩Devil on a time assaulted him, not in visible form, but by dreadful suggestions in his conscience, as it were thus calling him to remembrance: These many years thou hast said Mass, thou hast showed up bread and wine to be worshipped as God, and yet now thou knowest it was a creature, and not God. Thereof followed Idolatry, and thou weare the cause thereof. Al these things he saw to be true by the testimony and light of his own conscience, and therefore confessed he had offended, and yielded him self unto God. The Devils purpose was to lead him to despair: but God mercifully delivered him. And this is Doctor Luther's whole and only meaning in that place, that no man of him self is able to withstand such assaults, and tentations of the enemy, but only by the power and mercy of God: This (good reader) is that School of Satan: this is that wonderful Tragedy whereat M. Harding maketh such horrible exclamations. If he think it so heinous a matter for a godly man to be vexed by the devil,1 perhaps he will also find some fault with Christ, that was carried by the Devil into the mount: or with S. Paul that had the Angel of Satan to buffet him: or with a great number of his portuise Saints, whose legends are full of visions of Devils, with other like childish fables. As for Luther, y• doctrine that he taught in his school touching this point, is the very Gospel of Christ, and therefore it increaseth, and entereth into the hearts of men, and the lies and slanders of the enemies shall never be able to prevail against it.