¶ The chiefe and pryncypall Articles of the Christen faythe, to holde againste the Pope, and al Papistes, and the gates of hell, with other thre very profitable and necessary bokes the names or tyttels, whereof are conteyne in the leafe next followynge. Made by Doctor Marten Luther.
¶ To the Reader.
¶ In thys boke shal you fynde Christian Reader the ryght probation of the righte Olde Catholyke Churche, and of the newe false Churche, whereby eyther of them is to be knowen.
Reade and iudge.
- [Page]i. The chiefe Articles of the christen fayth, to holde agaynst the Pope, and all Papistes, and the gates of hell.
- ij. The Confessyon of the Faythe of Doctor Marten Luther.
- iij. Of the ryght Olde Catholyke Churche, and the newe false Churche, whereby eyther of them is to be knowen.
- iiij. The thre Symboles or Confessyons of the Christen faythe, in the Churche vnfourmely vsed.
Preface of D. Marten Luther.
THese Articles haue I compyled, & for oure parte delyuered vp. Which also are receyued of oures and vnyformely confessed, and concluded.
That they shoulde (yf the Pope with hys adherentes, woulde ones be so hardy, withoute lyeng and dissimulation, with earneste and trueth, to kepe an vnfayned free counsayll, accordyng to hys duetye) be openly delyuered vp, and the confession of our faith declared. But for as much as the Romyshe courte so terribly feareth a generall Counsayll, and so shamefully abhorreth the light, that also thei, whithe be of hys own syde, are put to dispayre, as though he woulde neuer abyde a free Counsayll, moche lesse kepe it hymself. Whereon, as reason requyreth, [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] they take occasion to be offended, & moued to no smal encombraunce thereouer. As they that there by perceyue rightwell, that the Pope woulde rather see, the hole Christianite caste awaye, and all soules damned, than he woulde suffre hym selfe, or hys, to be refourmed, and a measure to be sette vnto hys Tyranny.
So haue I notwithstandynge willed these Articles by open printe, to be brought to lyght to thintent, that yf I shoulde chaunce to dye, before anye Counsayl were kept (as doubteles I loke for none other) seynge these wretches so shamefully abhorring the light and eschewinge the daye, take suche intollerable paynes to delaye and hynder a free counsayll. Vvhereby they that shall lyue and remayne after me may haue my witnes and confession to shewe, aboue and besydes that confessyon, whiche I dyd setfurth before, wherein also I haue persisted hitherto, and wyl persiste by Goddes grace.
[Page] For what should I say, vnto whome shoulde I complayne. I am yet a lyue, I writte, preache, and reade dayly, yet are there suche veninouse people, not onely amonge the aduersaries, but also false bretheren, which fayne to be of oure parte, that take vpon them, to interpretate my writtynges and teachynges directely against me. Euen before my face, that I may heare. Although they knowe fulwel, that I teache otherwyse, and woulde coloure their poison with my laboures, and seduce the people vnder my name, what wyll be done then after my death.
Yea I shoulde by reason make aunswer to all thynges, whylest I am yet on lyue. Yea agayne, howe can I alone stoppe all the mouthes of the Deuyll? Specially of suche (as they are all poysoned) as wyl not heare, nor marke what we do writte. But onely practyse with all diligence, howe they myght moost shame fully peruerie, & infecte oure wordes, in all letters. Vnto suche to make aunswer. I remitte [Page] vnto the deuyl, or at the last vnto goddes indignation accordynge to theyr deseruynge. I remembre often the good gerson, which doubteth, whether men oughte to writte any good thyng openly, yf men do it not, then are there many soules lost, that might be preserued. But yf menne do it, so is the deuyll ready at hande with innumerable euyll infected mouthes, whiche all thynges do infecte and peruerse, so that the frute is kepte back, how be it, what they get by it, is openly sene. For sence the tyme, that they haue so shamefully lyed agaynst vs, and woulde vpholde the people with lyes hath God neuertheles g [...]ue forwarde with hys busynes, and hath made their nōber styll to decreasse, and oures to increace, and hath put thē with theyr lyes to confusyon, and yet doth more and more.
I must recyte a Story. There was sent hither to Vvittenberch, a certayn doctour out of Fraunce, which sayde opēly before vs: That hys kyng was surely certifyed, that by vs, there was [Page] no Churche, no Superiorite, no matrimony, but wēt one amonge another lyke beastes, and that euery mā did what he woulde. Nowe iudge, howe shall they in the later daye before the iudgemēt seate of Christ loke vpon vs, that haue by their writtinges infourmed the said kyng, & also other Countryes suche rude and grosse lyes to be very true? Christ the Lorde & iudg of vs all knoweth right well, that they lye, & haue lyed, his iudgemēt must they heare agayne, that am I sure of, God cōuerte them that are to be conuerted, to repētaunce. To the other it shall be said, Vvo and Alaes for euer more.
And that I retourne agayne to my purpose, To see a right Counsayll I woulde truely be very glad, where by many matters might be redressed, and the people eased, Not that we haue nede of it. For oure Churches are nowe trough Goddes grace, with the syncere worde, and right vse of the Sacramentes, with knoweledge of all manner of States, and righte workes, so illumined & sette in order, that [Page] we for oure parte, care for no Counsayll, neyther do we loke or hope for any better reformation in these Articles by the Counsayll.
But there see we in the Bysshoprykes euery where, many Parysshes voyd and desolate, which myght cause a mannes herte to breake. And yet neyther Bisshops nor Chanōs care ho we the pore people do lyue or dye, for the whiche Christe neuerthelesse suffered death, and should not heare the same speake with them as the right shepeherde with hys shepe. In so muche, that I am afrayde, and dredefull, least he let one day an Angelical Counsail passe ouer Doucheland, which might vtterlye destroye vs all, euen as Sodome and Gomorre, seyng, we are so obstinate, morkyng, and gestyng with the Counsayll.
Besydes these necessary Churche matters, are there also in the laye state innumerable great faultes, whiche had nede of redresse. There is discorde betwene Prynces, and States, Vsury and couetousnes are broken in, euē [Page] as a mightye floude, and counted euen laufull and decent, wilfulnes, vnclenlynes, presumption excesse in apparel, in eatynge, playeng, braggynge, with all manner of vngodlynes and iniquite, disobedience of the subiectes, familye, and workemen, the inhaunsynge of al occupations and also of husbandemen (and who can recyte it al) haue so preuayled, that with tenne counsaylles and twenty Conuocations it wyl not be brought agayn to the right trade.
Yf men woulde handle suche chiefe poyntes of the spirituall and temporall estates, whiche are against God, in the Counsayl, then shoulde they haue ynough to do, euen all handes full, So that in the meane seasō, thei should forgette all children playes, and foolyshnes of long gownes, greate crownes, broade gyrdels. Bysshoppes and Cardinalles hattes or staues, and suche other iugglynges. When fyrst we hadde executed the Commaundementes and ordinaunce of God, bothe in the spiritual and temporal estates, thē [Page] shoulde we fynde tyme ynough to refourme meates, garmentes, cronnes, and c [...]pes But when thei deuoure suche camelles, and in stede hereof wil see a moote, let the beame alone, and iudge the chippe, than myght we also well forbeare the counsayll.
Therfore haue I set but fewe Articles. For as muche as we besydes that, haue of God so many commaundementes to do in the churche, in the superiorite, within the housse, that we can neuer be able to perfourme them. Vvho then? or what doth it auayll? to make besydes them many decrees and Statutes in the counsayl. Specially seyng these chiefe poyntes commaunded of God, are not regarded nor obserued. Euen as though he should set by oure iuglynge tromperies, because we treade hys earnest commaundementes vnder oure fete. But oure synnes suppresse vs, and suffre not God, to be mercyfull vnto vs, neyther do we also repente, but will moreouer maynteyne and vpholde all abhomination.
[Page] O Lorde Iesu Christe, kepe thou Counsayll thy selfe, and delyuer thy people by thy gloryous commynge, It is done with the Pope and hys adherētes. They wyll none of the: Therfore helpe thou vs poore and miserable, whiche sygh vnto the, and seke the with earnest, accordyng to the grace, whiche thou haste geuen vs, through the holye Ghoste, which lyueth and reygneth, with the and thy father, praysed for euer and euer. AMEN.
The fyrste parte is of the hygh Article of the Godly Maiestye, as
i THat Father, Sonne, and holy goost in one godly essence and nature, three sondry Persones, is one onely God, whiche created heauen and earth.
ij That the father of none, the Sonne of the father is borne, the holy goost, from the father and the sonne procedynge.
iij That not the father, nor the Holye Ghoost, but the Sonne is become man.
iiij That the Sonne so is become man that he was conceyued by the holye Ghoost, withoute the helpe of man, and borne of the pure holy virgin Mary. After that suffred, dyed, was buryed, Descēded into hel, rose again from the deade. Ascended into heauen, sittynge on the ryght hande of [Page] God, shall come to iudge the quicke & the deade, &c.
As the Symbole of the Apostles, Item of S. Athanasius and the common Cathechismus for Children, do teache.
These Articles are in no controuersie nor variaunce for as moche as of bothe parties, we knowledge and confesse the same, wherfor it is nedeles to entreate further there of at this time.
❧ The seconde parte is of those Articles that concerne the office & worke of Iesu Christe, or oure redemption.
Here is the fyrst and Chiefe Article.
THat Iesus Christe oure God and Lorde, suffered death for oure synnes, and rose agayne for oure Iustification. Roma. iiij.
And that he onely is the lambe of [Page] God, which beareth the synnes of the worlde, Iohan .i.
And that God hath layde all oure synnes vpon hym. Isaie. liij.
Item, They are all Synners, and are iustifyed frelye withoute deseruing, by his grace through the redēption of Iesu Christe in his blonde, &c. Roma. iij.
For as muche nowe, as this must be beleued, and otherwyse can not be obteyned or comprehended, by no worke, lawe, nor deseruinge, So is it cleare euident and sure, that onely suche faith maketh vs righteous.
As Roman .iij. S. Paull sayth. We suppose that a man is iustifyed by faith, withoute the dedes of the lawe. Item, That he onely be counted iuste, and a iustifyer of hym that beleueth on Iesus.
From these Articles may noman shrynke nor geue backe any thinge, yea though heauen and earthe shoulde fall, and what soeuer will not abyde for there is none other. Name [Page] geuen vnto men, were in we maye be saned, sayeth S. Peter Acto. iiij. And by his strypes we are healed. Isaie. liij,
And vpon this Article standeth all whatsoeuer we teache and lyue agaynst the Pope, deuill and worlde. Wherfore we must be very sure thereof & doubte nothinge, Or elles all is lost, and the Pope and the deuill must obteyne the victory and right against vs.
The [...]. Article.
Masse in the Papacye.That the masse in the Papacye is the greatest, and mooste horrible Abhomination, as that whiche directely and vyolently stryueth against this Chiefe Article. And yet aboue and before all other Papisticall Idolatries, hath ben moost hyest and fayrest. For it is supposed, That suche an offer, or worke of the Masse (done also by a leaude Person) doth delyuer man from synne, bothe [Page] here in this lyfe, and yonder in Purgatorie. Vvhich onely belongeth to the lambe of God, as is aboue saide.
From this Article also may no man swarne or geue backe. For the fyrst Article wil not suffer it.
And yf there were any Papistes of descretion, any where, men might common with them measurably, and reasone with them after a gentle fasshion. Namely wherfore they didde sticke so fast to the Masse? Seynge it is nothinge but mannes inuention, not commaunded of God. And inuentions of man may we lette fall, As Christe sayeth matthei .xv. In vayne do they worshippe me with preceptes of men.
Secondarely is it a thinge not necessary, which withoute synne or feare may well be lefte.
Thirdely, maye the Sacrament be had after a godlier and better waye (yea onely after a Godlyer fasshson) after Christes institution. Vvhat is it then, that for an inuented and on necessarye thinge, which otherwyse may [Page] be had well, and muche godlyer, men wyl compelle the worlde to miserye and necessitie?
Let it be openly preached vnto the people, howe that the masse, as a thynge inuented by man, may withoute synne be omitted, and that noman is damned, because he doth not regarde it. But maye wel withoute masse, and by a bolde meane be saued. Vvhat wyl ye laye, yf the masse as then do not fall by her selfe, not onely among the folysshe people, but also amonge all ryghteous, godly, discrete, God fearynge hertes? Moche more yf they heare, that it is a daungerous thynge withoute Goddes worde, and wyll, imagyned and inuented.
Fourthely, Seynge suche innumerable, and ineffable abuses, in all the worlde, by byenge and sellinge of the masse are rysen, ought men by reason to let her go, and euen to resiste, onely suche abuses, althoughe she hadde in her selfe some good and commodious thynge.
Howe muche more oughte men to [Page] let her go, for to auoyde suche abuses for euermore, seynge that she is hole vnnecessary, vnprofitable, and daungerous, and that men maye haue all thynges more necessarye, profitabler, and surer withoute the masse.
Fyftely, for as muche nowe as the masse is, or can be none other (as the Canon and al Bokes saye) but a worke of menne (also of a leawde person) whereby one wyll reconcyle hym self and other with hym to God, obteyne and deserue grace and remissiō of synnes (for so is she kepte, whan she is kepte most holyest, what shoulde she do elles?) Then ought and must she be condemned and reiected, for thys is directly agaynst the chief article, whiche sayeth, that not a wicked or good masse seruaunt, but the lambe of god, and sonne of god beareth our synnes.
And yf for a good intent, one would pretende to husel or communicate him selfe, that is not right, for yf he wil cō municate a right, so hath he it most surest & best in the Sacramēt, ministred after the institution of Christe. But to communicate hym selfe is a mannes [Page] To communicate hym selfe. phantasy, vnsure, and not necessary, and also forbidden. Neyther doth he knowe, what he doth, whylest he withoute the word of God, followeth mennes imaginations and inuentiōs.
Euen so is it not laufull (although all were wel besydes) that any man wyl vse the commune Sacramente of the churche after hys owne deuotion, and playe there with, withoute the felloweshyppe of the Churche, after hys pleasure, without Goddes word.
Thys article of the masse shalbe al the hole matter in the Counsayll. For yf it were possyble that they shoulde graunte and geue ouer vnto vs all other Articles, yet can they not graunt nor geue ouer thys Article. Campegius.Euen as Campegius sayd at Augspurgh, that he woulde rather be torne in peeces, than he would forsake the masse. Euē so wyll I also, by the helpe of God, be resolued into asshes rather then I wil graunte any masse seruaunt, with hys workes, be he good or euill, to be equall with my Lorde and Sauyour Iesu Christe or aboue hym. [Page] And thus are we parted, and remayne one agaynst another for euer. Thei perceyue fulwell, that yf the masse do fayll, the popysshe kyngdome is layd. Vvherfore rather thē they will suffer the same, they will kyll vs all yf they maye.
Besydes all thys, hath this dragōs tayll, the masse, caused and brought in muche poyson and dregges of dyuers kyndes of Idolatrye.
Purgatory.Fyrste Purgatory. There haue men handeled and made market with soule masses, dirges, seuenthes, trentalles, monethes myndes and yeres myndes, and at the last with the common weakes mynde and all Soulen daye, and beaderolles. In so muche that the masse almost is vsed onely for the dead. Notwithstandyng that Christe dyd institute the Sacrament onely for the liuynge.
Therfore is Purgatorye with all the pomp of Goddes seruice & pourchace of the same to be counted for a mere diabolicall illusion. For it is also against the Chiefe and principal Article, [Page] that onely Christe, and not mānes workes must helpe the Soules. Besydes that also we haue no charge nor cōmandement geuen vnto vs concernynge the deade. Vvherfore it maye well be left, and omitted althoughe it were neyther heresye errour nor Idolatrye. Augustyne.The Papistes alledge here Austyne & certayne Fathers, that should haue written of the Purgatorye, thin king that we do not see, for what purpose, or to what intent they vse suche sayenges. S. Austen doth not writte, that there is a purgatorie, neither hath he any Scripture mouynge him therto: but he doth leaue it in dubitation, whether there be any or not & sayth, That his mother desyred, That she might be remembred at the aulter or Sacrament. Nowe all these thinges are nothinge but mannes deuotion, of one symple person alone, which make no Article of our faith, for that belongeth onely to God.
But oure Papistes, do wreste such saynges of menne and alledge them for this purpose that men shoulde beleue, [Page] theyr shameful, blasphemous, accursed yeare markettes, of soule masses to be offred in purgatorye &c. It wil be lōg, or they shal proue this oute of Austen. Whē they nowe shal haue put awaye the yeare markett of Purgatory masses, whereof s. Austen neuer dreamed. Then wil we commoue with them, whether S. Austens wordes, without scripture, ought to be allowed or not, & a memoriall to be kept of the deade at the Sacrament or not.
It can not be allowed, that of the workes or wordes of holy fathers mē wil make Articles of the faith For elles it must also become an Article of faith, whatsoeuer they had, of meates, apparel, houses, &c, as hath ben done with the pardons & reliques. But the worde of God must make Articles of fayth, & no mā, neyther also any angel
Rumblynge spiritesSecondarely is therof ensued, that the euill spirites haue vsed much knauerie, that they as mēnes soules haue apeared, requiryng masses, dirreges, pylgrymages & other almose dedes with vnspeakeable lyes & subtelties. Al which thynges we haue bē cōpelled to take for articles of our fayth, & [Page] to lyue thereafter. And the pope confirmed the same, as also the masse and all other abhominations. Here may also be no shrynkyng, or geuing ouer.
Pilgrimage.Thirdely, pilgrymages. There was also sought, masses, remissiō of synnes & Goddes fauour, for the masse did rule al. Nowe is this sure, that such pylgrimages, are without Gods worde, not cōmaunded vnto vs, also not necessary, for as much as we maye haue it better, & may leaue thē without anye synne or daunger. Why do men leaue at home their own parysshe, Goddes word, wyfe & child, etc: whiche are necessary & commaunded, & runne after, the vnnecessary, vncertayne, damnable, deuelysh errours & superstious? But that the deuil hath rydē the pope to prayse and confirme such thinges, whereby the people by heapes did fal frō Christ vnto theyr own workes, & became Idolatrers, which is worst of al. Besydes that, that it is a thing not necessary, not cōmaunded not counsaylled vncertain, & also perillous: therfore is here also no shrynkyng, or geuyng ouer. And let thys be preached, [Page] that it is vnnecessary and also daungerous, and see then where Pilgrimages thal become.
Fraternities.Fourthely the fraternities, where as the monasteries, minysters, also Vicaryes haue, bequethed, and dealt aboute (for a meane and reasonable pryce) all maner of masses. Good workes &c. both for the quicke and the deade. Whiche is not onely mere inuention of man, withoute Goddes worde very vnnecessary, and not commaunded. But also agaynst the fyrste Article of the redemption, & therfore in no wyse to be suffered.
Reliques.Fyfthely, The relyques, wherein so many manyfest lyes, and foolysthenes hath ben found, of dogges bones and horse legges, that also because of suche knauery, whereat the deuyll dyd laugh, they ought to haue ben condemned long a gone, although there were any goodnes in thē. And helpdes this also it is a thinge, withoute Goddes worde, neither cōmaunded nor counseilled, hole vnnecessary & vnprofitable, & that which is worste of al it must [Page] worke Pardon & remission of synnes, as a good worke, and a Goddes seruice, as also the masse &c.
PardonSexthely here vnto belongeth that louely Pardon, which is geuen bothe for quicke and deade (but yet for money) and that arraunt Iudas or Pope, therein doth selle the merites of Christe with the superfluous merites of all Saynctes, and the vniuersal Churche and all whiche thinges are not to be suffered. And also are not onely withoute Boddes worde, nedeles and not cōmaunded. But also against the fyrst Article, For the merites of Christē mē are not obteyned, by oure workes or money. But by faith through grace, withoute any money or deseruinge. Not by the Dopes authorite but by the preachinge, of Goddes worde.
Of worshippinge of Saynctes.
Vvorshipping of Saynctes.Vvorshippinge of Saynctes is also one of the abuses of Antichriste, repugnaunt against the fyrst Chief Article, and taketh awaye the knoweledge of Christe. Also it is not commaunded, nor counseylled, neither hath it [Page] any example of the scripture. And we haue it al, a thousande tymes better in Christ, although it were of lyke goodnes, as it is not.
And although the Angels in heauen do pray for vs (as Christ hym selfe doth also) Lykewyse also the saynctes in earth, or parauēture also in heauen, yet doth it not followe thereout that we shoulde worshyppe the Angelles and saynctes, praye vnto them, faste, and kepe holye day for them, kepe masses and offerynges institute Churches, aulters, goddes seruyces, and serue them more other waies, and take them for helpers in our necessities, and diuyde all maner of helpe amonge them, and appropriate vnto euery one a synguler & peculiar thinge as the papistes teache & do, for that is Idolatry, and suche honour belongeth onely to God. For thou canst as a Christian & saincte in earthe praye for me, not in one, but in all maner of necessities. Howe be it, therfore may not I worshyppe, adore, kepe holy faste, offce, kepe masse, to thy glory & honoure, [Page] and sette vpon the my fayth, concernynge saluation, for I may fulwel honoure, loue, & thanke the otherwayes in Christ.
Vvhen nowe suche Idolatrous honour of the Angelles and dead saynctes shal be done awaye, then shal the other honour be withoute hurte or damage, yea sone forgotten. For yf the commoditie and helpe, bothe, bodely, and ghoostely, be no more to be hoped for, then shal they leaue the Saynctes in rest fulwel, bothe in the sepulchres and also in heauen. For noman wyll greatly remember, extime, nor honoure them for naught, or for loue.
And in summa, whatsoeuer the masse is, whatsoeuer cōmeth therof, or soeuer what dependeth thereon, the same can not we abyde, and must nedes condemne it, that we may kepe the holye Sacramente, purely and surely after the institution of Christe, vsed and receyued thorough fayth.
The iij. Article.
Mynsters & cloysters.That the mynsters & monasteries in tymes past edifyed for a good intēt [Page] for to educate menne of erudition, and honest discrete women, shoulde be sette agayne in suche and ordre, where by mē might haue, Pastours, Preachers and other ministers of the Churche. Also other necessary Persones for the tēporall Gouernaunce, in Cities and Countrees. Also well taught ladyes, brought vp for housewyues and house kepers, &c.
Yf they will not serue for this so is it better, that men lette them lye voyde, or breake them downe there that they with their blasphemous Goddes seruice inuented by man, shoulde be kepte and takē, as a thinge somewhat better, then the Cōmon Christen state & Offices and Ordinaunces of God instituted. For all the same is also agaynst the fyrst Chief Article of the Redemption, of Iesus Christe.
Besydes that, that they also (euen as all other inuentions of menne) are not commaunded, not necessary, not profitable, and also make daungerous and vayne laboures. Euē as the Prophetes do call suche Goddes seruice. [Page] Auen, that is, laboure.
The .iiij. Article.
The Pope is not the heade of the ChurchThat the Pope is not, Iure diuino, or by Goddes word, the supreme head of the whole Christianite (for that pertayneth to one alone, whiche is called Iesus Christe) But onely. Bysshop or Curate of the Churche of Rome. And of suche as willingly, or by mannes Creation, or temporall power haue geuen them selues vnder his. Cure & gouernaunce, Not vnder hym, as vnder a Lorde, but by hym as Brethern and fellowes in Christ. As also the olde Counsaylles, and the tyme of S. Ciprian do declare.
But nowe a dayes, dare no Bysshop presume to call the Pope Brother, as in those dayes, but must call hym his mooste gratious Lorde, yea though it were a kynge or Emperour. This will, maye or can we not take on oure Consciences. But they that will, may do it with oute vs.
Oute of this followeth. That what [Page] soeuer the pope, by suche false, frowarde, blasphemous, vsurped power, hath done and pretended, hath bē nothyng, but a deuelysshe acte, and dede, and yet is, (except that, whiche belongeth to the tēporal gouernaunce, wherein also God permitteth oftentymes much good to be done vnto the people by a tyraunt, and euyll person) to the destructiō of the vniuersal Catholike church (as much as lyeth in hym) and for to distourbe the fyrst chief Article of the redemption by Iesus Christe.
Popysh bulles and bokes.For there be al hys bulles & bokes, wherein he roareth, lyke a lyon (as the Angel Apocalipsis .xij. doth prefigurate) that no christian can be saued, except he be obedient & subiect vnto hym in al thinges, what soeuer he wyl, sayeth and doth, which is none other, but thus much to saye. Though thou beleue neuer so wel in Christ, and haue al thynges in hym, whiche are necessary to saluation, yet for al that is it all in vayne, yf thou takest not me for thy God, and be obedient and subiect vnto me. Notwithstondynge that it is [Page] manifest that the holy Churche was withoute Pope at the least aboue fyue hundred yeres. And vnto this day the churches of the Grecians, and of many other languages, were neuer vnder the pope, nor be not as yet. So is it then (as often hath ben sayd) an inuention of man, not commaunded, nedeles, and in vayne, in so much that as the holy Catholike churche, maye forbeare suche a head wel ynough, & myght haue continued better, yf such a head had not ben reared by the Deuyll. And also the papacye is not commodious in the churche, for it vseth no Christen office, wherfore the Churche ought to remayne and continue without a Pope.
