eth men, addressed in maner foirsaid, lyik a lambe led thei him to
sacrifice. As he entered in at the Abbay Church doore, there was a poore
man lying vexed with great infirmities, asking of his almouse, to whome
he flang his purse. And when he came befoir the Cardinall, by and by the
Suppriour of the Abbay, called Dene Johne Wynreme,[395] stoode up in the
pulpete, and maid a sermon to all the congregatioun there then
assembled, taking his mater out of the xiij chaptour of Matthew; whose
sermon was devided into four principall partes. The First was, a schorte
and breaf declaratioun of the Evangelist. The Secound, of the
interpretatioun of the good seid; and becaus he called the Word of God
the Good seid, and Heresye the Evill seid, he declaired what Heresye
wes, and how it should be knowin. [SN: BONA HAERESEOS DEFINITIO.] He
defyned it on this maner: "Heresye is a fals opinioun, defended with
pertinacie, cleirlye repugning to the word of God." The Third parte of
his sermoun was, the caus of Heresye within that realme, and all other
realmes. "The caus of Heresie, (quod he,) is the ignorance of thame
which have the cure of menis saules, to whome it necessarelie belongeth
to have the trew understanding of the word of God, that thei may be able
to wyn agane the fals doctouris of heresyes, with the sword of the
Spreat, which is the word of God; and not only to wyne agane, bot also
to owircum:--as saith[396] Paule, 'A bischope most be faltles, as
becumith the minister of God, not stubburne, not angrie, no drunkard, no
feghtar, not gevin to filthy lucre; but harberous, one that loveth
goodnes, sober mynded, rychteous, holy, temperat, and such as cleaveth
unto the trew word of the doctrine, that he may be able to exhorte with
holsome learning, and to improve that which thei say against him.'" The
Fourte parte of his sermon was, how Heresyes should be knowin. "Heresyes
(quod he) be knawin on this maner: As the goldsmyth knowith the fyne
gold frome the unperfite, by the towch stone, so lyikwyise may we know
heresye by the undowbted towch stone, that is, the trew, syncere, and
undefyled worde of God." At the last, he added, "That heretikis should
he putt down in this present lyef: To the which propositioun the Gospell
appeired to repunge whilk he entreated of, 'Lett thame boith grow unto
the harvist:' The harvest is the end of the world; nevertheles, he
affirmed, that thei should be putt down by the Civile Magistrat and
law."

And