And I put case, that the pope woulde graunte, that he, not Iure diuino, or by the cōmaūdement of God, were superiour: but to the intēt that thereby the vnitie of the Christianite, againste sectes & heresyes, so much the better myght be entertayned, & that therfore must be a head, whereby all the reste myght take hold, and that such a head [Page] ought to be chosen of men, and stode, in mānes power and authorite, the same heade, to chaunge, and to degrate as the Counsayll of Constaunce kept and vsed euen the same trade, with the Popes, for they deposed thre, and elected the fourthe. I put case now, (I saye) that the Pope, and the see of Rome, woulde graunte and accepte suche thinges, which neuertheles is impossible. For he must suffre his whole dignitie, state & gouernaunce to be turned and chaunged with all his lawes and Bokes, Summa, he kan not do it.
Notwitstondinge all the premisses coulde not helpe the Christianite, and there shoulde ryse many more sectes than before. For seynge mē sholde not be bounde to obey suche a heade by the commandemēt of God, But of mannes good will, it shoulde very lightely and sone be despised, & at the last not be estemed as a membre. And also it must not allwayes be at rome or in any other place. But whersoeuer, and in what Churche, God had geuen suche a man as shoulde be mete for the [Page] same. O what a wylde and dissolute thinge shoulde that be.
Therfore can the Churche be neuer better gouerned and mayntayned. Than that we all lyue vnder one heade Christe. And that the Bysshoppes lyke in office (although they be vnlyke in gyftes) earnestly agree and holde together, in vnitie of doctrine, Faythe, Sacramētes, Prayers, and workes of loue. According to the writtinge of S. Ierome. That the Priestes of Alexandria together & in cōmune did gouerne the Churches, As the Apostles did also. And after them all Bysshoppes in the whole Christianite, vntill the tyme that the Pope did exalte his heade aboue all.
To sette hymselfe aboue & agaynst God.This part sheweth euidētly, that he is the right Antichrist, which hath set & exalted hym selfe, aboue and agaynst Christe, whylest he will not suffer the Christiās to be saued, withoute his iurisdiction whiche notwithstondinge is vayne, not ordeyned of God, nor commaunded, This is called properly to sette hym selfe aboue God, & agaynst [Page] God, as saynt Paul sayth. Such thynges doth neyther Turk nor Tatter, be they neuer so greate enemyes to the Christians. But permitte to beleue in Christ, whosoeuer wil, takyng bodely tribute & obedience of the Christians.
But the Pope wyl not suffer to beleue, but sayth, mē ought to obey him, and so doynge, they shoulde be saued. Howe be it, Thys wyl we not do, but rather dye therfore in the name of god. Thys cometh al thereby, that he Iure diuino would be called the superiour ouer the Christen Church. Therfore hath he made him self equal with Christ, & hath set him self aboue Christe, as the head. After that a Lorde of the Churche, and laste of all hath suffred hym selfe to be boasted Lorde of all the worlde, and euen a GOD in earth. In so much, that he presumed also to cōmaunde the Angels in heauē.
Popysh doctryne.And whan a distinction is made betwene the Papisticall doctryne, & the holy scripture, or an egal comparyson it apereth euidently, that the popyshe doctryne, euen where as it is beste, is [Page] taken oute of the ciuile and Heathen lawes, and teacheth worldly busynes and iudgementes, decreesas hys decrees declare. After that doth she teache ceremonyes of Churches, rayment, meates, Personnes, and of suche chyldren games, vysers, and fowles babels innumerable. But in all these not one worde of Christe, faythe, and Goddes commaundementes.
Tast of all is it nothynge but al deuelysshe, wheras he setteth furthe hys lyes of masses, purgatory, Cloysteringes, propre workes and Goddes seruyces (whiche is euen the ryght Papacye) ouer and aboue god, condemneth slayeth & punyshed al Christians, that do not exaite and worshyp suche hys abhomination aboue all thynges.
Papistcal gouernaunce.Therfore, as littel as we may worshyppe the deuyl hym selfe, for a Lord or God, euen so lyttel may we also suffer hys Apostle the Pope or Antichrist in his iurisdiction, to be our Lorde or head, for lyes and murther, destructiō of body & soule euerlastingly, thys is proprely his papistical gouernaunce. [Page] Euen as I haue declared the same in many bookes.
In these foure Articles shall they haue ynough to condēne in the Counsayll. For they can nor will not leaue or graunte vnto vs, the least membre of any of the sayde Articles, wherfore we must be sure of this, and stedfastely truste, that God hath apprehended his aduersary, and shall suppresse hym bothe by his spirite and also by his comynge. Amen.
For in the Counsayll shall we not stande before the Emperour or tēporall powers (as at Augspurg) which made a very gracious Proclamation, and caused the matter to be heard fauourably. But we shall stande there before the Pope & the deuill hym selfe whiche intendeth not to heare. But euen to condemne, murther, and to cō pelle to Idolatrye. Vvherfore here we may not kysse his fete, or saye, ye are my souereique Lorde. But euen as in Dachary the Angell said to the deuill God reproue the Datan.
The thyrde Parte of the Articles.
☞ The peeces or Articles following, may we with learned and discrete persons, or amonge oure selues dispute and discusse for the Pope and his kyngdome doth not passe muche vpon them. For by thē is no Conscience but money, honour and power is all.
Of Synne.
Originall synne.HEre must we knowledge, as S. Paull Rom. v. sayth. That Synne came by that onely man Adam, through whose disobedience all men are become Synners, subiecte vnto death & the deuill, This is called the Originall Synne or capitall synne.
The frutes of this synne are consequently the euill workes, which in the [Page] tenne cōmaundementes, Frutes of the original synne.are forbiddē as vnbeleue, false fayth, Idolatry, to be without the frutes of god, arrogā cye, dispayre, blyndnes: & sūma, not to knowe god, nor to regarde him. Cōsequently, to lye, to sweare by the name of god. Not to pray, not to worshippe, not to regarde gods word, disobediēce vnto the parentes, murther, vnclenlynes, to steale, to begyle &c. This original synne is suche a very depe & euyll destructiō of nature, that no witte doth knowe her: but must be beleued through the reuelatiō of the scripture. Psal. li. Ro. v. Exo. xxxiii. Gene. iii. Therfore is it nothynge but errour & blyndnes, contrary to this Article, whatsoeuer Theologiens haue taught.
Doctryne of the scoole theologiens.i Namely. That after the originall fal of Adam, the natural power and strength of man, remayned hole and & vncorrupt. And that man haue of nature a ryght discretiō & a good wil euē as the Philosophers teache the same.
ii Item that man hath a free wil, to do good, & to leaue euyl, & contrariwyse, to leaue the good vndone, and to do that whiche is euyll.
[Page] iii Item that man maye by naturell power and strength, do and kepe all the commaundementes of God.
iiii Item that he may of naturall power loue God, aboue al thynges, and hys neyghbour as hym selfe.
v Item whan man doth so much as lyeth in hym, that than God geueth hym hys grace.
vi Itē that whā he wyll receyue the sacrament, it is not necessary to haue a good purpose to do good. But that it is sufficient, that he haue not an euyll purpose to do syn, so excedynge good is nature, & the Sacrament so mighty.
vii That it is not grounded in the Scripture, that the holy gost with hys grace and assistence be necessary and requisite for to do good workes.
Suche, and such lyke Articles many be trough misvnderstandynge and ignoraunce, bothe of synne, and also of Christ our sauyour, crepte in, and they be euen the ryghte doctryne of the heathen, which we can not suffer. For yf thys doctryne be true, then dyed CHRISTE in vayne, seynge [Page] there is no wicknednes or synne in mā wherfore he ought to dye, Or elles he dyed onely for the body, and not for the soule also, forsomuche as the soule is safe, and onely the body worthy of deathe.
Of the lawe.
Wherfore the lawe is geuen.Here holde we that the lawe is geuen of God, fyrst for to anoyde synne by threatenynge and feare of punishement. And also by promyses, and offeringe of grace and benefites. Howbe it all this, as concernyng iniquitie, for as muche as synne hathe wrought in man, is very euill chaunced. Rawe & wicked personsFor some are thereby become worse, As they that be enemy to the lawe, because she forbiddeth that, whiche they woulde fayne do. And cōmaundeth that whiche they are not willinge to do, In so moche that wher as they may cōueniētly withoute punysshemēt, they do more agaynst the sawe nowe, than they did before. These are euē suche rawe and wicked persons, which ceasse not to do wickedly, where as they maye haue tyme and place,
[Page] Ipocrytes and false sainctesThe other, become blynde, and arrogaunt, thinckynge that they do kepe and can kepe the lawe of theyr owne strength, as euen nowe was rehersed aboue, of the Scool Theologiēs. Out of these come the Ipocrites, and false saynctes.
Offyce & power of the laweBut the Chiefe and pryncipal office, or power of the law is, that she opē the originall synne with al her frutes, and shewe vnto man, how depely his nature is fallen, and howe miserably it is destroyed, as vnto whome the lawe must declare, that he hath no God, nor yet regardeth God, but worshyppeth straunge Goddes, which, before or without the lawe he coulde not haue beleued. Therewith becometh he fearfull humble, abasshed, desperate, and would fayne be holpen, but knoweth not howe, and beginneth to become enemy vnto God, and to murmure, &c. This is it, that Saynte Paule sayth. Rom. iii. The lawe causeth wrath. And Rom. v. Synne increasseth thorough the lawe. Roma. iii. v.
Of Penaunce.
[Page] Thys offyce kepeth the newe Testament and teacheth the same also, as S. Paule Rom. i. doth, saynge: The wrath of God apereth from heauen, agaynst al men. Rom. i. Item iii. All men are debters before God. And no man is ryghteous before hym. Rom. iij And Christe Ioh. xvi. The holy gost shal rebuke the world of Synne. Ioh. xvi This is euē the thō derbolt of god, wherewith he striketh downe al in one heape, bothe the open synners, and the false saynctes, & suffereth none to haue right, but dryueth them all together into feare & desperation. Thys is the hammer (as Ieremy sayth) Ie. xxiij my worde is a hāmer that breaketh harde stones. Right contrition.This is not actiua contritio, a made repentaunce. But passiua contritio, the ryght repentaunce of the harte, the sufferyng and fellynge of death.
Beginnyng of ryght penaunce.And thys is euen the beginnynge of the ryghte Penaunce, and man must here heare this sentence, It is al in vayne with you all, whether ye are open synners or saynetes, ye muste al become, and do otherwyse than [Page] ye are and do yet. Be ye as great, wyse, myghtye and holy as ye wyl, here is no man ryghteous.
Promyse of graceBut vnto thys offyce, doth the newe Testament by and by minister, & adde the comfortable promise of grace through the Gospel, whiche muste be beleued, as Christe sayeth Marc. i. Repente and beleue the gospel. Mar. i. That is become and do otherwise, and beleue my promyse. And a littel before hym Iohn is named, A preacher of repentaunce, for the remission of synnes. That is, he shoulde rebuke them all, & make them synners, that they might knowe, what they were before God, and knowledge them selues, as damned people, and so to be prepared for the Lorde, to receyue hys grace, & of him to hope and accepte remissyou of synnes. For thus sayth Christe him selfe. Luce, xxiiij. That repentaunce and remissyon of synnes muste be preached in hys name, amonge all nations. Luce. xxiiij
Offyce of the lawe without additiō of the GospelBut where as the lawe doth dryue thys her offyce onely, withoute [Page] additiō of the Gospell, there is death and hell. And man must dispayre, euē as Saul and Iudas dyd accordyng to the saynge of Saynt Paul. The lawe slayeth through Synne. Comforte of the Gospell.And agayn, The gospel doth not alwayes vse one manner or f [...]ssyon to geue cōforte and forgeuenes. But by the worde, sacracrament, and suche lyke, as we shall heare, to thintent that the redemptiō be plenteous by God, accordynge as the C. xxx. Psalm sayeth, agaynst the great captiuite of synne. Psalm. C. xxx.
But nowe must we make a comparyson betwene the false penaunce of the Sophistes, and the righte Peuaunce, whereby they may bothe so moche the better be vnderstande.
¶ Of the false Papisticall Penaunce.
Vnpossyble was it, that they should teache ryght of Penaunce, whylest they knewe not the ryght synne. For (as is sayd aboue) they holde a wrōg opinion, cōcernyng the original synne. [Page] Doctrine of the scoole Theologyens.For they saye, that the naturall powers of man, dyd remayne hole and vncorrupte, And that the discretion of man can teache ryght, and the wyl of man can do ryght thereafter. And that God vndoubtedly geueth hys grace, whan a man doth so muche, as is in hym, after hys free wyli.
Out of thys must nedes followe, that they onely repented the Actuall Synne, as euyll thoughtes, whereunto the Actuall dede dyd consente (for euyl motyons, lustes, desyres, and appetites, was no synne with them) euil wordes, and euyll workes, whiche the free wyll myght and coulde fulwell haue left vndone.
And to suche penaunce they putte three partes, Contrition, Confessyon, and satisfaction, with thys comforte & promyse, that yf a man hadde ryghte contrition were duely shryuen, and made satisfaction, than hadde he there by deserued, forgeuenes, and had made satisfaction for the synne before God. And so they taught the people in Penaunce, to truste in theyr owne [Page] workes. Thereby came thys worde in vsage, when the common Shrifte or Confessyon was read to the people. Spare me Lorde god &c. preserue my lyfe, vntyl I may do penaunce for my synnes, and amende my lyfe.
Here was no Christ, nor any thing of fayth remembred. But men did hope by theyr owne workes to ouercome [...]ynne, & to quenche it before God. To that intent dyd we also become Priestes and freers, because we woulde sette oure selues agaynst synne.
Contrition.As touchynge contrition, thus was the matter handled, for asmuch as noman was able to cal to remembraunce al hys synnes (specially such as were cōmitted throughout the hole yere) they dyd cōueye the matter thus, whē the forgotten synnes came afterwardes to remembraunce, than must they also be repented and shryuen &c. And thus they ware committed to the mercy of God. Furthermore, for as moch also, as no man knewe, howe great the contrition shoulde be, that it myght be sufficiēt & satisfactory before god, they [Page] gaue this comforte. Contritio. AttritioHe that could not haue contrition, shoulde haue attritiō, which may be called halfe contrition, or a beginnyng of contrition, For thei vnderstode neyther of bothe, neyther knowe they yet what it doth meane, as littel as I. But such attritio was counted contritio, when men went to be shryuen.
And whan it came to passe, That one or other sayde, that he coulde not repente nor be sory for hys synnes, as might chaunce in louinge of harlottes or desyre of vengeaunce &c. than dyd they demaunde, yf he dyd not wysshe, or would be glad, that he myght haue contrition? yf than he sayd, yea, (for who woulde here saye, nay, except the deuyl him self) than did they accept it for contrition, & forgaue hym hys synnes vpon thys hys good dede. Here induced they S. Bernarde for an ensample. &c. Here doth it appeare, howe the blyndenes of mannes witte dothe grope in Gods causes, & seketh cōfort in her owne workes, after her owne imagination, and can not ones thynke [Page] on Christe or on fayth. Nowe yf men beholde it by the lyght. So is suche Coutrition, a made and innented imagination, of mans owne power, withoute faythe and withoute knoweledge of Christe, wherein sometymes, the poore sy [...]ner, when he remembred hys lustes or vengeaunce, woulde rather haue lawghed than wept, except suche as contrary wyse by the lawe were pynched a ryght, o [...] were plaged of the deuyll in vayne with a sadde spirite. Otherwyse, was suche contrition doubteles, cleane hypocrisy, & dyd neuer ky [...] the lustes of synne. For they were constrayned to repente, not withstondynge, that they woulde lesser haue synned more, yf it hadde ben without danger.
Confessyon. To shryue all synnes.Conceruyng confessyon, thys was the order, Euery man was bounde to reherse all hys synnes (whiche was a thynge impossyble) thys was a great martyring of the conscience. But such as he had forgottē, were remitted vnto hym vpon this condition, that whā they shoulde come to hys remembraū ce, [Page] he shoulde be bounde to confesse them. Thus coulde he neuer knowe, when he was shryuen clene ynough, or whan the shryuynge shoulde ones haue an ende. And was also sent to hys workes, and thus comforted. The cleuer he were shryuen, and the more he were ashamed, and so reuyled hym selfe before the Prieste, so muche the sooner and better dyd he satisfye for the synnes, for suche humilite dyd deserue grace before God.
Here was also no fayth, nor Christe, And the effecte of the absolution was not tolde vnto hym. But in recytynge of synnes, and beynge ashamed was all hys conforte. But it is vnspeakeable, what martyr, wickednes, vngraciousnes, and Idolatrye hath ben brought vp through thys confessyon.
Satisfaction.Satisfaction is yet the wyldest thyng of al. For noman coulde knowe howe muche he oughte to do for one onely synne. I omitte then for al. But here founde they a prety deuyse. Namely, that they ordeyned a small satisfaction, whiche men shoulde be able [Page] ynough to kepe, as fyne Pater nosters, one dayes fastynge &c. with the rest of the penaunce, where they sente into Purgatory.
Here was also a great calamite and necessite, some thought that they shoulde neuer come out of purgatory. For as muche as accordyng to the olde canons seuen peres of penaunce was dewe for one deadly synne. And yet stode oure confidence also in our workes of satisfaction. And yf the satisfaction myght haue ben perfecte, than shoulde oute cōfidence haue ben wholy set thereon, so that neyther faythe nor Christ shoulde haue ben profitable or necessary, But she was impossible. For yf a man so shoulde haue done penaūce a hundreth yeres, he shoulde not haue knowen, whan he had made an ende of it, that was as muche to saye, as alwayes to repente styll and neuer to come to repentaunce.
PardonAnd here came the holy See of R [...] me to succour the poore Churche, and inuented the Pardons. Thereby dyd he remitte, and ease the satisfaction. [Page] Fyrst one yere, seuen yeres, an hundred yeres &c. And parted it amonge the Cardinalles and Bysshops, that the one coulde geue a hundreth yeres, the other a hundreth dayes of Pardō. But to take awaye the whole satisfaction, dyd he kepe onely for hym selfe.
Golden yere.Whan now suche thynges began to brynge in money a pace, and the bul market waxed good, than dyd he inuente the goldē yere, or pere of grace, and layed it at Rome, and that was called remissyon of payne, and synne. Thither ranne the people. For euery man woulde fayne haue ben eased of the heauy intollerable burthen. This was to fynd oute the treasures of the earth, and them to exalte. Incontinently after hasted the Pope further with all spede, and made many golden yeres or peres of grace one vpon another, but the more he dyd deuoure golde, the gredyer dyd hys gull waxe. Wherfore afterwardes he dyd sende it oute into the countres by hys legates vntyl al Churches & houses were made ful of golden peres.
[Page] Last of al dyd he also rabe in Purgatory among the dead, Fyrst with in stitutyng of masses and dyrges, afterwarde with the Pardons and golden yeres. Insomuch that within a whyle the soules waxed so good chepe, that he dyd delyuer them for thre half pēs the pece.
Yet coulde not al thys helpe for all that. For the pope notwithstandynge that he taught the people to trust and to put theyr confidence in suche Pardons, yet doth he hymselfe make it vnsure agayn. For he setteth in hys Bulles, that whosoeuer wy [...] be partaker of the Pardon or golden yere, must be contrite and shryuen, & also geue money. Nowe haue we hearde aboue, that suche contrition and confessyon, by them is vnsure and hipocrisy. In lyke maner also dyd noman knowe, what soule was in Purgatorye, And although there hadde ben any, yet knowe no man, whiche of them had repented and confessed a ryght. And so dyd he take the deare money, and comforted them in the meane season with his [Page] authorite and Pardons, and yet sent them agayne to theyr vsure workes.
Good workes & ryghteousnes sold whiche was ouerp [...]us.Nowe yf there ware any, that dyd not thincke them selues gilty of suche actuall synnes, in thoughte, worde or dede. Euen as I and suche other frekes and priestes in cloysters and mynsters would be, which with fastynge, wachynge, praynge, saynge of masse, harde rayment and couches &c, defended oure selues agaynst euyl thoughtes, and woulde be holy with earnest and by force or violence, and yet the Original euyll wherein we be borne, sometyme in slepe did (as also S. Augustyn and Ierome with other knowledge and confesse) accordynge to hys kynde: yet dyd euery man holde of other, that some were so holy, as we taught, that they were without synne and ful of good workes. Insomuche that we therevpon, dyd parte and sell vnto other of oure good workes, and the ouerplus, more than was necessary vnto vs, for to obtayne saluation. Thys is true, & there are sealles writtynges & examples ynough in hande.
[Page] These had no nede of repentaunce, for what shoulde they repente? seynge in euyl thoughtes they dyd not consente? what shoulde they confesse, why lest they dyd abhorre wordes? Vvherfore shoulde they satisfye, seynge they were not giltye of the dede? So that they also myght sel vnto other poore Synners, th [...]yr ryghteousnes whiche was more then requisite. Such Sayntes were also the Pharisees and Scrib [...]s in Christes tyme.
Iohn Baptiste the ryghte preather of repentaunce.Here cometh the fyery Angell S. Iohn, the ryght Preacher of penaunce, and stryketh with a thonder bolthe together in one heape, sayng: Repent. Nowe thincke they, we haue repented al ready. These do thynke, we haue no nede of repentaunce. Mat. iij But Iohn sayth, Repente bothe, for ye are false repenters, than are these false saynetes, and haue bothe nede of remissyon of synnes, for as muche as ye bothe do not yet knowe, what the ryght synne is, I omitte that ye shoulde repente it or eschewe it. There is none good of you, ye are ful of vnbelefe, blyndenes, and [Page] ignoraunce of God, and hys wyl. For there is he manifestly of whose plentifulnes all we must receyue grace for grace, and no man without hym can be righteous before God. Ioh. i Therfore yf ye wyl repente, repente truely. For your penaunce is in vayne. And ye Hypocrytes that haue no nede of repentaunce, ye progenye of vypers, who hath certified you that ye should escape frō the wrath of God to come?
Euen so preacheth also S. Paul. Ro. iij. saynge. There is none that vnderstandeth none ryghteous, none that seketh after God, none that doth good no, not one. They are al gone oute of the waye, and are made vnprofitable. Rom. iij Psalm .xiiij. liij. & L. xliij
And Act. xvij. But nowe God bid beth all men euery where repente. Al men sayth he) none excepte that is a man. Act. xvij
Right repentaunce.Thys repentaunce teacheth vs to knowe the sinne, namely, that with vs all is lost, and that euen heare and skynne be naught, & that we muste be renewed and become other menne.
[Page] Thys repentaunce is not, patched, vnparfect, and beggerly as the other, whiche repented the actuall synne, neither is it also vnsure, as the other. For she disputeth not, which be synne, and which be no synne. But she breaketh al in peces, and sayth. That it is al synne, and nothynge but synne with vs. what shoulde we seke longe, and make diuision, distinction, or difference.
Contrition.Therfore is also here contrition not vnsure, for there remayneth nothyng whereby we might thynke any good, to satisfye for synne. But a bare, and sure fayntnes in all that we are, thynke, speake, or do. &c.
Confessyon.In lyke maner, can also confessyon not be false, vnsure, or vnperfect, for whosoeuer confesseth, that al thynges are no thynge but synne, with hym, comprehendeth al synnes, and leaueth none be hynd, neyther doth he also for gette any.
Satisfaction.Euen so can not the satisfaction also be vnsure, for she is not oure, vnsure, synful worke, But the passyou and bloude of the innocent lambe of God, [Page] which beareth the synnes of the worlde.
Right repentaunce.Of thys repentaunce, preacheth S. Iohn and after hym Christe in the Gospell, and we also. With thys repentaunce do we thruste doune to the grounde the Pope and al whatsoeuer is buylded vpon oure good workes. For it is al buylded vpon a rottē vyle grounde, whiche is called good workes, or lawe, notwithstādyng that there is no good worke, but all euyll workes. And that no man fulfylleth the lawe (as Christ Ioh. vij. sayth) but al men transgresse it. Ioh. vij. Therfore is that buyldyng altogether false lyes, and hypocrisy, where as it semeth to be moost holy, and moost fayrest.
And thys repentaunce continueth amonge the Christians vntyll death, for she sighteth with the remnaunt of synne in the flesshe, throughoute the whole lyfe. As Saint Paul Rom. vij. witnesseth, that he dyd stryne with the lawe of hys membres &c. Ro. vij. And that not by hys owne power, but through the gyfte of the holy goost, which also [Page] followeth the forgeuenes of synnes. The same gyfte clenseth and wepeth away dayly, the remanaunt of synne, and laboureth to make man ryght, pure, and holy.
Of thys knoweth, neyther Pope Theologians, Iuristes, nor any man. But it is a doctryne from heauen, declared by the Gospel, and must be called heresy, amonge the vngodly sainctes,
Agayne yf there shoulde come any sectysshe spirites, as paraduēture there are some ready at hand, & at the tyme of commotion, come euen to myne owne face, which holde opinion that al such, as ones haue receyued the spirite or remissyon of synnes, or are become Christians, & afterwardes synne agayn, do continue neuertheles in faithe, and that suche synnes are nothynge preiudicial vnto thē, and crye thus. Do what thou lyst, yf thou doest beleue, all is nothyng, for fayth quencheth al synne, &c. And say moreouer, yf any man synne, after the fayth and spirite that thā he hath neuer hadde the faith, [Page] and spirite a ryght. Of suche frantike men haue I had many before me. And I feare that yet in some there reigneth suche a deuyll.
Therefore is it necessary to knowe and also to teache, that yf the holy people aboue that, that they yet haue and feale the original synne, agaynste the whiche also they dayly repente, and stryue, any waye fal in open synne, as Dauid in aduoutry, murther and blasphemye of God, ij. Re. xi that as then the faith and spirite hath ben awaye. For the holy goost suffereth not synne to beare rule and to gette the vpper hande, that the be committed. But hyndereth and defēdeth that she cā not do what she wyll. But yf she doth what she wyll, then is fayth gone, and the spirite is not there, for it is as Saynt Iohn sayth, i. Ioh, iii whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not, and can not synne. And it is also very true as the same Saint Iohn writteth, i. Iohn. i yf we saye that we haue no synne, we lye, and goddes trueth is not in vs.
Of the Gospell.
[Page] We wyll nowe retourne agayne to the Gospell, whiche geueth not alwayes one manner of waye, counsail, helpe, and remedy agaynst synne, for God is aboundantly ryche in his grace. Fyrst thorough the worde by the mouth of the preacher, wherein is preached remissyō of synnes, throughout all the worlde, which is the proper offyce of the gospel. Secondly, through baptisme. Thirdely by the blessed Sacrament of the aulter. Fourthely by the power and aucthoryte of the keyes, and also per mutuum colloquium, et consolationem fratrum, Matthei. xviii. Vbi duo fuerunt congregati. &c.
Of Baptisme.
Baptysme is nothynge elles, but the worde of god in the water, commaunded through hys institution, or as S. Paule sayth, Lauacrum in verbo, as also Augustyn sayth. Accedat verbum ad elementum, et fit Sacramentum. Thomas Aquinas.And therfore holde we not with Thomas, and the freers, whiche [Page] neglecte the worde (Goddes institution) and saye: That God hath layed a spiritual power in the water, which wassheth awaie synne through the water, Scotusneither do we holde with Scotus, and the barefote freers, whiche teache, that baptisme doth wasshe awaye synne, by the assistaunce of Goddes wyll. So that thys clensynge is done onely through the wyl of God, and not at al, through the worde, or water.
Baptisme of childrenOf the baptisme of children, holde we that the children ought to be baptysed, for they perteyne also to the promysed redemption made by Christe, and the churche oughte to minister it vnto them.
Sacrament of the aulter.Of the Sacramente of the aulter, holde we that Breade and wyne, at the supper, is the very body and bloude of Christe. And is not onely ministred and receyued of ryghteous, but also of wicked Christians.
And that men ought not to minister it onely vnder one kynd, and that we haue no nede of that high conning [Page] whiche teacheth vs, that vnder the one kynde is as moche, as vnder bothe, as the sophistes and the counsayil of constaunce do teache. For though it were euen true, that vnder the one be as moch as vnder bothe. So is not yet that onely kynde the whole ordre and institution, by Christe instituted and commaunded.
And in especyal do we condemne, and curse, in the name of God, al those that not onely bothe kyndes do refuse But also arrogantly and contemptuously forbidde condemne, and blaspheme thesame, for he resye. And sette thē selues therewith agaynste and aboue Christe, oure Lorde and God.
Of the Transsubstantiation, do we regarde the spiteful Sophistrye nothynge at al, wheras they teache, that breade and wyne leaue or lose theyr natural substaunce, & that onely there remayneth the lykenes and coloure of breade, and no material breade. For it agreeth best with the scripture, that there be and remayne breade, as saynt Paul doth call it hymself. i. Cor. x The breade [Page] which we breake. And so let hym eate of the breade.
Of the keyes.
The keyes are an offyce, and aucioxite, geuen vnto the churche by Christ for to bynde and lose synne. Not onely the grosse and we I knowen synnes, But also the subtyll and secrete synnes, whiche God knoweth onely, As it is written, Psa. xix who can tel howe ofte he offendeth? And Paule Rom. vij. complayneth hymselfe, Ro. vij. that he with the flesshe serueth the lawe of synne. For it lyeth not in vs, but in God, to iudge what howe great, and how many the synnes be, as it is written. Psalm .C. xliij. Entre not into iudgement with thy seruaunt, for in thy syght shal no man lyuing be iustifyed. And Paul. i. Corinth. iiij. sayth also. i. Corin. iiij. I knowe nought by my selfe, but I am not therfore iustifyed.
Of confessyon.
Absolution.For as moche as the absolution [Page] or power and authorite of the keyes is also a remedye and conforte, againste synne and the euyll conscience, instituted by Christe in the Gospell. So ought the confessyon or absolution in no wyse, to be abolysshed in the churche, specially for the fearfull consciences sake, also because of the yong rawe people, whereby they may be examined and infourmed in the Christen doctryne.
The rehersal of synnes ought to be free.But the rehersall of synnes ought to be free for euery man, whatsoeuer he wil reherse or not reherse, for as longe as we be in the flesshe, shall we not lye, whan we saye: I am a wretched man, ful of synne. Rom. vij, I fele another lawe in my membres. &c. Ro. vij. For seynge Absolutio priuata, procedeth frō the offyce of the keyes, ought she not to be contemned, but kepte in hygh reuerence, as al other offyces of the Christen churche.
And in these poynctes, concerning the owtewarde worde pronounced by the mouth of the minister. We ought surely to a byde by thys, That God [Page] geueth to no man hys spirite or grace, but onely throughe or with the forsaid outwarde word afore goyng. Enthusiastes,Vvherewith we vs defend agaynst the Enthusiastes, That is spirites, whiche boaste themselues to haue the spirite, without and before the word and thereafter iudge, interpretate and deme the scripture or worde pronounced by mouthe, according to theyr pleasures, mynsteras he of minster didde, and yet many do nowe a dayes, whiche betwene the Spirite and the letter will be sharpe iudges, not knowynge what they saye affirme or ordeyne, papacyeFor the Papacye also is all together Enthusiasmus, wherein the Pope doth boaste, that al lawes be in the coffer of hys herte, & that whatsoeuer he iudgeth and biddeth with hys churche, shoulde be spirite and ryght, although it be aboue and agaynst the scripture or Goddes worde.
Thys is the old deuil, and the olde serpent, which made Adam and Eua also to become Enthusiastes, Gen. iij. bring inge them from the outwarde worde of [Page] God, vpon spiritualite, and their own fantasyes, and yet dyd it also by other outwarde wordes. Euen as also oure Enthusiastes, condemne the outward worde, and yet ceasse not themselues to speake: but fylle all the world with theyr bablynge & writtyng, as though the spirite coulde not come throughe the scripture, or worde of the Apostles mouthe. But that he muste come by theyr writtynges and wordes. Wherfore do they also not ceasse frō preachynge and writtynge, vntyll the spirite hym selfe come into the people without and before theyr writtynge as they boaste that he is come into thē withoute preachyng or scripture? whereof to dispute more at large here is no tyme. And we haue in other places handled it sufficiently.
For they also that beleue before theyr Baptisme, or become faythful in their Baptisme, haue it throughe the outwarde worde aforegoyng, as the olde which are come to vnderstōding must nedes haue hearde before, that whosoeuer beleueth & is baptised shal be saued, notwithstonding that as the [Page] fyrste, they not beleuynge after tenne yeres receyued the spirite & baptisme.
And Cornelius Act. x. had hearde longe before by the Iewes, of Messias that was to come, Actu. x. whereby he was ryghteous before god. And his prayer and almose accepted in such fayth, (euē as Luke calleth him righteous & fearyng God) & could not beleue, nor be righteous without such wordes, or hearyng goynge before. But s. Peter was fayne to declare vnto him, that Messyas (in whome to come he had thitherto beleued) was nowe come, & that his faith cōcernyng the Messias, that was to come did not hold him captyue any longer with the hard herted Iewes, but might knowe that now he must be saued through the presēt messias, & that he shoulde not with the Iewes denye, nor persecute thesame &c.
Summa the Enthusiasmus sticketh in Adam & hys chyldren, from the beginnyng, vntyl the ende of the world, grafted and planted in thē of the olde dragon, and is occasiō, myght & power of all heresye, also of the papacye and machomette. Therfore oughte and [Page] must we abyde by thys, that God wil not handle with vs Christen men, but by hys outewarde worde and Sacrament. And all whatsoeuer is boasted of the spirite without thys worde and Sacrament is diabolicall.
For God woulde also fyrst appeare vnto Moyses through the fyery busshe, and the outewarde worde. Exo. iij. And no Prophet, neyther Elias, nor Eliseus dyd receaue the spirite withoute the tenne commaundementes. iij. Reg. xvij. in. Reg. xix. And Iohn the Baptiser was not conceyued, withoute the afore goynge worde of Gabriel, neyther dyd he leape in hys mothers belly withoute the voyce of Marie. Luc. i
And S. Peter sayth, ij. Pet. i The Prophetes spake not by the wyl of man, but beyng moued by the holy Ghoost, as the holy men of God. But withoute the outewarde worde were they not holy, moche lesse, shoulde the holye goost haue moued them to speake, beyng yet vnholy, for they were holye, (sayth he) whan the holy Goost spake thorough them.
Of the Curse.
Greate curse.The great curse, as the Pope doth call it, do we take for a mere temporal correction, and touched not vs ministers of the churche.
But the lesser, that is the ryghte Christen curse, That the open stubborne synnes should not be admitted or suffred to come vnto the Sacrament, or other communion of the churche, vntyl they amende theyr lyues, and eschewe synne. And the preachers ought not to myngle the temporal correction with thys spiritual correction or curse.
Of anoyntynge, consecratynge, or callynge.
Yf the Bysshoppes woulde be ryght and true Bysshoppes, and earnestly take vpon them the ministratiō of the Churche and the Gospell, it myghte be graunted and permitted, for loue and vnities sake, but not of [Page] necessite, that they shoulde ordeyne & confirme vs, and oure preachers, but yet al disguysyng and fantasticall of vngodlynes, and bragging set a part.
But nowe that they are not ryght Bysshoppes, neyther also wyl be: but worldly Lordes and Princes, whiche neyther preache, nor teache, nor baptise, nor communicate, nor yet wil exercyse any maner of worke or offyce of the churche, yea rather which diffame, vexe, persecute, and condemne suche offyces, and the setters forth therof, so may not yet the church for theyr sakes be destitute of ministers.
Therfore accordyng as the olde examples of the churche, and of the fathers teache vs, wil and ought we our selues to ordeyne discrete persons, to suche offyces. And thys can thei not forbidde or let vs, euen accordynge to their own lawe. For their lawes saye: That suche also, as are ordeyned, euē of very heretykes, shal be called, ordeined, & styl remaine, Euē as S. Ierome writteth of the churches of Alexādria, that at the fyrst they were gouerned [Page] of the bysshoppes through Priestes & preachers indifferētly & in commune.
Of matrimony concernyng Priestes.
That they haue forbidden matrimony, and haue charged the Godly ordre of priesthode with perpetual chastitie, that haue they done withoute alryght and reason. But haue handled in that, lyke Antichristysshe, tyrannyouse, arraunt, and wicked persones, & therewith geuen occasyon, of all manner of horrible, execrable, & innumerable synnes of vnclenlynes, wherein they sticke yet. And euen as littell, as we or thei haue authorite, and power, of a man to make a womā, or of a woman to make a man, or neyther of bothe. Euē so littel haue they had authoryte & power, to separate such creatures of God, or to forbidde thē honestly and accordyng to the lawe of matrimony, to dwes together. Therfore wil we not consente into their ydel celibate, nor suffer it. But we wyll haue [Page] matrimony free and at liberte, accordyng as God hath ordeyned and instituted thesame. And wil not rente nor hynder hys worke. For S. Paule sayth, That it is a deuelyshe doctrine.
Of the Churche.
Vve graunte not vnto them, that they are the churche, for they are not the Churche, neyther wyll we heare, what soeuer they commaunde, or forbidde vnder the name of the churche. For thankes be to God, a chylde of seuen yeres olde knoweth what the churche is, Churchnamely the holy beleuyng, and the shepe that heare theyr shepeherdes voyce. For thus pray the childrē, I beleue one holy catholyke churche. This holynes standeth not in surplices, shauen crounes, longe gownes and other of their ceremonyes by thē, aboue the holy Scripture, inuented, but in the word of God, and in ryghte faythe.
Howe man is iustifyed before God, and of Good workes.
[Page] Vvhatsoeuer thereof hitherto and alwayes I haue taught, knowe I not in any wyse to alter, Namely, that we thorough fayth (as S. Peter sayeth) Act. xv. get another newe and pure herte, and that God, for Christes oure mediators sake, wil counte, and doth counte vs, very ryghteous and holy. Althoughe the synne in the flesshe be not cleane extinguysshed, or dead, yet wyl he not reken nor impute it vnto vs.
And vpon such fayth, renewynge, and remissyon of synnes, followe then good workes. And whatsoeuer in thesame is also yet synful and vnparfect, shal not be counted for synne or imperfectnesse, euen for the same Christes sake, But the man shall be called, and also be ryghteous, and holy throughoute bothe in hys person, and in hys workes, of mere grace and mercy in Christe poured oute and dilated ouer vs.
Therfore can we not boaste many desertes of our workes, yf they be loked vpon, withoute grace and mercy. But as it is written, he that reioyseth [Page] let hym reioyce in the Lorde, that is, That he hath a mercyful God. s. Cor. i. So is it al good. We saye also, further: that yf good workes followe not, so is the fayth false, and not ryght.
Of Cloyster vowes.
For as muche as the Cloyster vowes fighte quite and streyght against the chiefe and princypal article. So ought they to be cleane abolysshed. For they are those, whereof Christe speaketh, Mat. xxiiij. Ego sum Christus &c. Matth. xxiiij. For he that voweth to leade a cloyster lyfe, thesame beleueth, that he ledeth a better lyfe, than the commune Christen man, and wil by his workes, not onely bringe hym selfe to heauen, but also to helpe other to heauen, This is to denye Christ. And thei boaste by their S. Thomas, that cloyster vowes be equal with baptisme. This is a blasphemye to God.
Of mans institutions.
[Page] That the papistes saye, that mennes institutions, serue for the remissiō of synnes, or deserue saluation. That is vnchristenly and damnable. As Christ sayth. Matth. xv. In vayne do they worshyppe me, teaching doctrynes which are nothyng but mennes preceptes. Item ad Tit. i. Aduersantium veritatem. Tit. i. Item where as they saye. That it is damnable to breake suche institutions, That is also vntrue.
These are the articles, wherevnto I must stande, and wyl stande, vntyll my death, God willyng, And knowe nothyng therein to alter nor to geue backe. But yf any mā will geue backe any thyng, let hym do it vpō hys own conscience.
Hallowynge of churches Christenyng of billes.Last of all is yet the Popes Iouglinge bagge behynde, of foolyshe and chyldysshe Articles, as of hallowynge Churches, Christonynge of billes, Baptisynge of aulter stones, and biddynge of Gosshippes therevnto, that gaue somewhat thereto, &c. Which Baptisynge is a slaunder and mocke, of the holy Baptisme, [Page] so that it ought not to be suffered.
After that, of halowyng of lyghtes, candels, palmes, Lakes, wafers spyces and worthes &c, whiche neuertheles can neyther be called halowed, nor yet be hallowed, but is a mere mocke and deceyte. And of suche iugglynge castes, an innumerable sorte, whiche we committe vnto theyr God and to themselues, to worshyppe, vntyl they waxe wery. Vve wyl not be entangled therewith.
¶ The confessyon or knoweledgynge of the faythe of Doctor Marten Luther.
FOr as moche as I se, that sectes & errours from day to day do more and more increase, and that Satā doth not ceasse from hys fury and Tyrannye: To [Page] thintent that not from hencefurthe, durynge my lyfe or after my deceasse, any myght come, & take holde of me, & falsely interpretate my writtynges, for to stablysshe theyr errours thereby, euen as the Sacramentaryes, and Anabaptistes began to do. So wyll I by thys writtynge before God, and all the worlde, knoweledge my fayth from pece to pece, whereby I intende to abyde and perseuere vntyll my death, and therein (whiche God vouchesafe to graunte me) to departe out of thys world, and to come before the iudgement seate, of oure Lorde Iesus Christe.
And yf any man after my deceasse shoulde saye, yf Luther were a lyue nowe, he woulde teache and take this or that article otherwyse, for he hath not scanded & examyned it sufficiently &c. To thys I answer nowe as then, and than as nowe, That I by the grace of God, haue moost diligently and moost earnestly remembred, and poū dered al these Articles, and haue examyned searched and often retracted [Page] them agayne and agayne throughout the scripture, and wil so surely & stedfastely fighte for them, as I haue all ready foughten for the Sacramente of the aulter,
I am not now dronken, nor vnaduised, I knowe right well what I saye: And also feele ryghtwel, what charge it is vnto me agaynst the commynge of oure Lorde Iesus Christ to the last iudgement. Therfore let no mā make a geste or a trifelynge matter of it, For it is earnest vnto me. For I knowe Satan, by Gods grace, a greate parte, Seyng he can peruerte and tangle the worde of God, and scripture, what woulde he not do with myne, or with other mennes wordes?
I First I beleue with herte, the hygh Article of the godly maiestye, That Father, Sonne, Holy Ghooste, three seuerall persons, is one ryghte onely, naturall, true God, maker of heauen and earthe, in all thynges contrary to the Arrianes, Macedoniens, Sabellines, and suche lyke heresyes. [Page] Gene. i. accordyng as all that hath bē holden and kepte hitherto, bothe in the Romysshe Churche, and in all the worlde by the Christen Churches.
Second person in God.II Secondarely, I beleue, and knowe that the Scripture teacheth vs, that the seconde Person in God, namely the Sonne, is onely become very man, of the holy Ghoost, conceyued withoute the helpe of man, and borne of the pure blessed virgyn Mary, as of a ryghte naturall mother, accordyng as al the same. S. Luke doth clearly describe, Luc. i. and as the Prophetes haue declared, So that not the Father or the holy Ghoost dyd become man, as certeyn heretykes haue taught.
Also that God the Sonne hath not onely taken vpon hym the body, withoute a Soule (as certeyn heretykes haue taught) But also the Soul that is, a whole perfecte manhode, And the ryght seede or Chylde, promysed to Abraham and Dauid, [Page] and is borne a naturall sonne of Mary, In euery condition and shape a ryght man, euen as I am my selfe and al other, excepte that he was borne without synne, onely of the virgyn by the holy Ghoost.
And that thesame man is verye God, as an euerlastynge inseparable person become of God and man, so that Mary the blessed virgyn is a very right mother, not onely of the man Christe, Nestorianes.as the Nestorians teache, but of the sonne of God, as saynt Lucas sayth Luc. i That holy one, whiche shall be borne in thy shalbe called the Sonne of God. That is my Lorde, and the Lorde of all men, Iesus Christe, the onely ryght natural sonne of God, & Mary, very God and man.
The sonne of God suffered for vs.Also I beleue, that the same sonne of God and Mary, oure Lorde Iesus Christe suffered for vs wretched synners, was crucifyed, dead and buried. Vvhereby he dyd delyuer vs from synne, death, and euerlastyng wrathe of God, through hys innocent bloude, and that he rose agayne the thyrde [Page] daye from death, and ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the ryghthand of God the Father almightye, a Lord aboue all Lordes, Kynge ouer al Kynges, and aboue al creatures in heauē, earth, and vnder the earth, ouer death and lyfe, ouer synne, and ryghteousnes.
Al men borne in synne.For I knowledge and can testifie by the scripture, that al mē cam of one man Adam, and of thesame thorough the byrthe brynge with them, and inherite, the fal, trespas, & synne, whiche thesame Adam in Paradys, Gen. iij throughe the deuyls wickednes dyd perpetrate and so with hym are borne in synne, lyue and dye, and must be condemned to euerlastynge death: Yf not Iesus Christe were come to succour vs, and as an innocent lambe had taken vpon hym, al oure transgressyons and synnes, satisfyed for vs by hys passyon, and yet dayly standeth and maketh intercessyon for vs, as a true mercyfull mediatour, Sauiour, and onely priest and Bysshop of oure soules. Esa. liij. Rom. ij Gal. iij. i. Tim. ij Heb, vij. ix. Io xvij. i. Ioh, ij
Hereby do I reiecte and condemne [Page] as for a mere errour, all such doctrine as commendeth our free wyl, as that whih stryueth cleane against such helpe and grace of oure sauyour Iesus Christe. For seynge without Christe, death and synne be oure Lordes. & the deuyl oure God and Prince, there can be no strength nor power, no witte nor vnderstandyng, whereby we be able to prepare oure selues or to thinke towardes the righteousnes and lyfe. But must he blynded and captyue, at the deuyls and synnes owne commaundement, to do & to thinke, whatsoeuer pleaseth him, and is contrary to God, and hys commaundementes.
Newe & olde PelagiansIn lyke maner do I also condemne bothe new & old Pelagianes, Original synne.that wil not graunte the originall synne to be synne, but that it should be a lacke or impedimēt. But for as much as death goeth ouer al men, must nedes the original synne, be no [...]mal faulte, but an excedyng great synne, as s. Paul saith Rom. vi i. Co. xv The reward of synne is death. And agayn synne is deathes styng. Ose. xiij So saith also Dauid Psal. li. Psal, li. Beholde I was [Page] shapen in wickednes, & in synne hath my mother cōceyued me. Be saith not My mother hath conceyued me with synnes, but I, I, I am shapen in wickednes, and my mother hath conceyned me in sinne. That is, I am growē of sinful seede in my mothers wōbe as may be gathered of the Ebrewe texte.
Furthermore, I do reiecte and condemne also, as mere deuelysh sectes & errours, al orders, rewels, cloysters, mynsters, and al what soeuer of men, besydes and without the scripture, is inuented and instituted, stablysshed with vowes & plightynges, notwithstondyng that many great Saynctes haue lyued therein, and as the electes of God, at thys tyme thereby haue bē seduced, and yet at the last by the faith in Iesu Christ were delyuered, & escaped. For seyng such orders, inpusters & sectes, to that intent haue lyued, and are kepte, that by suche wayes & workes men wil and maye be saued, and escape from synne and death. So is it an open abhominable blaspemy, and denyeng of the onely helpe and grace [Page] of [...]ure onely Sauyour and Mediatour Iesus Christe. Act. iiij. For there is none other name geuen vnto vs, whereby we maye be saued, but onely thys, whiche is called Iesus Christe. And it is impossyble, that there shoulde be more Sauyours, wayes, or meanes to be saued, than through the onely righteousnes, whiche is oure sauyour Iesus Christe, whiche is geuen vs freely and setforth of God, as oure onelye mercy seate. Rom. iij. Rom. iij
It were wel good, yf Cloysters or inpysters were kepte and mainteyned to thys yntent that yonge people therein myght be taught the worde of God, the Scripture and Godly nourtoure, whereby myght be educated brought vp and prepared, men of learnynge and discretion, apte for Bysshoppes, Curates and all maner of mynisters of the churche, and also mē of learnynge and discretion, for the gouernaunce of the publyke weale, and honest discrete learned women whiche afterwarde myght knowe, howe to kepe house Christenly, and [Page] to brynge vp childrē. But to seke there a waye of saluation, that is a deuelyshe doctryne, and a fayth diabolical .i. Timot. iiij. i. tim. iiij
Holy orders of God instituted.But the holy orders, and ryghte Mynsters of God instituted are these three. Priesthode, matrimony, and tēporall power. Church ministers.Al suche as are found in the cure or ministration of the word be in a holy, ryght good ordre and state, acceptable vnto God, as they that preache, minister the Sacramentes, they that procure and further the cō mon boxe, clarkes, boyes, or seruauntes, that serue suche persons, &c. All these be pure holye workes before God.
Father & mother.In lyke maner, whosoeuer is a Father and mother, and ruleth hys own house honestly, and bryngeth vp chyldren, in Goddes seruyce. Thys is also mere holynes, and a holy worke, and a holy order.
Childrē FamilieItem, where as the chyldren, or familye be obedyent to theyr parentes, or rulers, is also mere holynes, and whosoeuer is founde therein, is a lyuynge [Page] sayncte vpon earth.
In lyke maner also, Prynces, or superiours, Iudges, Offycers, Chauncelers, Scrybes, seruauntes, maydēs, and al they that do serue such, moreouer al such as mekely obey, is al mere holynes, and a holy lyfe before God. Superiours Subiectes.Because that these three states or orders are comprehended and establyshed in Gods worde, for whatsoeuer is grounded vpon Goddes worde, must nedes be holy, for Goddes worde is holy and sanctifyeth althynges, that be of it, or in it.
Christiā ChariteBesydes these thre estates or Orders, is nowe the commune order of Christian Charitie and loue, wherein mē do not onely serue the thre orders, but also euery nedy person in general in al maner of benefytes, as to refresshe the hungry, and the thursty &c. to forg [...]ue vnto the enemyes. Matth. xxv. To praye for all men vpon earthe, suffre al maner of wronge vpon earth.
Beholde, these are called good workes euery one. And yet is none of these Orders a waye to saluation. [Page] But the onely way remayneth aboue all these, namely, the sayth in Iesus Christ. To be holy, & to be saued.For there is great difference, betwene to be holy, and to be saued. We are saued onely throughe Christ. But we be holy, bothe through suche fayth, and also by suche godly estates and orders. The vngodly maye also haue many holy thynges, and yet are they not saued thereby, for oure God will haue suche workes of vs, to hys prayse and glorye, and all they that so are saued in the faythe of Christe, doo suche workes and kepe suche Orders.
The estate of wydowes and virgynsAnd whatsoeuer hath ben sayde of the state of matrimony, the same muste also be vnderstande of the estate of Wydowes and virgins, for they belonge also to the house, and to the house kepynge. Yf nowe these orders and godly estates do not worke saluation, what shoulde than the deuelysh mynsters and cloysters doo, which are come vp bare & naked without Goddes worde, and besydes [Page] that striue and rage furiously against the onely waye of fayth?
Holy GhoostThyrdely, I beleue in the holye Goost, which with the father and the sonne is very God, and from the Father and the sonne euerlastingly procedeth. But a seueral person, in a Godly substaunce and nature. Through the which, as a lyuely, euerlastynge Godly gyfte, & grace, are al faythful people garnysshed with fayth and other spiritual gyftes, raysed vp frō death, delyuered from synne, and made ioyful and confortable, bolde and sure in conscience For thys is oure reioysing yf we do feele the witnes of thys spirite in oure hartes, that God wyll be oure father, forgeue oure synnes, and hathe geuen to vs euerlastynge lyfe, freely, And that al through the merites of Christe, whiche by hys death hath purchased for vs suche a spirite, and that we oure selues through oure workes can deserue nothyng, but is geuen to al them that heare the worde of God, and embrace it.
These are the three Persons, and [Page] one God, whiche hath geuen hym self whole and all vnto vs, with al that he is and hath. FatherThe father geueth hym selfe vnto vs, with heauen and earth, and all creatures, that they must serue and be profitable vnto vs. Howe be it this gyfte was darkened through the fall of Adam, and become vnprofitable. Sonne.Therfore dyd afterwarde the sonne also geue hym selfe vnto vs, al hys workes, death, wysedome, and ryghteousnes, and reconcyled vs to the father, whereby we are quickened agayne and iustifyed, and also maye knowe and haue agayne, the Father with hys gyftes.
And because that thys grace could profite no man, yf the were kept so close and hydden, that she coulde not come vnto vs. Holy GhoostTherfore cometh the holy Ghooste and geueth hym selfe also, whole and al vnto vs, which teacheth vs to knoweledge suche benefytes of Christ shewed vnto vs, helpeth vs to receyue and kepe them, profitably to vse and distribute them, to increasse & forther them. And doth euen thesame [Page] inwardely and outewardely. In wardely, through faithe, and other spiritual benefites. Outewardely through the Gospell, through Baptisme, & the Sacramente of the aulter, through the whiche as by thre meanes, or wayes, he cometh vnto vs, and putteth in our mynde the death, of Christ in vs, and maketh it profitable to oure saluation.
Baptisme.Therfore do I holde and knowe, that lyke as there is but one Gospell, and one Christe. Euen so is there also no more but one Baptisme. And the Baptisme in it selfe, is a Godly Ordinaunce, euen as his Gospell is also. And lyke as the Gospell, is not false or vntrewe, because some doo falsely vse, or teache or beleue the same. Euen so is not Baptisme false, or vntrue, all though some did receyue it or geue it withoute faith, or did otherwyse abuse it. Anabaptistes. Donatistes.Wherfore I do vtterly reiecte and condemne the doctrine of the Anabaptistes, and Donatistes, and whatsoeuer they be that Baptise agayne.
Euen so do I speake & knoweledge [Page] Supper of the Lordalso of the Supper of the Lorde, that euen there by the very body and bloud in breade and wyne monthely is eaten and dronken. Allthough the Prieste whiche dothe minister the same, or they that do receyue it, did not beleue, or did other wayes abuse it. For it standeth not in mannes beleue or vnbeleue. But in Goddes worde and ordeyninge. Excepte, that they before did alter & falsely interpretate Goddes worde and Ordinaunce, as the present enemies of the Sacramente do, whiche in dede haue nothinge but breade and wyne. Because they haue not also, the wordes and ordinaunce instituted of God. But haue peruerted and altered the same after theyr owne fanthasye.
One holy Catholike ChurchAfter this, I beleue, that there is one holy Catholike Churche vpon earth, that is the felloweshippe and nomber, or congregation of all Christians, through oute the whole worlde the onely Spouse of Christe, and his misticall body, whereof also he is the onely heade, and that the Bisshoppes [Page] or curates are not heades, nor Lordes nor brydegromes of the same, but ministers, frendes, and as that worde, Bysshop sygnifyeth, Ouerseers, surueyours, and Purueyers.
Christianite dispersed in al the worlde.And thesame Christianite is not onely vnder the Romysshe Churche, or Pope, but dispersed throughoute the whole worlde, as the Prophetes haue shewed, Psal. ij. Psa. xix that the Gospell of Christe shoulde come in al the worlde. Psal. ij. Psalm. xix. So that vnder the Pope, Turkes, Perses, Tatters, and euery where the Christianite is dispersed bodely. But congregated spiritually in one Gospel and faythe, vnder one heade whiche is Christe. For the Papacye is vndoubtedly, the ryght kyngdome of Antichriste, or the ryght tyrannye agaynst Christe, which sitteth in the tempel of God, and ruleth with traditions of men, as Christe. Matth. xxiiij. and Paul .ij. Thessa. ij. do declare, Matth. xxiiij. ij. thess ij Howe be it besydes thys also, the Turke, and al here syes, wheresoeuer they be, belonge also to thys abhomynation, which is prophecyed to stande [Page] in the holy place. But nothynge lyke vnto the Pope.
Remissyon of synnes.In thys Christianite, and whereas she is, there is remissyon of synnes, that is a kyngedome of grace, and of the ryght Pardon, For euen there is the Gospel, Baptisme, the sacrament of the aulter, wherein remission of synnes is offered, geuen and receyued, & euen there is also Christe and his spirite and God.
And withoute thys Christianite, is no saluation, nor remissyon of synnes. But euerlastynge death, and damnation. Although there be great apearaunce of holynes, and many good workes, yet all is in vayne. And thys remissyon of synnes, is not at one tyme, as in Baptisme to be loked fore, Nonates.as the Nonates do teache, but as oftē and many tymes, as man hath nede of the same vntyl the houre of death.
Popysh PardonBut the Pardon which the Romyshe Churche hath and geueth is a blasphemous seduction, and deception, not onely because that it is a seueral thing inuented, and set vp, ouer and besides [Page] the cōmune remission Which through oute the whole Christianite, through the Gospell and Sacramentes is geuen, and thereby the commune remission is dishonoured and fet at nought, but also because it stablyssheth and groundeth the Satisfaction for synnes vpon mennes workes and merites of Saynctes. Notwithstādinge that onely Christ can satisfye for vs, and hath satisfyed for vs.
To praye for the deade.For the deade, for as moche as the Scripture maketh no mention there of, holde I that of free intention it is no synne, thus or in lyke maner to praye, Lorde God yf the Soule be in suche case, that she maye be helped, vouchesaf to be mercifull vnto her, &c. And whē that is done ones or twyse, then lett it suffise. But the diriges, and Soule masses and yerely myndes, are not auayliable. And it is the deuills fayre or market.
Purgatorie.Vve haue also nothing in the Scriptur of Purgatorie, and it was surely brought vp by Robyn good fellowe, or by suche illusiōs of the deuill. Therfore [Page] holde I that it be not necessary to beleue one, howe be it all thinges are possible vnto God. And he coulde punysshe the Soules well ynough after their departinge frō the body. But he hath not declared it by worde or writtinge, wherfor also he will not haue it beleued, how be it I know will a Purgatorie besydes, but of that is not to be taught in the congregation, nor yet to be hādled agaynst it with foundations and vigilies.
Vvorshipping of saynctes.Of worshipping of Saynctes, haue other taken in hand, before me. And it pleaseth me, & I beleue it also, that onely Christe ought to be worshipped as oure mediatour, this geueth the Scripture and it is sure. Of worshippinge of Saynctes is nothing in Scripture. Therfore must it nedes be vnsure, and not to be beleued.
VnctiōThe vnctiō. Yf she wer kepte according to the Gospell. Mar. vi. & Iac. v. myght be suffered. Mar. vi Iaco. v. But to make a Sacramēt there of is in vayn For euē as in the place of diriges & Soul masses, well might be made a sermō of death & euerlasting lyfe, And so prayed by the [Page] buryal, and rememberyng oure ende, (as it appeareth that the elders haue done) do were it also well done, that men wente to the speke, prayng & geuynge good exhortacyons. And yf mē woulde anoynte hym with oyle besydes, shoulde be free and at liberte in the name of God.
Confessyon.Of Confession, holde I and knowe that she oughte to be free withoute compulsyon, not bounde with lawes, to any tyme, person or fasshyon, But for as muche the absolutyon, whiche is spoken therein and receaued (which is none other but Goddes owne worde, and also ought to be receyued none otherwyse then yf God dyd speake it hym selfe) So do I take confessyon for suche Absolutions sake, to be a wholesome confortable, profitable thynge wherein a sorowful, miserable conscience, may seke and fynd conforte and helpe. Rehersal of synnes.And whosoeuer doth despyse it that he despyseth Goddes word, and is not worthy of the sacrament, howe be it the rehersall of synnes is not necessary, but it is sufficient, that a man [Page] notifye that thyng, which at that same tyme doth pricke or encombre his conscience.
Matrimony Priesthode.Euen so nede not men also to make a Sacrament of matrimony, & priesthode. For they are neuertheles holye orders ynough in them selues. Therfore is penaunce nothing elles, but the exercyse & power of baptisme. That these two sacramentes remayne baptisme, and the supper of the Lorde besydes the Gospell, wherein the holye Ghoost doth plenteously offer geue, and worde remissyon of synnes vnto vs.
MasseBut for al abhominatiōs do I hold the masse whiche is preached and sold for an oblation or sacrifyce, and good worke, wherevpon now all mynsters and cloysters do stande, but God willynge shal shortly be layde. For although I haue ben a great shameful, abhominable synner, and haue spente, and loste my youthe also damnably, yet are these my greatest synnes, that I haue ben suche a holy freer, & with so many masses by the space of xv. [Page] yeres haue so abhominably offended, martyred and plaged my deare Lord. But thankes and prayse be geuen vnto hys inestimable goodnes, for euer, that he hath brought me oute of suche abhomination, and yet dayly preserueth me, (althoughe I am very vnthankeful) and strengthened me in fayth.
Chastite. Pouertie. Obedience.Wherfore I haue perswaded, and yet do perswade, to leaue and forsake the mynsters, and cloysters with their vowes & to geue themselues abroade in the ryght order of Christe, to thintent that men may escape frō such abhominatyon of masses, and blasphemous holynes, as chastise, pouerte, obedience, whereby men intende to be saued, for as godly as it was in the primitiue churche, to kepe virgyns, so abhominable is it nowe that men thereby denye the helpe & grace of christ, For we cā lyue wel ynough virgyns, wydowes, and chaste, withoute suche blasphemous abhomination.
ImagesImages, belles, masse garmentes, dechynge and trymynge or Churches [Page] aulter lyghtes, and suche lyke, holde I indifferent, and at libertie. Howe be it, I take Images oute of the scripture, and of good hystoryes, very profitable, wherfore I holde not with the destroyers of al Images.
Resurrection of the deade.Laste of all I beleue the resurrection of the deade at the last daye, bothe of the good and the badde, that euē there euery man maye receyue in his body, accordynge to hys deseruinge, and that the good shal lyue perpetually with Christe, and the wicked dye euerlastingly with the deuyll, and hys Angels, For I holde not with them that teache. That the deuyls also shall at the laste come to saluation.
Thys is my faythe, for thus beleue all true Christians, and thus teacheth vs the holye Scripture. But what soeuer I haue here spoken to litle, shal my bokes sufficiently testifie & declare.
Vvherfore I desyre al faythful hartes to beare my recorde, & to praye for [Page] me, that in thys fayth I may perseuere and make myne ende. For (whiche God forbidde) yf I shoulde throughe temptation persecution or necessite of death saye any other thyng, It should be false, and I will knoweledge openly by thys, that it is false and of the deuils inspiratiō, whereunto helpe my, my Lorde, and Sauiour Iesus Christ, blessed for euer and euer.
AMEN.
Of the right Olde Church, what, where and who she is, and where by she maye be knowen.
THe cause, wher fore the papistes do cal vs heretykes, is thys. They saye, that we be fallē frō the holy churche, & haue set vp another newe churche. Here vpon is to be answered. For as muche as they boaste thēselues, that they be the ryght churche, so ought thei to proue the same, yf thei by any ground (for we desyre not much groūd) proue the same, then will we yelde oure selues, come and saye: Peccauimus, miserere nostri. But yf they cā not proue it, thē must thei nedes confesse (be it willyngly or vnwillyngly) that they be not the churche, & that we cā not be heretikes, for falling frō that vyle church. Yea whylest there is no mediation, so muste we be the [Page] church of Christ, & they the churche of the deuil, or cōtrariwise. Therfore lyeth very much on this poynt, that mē proue, which is the tru church. As lōg as that profe is not there, it is in vayn that the one part boaste thē selues the church, & cal the other heretykes, The one partie must nedes be false & wrōg. Two maner of churches.But there be two maner of churches, frō the beginnyng of the world vntill the end the which s. Angustyn calleth Cayn, & Abel, And the Lorde Christe cōmaundeth vs, that we should not receyue the false church & discerueth him selfe two churches one true, another false Math. vij. Beware of false Prophetes which come vnto you is shepes clothynge &c. mat. vij. Vvheras Prophetes be, euē there be churches, wherein thei teache. Yf the Prophetes be false, thā be the churches false also, which beleue & follow the prophetes. Now could we neuer as yet hitherto obtayn of the papistes, that they would shew, wherfore that they are the right church, but they stande onely vpon the saynge of Mat .xviii. That men muste heare the churche, or elles they must be lost. Matth. xviij. And [Page] yet in the same place Christ saith not, who, where, or what the church is: but wheresoeuer the church is, euen there should mē heare her. Euē thatsame do we cōfesse & say also. but we aske, where, & who is the church of christ, not of the name, but of the beyng do we aske
Lyke as yf I should aske a dronken man beyng halfstepyng half wakyng, or a foole I praye the tell me, who, or where is the Church? And he shoulde answer me, tenne tymes one after another, nothing elles but thus, mē ought to heare the Churche. Howe shoulde I heare the church not knowing, who or where she is? Yea saye they we Papistes, haue abydē in the first old church frō the Apostles time hitherto, therfore be we rightly descēded frō the olde churche, & remayne hitherto, but ye be fallē frō vs, & are become a new churche agaynst vs. Answer, But howe then yf I should proue, that we abyde by the right old church: yea that we be the right old church? and that ye be fallē from vs, that is frō the old church, & haue reared a newe church againste the old church: that same let vs heare.
[Page] Baptisme.Fyrste, wil nor can no man denye this, that we as wel as the papistes came out of the holy baptisme, & are called christians of the same. Now is baptisme no newe thinge, nor yet of vs at this tyme inuented, but it is euē the same olde baptisme, that Christe hath instituted, wherein the Apostles and the primitiue church, and all christians thereafter, hitherto are baptised. Haue we nowe thesame baptisme, & the first olde (and as in Simbole standeth Catholice, that is the hole christen) church and are euen baptised in the same, then belonge we surely in thesame old and hole christen church, which with vs together, & we with her together come of one maner of baptisme, & is concernyng baptisme, no difference. Baptisme is the chiefe & first sacramēt, without the which al other be nothinge, as thei must cōfesse thē selues. Therfore cā not the papistes, with the trueth cal vs a new church or heretikes, sence we be children of the old baptisme, as wel as the Apostles thē selues, & the hole Christianite. Eph. iiij One maner of baptisme.
[Page] Supper of the Lorde.Secondarely, wil nomā denye this, That we haue the blessed Supper of the Lorde, lyke and euen, as Christe hym self hath instituted. And the Apostles there after, and the hole Christianite hath vsed, So that we eate and drynke with the vniuersall Christianite, of on borde, and receyue with them one maner of olde sacrament, and haue therein nothing renewed nor channged. Wherefore we be with them one maner of Church, or as S. Paull saith i. Cor .xi. one body, whiche eate of one breade, & drynke of one drynk. i. Cor. xi Vvherfore the Papistes can not call vs heretikes or newe Churche, excepte they muste call Christe, the Apostles and the vniuersall Christianite heretykes before, euen as they do in dede. For we be with the olde Churche, one Church in one Sacrament.
Kayes.Thyrdely, can noman denye. That we haue the right olde kayes, and vse them none otherwyse, then to bynde & to lose synnes that be all agaynste Goddes commaundement, as Christe hath instituted them, & as the Apostles [Page] and the vniuersall Christianite haue vsed them hetherto. And haue also one kaye & vse with the olde Church, wherfore we be the same olde Church, or at the least in it. For we make no newe keye, nether make we newe lawes, nether do we there with, exclude kynges & Princes and their tēporall powers. But onely shutte the synners out & into the kyngdome of heauen like as the olde Churche hath done (by the commaundement of the Lord) where in the Papistes do falsely belye vs, yea blaspheme the olde churche, the Apostles and Christe hym selfe in vs.
Office of preachynge.Fourthely, can noman denye, That we haue the office of Preachinge, & the word of God syncerely & rychely, earnestly teachinge & dryuynge the same, without any maner of addiciōs of new propre mānes tradiciōs. Euē as Christ hath cōmaunded. And as the Apostles & the vniuersal christianite haue done: we inuēte no newelties. But we hold vs & abyde by the olde worde of God, as the old church hath hadde it. Therfore be we with the same, the right old Churche, as one Church that teacheth [Page] & beleueth one Goddes word. Vvherfore the Papistes agayne blaspheme Christ hym self, the Apostles. And the vniuersal Christianite, whē they calle vs new & heretikes. For they fynd nothinge by vs, but the olde fasshion, of the olde Church, that we be lyke vnto the same, and be with her one Church.
Symbolum or Cred of thapostles.Fyfthely, cā nomā denye, That we hold, beleue, syng, & cōfesse. The Crede or Symbolum of the Apostles, the old faith of the olde Church, in al thinges lyke with her not makyng or addynge any new thinge there vnto. Vvherby we perteyne in the old Church and be one with her. Therfore let not this pece also be imputed vnto vs of the Papistes with the trueth, as heresie and newe Church. For he that beleueh and holdeth with the old Church the same is of the olde Church.
Praye [...]Sixtely, nomā can denye this, That we haue one lyke prayer, with the old church & the same Pater noster, not inuentinge any new or other. And synge euē the same Psalmes with one accord of mouthe, & hart: laudinge & thākyng God, lyke as Christe hath taught the same, and as the Apostles and the old [Page] Church haue vsed the same, And commaunded vs to followe the same exā ple. So that the Papistes agayne for this can not call vs heretikes or newe Church, but they must fyrst of all blaspheme Christ hym selfe, with his deare olde Churche.
Worldly power.Seuently, can noman denye, That we with the olde Church bothe teache and affirme. That men ought to honoure the temporall Powers, and not to curse them, nor yet compell them to kysse the fete of the bysshoppe of Rome. Whiche also we haue not inuented of newe. For S. Peter .ij. Pet. ij. curseth those that should newly inuēte and cra [...]tely do suche thinges. ij. Pet. ij And S. Paull. Roma. xiij. is on oure syde. Ro. xiij. And also the olde and vninersall Christianite. So that in this thynge also, we may not be called newe, as the Papistes blaspheme God hym selfe in vs, But we be, & perteyne in the olde holy Apostolike Churche as the right chyldrē and membres of the same. For we haue taught tru obediēce allwayes to be done vnto oure hyer powers, [Page] whether it be to Emperour or Prince, whiche also we haue done oureselues, and haue prayed for them hartely.
Matrimony.Eyghtely, can noman denye. That we [...]aude and pr [...]yse Matrimony, as a Godly blessed, and acceptable creation and ordinaunce, for the frute of the body, and agaynst the fylthynes of the flesshe. And haue not of newe inuetēted the same by oure selues, neither is the vse there of newly by vs imagined, muche lesse, as of newe teathers forbidden. But euen as God from the beginnynge hath created and Christe confirmed. The Apostles and the olde Churche, haue honoured and taught the same euen in the same olde rule of Goddes institutynge haue we abyden. And be therein agreable with the olde Churche, yea and right kynd membres of the same. So that men may see howe the Papistes agayn carnally, laye vnto vs ne we fanglednes.
Persecution for the wordes sake.Nynthly, can noman denye. That we haue euen the same sufferinge, (as S. Peter sayeth) whiche oure brethren haue in the worlde, we be persecuted [Page] in al parties, yea slayne, drowned, hā ged, & all maner of tormentes is layde vnto vs for the wordes sake, & it gothe with vs euen as with the olde church. And be in this point aboue measure lyke vnto the same. So that we may well saye. Vve be the right old church or at the least her comparteners & lyke fellowes in sufferinge. For we do not inuente suche thinges of newe, but we fele it well ynough. Yea we be euē (as the olde churche is also) lyke vnto the Lord Christ hym self vppon the crosse.
There stād before the crosse, Annas and Caiphas, with the Priestes, and blaspheme the Lord. Also besydes that they haue crucified hym. Euen lyke as the bysshoppe of Rome, Cardinalles, and monkes, haue iudged, condemned and murthered vs, and haue shed our bloude, and sclaunder vs yet besydes that. There stād the souldiours, that is The worldly powers partely & sclaunder vs also. Moreouer the vnthrif [...] the murtherer on the left hād. H M. with his consortes, whome god hath iudged and hanged in chaynes in hell, must [Page] also there vnto adde his sclaundering. In so moche that this pere as an olde signe of the olde churche, aboundantly maye be sene on vs.
The churche vseth no vēgaunce.Tenthly, can nomā denye, That we also do not shede bloude agayn, nether murther, hange, & reuenge oure selues as we oftentymes myght & yet coulde do. But euē as Christ, the Apostles, & the old church hath done. So we suffre exhorte, and pray for thē. Also opēly in the church, in the letany & sermōs, lyke as christ our Lord hath done & taught, & the olde churche also. So that here in also we behaue our selues cōformable to the olde fasshion of the olde church.
For as muche nowe as the papistes knowe that we in all suche poyntes, an whatsoeuer there be more of them be conformable vnto the olde churche, and maye lawfully be called the olde churche (for so much as such poyntes be not nowe, nor of vs inuented) It is a merueylous case, howe they may be so bolde, so shameles to belye & to condēne vs, as though we were fallē frō the churche, & hadde begonne a newe church. Notwithstonding, that they cā [Page] not fynde, any newelties by vs, that was not vsed in the olde and righte Churche, in the Apostles tyme. In so muche that I thinke verely. This be the tyme, Wherof Daniel .vij. sayeth. Dan. vij. The olde aged sat hym doune, after that the lifte horne had ended his blasphemynge and the iudgement geuen. For the primitiue olde Churche breketh forth agayne (lyke as the sonne after the cloudes, behynde the whiche cloudes the same sonne was, but not so bryght shyninge) And that presumptuous horne shall perisshe. And all shall haue an ende, as euen there is cō teyned, and the worke it selfe declareth where of to dispute, is no tyme here.
But myght any man saye. There is yet a faute in one thynge, namely in fastynge for ye heretikes faste not (say they) Oh Lorde God, yf fastynge be a poynt belonginge to vs of the olde Churche then is it a piteous case, yf it be a pece perteynynge to the Papistes of the newe Churche, so is it that they faste not. And lyue ryotously also upon the fastynge daye, more than [Page] vpon the holy daye. Yea we do not onely faste. But suffer (with S. Paul) hunger, i. Cor. ij which we maye easely perceyue by oure pore Curates their wines and chyldrē dayly, and by many other pore folkes more, oute of whole eyes the hunger doth appeare, & haue skāte breade and water, & besydes that they go fynger naked, hauynge nothing of their owne. The husbandman and the Citezen geueth nothing. The nobilite taketh, so that there be fewe of vs that haue ought, and yet can not helpe enery man. Thereto shoulde mynsters & cloysters serue. But the other he dro [...] ued in couetousnes. Laza [...] dyeth hungryIn so much that Lazarus must dye for hunger. Wherfore the Papistes laugh, howe be it, they declare therby, that we be the old thurch, which suffer the skornes of the deuills children to oure hynderaunce.
Hereby haue we nowe declared, and shewed, that we be the righte olde Churche, and with the vniuersall Catholyke Churche one body, and one communion of Saynctes. Declare nowe also ye Papistes. That ye be the [Page] right olde Churche, or lyke vnto it. But that be ye not able to do. But I will proue, that ye be the newe false Churche, whiche euer is fallynge awaye from the right olde Churche, and becometh the harlotte and scoele of the deuill.
Of the newe false Church, what, where, and who she is, and whereby men shall knowe her.
New baptisme & holynes in Poperye. Fyrst ye do not abyde by the fyrst old baptisme, for ye haue of newe inuented many other baptismes. And teache that the fyrst baptisme, through synne be lost, and that man must make satisfaction by his owne workes. And specially, that by mōkery a mā becometh as pure, as yf he come oute of the baptisme [Page] of Christe. Vvhereby ye haue filled the worlde with Churches and Cloysters.
Satisfaction.And thie poynt, Satisfaction is the begynnynge and occasion, dore and entraunce into all abhomination of Popery, lyke as in the Churche, Baptisme is the begynnynge and entraunce to all grace and remission of synnes. For where as baptisme is not, there helpeth nothinge Sacrament, keyes nor any other thinge, yf the Satisfaction had not ben enterprysed, than should not, Pardō, Pilgrymage, Fraternite, Masse, Purgatory, monkerye, Mynsters, and the moost parte of all abhomination, haue ben inuented, and the Papacye shoulde not haue ben so large and fatte. Therefore haue they wel named the same a Baptisme in their Churche, that hath wrought so many Baptismes, Sacramentes and remissions of synnes, yea also hygh holynes, that is the same theire owne righteousnes, and worke holynes, wherof we haue writtē not a lyttell. Vvho hath cōmaunded [Page] you or where is it written? Where do ye fynde in the olde Churche, that ye maye inuente suche baptismes and holynesses? Who is here an heretike and newe churche.
Pardō.Secondarely, haue ye dryuen your Pardons throughout all the whole world as a baptisme, yea as a floud that wassheth awaye synnes. In so muche that ther is no corner in the world wherein your Pardons haue not ben solde & geuen. And all the worlde is full of Bulles & writtynges. Vvho hath cō maunded you? or where is it written? Vvhere do ye fynd it in the old church that ye maye stablysshe suche a newe baptisme and wasshinge away of synnes? who is here the hereticall newe church. Are ye not it euē the hooryshe church of the deuill.
Holy water and [...]ast.Thyrdely, haue ye drynen the holywater & [...], not onely in all churches but also in euery corner as a clensynge (or baptisme) of synne, and haue also taught great witchecrafte therein. As dist [...] [...] A [...]uam sale sheweth: Vvho hath comaunded you this. Vvher is it [Page] writtē. Vvher do ye fynd it in the old church, or institutiōs of the Apostles. Vvho is here the new affallig church.
Pilgremages.Fourthely haue ye instituted Pilgremages for to merite Pardō, or fergeuenes of synnes, which for as much it is done withoute the office of the keyes, through your owne merites, is also a newe other Baptisme, or clensyng of synnes. Vvho hath cōmaunded you wher is it writtē. Vvhere do ye fynde it in the olde church, that ye should institute such new remissiō or bapti [...]me. Vvho is here the newe runne awaye Churche.
Fraternitie.Fyftely, haue ye erected fraternities innumerable. In so much that ye haue also filled the worlde with Bulles and lettres, & all for Pardon & remission of synnes, & deseruynges. Vvhich onely is the office of the holy Baptisme and sacrament. Vvho hath commaunded you. Vvhere is it written? Vvhere do ye fynde it in the olde Church, that ye haue authorite to induce suche newe remissions or merite? And who can reherse, howe many maners of newe [Page] fasshions ye haue inuented, to forgeue synne for money or propre deseruynges. Vvho is here the newe Churche, with newe doctrines and Sacramentes, whereof neyther Christ, Apostles, Scripture, nor yet the old church haue any thinge knowen.
Sacrament of the aulter of the vniuersall Church robbed.Sixthely, who will reherse al the abhominable newellies which ye haue inuented in the hygh worthy holy Sacramēt of the body & bloude of Christ. Vvho hath cōmaunded you. Vvhere is it written, where do ye fynde it in the olde church. That fyrste maye take and robbe this Sacrament from the vniuersall church, and leaue onely the one kynde, & appropriate the hole onely to the Priestes.
Secondarely, also the same onely kynde, not to teache and increase faith but to chaunge it into a worke of obedience of the Churche.
Thyrdly. The ho [...]e sacrament (yf it elles as than be a sacramēt) not in the remēbraunce of Christe, of hym openly to preache, and to geue hym thankes for his passion. But to selle it vnto the [Page] other for a Priest offer, and propre deseruinge of a wicked person, and to make the soules in purgatory partakers thereof, and to alter it moost abhominably and blasphemously for all temporall necessities, euen as a heathē seruice of Idolles yea as a shamefull iuglynge, Vvhereby ye haue stilled & defaced, the remembraunce of Christe (for the whiche Christ did institute it)
And notwithstādinge that ye were elles, so pure a church, as the Apostles church, & yet much purer. Neuertheles doth this onely abhominable, horrible pece whiche by the counsayll of the deuil ye haue inuēted of new, make you a new of falling hereticall church, yea an earthy whoor of the deuil, & a scoole of hell. For this parte is so abhominable, groundeles & euill, that in this lyfe, no tonge can expresse, nor no harte cōprehende it, vntil the later daye appeare.
Reade, gather and heape all the mischief to gether. Vvhatsoeuer the deuil with you all agaynst vs cā imagine & lye a thousande tymes as muche intre to it, yet for all that will it not be a [Page] smal chippe in cōparyson of this great beam [...], where on not one, but douteles all the deuills, with all the Craftyest k [...]aues, in sixe hundreth yeres haue buylded. This is one of the right poyntes: Abhominatiō in holy place.Vvhiche Christ calleth an abhominatiō to the holy place. Vvherfor not onely we should & must flee frō you, as frō the great wrath of God. But also heauē & earth trēbleth, & abhorret such a denne of theues, for this pece doth not onely cause no church to remayn. But also maketh thereof the foulest doug [...]hill of the deuil, that is in earth.
The Turke, Tatterues and Iewes be nothing lyke, so euill a dēne of murtherers, as the Popyshe churche is in this one point. For they onely denye Christ, & tourne their backe towardes hym. But these take hym here before the, spitte at hym, scorne hym, blaspheme slaunder, defame & marter hym, & playe a more horrible passiō with hym then was done vnto hym corporaly by the Iewes. He go your wayes nowe boaste your selues the holy church frō the which we be fallē. The deuil abyde [Page] with you in such a church, & all suche as hold w [...]h you in that trade, God saue vs frō it, euen as he hath graciousely pluckte vs away from it, wherfore be laude and prayse vnto hym for euer.
Seuently, who hath commaunded you to make this neweltie? That ye haue made new keyes and wrought two false warthes, wherewith ye do not forgeue synne, nor yet withhold it, as the olde keyes do with vs, And in the vniuersal olde churche. But ye do institute of newe synne, and murther, whereas elles be none in your runne awaye, and murtherysshe church, whereby with importable and innumerable lawes, ye entangle and bynde the Christen consciences, ye treathen and kyll, for eatynge, drynkyng, clothyng places, dayes, and such lyke outwarde thynges, whiche Christe hath geuen free. Colloss. ij. and the olde Churche hath kepte without any synne or feare. Collo. ij Besydes thys, ye put downe Kynges and Prynces, as though ye were God youre selues. Howe is here fallynge awaye, or newe churche? The [Page] deuyll abyde with you in thys blasphemous, murtheryshe, synful, and dā nable peace we be come agayne to the olde church, lauded & praysed be god.
Eyghtly, who hath commaunded you, ouer and aboue the maner of the olde Churche, and contrary to the cō maundemēt of christ, to preache other wyse thā he hath cōmaunded? Matth. xxviij. Go & teache thē to obserue what soeuer I cōmaūdeth you. Matth. xxviij. He sayth not whatsoeuer semeth to you right & good Iohā. xiiij. The holy goost shall teache you al thynges, & bring to your remē braūce, whatsoeuer I haue tolde you. Ioh. xiiij
Mens tradicyons, & lyes in the Papacye.But ye haue filled al churches and schooles so ful of your dregges & dōg that is mannes doctrine & lyes, and arayed al places so foul with your vomite & filthynes, that (as Esay sayeth) no more roume is lefte, and yet ye will be called the churche.
Priuate masse.And this point is besydes the priuate masse, also one of the worste abhominations, whose hurt & plage cā not be grounded nor expressed, whereby ye haue edifyed a newe church for the [Page] deuyl, & haue serued hym with the same, In so much that it is nothyng but soule murther, and the very Molech, deuourer of chyldren, whiche suffreth not (as yonder Molech did) the soules of the chyldren to be saued, although they were burned corporally, but contrarywyse suffereth the bodye to lyue a short space, but the soul burneth perpetually. Molech Leuit. xviij. Leui. xx Hiere. xxxij. I can not for tremblynge recyte muche of the calamitie of the innumerable false Idolatrous murtherysshe doctryne in Poperye, thys is, our newe goodly Churche.
Bodely head of the Romyshe ChurchNynthly, who hath cōmaunded you thys froward newe fang lednes in the Churche, which is a spirituall kyngedome, that ye set vp a bodely heade, namynge hym the moost holyest: for as muche as there can be none other, but a spiritual h [...]ade, which is Christ? Thys is the thy [...]e abhominatiō most damnable, in youre moste holye, yea mooste hellysh [...]we church. For the olde churche knoweth nothyng there of, for she [...]bydeth by her head, euen as we out she knoweth that it is the [Page] deuils owne creation, and shoulde come, euen for synnes sake, accordynge as she hathe declared it .ij. Thessal. ii. The man of synne, and chylde of perdicion shall sette hymselfe in the tempell of God, and shewe hym selfe as God. ij. Th. ij. Euen so hath Daniel sayd also, that he should despyse the olde church and the God of hys fathers, and sette vp another newe God, & newe churche (that maye helpe hym to stablysshe hys newe God). Da. xij.
Vvho hath nowe the newe offallynge Churche, haue it the olde, & we, whiche do abyde by the ryght old heade, and abhorre the newe deuelysshe heade: Or haue they it, That worshippe the newe deuelysshe heade, kysse hys fete, and recey [...]e blessyng of hys two fyngers, that exalte hys doctrine aboue the worde of God, and honoure not the old ryght he [...]de with one knelyng, yea also not o [...]es remēbre hym, and hys blessynge, vhich he hath purchased for vs with [...]ys hole body and bloude?
But thys desolation is so [...]homynable [Page] and horryble, Abhomination in Poperythat to speake of it a littel, helpeth nothynge, And yet no Angels longe is able to declare it sufficiently. That thynge which Goddes owne monthe nameth abhomination, must nedes be a greater abhomination, than all tonges can expresse.
Vvorshyppyng of sainctesTenthly, who hathe commaunded you to sette vp thys newe Idolatryer? That ye do institute worshippyng of saynctes, Canonyse saynctes, ordeyne fastynges and holy dayes, to honoure them, euen as though they were goddes themselues, that men do put theyr trust and confidence in their merites, more then in Christ hymselfe, and in hys bloude and merites, whome you haue set forth and declared vnto vs, as a iudge, whome we must pacifye & obteyne grace of hym, by hys mother, and by the intercession and merites of all saynctes, with our holy seruice.
Churches of the heathen.In so muche that youre churche in thys article is become nothynge elles, then the churches of the heathen, whiche worshypped, Iupiter, Iuno, Venus, Diatra, and other dead persons, [Page] And lyke as the Romayns in theyr citie of Rome dyd edificate a Pantheon, Euen so haue ye also buylded a Pantheon, that is a churche of al the deuyls. Thys shal ye not fynde in the writtynges of the Apostles, nor in the yonge Churches after them, which in tymes past also would not suffer the Images of fayncies, so that muche bloude was shed for it, I omitte that they shoulde worshyppe & pray to the saynctes, which onely is dew to god,
Matrimony cō dēned.Eleuently, who hathe cōmaunded you to make hys newe ioye. That ye condemne and sclaunder matrimony, and iudge it vncleane & vncomely, for goddes seruice, haue ye that of the Apostles or of the primatiue old church? Yes truely, for S. Paul saith .i. tim. iiij That ye should come vnder hypocrisye and departe and steppe a syde frō the faith, & old church, as a very harlot of the deuyl, whiche shoulde receyue suche doctryne of the deuyl, and preache agaynst matrimony, and yet lyue youre selues in dissemblyng chastite, that is in al maner of vnclenlynes. i. tim. iiij
[Page] Thys neweltie sewe with her noble frutes, that the grounde wyl beare you no longer. And God with hys iudgement hath begōne to preasse into it, & to hallowe thys newe holy church euen into hel fyre, And wil not be intreated to the contrary. Thys knowe we, Thanked be God.
Abuse of the tēporall swoord in the papacyeTwelftly, who hath commaunded you to make this newnes? That ye rule and warre with the worldly sweard and vse the same for the mooste parte, for to shede innocent bloude? Haue ye sene ye sharp eyed flitter myse, that the Apostles or old churche subdued the worlde with the sworde, or augmēted the churche by battayl? whence come ye then I praye you, that boaste your selues successours of the old church, & cal vs the newe waueryng Churche, which notwithstandyng holde with the olde churche, and came of the same But ye came of that runne away the deuyls harlott your new murtherysh and lyenge Church.
Purgatorye reliques.There are yet many more of those newe knackes, as purgatory, reliques [Page] hallowynge of churches, and of suche swarmynges, the hole decrees and decretall with other innumerable bokes full of cleane newe inuentions, whereof the olde Churche, and the Apostles neuer knewe. But who is able to recyte al the multitude of this fond or duste, yea poyson and deuelysshe lyes: Thys shal suffise at thys presēt, to shewe, howe shamefully the Papipistes, by theyr. H. M. lye, when they cal vs to newe, runne away. Heretical churche. But that theyr broken edged sworde, gothe throught theyr owne harte, & appeareth euidētly, that they haue forsaken theyr olde Church, and her olde brydegrome, and are runne away from her, as an archedeuils harlot, whiche is not onely heretycal, (for that worde is to littel and to honeste for suche shameful knauerye) but the Antichristishe harlot, and goddes enemye, yea that exalteth her selfe aboue God (euen as her brydegrome would do also in heauen) the deupls laste and most shamefull spouuse. ij. Th. ij
But we, for as much as we eschewe [Page] and abhorre suche deuelysshenes and newnes, and holde oure selues agayn to the ryghte olde churche the virgyn and pure spoūse of Christ. Are we vndoubtedly the very old Church, withoute all hooredome, and newnes, whiche remayneth hitherto vnto vs, and we come of the same, yea be regenerate of her, as the Galathians were of S. Paul. For we dyd also of late sticke earnestly in the hynder part of the hellysshe hoore the Popes newe churche, which we lamente that we haue so shamefully spente so muche tyme & paynes in the same denne. But thankes and prayse be to God, whiche of that reade blasphemous harlot hath delyuered vs.
Yf yet suche newnes in the Papacye were but slyghte newne or coulde be, then were they after some forte for tranquillities sake to be suffered, lyke as one weareth and suffereth his newe coate. But nowe cleaueth this deuelysshe poyson and infernall murther ther on. The bysshop of Rome wyl haue his mennes tradicyons to be taken for goddes seruice, &c.That the cōmaundement of the churche, muste be called holye [Page] Goddes seruice, good lyfe, spirituall conuersatiō, wherein a man deserueth grace and lyfe (yf he obserue it) either wrath and death (yf he do not obserue it). This is of lyes to make trueth of the deuyl God, and of hel to make heauen, And contrary wyse.
Therfore is the popysshe church so ful of lyes, deuyls Idolatrye, hel, murther, and of all mischief that it swarmeth. And it is here tyme to heare the voyce of the Angel. Apo. xviij. Come away from Babylon my people, that ye be not partakers in her synnes, that ye receaue not of her plages, for her synnes are gone vp to heauen &c. Apocal. xviij.
Image of the later iugement.In tymes past, where as the paynters paynted the later iudgement: Payntyng of the popyshe churchethei fayned hel a great dragōs heade with a very wyde mouth, wherein in the myddes of the flame stode the Pope, Cardinals, Bysshoppes, priestes, mō kes, Emperour, Kynges, Prynces, & all maner of men and women, but no yonge chyldren. I coulde not deuyse of a trueth howe the Popysshe church [Page] myght or coulde be more goodly, compendiously and playnelyer paynted or descrybed, for doubteles she is the deuourynge of hel, where vnto she abydeth the Pope hymself, and deuoureth al the world in the botomeles pit of hel, through the deuils mouthe, that is through her deuilysh preachynge & teachynge. Surely it hath not bē inuē ted of a foolysshe fellowe, bylyke oute of Esay. v, where as he sayth, Esay. [...] hel gapeth & openeth her mouth maruelous wyde, that their pride and boastynge bothe her rychemē & welthe with such as reioyce therein, may descende into it. But yf it did chaunce to be made so vnaduisedly or vnwarely, truely then is it an Image very wel happened, to set oute to the symple man the popysh church, to thintent that he may be ware of it, and flee from it, whiche hathe deuoured al, saue the yonge christened chyldrē, wherof we shal intreate more here after.
Here wil and may they saye, why dost thou reuile vs so shamefully, as a newe runne awaye Churche, seynge [Page] we haue also the Baptisme. Sacrament, keyes, Crede, and Gospell, as well as the olde churche, of the which we dyd descende. And thou thy selfe aboue hast graunted, that euen we as well as ye, procede from the Olde Churche.
I make answer, It is true, I graunte that the churche wherein ye sitte, cometh from the olde Churche, as well, as we, and hath also euen the same Baptisme, Sacrament, keyes, and texte of the Byble, and the Gospell, And I wyl prayse you yet hyer, and knowledge that we, of the Churche vnder you (not of you) haue all thynges receyued, what wyl ye more? Are we not honeste ynough? Wyll ye not from hencefurth leaue vs vncherked, by the name of heretykes. Vve cānot take you for Turkes nor Iewes (as is aboue specifyed) whiche be oute of the Churche.
But thys saye we, that ye do not abyde by it, and become the runne awaye, departynge hourysh churche, (as the Prophetes vse to cal it) which [Page] abydeth not in the Churche, whereof she is borne and nourysshed, ye runne oute of the same Churche, and from the ryght husbande or bridegrome (as Hoseas sayth of the people of Israel) to the deuyll Baall, Molech, Astaroth, vnderstande ye not thys. I wyll tell it you.
Departynge frō the ryghte churche vnto the false.Ye are all vndoubtedly baptised in the ryght baptisme of the olde church as we specially in chyldhode, and whatsoeuer so baptised, liueth and dyeth, vntyl in the seuenthe or eyghte yere, before it haue vnderstandynge of the hoorysshe Churche, of the Romyshe Bysshop, that is surely saued, whereof we doubte nothinge, but wha [...] it cometh to age, and heareth your lyenge preachynges, of youre deuelysh newelties, beleueth and followeth the same, Than becometh it a deuelysshe harlot with you, and falleth awaye from hys baptisme and brydegrome (as hath chaunched vnto me wyth other) buyldeth and trusteth vpon hys owne workes, euen as ye hooremongera, in your hoorehouses and deuils [Page] Churches preache, notwithstondyng that it was baptised, to trust & buylde onely vpon hys onely deare brydegrome, and [...]ure Lorde Iesus Christe, whiche hath geuen hym selues for vs.
And it goeth euen lyke, as yf an honest yonge fellowe, shoulde bryng vp a poore youge, beggerysshe, comfortles mayde, for to be his spounse in tyme to come, & make hymself sure with her, and she should kepe her selfe chast and honest, vntylshe were man able. And as then tourne her eyes, and behelde other fellowes, that should lyke her better, waxe hoote and be set on fyre vpon them, and forsake her hertely beloued & true brydegrome, whiche had delyuered, nourysshed, kepte, brought vp, clothed, decked, trymed, & kepte her gaye, and suffre her selfe of euery man to be made an harlot.
Thys harlot whiche before was a pure virgyn, & deare spouuse, is nowe adeuorced runne awaye aduontresse, a house whore, a chāber whore, a kepe whore, whiche in the house in maystres, [Page] and hath the keyes, beddes, kytchen, celler, and al thynges in her power so abhominable, that in comparyson of her, the cōmune free harloties heggehoores, feldwhoores, landwhores, campwhores, be in a maner holy. For thys is the right archewhore, and properly a deuils whore.
Of suche whores speaketh Oseas, Ose. i and yet more roughly, and almoste to rough, the Prophet Ezech. Cap. xxiii. whiche ye may reade, Ezech. xxiij. yf ye wyl know what maner of harlot your churche is For suche a whore do I meane, when I name you an offallyng, runne away harlot, whiche in youre youthe were baptised right Christians, in our deare Lorde, and dyd lyue certen yeres, as the olde Churche. Afterwardes whā ye waxed great, and came to vnderstandyng (euen as I my selfe with all other dyd also) ye sawe and hearde the goodly ceremonies of the Popysh churche, besydes that, the auauntage, honour, & authorite, which shine & glyster therin, yea the supersticious, holynes, and solempne Gods seruyce, and [Page] counterfaicte kyngdome of heauen, forgettynge your catholyke faythe, baptisme and Sacrament, and became the carnal Scolers and yonge harlotts of that Leua the Archewhore (as the Comedyes say, vntyl ye old whores make agayne yong harlottes, and so furth increase and augmente the Popes ye the deuyls churche, and seduce many of the ryghte virgyns of Christe, so borne by baptisme, making them also in proces of time to Archewhores. This I suppose bespokē plaine ynough that ye & euery mā may vnderstād, what we meane. For though ye counte suche newelties amonge you for tryfles, ye which haue no god, nor regard him, neuertheles is it afore god, horryble, abhominable, Idolatry, murther, hell, and al myschyef, which God can not abyde, wherfore he wyll condēpne that Archeharlot for euer.
Thereof prophecyed Peter, ij. Pet. ij where as he speaketh of you such newe Prophetes & churches .ij. Pet. ij. They speake swelling wordes of vanitie, & thei entyse through lustes in the voluptuousnes [Page] of the fleshe, thē that were cleane escaped, but nowe are wrapped in errours, They promise thē liberte, remission & Pardon, where as they them selues are the bonde seruauntes of corruption.
Item, They were escaped from the fylthines of the worlde, through the knowlege of the Lorde and of the sauyor Iesu Christ. And are yet tangled agayne therin and ouercome. And so is the later ende worse with them then the beginnynge. It were better for them, not to haue knowen the waye of rightuousnes, then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaundement, that was geuen vnto them. It is happened vnto them according to the true Prouerbe. The dogge is turned to his owne vomet agayne. The sowe that was wasshed in her swymmynge is turned agayne to her wallowinge in the myre.
This are ye, and so haue I ben also. There haue ye youre newe, of fallinge & runne awaye church playne ynough described, and cleare ynough set oute [Page] before your eyes. For we knowlegs not onely. That ye with vs are come oute of the right Churche, and haue swymmed with vs in bapfisme and are wasshed through the Bloude of oure Lorde and Sauioure Iesu Christ as S. Peter here sayeth. But saye also that ye are in the Churche, and also abyde therin. Yea verely, that ye therin sitte and rule as saynete Paule prophecieth. ii. Thes. ij. That the cursed Antichriste shall sitte in the Tempell of God (and not in a horse stable) &c.
But of the Churche, or membres of the Churche, are ye no more. But in that holy Churche of God, do ye execte this youre newe of fallinge Churche, the whorehouse of the deuill and innumerable whore domes and Idolatryes or Newelties, whereby ye seduce, the Christened and redemed soules with you. And deuoure them through helles mouthe in the botomles pytte of hell, with innumerable flockes. To the harrible pitiefulnes and disquietnes of harte, of all them that with spirituall eyes see and [Page] knowe the same.
But it is God, that through his wō derfull allmightie power, by you amonge so many abhominatiōs, & deuelyshe whoredomes yet saueth the yōge babes, through baptisme and some old folkes, but very few that in theyr ende haue turned agayne to Christe, of whiche sorte I haue knowen a greate nombre myselfe. So that for all this: The righte olde Churche with her Baptisme, and Gods worde dothe still remayne amonge you. And youre God the deuil through so many newe Idolatries with all youre deuelysshe whoredome was neuer able to destroy it cleane.
Church in Elias tyme .iij. Reg. xvij.Euen as in the tyme of Elias, whē all (howe be it they were all Goddes people, that is, suche as were called the holy Churche, and boasted that God whiche had broughte them oute of Egypte) was full of Baall, Idolatrye and whoredome in all the whole lande, that there was not one aulter left for God. And yet for all that were reserued seuen [Page] frō thousand men, of all the multitude of thousandes, among the which were the Chyefest and the best, which went all to the deuill. And in the wildernes vnder Moses al dyede sauinge these two Iosua and Caleb.
Goddes worke is called, Consummans and abbreuians, that he saueth a certein fewe by his grace. When the whole multitude in his wrath perissheth whereof S. Paule Rom. x. plenteously writteth. Rom. x.
Euē so did Daniel also propbecye longe before. Da xij. That vnder Anthechrist shoulde be a tyme of wrath, and suche trouble as neuer was vpō earth. And S. Paull whiche taketh his prophecye out of Daniel euen there sayeth also. ij. Thes. ij. That God shalbe displeased, & suffce to come mightye erroures, because mē receyued not the loue of truethe that they might be saued.
Heretikes arrianes.I pray you, let vs behold oure owne hittories, that is, The histories of the Christianite. Vnder Constantius the sonne of Constantyn was the indignatiō of God so great, that the heretikes [Page] of the Arrians, had taken in all the churches of the world, excepte twa [...]n. And notwithstondinge at that tyme were the Bysshoppes, and also the Arrians them selues learned, wyse, honest, honourable, & earnest men before the world. Vvhat shoulde than be vnder the Bysshoppe of Rome. Vvhere as no Bysshoppe knoweth nor exercy seth his office. But lyueth Epicuryshly and hoggysshly. There must nedes be the very deuill.
Vvherefore the miserable, blynde, hardened Popyshe asshes, muche lesse vnderstande, Vvhat Churche or God is then a Cowe or Sowe vnderstandeth. The church is a hygh, depe, hydden thinge, that noman may know her nor see. But onely, must be taken & beleued by the Baptisme, Sacramente, and worde, Mans doctrine, Ceremonies, Shauen Crounes, longe gounes Bysshops battes, & the hole popyshe rablement doth leade farre wyde from it, euē into the very holl. I omitte that it shoulde signifie the Churche. For to the churche pertayne also naked Children, [Page] man, woman, Ploweman & Citegen, whiche haue neither shauen crounes Bysshoppes hattes, nor yet masse garmentes vpon them.
Distinction / betwene the right and the false Churche.
Papistes sett as much by mās doctrine as by Gods worde. HEre myght the papystes paraduēture desyre, yea they will haue it by compulsion. That suche newe Articles of their newe Churche, shoulde besydes the olde Articles of the olde Churche be obserued or suffered, yf not they woulde haue vs to be heretikes, and tyd out of the waye. For the Popysshe Asse, is suche a dull Asse, that he neither can nor will learne to discerne betwene Goddes worde and mans traditions. But kepeth bothe lyke.
[Page] This do they declare thereby. That they nowe often haue intended, to make with vs an accorde or agreemēt and made as thoughe they woulde somethinge abate, and that we shoulde also abate som what, to thintēt that bothe to gether mighte be stablysshed showe be it they neuer mynded the same earnestly. But onely to rente vs away and to trouble vs.)
Papistes.Neuertheles men may see so muche therin howe that they haue sette them selues aboue God as the Antichristifshe blasphemours, Thinkynge that that the doctrine shoulde be right as longe as they will. And when they will no more that then it shoulde no more be right. For they woulde haue the authorite, somwhat to abate thereof or not, at their pleasures. And euen as they geue it or take it, euen so shoulde we receyue it. Offringe vs suche an abhominable filthnes, shameles, with oute any semblaunce, very openly. Whereby they them selues declare, that they haue no more a subtill deuill, that rydeth them [Page] as they had a certein hundreth yares a goue. But the cōprehēsible Tulpyn, Clubbyshe deuill, that can couloure hym selfe no more for iniquitie.
Goddes worde to abate or chaungeFor, seynge they offer them selues somthinge to abate, desyring the same also of vs, they do testifie: That they regarde as muche, Mannes doctrine, as Gods worde. It lyeth not in God hym selfe to abate or chaunge his own worde. For he can not denye and alter hym selfe. And his worde abydeth for euer. Vvherfore whosoeuer shoulde vndertake to abate or alter it, the same muste nedes haue a hyer Power and authorite then God hym selfe. For he would not haue altered Moses lawe, yf he had not before by his worde promysed to alter it. Vvherfore also noman will entreprise the same then the Antichriste, as Daniel. xij. & S. Paule do saye. Da. xij. Vvhiche exalteth hym selfe aboue God, namely the Papacye.
What shoulde men nowe handle with suche people, yea with suche dull and grosse asses, whiche suppose, that Goddes worde is a reede whiche is [Page] moued with euery blaste of wynde hither and thither, whereof they haue the rule. Or (as they do rather thinke) that it is a counter, whiche after their damnable frowardnes muste signifie accordinge as they caste or laye it vpō the rule. Euen so pretely do they vnderstande, what the church is, yea euen therewith shew they aboundātly, that they despise God and his word highly and moreouer sette them selues aboue God and can not be his Church.
The holy Christen Churche. (I talke nowe with oure owne fellowes. For with the Popyshe asses. Clutters and stones, is no vnderstandinge) seynge nor hearing, is not a reede nor Counter. No, she wauereth not, nor geueth backe, as the deuills harlott the Popyshe church, which lyke an aduou tresse, thynketh that she ought not to cleaue vnto her wedded husbāde. But that she may lawfully swarue, geue backe, & admitte, euen as the whoremō ger will haue it. But she is (sayeth S. Paul) i. Ti. iij. a pyller & ground of the trueth. She standeth sure (sayth he) & is a sure [Page] grounde. And not a false or deceyuable grounde. But a grounde of trueth which neither lyeth nor deceyueth, neither gothe aboute with any lyes. But whatsoeuer wauereth or doubteth, the same can not be truth.
And whereto were a Churche of God profitable and necessary in the worlde, yf she woulde wauer, and be vnstable of her wordes? Or institute euery daye some newe knacke, & nowe geue this, and nowe take awaye that, yea where vnto were such a God profitable, that woulde teache vs so to wayuer and to doubte? Theologyes of the Papistes.as the Theologie of the Papistes teachet, that men muste doubte of mercy. Vvhereof is writtē ynough besydes. For all though the Papistes in all other causes had ouercome, yet be they condēned in this Chyef Article, that they teache. That we muste doubte of the grace of God yf we be not worthy ynough before, through oure oune satisfaction, or merites, & intercession of saynctes. There be their Bookes, writtinges & seales Cloysters, Mynsters, & also yet their [Page] bayly shauen Crounes and masses to beare witnes.
And for as muche as they teache this Article, that they stoude vpon their owne workes and doubtes, as they can none other. So is it euident, that they muste nedes be the Churche of the deuill. Wayes vnto saluation.For there can be no more wayes, than these two. The one, whiche trusteth vnto Goddes mercy. The other that buyldeth vpon oure owne merites and workes. The fyrst is the waye of the olde Churche, and of all the Patriarkes, Prophetes, and Apostles as the scripture witnesseth. The other is the waye of the Roomyshe Bysshop, and of his Churche. This can noman denye, no, not H.M. and all the deuills them selues. There standeth (as often hath ben sayde) recorde, Bookes, Bullus, Sealles, Vvrittinges, Mynsters, Cloysters, so that it may be testifyed by all the worlde.
And there is S. Pet. Act. iiij. There is none other name geuē, whereby we may be saued, but onely Iesus Christ. Act. iiij. [Page] Agaynst this sayeth the kyng of Rattes at Rome, No not so. But there are many other names wherby the people muste be saued, specially. Myne name after that, all such as I will S. Frauncys, Dominyke, and all propre workes that bryng in mony vnto me. And lay kyng & Emperour vnder fote. Here is holynes & saluation, Christ is no more necessarye nor profitable, &c.
Church of christ suffereth no lyes nor false doctrine.But to come agayn to oure matter. That the Churche of Christ dothe not lye nor deceyue, must they confesse them selues in despite of their hartes. Where woulde they elles become? They must saye: That she is a rocke Matth xvi. agaynst the which hell gates can not preuayle. Math. xvi. Or as S. Paule gloseth the same, a piller and grounde of truth. i. Ti. iij. This (I saye) to graunte, we thanke them not. Euen so sayeth also the Crede of the children that she is a holy Catholyke church. And S. Paull i. Cor. iij. The tempel of God is holy whiche ye are. i. Co. iij But whosoeuer defyleth the temple of God, hym shal God destroye. Therfore can & may the holy [Page] church a byde no lyes, nor false doctrine. But she must teache nothinge but mere holynes and truthe, that is onely the worde of God. And yf she teache any lye, then is she cleane Idolatriouse and the whorys church of the deuill.
Goddes seruice of the kynges of Israel.What did it profite vnto the kynges of Israel, to boaste that they serued the God of Israel, whiche had brought them oute of Egypte. There with named and meaned they. The very God of their fathers. And did also obserue the whole lawe of Moyses. But for as much as they besydes that, did also honour Calues or Baal, or at the least there with, of mannes imagination. Did institute newe Goddes seruice, to the honour of the very true God So was it all lost. For agaynste the same was Goddes cōmaundemēt. Thou shalt haue none other God besydes me.
And Moyses Deu. iiij. and xij. had cōmaunded, Deut. iiij. xij. that they shoulde not pretende any newenes or alteration, or of their owne imaginatiō, sayeng: What [Page] soeuer I commaunde the that shalt thou do. Thou shalt take nothinge from it, nor put any thinge there vnto. Thou shalt not tourne from it to the lefte hande nor to the righte hand, That is. Thou shalt neither make it better nor worse, neither diminyshe nor alter any thinge. Vvhereof we reade in the Prophetes in dyuers places, howe that they rebuked kynges. Priestes and the people because they inuented dayly newe wayes, and did not abyde in the righte waye and onely pathe.
Onely the way vnto saluatiō is the word of GodFor whatsoeuer steppeth a syde frō the worde of God (whiche onely is the waye) as he sayeth, I am the waye, the truthe and the lyfe, Io. xiiij. appeare it as good and fayre as it maye. So is it notwhitstanding doubtles, errour, lyes, and death. For it is without the word of God, that is withoute the waye, truthe and lyfe. And what nede shoulde we haue of the worde, yf we withoute the same coulde fynde wayes for oure selues? Psal. xxix. For the worde is onely the lanterne of oure fete, and [Page] the lyght of oure pathes, which lighteth in the darke places of the worde, as S. Peter sayeth. ij. Pet. i As that kepeth not the same alwayes before his eyes whither can he go elles, than in darkenes. So that light is in darkenes to thintent that we shoulde guyde oure selues therafter in darkenes.
New articles in the new papisticall churcheNowe let vs behold the newe Articles one after another, which are come vp in the newe church of the Romyshe Bysshop. So do we fynde, that they be al withoute Goddes worde, that is withoute waye, truthe and lyfe, onely of mannes deuotion or good semynge or of the Popes iniquite inuēted. Therfore as the Papisticall churche is full of Pardons, propre merites. Fraternities, worshippinges of saynctes, monkerye, masses, satisfaction, and suche lyke of the aboue named percelles, as Goddes seruices. Euen so is she therwith, full of Errours, lyes, Idolatrye, vnbeleue, Murther, and summa full of all deuils churches. For they can not saye that, the worde of God teacheth suche pointes.
[Page] Church can not erre.But nowe that they muste confesse, that the holy Catholyke Church muste be holy and a grounde of truthe, withoute errour and lyes. Quia Ecclesia non potest errare. So muste they lykewyse confesse, that they are not, nor yet cā be the same holy church seynge they be full of suche abhominable errours, lyes and Idolatrye. But they are the very runne awaye, depa [...] tinge, wycked harlott of the deuill, whome she followeth and serueth in suche horrible lyes.
But myght some simple harted soule (as men calle them) saye: What myght it hurte, that men kept the worde of God, and did suffre besydes that, all these peeces, or at the leaste some of them that myght be suffered, lykewyse also to remayne. To this I make answer. They maye be called goodherted people. But they be euill harted, and deceyuable hartes, or people. For thou hearest that it can not be. To teache any other thinge besydes the worde of God. To serue any other besydes God, besydes the [Page] lyght of God ordeyned in darkenes, to lyght another, It is doubteles and erronious wysshe, and an errour, yea although it were but one clause only.
For the church shoulde nor can not teache any lye or erroure, No, not in any poynte. Yf she teache one lye, then is it al false, as Christe sayeth. Luce. xi. Luc. xi. Take hede therfore that the lyght be not darkenes in the, yf nowe thy body be thorouly lyghte, so that it haue no part of darkenes, than shal it be whole lyghte, that is, it must be lyght altogether, and no part of darkenes there remayuynge. Onely Goddes worde or trueth, and no errour, nor lye, must the Churche teache, and howe were it also possible to be otherwyse? sey [...]ge Goddes mouth is the Churches mouthe, And agayne, God can not lye, no more can the churche also.
❧ Distinction betwene the doctryne, and the lyfe.
TRuth it is, to speake after the lyfe, that the holy church is not withoute synne, accordyng as she knowelegeth in the Pater noster, forgene vs our trespasses. Mat. vi And i. Iohn. i. yf we saye, that we haue no synne, we lye, and make God a lyar, whiche calleth vs all synners. i. Ion. i Roma. iij. Psalm .xiiij. and .li. But the doctryne may not be synne, nor repronable, neyther is she comprehended in the Pater noster, where we saye: forgeue vs oure trespasses, for she is not of oure doynge, but euen Gods owne word, which can not synne, nor do vnryghtuousely. Rom. iij psa. xiiij Psal. li.
For a preacher ought not to praye the Pater noster, nor to seke forgeuenes of synnes, when he hath preached (yf he be a ryghte preacher) But he oughte to saye and boaste with Ieremye, [Page] Lorde thou knowest, that whatsoeuer is gone oute of my mouthe, is ryghte and pleasaunt vnto the. Ier. xvij Yea he muste boldely saye with Saynte Paul and with all the Apostles and Prophetes, Hec dixit dominus, Hec dixit Dominus.Thys hath God spoken hym selfe, Et iterū, I haue ben an Apostle and a prophete of Iesu Christe in thys sermon.
Here is it not necessary, yea not good, to aske forgeuenes of synnes, as though he had taught vntrewely, For it is Gods word, & not my worde which God may or can not forgeue me, but must cōfirme it, laude it, croun it, & saye: Thou hast taught the truth, for I haue spokē by the, and the word is myne. Whosoeuer can not boaste thys of hys preachyng, let hym ceasse from preachyng, for he lyeth vndoubtedly and blasphemeth God.
Yf the word should be syn or vntrew where after should or could thē the lyfe be directed? there should surely the one blynd leade the other, & fal bothe in the pitte, yf the leadlyne or square rule shoulde be false, what shoulde [Page] or coulde the mayster then frame thereafter? There shoulde the one croked make the other, without ende or measure. Euen so here also, can the lyfe wel be synne and vnryghteous, yea alas it is to vnryghteous, but the doctryne must be lyue ryght and sure withoute al synne. Church teacheth onely Gods worde.Therfore muste in the churche, nothynge but onely the sure, pure, and onely worde of God be preached. Yf thesame fayle, then is it no more the church, but the scoolehouse of the deuyl. Lyke as an honest womā (as the Prophetes vse suche illusyons euermore) ought to heare no more, but her husbandes word within the house and to be dwarde, for yf she heare any other mannes worde, whiche perteyneth not to her husbandes bedde, then is she surely a harlot.
Al these thinges are spoken to that ende, that the church must onely teache Goddes worde, and be sure of thesame, whereby she is called the grounde and piller of trueth, and buylded vpō the rocke, holy and vnrebukeable, Church can not erre.that is, as we saye ryght and truely, The [Page] church can not erre, for Goddes word whiche she teacheth, can not erre. But whatso [...]uer is taught otherwyse, or doubted, whether it be Goddes word or not, thatsame can not be the churches doctryne, but muste be the deuils doctryne, lyes, and Idolatrye. For the deuyl can not saye (seyng he is a lyar) and the father of lyes, thys sayth the Lorde. But as Christ Ioh. viij. sayeth. Iohn. viij. Er proprijs, Oute and of hym selfe must he speake, that is lye. Euen so must also al hys chyldren, withoute Goddes worde, speake of them selues that is lye.
Nowe beholde my deare frende, what a wonderful thyng is it, that we so surely teache Goddes worde, & yet be so weake and for great humilite so fearful, that we do not gladly boaste oure selues, That we be the churche, witnesses, ministers, and preachers of God, and that God speaketh through vs &c. Notwithstandyng that we be the same vndoubtedly, for so muche as we surely haue and teache hys word. Thys lowelynes and fearfulnes cometh [Page] thereby, that we do earnestly beleue, Gods worde to be suche a glorious and excellent thyng, that we knowelege oure selues to vnworthy, that throughe vs suche a greate thynge shoulde be spoken and done, which lyue yet in flesshe and bloude.
Nature of false Prophetes.But oure aduersaryes, deuyl, Papiltes, seetes, and al the worlde, they be bolde and vnshamefast, and dare folyshely proclayme, for great holynes, here is God, we are Gods church Ministers, Prophetes, and Apostles, lyke as al false Prophetes haue done alwayes. But lowlynes and feare in Goddes worde hath alwayes ben the ryght token of true holy church, boldnes & presumptuousnes in mās imagnation hath ben the ryght token of the deuyl, as it may also playnely be perceyued in the papistical decrees.
Thys is spokē of the doctryne, whithe must be pure & syncere, namely the deare blessed, holy, and onely word of God, withoute any addition. But the lyfe, which dayly must frame purifye & sanctifyed it selfe, after the doctrine [Page] is not yet al pure or holy, whilest this wormes, bagge flesshe and bloude lyueth. Samaritane. Luce. xNeuertheles, whilest he is a purifyenge or sanctifyeng and stil furth suffereth hymselfe to be healed, by the Samaritane, and dothe not destroye hymselfe further more and more in vnclenlynes, It shalbe graciously, for the wordes sake, through the whiche he suffereth hym selfe to be clensed, remitted, freely and clearly forgeuen, and not imputed vnto hym, and muste be called cleane. For thereby becommeth not the holy catholyke churche a harlot or vnholy, whylest she cleaueth purely and surely to the word (which is her holynes) and abydeth in thesame. Ye are cleane saith Christ. Ioh. xv. not for your sake. But for the wordes sake, whiche I haue spoken vnto you. Ioh. xv.
Holines of the worde & purenes of the doctrineFor the holynes of the worde, and the synceryte of the doctryne is of such efficacye and surenes, that yf also Iudas, Caiphas, Pilate, Pope, & the deuyll hym selfe shoulde preache thesame, [Page] or truely baptise (without addition purely and vprightly) yet neuertheles the ryghte pure worde, and the ryghte holy Baptisme shoulde be receyued, for as muche as there muste alwayes be hipocrytes, and false christians in the churche, and one Iudas amonge the Apostles.
Impurite of doctrineContrariwyse, is the impuritie of the doctryne, yf it be not Gods word, or withoute Gods worde, such an euil poisoned thynge, that through S. Peter, yea an Angel from heauen should preache it, yet is it accursed. Galat. i.
False teachers abyde not in the churche.Therfore, false teachers, and baptisers, or false Sacramentaryes can not be, nor abyde in the church, as the Psalm .i. sayth. Psal. i For they do not onely contrary to the lyfe, whiche the church must suffre, specially, whā it is secrete. But also cōtrary to the doctrine, whiche must lyght and shyne openly, for to frame the lyfe thereafter.
Thys hath ben taught from the beginnynge, as S. Iohn sayeth. i. Ioh. ij. They are from vs, but not of vs. And in ecclesia sunt, sed non de ecclesia. Item, [Page] Numerus, Sed non merito. And such lyke. Whereout we haue thys distinctyon. They are not al Christians that haue the name.They be not al Christians, that professe the name of a Christian. But when it cometh to passe that there happeneth variaunce in the doctrine, then parteth the one from the other, and then appeareth, who be the right christians, namely they that haue Goddes worde syncerely and purely. Let thys suffise at this tyme, of the ryght churche.
¶ Of restitucion of the churches Goodes.
YF nowe the Papistes shall or can proue, that they are the ryghte holy Church, & that they haue taught none of the aboue mencyoned whorysh Churches articles and inuentions, or haue none of them, or that oure Articles are not [Page] the ryght old churches articles, which we haue not inuented nor imagyned, Then must we nedes knowelege oure selues to be heretykes and steppers a syde. Yf they can not proue thys▪ Then must they contrariwyse knowledge themselues to be the very whorysshe churche of the deuyl, which frō Christe her Lorde is runne awaye, & hath suffred her selfe of the deuyll, through newe and other doctryne, to be abhomynably defyled. Thys after my iudgement must be sure, although Iewes and Heathen, or whatsoeuer hath yet mannes witte, should be iudges betwene vs.
Yf they be not the Church, but the deuyls harlot, which continued not in Christ. So is it groundely and myghtely concluded, That they oughte not to possesse the churche Goodes. Muche lesse to moue thys stryfe (wherewith hitherto they trouble and disease Emperour & kyng) that thei should be put in agayne by vs, & the goodes restored agayn vnto thē. For that is euē as muche, as yf the deuyls should desyre [Page] of the Aungels, that they mighte be set agayne in heauen, notwithstandyng, that they knowe & confesse, that they dyd not continue Gods aungels but became Goddes enemyes, whiche belōg to hel fyre. Or that I speake of men, It is euē as much, as yf a thefe or murtherer would demaunde restitution of suche money and goodes as he had stolen and robbed, whiche beynge taken frō hym, were layed vnder iudgement, or were restored agayn to the ryghte owners, yf not, then would he threaten to become a H. M.
But for so muche as in earthe in thys matter is no iudge, for they are become parcyal and because the chief iudges haue made themselues, is their iudgement of no valoure, accordynge to al lawes, and euen so littell alowable, as the iudgement of vs, which are the contrary part, is accepted of them, therfore must we let it passe, & abyde the ryght iudge, But yf there were a iudge in thys matter in earth, shoulde thys iudgement fynde it selfe, That they (of the one partie) not only haue [Page] no lawfull cause to demaunde restitution. But were worthy to be expelled out of the worlde, and to be serued, as the Kynge I [...]hn serued the Baalites, and as Kynge Iosi [...] dyd serue the priestes at Samaria, and Bethel. iiii. Reg x. xxiij. For thei are (as aboue is declared) before God accordynge to the iugement of holye Scripture, the ryghte denne of murtherers, and the deuyls harlot whereout followeth, that they, the Goodes of the Churche, that is, of the poore Christianite (as robbers of archechurches, and Goddes theues) haue pulled vnto them, and vniustly kepe them in possessyon, wherfore yet to theyr hynderaunce they follow, bothe in body and honoure, temporall and eternal destruction.
For thys can a chyld of seuen yeares olde, yea a nyged foull, tel and reken vpō hys fyngers (howe be it, that the grosse Popysshe asse, with hys dā nable confederates, kan vnderstande nothyng) That the laudable olde, Emperours, Prynces, Lordes, and good people, doubteles, haue not bē of that [Page] mynde, & wyl to geue theyr Goodes, to that intent, that therewith shoulde nothyng but deuils harlottes, an Idolatrie, be instituted, decked, & honoured Much lesse, that thei there with should brynge vp and mainteyne, Soulmurtherers, church robbers, & Gods theues, But the deare churches and scooles, that is the holy word of God, the offyce of preachyng, & other seruice of the churche, Theologiens, Curates, preachers, besydes that also poore folkes, wydowes, the cōfortles & sicke to maintayn, to the prayse & honoure of god. Churches goodes.For thei are not called the goods of harlots, murtherers, blasphemous of god H. M. nor goodes of the deuil, but the goodes of the church, whiche euen nowe, not onely of the spirituall deuils whores in the popysshe denne of murtherers, in moost abhominable wyse, by Symonye and all manner of blasphemye be bought, solde, stelē, robbed, and consumed, but also of the corporal whores & knaues, in moost vnshamest wyse be consumed and expended, much worse then was done at Sodoma [Page] and Gomorra. In so muche that they geue not one halfpenny towardes the mayntenaunce of a poore Prieste, Scholler or poore man, for they be not worthy also for to do suche a smal good dede, But in stede thereof, as the foolyshe Epicuriens, thei do mocke and laugh to scorne, bothe God hym selfe, and the worde of hys Churche. Yea thys is the goodly holy churche, whiche yet dare boaste them selues holy, Counte the churches goodes for their owne, and demaunde restitution, but he shal not tarye longe that shall geue the righte restitution, vnto suche desperate, selfe willed scorners, and tyrannous murtherers.
i. But for as muche as we haue no iudge vpon earth, So wil we besydes that, that we haue the iudgemente of God the hyghest iudge in hys holye Scripture, also vse theyr own iudgement and witnesse of the Papistes, in the meane whyle for vs against them. For thus sayde Duke George of vnworthy memorye. That he knewe very [Page] well, that there is muche abusyon crepte into the Churche, But that a lowsy freer oute of a Caue shoulde take in hande suche reformation, were not to be suffered, wel he confesseth (& doubtles not he alone) that your churche is ful of abuses, that is as muche, as it is not the pure ryghte Churche, For that shoulde be holye and pure withoute al additions, I omitte, withoute any abuse, as the Crede sayeth, I beleue one holy Catholyke Church.
ij. So haue ye for your part, altogether, in the conuocation at Auspurgh desyred the Emperour, to handle with the Romyshe Bysshoppe, that he woulde sende no more Pardons in Douchelande, seynge it is despysed. PardonHere do ye confesse your selues, that youre Pardon is a despysed thynge, that is, an abuse, and Idolatrye, for yf ye dyd counte it ryght and good, as a pure Goddes seruyce, ye coulde not with good cōscience despise it, & despre to haue it abolished. There witnesseth [Page] your conscience by your owne worde, That youre church be an Idols house and vnpure, whiche hath serued, and yet doth serue the deuil, and not God, with false vyle and beggerlye Pardons.
iij. Thyrdly, dyd euen there the Cardinal of Ment [...] say, what wyl we muche dispute, They haue one Article, whiche we knowe, and can not denye, but that it is ryghte, namely Matrimony, and yet we can not accept the-same. And though he of Mētz should neuer saye it, yet are ye youre selues more so ouercome in it, that many of you, which wyl be the beste, such thinges openly confesse. Nowe tel me: Thinkest thou that it is a smal deuyls whore, that hathe kepte, instituted taught, honoured, and maynteyned, suche a terryble Article, that is Idolatrye in her Churche, that men shoulde counte Gods creatiō, work, ordinaunce, and blessynge, damnable, accursed, and the greatest synne. What euyll more abhominable coulde the deuyll [Page] Goddes enemy hym selfe institute, yf he woulde institute any thing agaynst God?
Howe coulde youre Church be holy by suche abhomination, yea, though ye alltogether hadd lyued chaste virgyns, and yet hadd serued suche Idoles. For God did forbidde it you, as a doctrine of the deuill .i. Timo. iiij. i. Ti. iiij And what frute and holynes, such Idol and his Idoll seruice hath wrought in your Churches, must ye your selues lament For there is Rome, the Bysshoprykes, the hole spiritualtie, which beare witnesse, yea theyr synnes haue filled heauen and earthe with abhomination and bloude shedinge. Vvhere is here your holy Churche. Vvhich with such abhomination so detestably is made a whore by the deuill?
Consilium.And what haue ye done your selues, that nowe ye desyre a Counsayll nowe promyse it, nowe delaye it, and nowe agayne saye it? Is your Church holy. Vvhy is the then afrayde for a Coūsayll? Vvhat nedeth she a reformation or Counsayll? hath she nede of a [Page] Counsayll why is she holy? Will ye also refourme youre holynes.
We for oure parte did neuer desyre a Counsayll for to refourme oure Churche. For God the holy Ghoost hath by his huly worde halowed oure Churche Longe a god, yea rather swepte away from it all Popysshe whoredome and Idolatrie, that we haue all thinges (praysed be God) pure and holy, The worde pure, the Baptisme pure, the Sacrament pure, the [...]eyes pure, and all what soeuer belongeth to the church haue we pure and holy, without all mans tradition, addition, and fylthynes. The lyfe (as aboue declared) goeth not fully thereafter, as we would fayne see and wys she, where vpon the Prophetes and Apostles them selues also complayne. But that perteyneth yonder wher, as we shall be lyke vnto the Aungels.
How be it we desyre a counsayll for this intent. That our Churche myght be hearde, & that oure doctrine myght come abroad freely to the light, wherwith your whoredome in the Papacye [Page] myght be spyed and condemned, and that euery man that there by is seduced, myght be with vs conuerted to the holy Churche, and increased with vs in the same. But here haue, ye not the pose wyth your God the deuill. But ye Flyttermyse, Molles, Nightrauens, and nyght Owles, whiche can not abyde the lyght, lette & defende with al power & crafte, that it come not there to, that the truth myght come to light, be heard and handled.
Notwithstanding, God goeth forwarde still and bryngeth the light as broade, yea to more ye lette it, to more it doth increase. That at the laste ye shal be fayne to suffer it with al shame and damage. And howe muche that such your fugitiue, astonyed desperat, eschewinge of the light, doth feare vs or animate you, let your owne cōsciēce and hert declare vnto you:
For as much now, I saye, ye knowledge your selfe & must confesse, what a fylthy Churche ye haue. I speake not nowe of the lyfe. But of the doctrine, that ye haue so manye horrible [Page] lyes, and false doctrines, and besydes that ye wil not leaue it. So must ye consequently confesse also, that ye are not the holy Churche. But the deuills Curche, specially suche as holde there on, and compelle there to. For they worshippe the deuil willingly in his lyes, whylest they know, that they be false Articles. But suche thinges do ye euen frō the hyest, the Romyshe Bysshopp, downe vnto the loweste Prieste, or freer. This is the right kernel of the best sorte, whiche ye in especiall call youre Church, and what soeuer is more of your adherentes amōge the layte. For suche as be sory for it, perteyne not in youre deuelysshe church But in our, that is: In the olde right holy churche.
Furthermore, for so moche as we haue such your owne witnesse & iudgement, so can ye not calle vs heretikes or fugitiues. But must geue vs right, as vnto the right church whiche forsaketh suche youre knowen abhominatiō & false articles. And agayne knowledge youre selues, as the right deuills [Page] church, for so muche as of youre selfe ye fortifie and kepe, knowen abhominable, and false Articles, and compelle there vnto. That ye ought not to clay me the churches Goodes to be rēdred vnto you as a spoyle. But that ye are bounde, all such goodes a [...]ye yet haue in your custodye, as Goddes theues and church robbers, to forsake. And to restore and rēdre them vnto the right churche. And thoughe youre forehead were neuer so harde and shameles, as the Prophetes saye, which can not be ashamed, muste ye neuertheles saye youre selues here in, that such iugemēt is right. For at the last shoulde also, woode, stones, myre, and donge crye oute agaynst you. Whylest it can be none otherwyse. But that an arraunt whore, can not be on honest vertuous virgyn. Therfore ought she also to be no churche, rule no churche, and haue no churches goodes. This is the summe thereof.
That which is Goddes, maye not be gegeuen vnto Themperour.
THat they more our do cal vs disobedient and causers of insurrections, because that oure Prynces do not obeye, Thēperours Edicte or cōmaundemēt, where in oure Churches and doctrines are condemned. There do we boaste and thanke God, whiche gratiousely hath kept vs, that we are not founde with you in such damnable obedience. For there standeth God, which forbiddeth vs, saynge: Eeue vnto Cesare that which is Cesares, and geue vnto God that which is goddes. Psal .cxv. he hath geuen the heauen vnto the Lorde. But the earthe vnto the Chyldren of men, heauē or the kyngdom of heauē goeth not to loue of the Emperour. And god can not be themperours lo [...]e mā. But [Page] themperour ought and must be called goddes lonemā. And as Sprach sayth also. God hath ordeyned to the laudes Dominions. But in Israel is he Lord hym selfe: God will alone, & hym selfe rule in the church. Suche rule did he neuer geue frō hym, or oute of his hād as the, lx. Psal. witnesseth. God speaketh in his holynes.
Therfore must ye Papistes fyghte oute this Article of Obedience, with God hym selfe, and not with vs, and make vs certeyn and sure before, that we (as ye do) maye geue vnto themperour that which is Goddes. Or elles we will not do it. But take youre sklaundrynge & lyenge, for great ioye where with ye beare vs witnes, and knowledge that we take not frō God that which is his, and geue it to themperour, and so ye helpe vs with youre pestiferous lyes, to boaste this trueth that we lyue not in youre accursed obedience.
For God hath cōmaūded thēperour ye all his augels and creatures, that they shall teache none other worde [Page] in his kyngdome, that is in his church as S. Paul Gal. i. shuteth a terrible thonderbolt, sayinge yf an Angell frō heauen teache you any other thinge, thē that ye haue receyued, hold hym accursed. Galat. i Nowe haue we aboue recyted retteyn of the innumerable newelties of other doctrine (that is, as S. Paull dothe here cal it, Anathema, accursing damnation, malediction) wherewith youre Popysshe newe whore, and deuills church is filled. Therfore can not the Emperour nor any other creatur compell vs to suche accursed obedience, yea he ought to kepe hym selfe with vs from it, yf he will not with S. Paules thunderbolt, be accursed and strykē into the pitte of hell.
God hath committed vnto themperour ynough, more than he is able to execute namely, the kyngedome of the earthe, that is body and Goodes, ther hath his office an ende. Yf he aboue that, layeth hande on the kyngdome of God, then dothe he robbe God of his owne, whiche is called, Sacrelegium, Sacrilege, or Goddes thefte. Or as [Page] S. Paul Phil ij. doth name it. Phil. ij. Rapinā diuinitatis. Yf a mā be lyke vnto God whiche he can not be the same, must he intēde to robbe it. For it can not be geuen vnto hym, here to is an onely heyr alone, he hath not robbed it, nor willed to robbe it (as the deuill in heauen and Adā did in Paradys). But it is geuen vnto hym frō the father euerlastingly and borne vnto hym by nature.
They that now do entice the good Emperour Charlles to this, or do such thinge vnder his Seall, be euen as holy Creatures as the Serpent in Paradys. The Emperour shoulde continue vnder God. And attende to the office vnto hym appoynted (as wel as all Creatures) For God will here, that is in the churche speake alone, and suffer none other.
Lyke (that I may declare it playnely) as a maryed man, or a brydegrome may, wil distribute many maner of offices in his house, he maye call the one seruaunte Emperoure, and the other kynge, and committe vnto them al his goodes, to this his landes, to the other [Page] his vynearde, Cattell, fysshes, raymēt money, and Goodes. But in the Chā ber or in the Brydes bedde, maye no seruaūt be found, whether he be called Emperour or kynge. For that is death (sayeth Salo. Prouer. vi.) for that perteyneth onely to the brydegrom. And here ought the bryde to hear nor know none other worde but onely her Brydegromes As Iohn the Baptist sayeth he that hath the bryde, the same is the Brydegrome. Iohn. iij Euen so can & wil God suffer none other besydes hym in the church. There should nothinge, but he hym selfe or his worde be hearde, or elles shoulde she be a whore and not his Bryde.
By this may men will vnderstande what ye Popysshe asshes make, whan ye calle vs Stirrers of Sedition, because we doo not obeye with you, the Emperours commaundementes. Namely this doo ye make, ye knowledge, that we leaue the spouse of Christe, immaculate to her Lorde Christe, and also his bedde vndefiled [...] trewe obedient Iosephes, Gene. xxxix. and [Page] minister besydes in oure appointed Offices, Contrary wyse, that ye as the burnynge whoremongers and aduoutrers, that is damnable robbers of God, or heuenly Sedicioners, do breake into the Lordes Bryde chamber, & will make of his spouse a harlott. But he stryketh you with blyndnes, euen as the Sodomites, that ye can not fynd the dore, and permitteth you therfore, to fynd whores and Aduoutrers lyke vnto your selues. Whiche obeye vnto you, and goo to the deuill with you.
And Sūma, as is aforesayd? Fyght it oute before with God, that we may heare and learne, somwhat elles in the Churche contrary to Goddes worde, Item, that youre aboue reherserd new percels, be Goddes worde. And that ye are the holy Churche. Then shall ye haue righte and we shall gladly be obedient, what doth it preuayle. I praye you: That ye crye the Consequente so loude, and lette the Antecedente alone? For the stry [...] is not aboute the Consequente, as ye [Page] madde foules do crye. But aboute the Antecedent, Ponatur, Ecclesia cer to, et obedientia sequetur necessario. E contra, Non posita Ecclesia. Nulla sequitur obedientia. Ex natura relatiuorum. Yf there be elles yet a sparkle of logyke with in you. This be at this time sayde of the Churche agaynste the sclaunderous mouthe of the Papistes.
❧ The thre Symboles or Confessions of the Fayth of Christe, vsed in the Churche vnifourmely.
The Symbole of the Apostles.
THe fyrst Symbolum, or Confessiō of the Apostles is truely the prettyest, which briefly and rightly comprehendeth the Articles of oure Faythe very goodly and is also easy to learne for the children and the symple, and soundeth thus.
I beleue in God the father almightie, maker of heauen and earthe.
And in Iesu Christe, his onely sonne oure Lorde, whyche was conceyued by the holy Ghoste, borne of the [Page] virgyn Mary. Suffered vnder Ponce Pilate, was crucifyed dead, buried. And descended into hell. And the thyrde daye, he rose agayn from death he ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the righte hande of God the father almyghtie. From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade.
I beleue in the holy Ghoost. The holy Catholyke Churche. The communion of saynctes. The forgeuenes of synnes. The resurrection of the body. And the lyfe euerlastinge. Amen.
Symbolum Athanasij.
THe secōd Symbolum of Athanasius is longer, & settethoute more rychely and plenteously the one Article, because of the Arriās namely, that Iesus Christe is the onely Sonne of God and oure Lorde. In whome we beleue euen with the same Fayth, wherewith we beleue in the [Page] Father, as the texte sayeth in the fyrst Symbole. I beleue in God, &c. And in Iesu, &c. For yf he were not very God then muste he not with lyke Faythe, lyke vnto the Father be honoured. This disputeth and dryueth S. Athanasius in his Symbole. And it is a very defence of the fyrst Symbole.
Who so euer wil be saued before al thynges, it is necessarye that he haue the Catholyke fayth.
- Whiche faythe, but yf euery man will kepe whole and inuiolate, withoute doubte he shall eternally perysshe.
- This truely is the righte Catholyke Faythe, that we worshippe one God in trinite, and the trinite in vnitie.
- Neyther confondinge the persons, neyther seperatinge the substaunce.
- The person of the Father is one. The persone of the Sonne another. The persone of the holy Ghooste another.
- But of the Father of the Sonne, [Page] and of the holy Ghoost, ther is one diuinite, equall glorye coeternall maiestie.
- Suche as is the Father, suche is the Sonne, suche is the holy Ghoost.
- The Father is vncreate, the sonne vncreate, the holy Ghost is vncreate.
- The Father is immeasurable, the Sonne immeasurable the holy Ghoost immeasurable.
- The Father is euerlasting, the Sonne euerlasting, the holy Ghoost euerlastinge.
- And not withstāding, there be not thre euerlasting, but one euerlasting.
- Euen as there be not thre vncreate, nor thre vnmeasurable, but one vncreat and one vnmeasurable.
- In lyke maner is the Father almightie the Sonne almightie, and the holy Ghoost almightie.
- And yet be they not thre almighties, but one God almightie.
- So the Father is God, the Sonne is God, the holy Ghoost is God.
- And yet be there not thre Goddes but one God.
[Page] So the Father is the Lord, the Sonne the Lord, the holy ghoost the Lorde.
And yet be they not three Lordes, but one Lorde.
For as we be compelled by the christian veritie, to cōfesse separately euery one person to be God and Lorde.
So are we prohibite by the Catholyke relygyon of Christes faythe to saye: that there be three Goddes or three Lordes.
The father is made of none, neyther crated, nor gotten.
The sonne is from the father alone neyther made nor created, but gotten.
The holy Ghost is from the father and the sonne, neyther made, created, nor gotten, but procedynge.
And so is there but one father, not three fathers, one sonne, not three sonnes, one holy Ghoost, not three holy ghoostes.
And in thys trinite, there is none before or after another, nothyng more or lesse.
But al the three persōs be coeterne and coequal to them selfe.
[Page] So that by all wayes as nowe it hath ben aboue sayde, the trinite in vnite, and the vnite in trinite maye be worshypped.
He therfore that wyll be saued, let hym vnderstande thus of the trinite.
But it is necessary vnto euerlasting helth that euery Christian beleue also faythfully the incarnation of oure Lorde Iesu Christe.
It is therfore the ryght fayth, that we beleue and confesse, that our Lorde Iesus Christe the sonne of GOD, is God and man.
He is God by the substaunce of the father, gotten before al worldes, and he is man by the substaunce of the mother, borne in the world.
Perfect God, perfecte man, beyng of a soule reasonable, and of flesshe humayne.
Equal to the father by hys Godheade, lesse then the father by hys mā heade.
Whiche though he be God & man, yet is there not twayne, but one Christe.
[Page] Truely he is one, not by the turnyng of hys Godheade into manhead but by assumptynge of hys manheade into Godheade.
Yea he is one, not by cōfusyō or mixture of substaūce, but by vnite of persō
For as the reasonable soule, and the flesshely body, is or maketh one man, So God and man is one Christe.
Vvhiche suffred death for oure saluation, descended to hel, and rose from death the thyrde daye.
Vvhiche ascended to heauens, sitteth on the ryght hande of God the Father almightye.
From thence shal he come to iudge the quicke and the deade.
At whose commynge al men must ryse with theyr owne bodyes.
And shal geue accompte of theyr owne propre dedes.
And they that haue done wel, shall go into euerlasting lyfe, thei that haue done euyl, into euerlastynge fyre.
This is the catholike fayth, which excepte euery mā faythfully, & stedfastly do beleue, he can not be saued.
☞ Symbolum Ambrosij, and Augustini.
THe thyrde Symbole should be S. Augustyns, and Ambroses and after S. Augustyns baptisme haue ben songe, whether that be so or not, there is no daunger in it, whether a man beleue it, or not. It is neuertheles a propre symbole or confessyon (whosoeuer be the mayster or authour) made after the maner of a songe, not onely to knoweledge oure faythe, but also therin to prayse, and to thanke God, And soundeth thus.
We prayse the O God. We knowledge the to be the Lorde.
All the earth dothe worshippe the, the father euerlastynge.
To the al Angels crye a loude, the heauen, and al powers therin.
To the Cherubyn, and Seraphyn continually do crye.
Holy, holy, holy, Lorde God of Sabaoth.
Heauen and earthe are full of the [Page] maiestye of thy glorye.
The gloryous companye of the Apostles prayse the.
The goodly felowshyp of the Prophetes prayse the.
The noble army of martyrs prayse the.
The holy Churche throughoute all the worlde dothe knoweledge the.
The father of an infinite maiestie.
Thy honourable true, and onelye sonne. Also the holy Ghoost the conforter.
Thou arte the Kynge of glorye o Christe.
Thou arte the euerlastyng sonne of the father.
Vvhen thou tokest vpon the to delyuer man, Thou dyddest not abhorre the virgyns wombe.
Vvhen thou haddest ouercome the sharpenes of death, Thou diddest opē the kyngdome of heauē to al beleuers
Thou sittest on the right hande of God in the glorye of the father.
Vve beleue, that thou shalt come to be oure iudge.
[Page] Vve therfore pray the to helpe thy seruauntes, whome thou haste redemed with thy precyous bloude.
Make them to be nombred with thy saynctes in glory euerlastynge.
O Lord saue thy people, and blesse thyne heritage.
Gouerne them, and lifte them vp for euer.
Daye by daye, we magnifye the.
And we worshyp thy name euer worlde withoute ende.
Vouchesafe O Lorde to kepe vs thys daye without synne.
O Lorde haue mercy vpon vs, haue mercy vpon vs.
O Lorde let thy mercy lyght vpon vs, as oure trust is in the.
O Lorde in thy haue I trusted, let me neuer be confounded.
❧ The Symbole of Nyce.
I Beleue in one God the Father almightye, maker of heauen & [Page] earth, of all thynges visyble and inuisyble. ¶ And in one onely Lorde Iesu Christ, Gods onely sonne, which was gotten of the father before al worldes God of God, light of lyght, very true God of the very true God, gottē, not made, equall with the father, by the whiche al thynges be made.
Vvhiche for vs mankynde, and for oure saluation came doune from heauen, And was incarnate by the holye Ghoost, of the vyrgyn Mary, And became man, crucifyed also for vs, vnder Pōce Pilate, suffred and buryed.
And rose agayne the thyrde day, accordyng to the scriptures, and ascēded into heauen, and sitteth on the ryght hande of the father, and shal come agayn with glorye, to iudge the quicke and the deade, whose kyngdome shall be endeles. And in the Lorde the holy ghoost, which quickeneth, which proce deth frō the father & the sonne, whiche with the father and the Sonne together is worshypped, and together is glorifyed, which hath spoken through the Prophetes.
[Page] And one holye Catholyke and Apostolyke Churche.
I knoweledge one baptisme, to the remission of synnes, and I abyde the resurrection of the dead, and the lyfe, of the world to come.
AMEN.
❧ A singular and fruteful maner of prayeng, vsed by the famous clarke Doctour Marten Luther, and compple [...] at the desyre and instaunce of a special frende of hys, vpon the Lordes prayer, the tenne commaundementes, and the xij. Articles of the Christen fayth, no lesse necessary, then profitable.
FYrst whan I fele, that through straung dedes or thoughtes, I am be come colde, and vnlusty to prayer, euen as the fleshe, and the deuyl are alwaies ready to lette and hynder prayer. I take my boke of Psalmes, get me into my chābre, or yf the day & time so requyre into the churche to the congregation, and begynne mouthely by my selfe, [Page] to saye the Tenne commaundementes, the Crede, and after as the tyme doth serue me, certayne sayenges of Christe, Paule, or Psalmes, euen as the chyldren do.
Therfore is it good, that the prayer be vsed for the fyrste worke in the mornynge, and for the last in the euenynge. And that a man beware with all diligence of these false deceyuable thoughtes, whiche saye, Tarye a littel within thys houre wyl I pray, I must do thys or that before, for by suche cogitations and thoughtes, commeth a man from prayer vpon workes, whiche do holde and compasse hym in such wyse, that nothynge is done in prayer that daye.
And albeit that some workes may be fall, whiche be as good as prayer, or better, specyally whan necessitye doth requyre them, as there goeth a Prouerbe vnder the name of Saynte Ierome, Euery worke of the faythful is a prayer. And another Prouerbe, he that laboureth or worketh truely, prayeth double. Whiche must be spoken [Page] out of thys ground, That a faithful man in hys labour doth feare and honour God, and thynketh on his cō maundementes, so that he wyll do wronge to no man, nor steale, nor circumuent or deceyue any man, And suche cogitations make doubteles of hys worke a prayer, and besydes that a sacrifyce of prayse.
To the contrary wherof it muste also be true, that the worke of an infidel is a mere cursyng, and he that worketh vnfaythfully, curseth double, for the cogitacyons and thoughtes of hys harte are suche that he despyseth God and thynketh to transgresse hys commaundemētes, to do hys neighboure wrong, to steale, and to deceyue suche cogitatiōs, what are they elles but mere cursynges agaynst God & man, by the whiche hys worke & labour becō meth also a double curse? whereby he curseth hym self, & suche men do also remayne at the last beggers and of no reputation. Of thys continual prayer doth Christ speake vndoubtedly Luc. xi. Luce. xi. that we oughte to praye withoute [Page] ceasyng, for we must be ware of synne and wrong withoute ceasyng, whiche can not be done, yf we do not feare God, and haue his commaundemētes before oure eyes, as the first Psalme saith: Blessed is that man, which thinketh on the lawe of god nyght & day. Psal. i.
Howe be it, we must also beware that we do not vse oure selues from the ryght prayer, and prescribe vnto our selues at the laste, necessary workes, which notwithstandynge are not to the purpose, & are therby at the last made slouthful and vnlusty, cold and yrkesome or lothsome to prayer, for the deuil is not slouthful nor vnlusty or ydel aboute vs, Also our flesshe is yet to quicke and iocunde inclyned and proued to synne, and agaynst the spirite of prayer. Iob .i. i. Pet. v
Nowe whan the harte is warmed thorough such speakyng of the mouth & is come to it self, Then knele doune, or stande with thy handes folden, and thyne eyes erected into heauen, and saye or thynke in the shortest maner, that thou canst. Oh God oure heauē ly [Page] father, I am an vnworthy pore synner, Lu. xviij not worthy to lyft vp myne eyes or handes towardes the, or to praye, notwithstandyng forasmuch as thou hast cōmaunded vs al to praye, & also hast promysed to heare vs, and besydes that hast taught vs thy self, bothe wordes and maner, through thy dearly beloued sonne oure Lorde Iesus Christe, I come vpon thys, thy commaundement, to be obedyent vnto the trustyng to thy gracyous promyse, & in the name of my Lord Iesus Christ, I praye with all thy holy Christians in earth, as he hath taught me. Mat vij Luc. xi. Ioh. xiiij xv. xvi. Mat. vi Luc. xi.
‘Our father whiche arte in heauen &c. Hole oute from worde to worde.’ The fyrst Peticyon.
After that repete one pece, or as much as thou wilte, namely the fyrste peticyō. Halowed be thy name and saye. Oh Lorde God & mercyfull [Page] Father, vouchesafe I beseche the to sanctifye thy name, bothe in oure selues, and in al the worlde destroye, and put doune al abhominacyon, Idolatrye, and heresye of the Turke, of the Pope, and of al false doctryne, and erronyous spirites, whiche falsely beare thy name, and so shamefully abuse it, and so abhominably blaspheme it, saynge and boastyng, that it is thy word and the churches cōmaundement, notwithstandynge that it is the lye and deceyt of the deuyll, whereby they seduce so many poore soules in all the worlde vnder thy name, and besydes that also kyl, shede innocent bloude, & persecute, thynkyng thereby to do the a hygh seruyce.
O Lorde God, here conuerte and lette, Conuerte them, that yet shall be conuerted, that they with vs and we with them maye sanctifye and prayse thy name, bothe with pure and true doctryne, and also with a good holye lyfe and conuersation, And resiste, or let them, that wyll not be conuerted, that they maye cease to abuse, blaspheme, [Page] and dyshonour thy holye name, and to seduce the poore people, Amen.
The seconde Peticyon. ‘(Thy kyngedome come)’ sayenge.
Oh Lord God, mercyful father, thou seest that not onely the wisedome and discretion of the worlde blasphemeth thy name, and geueth thyne honoure to the lye, and to the deuyl, But also al theyr power, myght, rychesse, and honoure, which thou hast geuen them vpon earth, to rule in the worlde, and to serue the with thesame, is set and stryueth agaynst thy kyngdome, they are great, mighty, and many thicke fatte and full, and plage, hynder, and destroye the small heape of thy kyngdome, Those that be weake despysed and feawe, wyl they not suffre vpon earthe, and thynke neuertheles thereby to do thy a hyghe Goddes seruice. [Page] O Lorde God father almightye here conuerte & resiste, Conuerte them that yet shall be chyldren and membres of thy kyngdome, that they with vs, and we with them, maye serue the in thy kyngdome in true fayth, and perfecte loue, and maye come oute of thys kyngdome into euerlastyng kyngedome. And resiste them that wyll not suffre theyr power, and myght to be tourned away, from the destructiō of thy kyngedome, that they beynge deposed from theyr seate, and beyng humbled maye ceasse. Amen.
The thyrde peticion. ‘(Thy wyl be done in earth as it is in heauen)’ sayenge.
Oh Lorde GOD father almighty, thou knowest that the worlde, yf she can not brynge thy name to noughte, [...] destroy thy kyngedome, imagineth wickednes night & daye, vsyng many [Page] crafty Imaginations and dyuers subtill deuices, counsaylynge and whysperynge together, they consorte and strengthen them selues, threatenynge and cursynge, beinge full of all euill will agaynste thy name, worde, kyngedome and Children, howe they maye destroye the same. Therfore oh Lorde God and Father, conuerte and withstande. Conuerte those, that shall yet know thy good wil, that they with vs, and we with them, maye be obediēt vnto thy will, and vpon the same, willingly, paciently and gladly suffre, all euill, crosse and aduersitie, and maye herein knowe, proue and vnderstande thy bountifull gracious, and perfect will. And withstande them that will not desiste and ceasse from their furye and ragynge, hatynge, threatenynge, and euill will to do mischiefe. And dissipate and confounde their counsayll their wicked imaginations and deuices, that they fall vpon their owne heades, as the.vij. Psalme syngeth. Psal. vij Amen.
The fourth Peticion. ‘(Geue vs this daye oure dayly breade,)’ and saye.
Oh Lorde God Father euerlastinge, graunte vs also thy blessynge in this temporall & bodely lyfe, geue vs gratiously thy peace, defend vs frō warre and enemitie. Geue vnto our souetain Lord the Kyng & Protector prosperitie and healthe agaynste his enemies geue them wysedome and vnderstanding, that the maye gouerne his terrestriall kyngedome quietly and healthfully. Geue to al kynges, Princes and Lordes good counsayll, and will to entretayne their laude and subiectes in tranquillite and good iustice, specially help and further oure souereigne Lord the Kyng vnder whose protection and defence thou doest preserue vs, that he beynge preserued from all euill, false from false tonges and vntru subiectes maye rule godly and bleffully. Geue to all subiectes grace truely and faithfully to serue and to obeye, Geue vnto [Page] all estates citezens and husbandemen that they maye be good, & deale louingly and faithfully one with another. Geue gracious wether, and frutes of the felde. I commende also vnto the house, farme, wyfe & childe, helpe that I may will rule them, and Godly educate an brynge them vp. Withstande and hynder the destroyer, & all wicked Angelles that do hurte and hynderaunce herein, Amen.
The fyfte peticion. ‘(Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue thē that trespasse against vs,)’ and saye.
Psalm, cxliij.O Lorde God Father almightie, enter not into iudgement with vs, for in thy syghte is no man lyuinge righteous. Oh counte it not vnto vs for synne that we (alas) are so vnthankefull for thyne inestimable benefites ghoostly and bodely, and that we do dayly stumble and synne many [Page] tymes, more than we knowe and can perceyue. Psalm. xviij.Psal.xviij. But regarde not good Lorde howe good or wicked we are. But haue respecte to thyne inestimable mercy geuen vs frely in Christ thy dearely beloued sonne. Forgeue also al oure enemyes, and al them that do vs displeasure or wronge, euen as we also forgeue them withall our hartes. For they do thereby vnto them selues the greatest displeasure, in that they offende the in vs. And we haue no pleasure in their destruction. But woulde rather se them saued with vs Amen. And whosoeuer feleth hym selfe here, that he is not redy and willynge to forgeue, maye call for grace, that he may be willing to forgeue. But this belongeth to the Sermon.
The syxth petition. ‘(And leade vs not into temptation,)’ and saye.
O good Lorde, God Father almightie, kepe vs wakyng [...] and lusty, feruēt [Page] and diligent in thy worde and seruice, that we do not waxe ydell slouthfull & vnlusty, as though we had nowe all thinges, that the rompinge deuill do not begyle and ouertake vs, and spoyl vs agayne of thy moost holy worde, or stirre vp discorde and Sectes amonge vs, or leade vs otherwyse into synne & shame, both spiritually and corporally, but geue vs trough thy Spirite, wisedome & power, that we maye valiauntely withstande hym, and gette the vpper hande of hym, Amen.
The seuenth peticion. ‘(But delyuer vs from euill,)’ and saye.
O Lord God Father almightie. This miserable lyfe is so full of Calamities and wretchednes, so full of periculositie & vnstablenes, so full of infidelitie and iniquitie (as S. Paule sayeth. The dayes are euill) Phil. i. Gal. ij. vi. that we should by reason, be wery of this lyfe and desyrous of death. But thou O Father knowest [Page] our weakenes. Therfore helpe vs to go safe thorough such manyfolde euilles and iniquities, and whan the tyme cometh geue vs a gracious houre, and a blessed departinge out of this valley of wretchednes, that we do not feare death nor be faynt harted, but maye commende oure soules into thy handes with a sure and stedfaste faythe, Amen.
Last of all marke that thou must alwayes make the Amē, strong, & doubt nothinge. But that God is thyne vndoutedly with all his graces, and saye yea to thy prayer. And thynke that thou doest not knele and stande there alone. But the vniuersall Christianite or all righteous Christians with the, & thou among them in an vniforme prayer, whiche God can not despise. And go not frō thy prayer before that thou hast sayde or thought. This prayer is hearde in the syght of God. This do I knowe surely and vndoubtedly. That is, Amen.
Also thou shalt knowe, that I will not haue all these wordes spoken in [Page] the prayer. For thereof shoulde at the last growe babbling and a vayne mō belinge, beynge reade out of the boke after the letters, euen as oure Ladyes Psalter hath ben among the laye people, and the prayers of Priestes and Monkes. But I will thereby haue the harte stirred and instructed, what cogitations or thoughtes it oughte to vse in the Lordes prayer. But suche thoughtes or cogitations can the harte (whan it is through warme and lusty to praye) expresse well ynough with farre other wordes, yea also with fewer or more wordes. For I my selfe also, will not be bounde to suche wordes and sillables, but speake the wordes to daye thus, to morowe otherwyse, accordinge as I am warme and lusty, howe be it as uere as I can, I abyde by the same sence and meanynge. It commeth also often to passe that I come in one pointe or peticion, into so plenteous digressions and thoughtes, that I leaue all the other syxe. And also when suche [Page] riche and plentyfull cogitation, come we ought to let the other prayers alone and to geue place to suche cognitations and to heare them gentely, and not to hynder them in any wyse. For there preacheth the holy Ghoost hym selfe. And one worde of his preachinge is farre better than a thousande of oure Prayers. And I haue also oftentimes learned more in one prayer, than I coulde haue gotten by much readinge, and enditynge.
Therfore lyeth the greateste vtilite in this, that the harte be made voyde and lusty to prayer. As also Eccles [...]. sayeth. Eccli. xviij. Before thou prayeste, prepare thy soule that thou be not as one that tempteth God. What is it elles but to tēpte God, whā the mouth babbleth & the hart is scatered elles were? Esa. xxix. As one Prieste prayed, whiche prayed on this wyse. Mat xv Deus in adiutorium meum intende, seruaunt hast thou, made ready the carte? Domine ad adiuuandum me festina. Mayde go thy wayes, and mylke the cowe. Gloria patri & filio & spiritui sancto. Runne hoerson that a [Page] mischief on the &c. Of whiche kynde of prayers. I haue hearde and knowen many in my dayes in the Papacye, & all their prayers for the moost parte be after that sorte. Thereby is god but mocked, and it were better that they did playe in steade of suche a prayer. Yf they woulde or coulde do no better thynge. For I my selfe haue Prayed many suche horas Canonicas in my dayes (whiche nowe I Lamente) that the Psalme or houres was at an ende, or euer I was were, whether I was in the begynnynge or in the myddeste of it.
And although they do not all come out with it so rudely myng lynge their busynes with theirprayers by mouthe as the aboue named priest, did yet do they so in their thoughtes, castynge the hundreth amonge the thousande, and whan it is oute, they knowe not what they haue done, or howe they are come to the ende, they beginne at Laudate, and by and by theyr myndes run at rouers, so that I thynke, that no ingling can come before any man, which [Page] shoulde moue him more to laugh, than yf he might se the thoughtes, which a colde, vndeuoute harte, choppeth together in prayer. But nowe I see well ynough thankes be to God, that it is not wel prayed, yf a mā forgette what he hath sayde For a right prayer thinketh on all the wordes and thoughtes from the beginnynge, vnto the ende of the prayer.
Lyke as a good diligente barber must haue his mynde and eyes very sharpely fixed, and attendaunt vpon the rasoure and vpon the heares and forgette not, where he is in shauinge or cuttynge. For yf he shoulde be full of wordes and bablinges, or thinke and loke some other waye he myghte cutte awaye a mannes mouthe and nose, yea also his throte. So hole will euery thinge haue a man, yf it shall be done as it oughte to be done, with all his wittes and membres, as men vse to saye. Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus. He that thynketh many maner of wayes, thynketh nothinge [Page] at all, neither dothe he any good. Howe muche more will prayer haue the harte alone, hole, and onely, yf elles it be a good prayer.
This is brefely spoken of the Pater noster or prayer, as I am wont to praye my selfe. For euen yet at this daye I sucke on the Pater noster, as a Chylde, eate and drynke as an olde man, and can not be satisfied of it, and it is also to me the beste prayer, euē aboue the Psalter (whome not withstandinge I loue not a littel). Truely, it appeareth that the righte mayster hath ordeyned and taughte it. And it is pitie, and greate pitie, that suche a prayer of suche a Mayster, shoulde be so babbled and blabberede, withoute all deuotion in all the worlde. Many men praye paraduenture euery yere certayne thousandes of Pater noster. And though they shoulde praye so a thousande yeres, yet haue they not tasted nor prayed oue lettre or tittel therof. Summa, the Pater noster is the greatest martyre (as well [Page] as the name & worde of God) in earth. For euery man doth plage and misvse it, fewe there be that do consorte it in the right vse.
But whan I haue time and place before the Pater noster. I do also in lyke maner weth the Tenne cōmaundementes, and reherse one pece after another, that I maye be made apte. (As muche as is possible) to prayer. Makinge of euery commaundement foure partes, or a fourefolde garlande As I take euery commaundement, fyrst as a doctrine, euen as it is in hym selfe, remembringe. What oure Lorde God therin so earnestly requireth of me. Secondely do I make a thankes geuinge therof. Thirdely, a confession. Fourthly, a prayer, namely thus, or with suche lyke thoughtes or wordes.
The fyrst commaundement. ‘Thou shalt haue none other Goddes but me. Thou shalt make thy no grauen Image, neither any similitude that is in heauē aboue either in the earth beneth, or in the water, vnder the earth. Thou shalte not worship thē neither serue thē &c.’
Here do I thynke, Fyrste that God requyreth of me, and teachet a hartty confidence in hym, in all thinges, and it is his great earnest, that he will be my God, and so muste I take hym vpon payne of damnation. And that my harte shoulde not trust nor buyld vpō any thinge elles, whether it be goodes honour, wysedome, power, holynes or any creature. Secōdarely, I do thanke his infinite mercy, that he so fatherly geueth hym selfe to me damned creature, here benethe, and offereth hym [Page] selfe to me vndesyred, vnsought for and vndeserued, to be my God to care for me, and wil be my conforte, defence helpe and strength. Notwithstanding that we pore blynde creatures haue sought so many maner of Goddes, & yet shoulde be fayne to seke, yf he did not cause hym self so opēly to be heard and did not offer hym selfe vnto vs in our humayne language, that he would be oure God. Who is euer able sufficiently to thanke hym for this? Thirdely do I confesse and knowledge my great synne and vnthankefulnes, that I so shamefully throughout al my lyfe haue despised, and littel regarded this hoo [...]some doctrine & excellent gyfte, & haue so abhominably with innumerable Idolatries prouoked his wrath & indignation, wherfore I am sory, & cry for mercy. Fourthly do I praye, sayēg: Oh my God & Lord helpe me through thy grace, that I mai daily better learn and vnderstande this thy commaundement, & do therafter with a harty confidēce, kepe my herte, that I be no more so forgetfull and vnthankefull, that I [Page] seke neither truste nor conforte in any other Goddes, nor in any Creature. But that I maye continue onely, syncerely and purely by the myne onely Lorde God and Father, Amen.
After this (yf I haue tyme and space) the seconde commaundement, also digested into foure partes, on this wyse.
The seconde commaundement. ‘Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vayne. For the Lorde will not hold hym gyltelesse that taketh his name in vayne.’
Fyrst, I do learne, that I must kepe the name of God Glorious, Holy and cleane that I shall not sweare, curse or lye thereby, that I shall not be [Page] proude sekynge myne owne honour & name, but that I shall humbly worship adore, prayse and boast hys name. And let all this be myne honour and reioysinge, that he is my God, and that I am his poore creature, and vnworthy seruaunte. Secondarely, I do thanke hym of his glorious gyft, that he hath reueled and geuen me his name, that I may boast of his name, and be called a seruaunt or Creature of God, &c. That his name is my refuge, as a sure hold (as Salomon sayeth) to the which the Righteous doth flye, and is saued and defended. Thyrdely, I do cōfesse & knoweledge myne abhominable & greuous synnes, which I haue committed against this cōmaūdemēt, frō my youth wher as I haue not onely left worshipping, boastinge and honouringe of his name, but also haue ben vnthākeful for suche giftes, & haue abused the same to al maner of vngraciousnes, with swearing lyeng, deceyuing. &c. Wherfore I am sory, and desyre grace and mercy &c. Fourthly, I do praye for helpe and strength, that I may from hence furth [Page] learne thys commaundement, and kepe my selfe from suche shamefull vnthankefulnes, abuse & synnes, agaynst hys holy name, but that I maye be founde thākeful, and in the true feare and honour of hys name.
And as I haue sayde before in the Pater noster, so do I admonysshe agayne, that in case the holy Ghooste shoulde come amonge suche thoughtes, & begynne to preache in thy harte with rychely illumyned cogitations, Then geue hym the honour, let these cogitacyons go, whiche thou hast takē in hande, be styl, and heare hym, that can do it better than thou, And whatsoeuer he preacheth, the same marke, and note it, then shalt thou se marueylous thynges (as Dauid sayth) in the lawes of God.
The thyrde commaundemēt ‘Remember the Sabboth daye, that thou sanctifye it.’
[Page] Herein do I learne fyrste, that the Sabboth is iustituted, not for to go ydell, nor for carnal pleasures, but that he shoulde of vs be sanctifyed, but through oure workes and doynges is he not sanctifyed, for our worhes are not holy, but through the word of GOD, whiche onely is [...] hole pure and holy, & sanctifyeth all whatsoeuer is accompanyed with it, whether it be tyme, place, person, worke, rest. &c. For throughe the worde are oure workes also made holy, as Paul saith. i. thi. iiij. i. Thi. iiij. That also al creatures are sanctifyed through the worde and prayer, Therfore do I knowledge herein, that at the furthest vpon the holy daye, I ought to heare and to remembre the worde of God, and after that to thanke hym in the same worde, and lande hym for al hys benefytes, and to pray for my selfe and al the world, whosoeuer doeth thus vse hym selfe vpon the holy day, doeth sauctifye the Sabboth daye, he that doeth it not, doeth worse than they that laboure or worke vpon it.
[Page] Secondarely I do geue thankes in thys commaundement, for this greate fayre bene fyte and grace of God, that he hath geuē vs his word & preaching, and commaunded vs specially to vse it vpon the Sabboth daye, which treasure no mans harte is able sufficiently to remembre, for hys worde is the onelye lyghte in the darkenes of thys lyfe, and the worde of lyfe, of conforte and of al saluation, And wheresoeuer thys swete and holesome worde is not, there is nothynge, but fearfull and horryble darkenes, errour, corruption, death, all euyll, and the Deuyls owne Tyrannye, as we see dayely before oure owne eyes.
Thyrdely, I do confesse and knoweledge my greuous synnes, and my shameful vnthankefulnes, that I haue so lewdely spent the holye dayes in my tyme, and so contemptuousely despysed hys holy worde, and haue ben so stouthful, vnlusty & lothsome to heare thesame. I omitte that I should haue desyred it mooste hartely, or that [Page] euer I shoulde haue geuen hym thankes for it, & so haue suffered my deare Lorde and God to preache vnto me in vayn, not regardyng this noble treasure, but treadynge it vnder my fete, which he hath suffered of me with mere godly pacience and bountyfulnes, and hath not therfore ceassed frō preachyng vnto me stilfurth, and from callynge me to the saluacyon of my soul with al fatherly and Godly loue and faythfulnes, wherfore I am sory, and crye for mercy and forgeuenes.
Fourthly, I do praye for my selfe, and for al the worlde, that our heauē ly father vouchesafe to kepe vs by his holy worde, and not to take thesame from vs, because of oure synnes, vnthankefulnes and slouthfulnes, That he wyll preserue vs from all sectysshe and erronyous spirites, and false doetrynes, and sende vs faythfull & true labourers in hys haruest, that is, true and good curates & preachers, Geue vs grace also, that we maye humbly heare, receyue and honour the wordes of them, as his owne worde, and besydes [Page] that maye hartely thanke & laube hym for it.
The fourth commaundement. ‘Thou shalt honour thy father and thy mother.’
Fyrst do I learne here to knowe God my creatour, howe wonderfully he hath shapen me with body and soule, and geuen me lyfe through my pareutes, and hath geuen them the mynd that they as the fruyie of theyr body haue serued me, with all theyr power, brought me into the worlde, educated me, tēded me, gouerned me, & brought me vp with great diligence, care daunger, labour, and trauayle, and hath preserued me hys creation vnto this houre in body and soule from innumerable daungers, and necessities, and hath also oftentymes delyuered me from them, as though he created me a newe euery houre. For the deuyll woulde [Page] not haue vs lyue the space of one moment.
Secondarely, I do thanke our ryche and bountyful creatour for me self and for al the worlde, that in thys cō maundement he hath instituted and preserued the increase, multiplication and entretaynement of mankynd, that is, house and Towne, beynge or oeconomyam, and Politiam, for withoute these two beynges or regimentes, the worlde were not able to continue one yere, seyng withoure worldely gouernaunce, there can be no peace, where no peace is, there can be no house holde, where no housholde is, there can neyther chyldren be broughte furthe nor educated, And the estate of fatherhode and motherhode shoulde altogether ceasse, But therfore is thys cō maundement ordeyned, which kepeth and entretayneth bothe housekepyng and Townekepynge, and commaundeth the chyldren, and the subiectes obedience. It doth also loke to it, that it be done, or yf it be not done, it leaueth not the transgressours vnpunysshed, [Page] If thys were not the children through theyr disobediēce would haue destroyed and made waste the housekepynge long a goo, and the subiectes through theyr sediciou in lyke maner the Towneshyp or Townekepyng, for so much as the numbre of them doth farre excede the numbre of parentes & rulers, Therfor is this benefite also inexplicable. Thyrdely, I do confesse & knoweledge myne execrable disobedience & synne, that I cōtrary to thys cōmaundement of my God, haue not honoured nor obeyed my parentes, that I haue oftentymes angred & troubled them, & haue taken theyr fatherly correction vnpacientely, murmured and grudged agaynst them, despised theyr true exhortacions & admonicions, and haue rather followed wicked persons and euyl companye, notwithstandyng that God hymselfe curseth suche disobedyent chyldren, Exo. xx and denyeth them longe lyfe, euen as we se very manye that therfore do perysshe before they attayne to mannes state, for whosoeuer wyll not obeye hys father [Page] and hys mother, must obeye the hangeman, or elles otherwyse lost hys lyfe wickedly through Goddes indignation. &c. For al these thynges am I sory and I praye for grace and mercy.
Fourthely I do praye for my selfe, and for all the world, that God wyll geue hys grace, & poure out hys blessyng plenteously, bothe ouer the houskepynge, and ouer the Townekeping that we from hencefurth maye waxe good, kepe our Parentes in honour be obedyent to the rulers, withstande the deuyl, and followe not hys entysynge to disobedience and discorde, & so helpe with the dede to amēde house and lande, and to entretayne the peace to the laude and prayse of God, and to the vtilite and profite of oure selues, and that we maye knoweledge these hys benefytes, and thanke hym for them. Here ought also supplicatiō to be made for oure parentes and magistrates, that God wyl geue them vnderstandynge and wysedome peaceably and godly to defende, and to gouerne vs, That he wyl preserue them [Page] from Tyrannye, furye, and vntragyousnes, that they may seke the honour of Goddes worde, and not persecute it, nor do any man wronge, for suche greate gyftes muste be obtayned by prayer, as Saynt Paule teacheth, or elles is the deuyll the hyest Abbot in the courte, and it goeth euyl and wyldely to worke.
And whan thou arte also father & mother, than is it here tyme that thou forgette not thy selfe, nor thy chyldren and familye, but that thou praye earnestly, that our mercyful father, whiche hath set the in the honour of hys name and offyce, and wyl haue the also called father, and honoured, wil geue the grace and blessynge, godly, and christenly to rule and to educate thy wyfe, chyldren and familye, geue the wysedome and power, well to brynge them vp, and geue them a good harte and wyll, to followe and to obeye thy doctryne. For the gyftes of God are bothe chyldren, and the good profe of them, bothe the well chaunsynge, and the continuynge of them in goodnes, [Page] elles shoulde a house be none other, but a hogges stye, yea a scoolehouse of vnthriftes, as we maye se by the vngodly rude people.
The fyfthe commaundement. ‘Thou shalt not kylle.’
Here do I learne fyrste, that God requyreth of me, that I shoulde loue my neyghboure, so that I shoulde not hurte hym in hys body, neyther with wordes, nor with dedes, nor reuenge me selfe vpon him, or endamage hym, through anger, impacience, enuye, hatred or any malyce, but should knowe that I am bounde to help, and to counsayll hym in al the necessities of hys body, for he hath commaunded me by thys commaundement, to kepe my neyghbours body, and contrarywyse commaunded my neyghboure to kepe my body, And as Syrach sayeth, he hath committed vnto euery one of [Page] vs hys neyghbour.
Secondely, I do here thanke the vnspeakeable loue care and faythfulnes towardes me, that he hath ordeyned suche a great, stronge, defence and wael about my body, Psalm, xxxiiij. that al men are bounde to fauoure and to defende me, and contrarywyse I also towardes al mē in like maner, he doth also straightely commaunde it to be done, and if it be not done, he hath commaunded the swearde to be vsed for the punysshement of them that do it not, Ro. xiij. elles yf this hys commaundement and ordinaunce were not, the deuil would make suche a murther amonge men, that noman shoulde be one houre in sanegarde of hys lyfe, euen as we se, it come to passe, whan GOD is displeased, and punyssheth the disobedyent and vnthankeful worlde.
Thyrdely I do here Confesse, and lamente myne and the worldes iniquitie, that we are not onely so vnthankefull for these hys fatherly loue, and care for vs, but also that [Page] (whiche is to shamefull) we knowe not these commaundementes and doctryne, neyther wyl learne them, but despyse them, as though they pertayned not to vs, or as though we had no thynge to do with them, beynge also carelesse, and makynge no conscience of it, that we do so despyse, forsake, yet also persecute and hynder our neyghboure, contrary to thys commaundemente, or also kyl hym in oure hartes, followynge oure anger fearsnes and al iniquitye, as though we dyd well in it. Truely here is it tyme to lament and to wepe ouer vs wicked personnes, and blynde, wylde, vngracyous people, which treade, pusshe, scratche, rente, byte and eate oure selues one amonge another, as the vnreasonable and feare beastes, not fearynge thys earnest commaundement of GOD. &c.
Fourthely, do I pray, that our mercyfull father wil teache vs to knowe thys hys holy commaundement, and helpe, that we may also guyde oure selues to lyue thereafter, Saue vs all [Page] together from the murtherer, whiche is mayster of all murther and destruction, and geue hys plenteous grace, that the people (and we with them) one with another maye be frendelye meke and gentyll, and that one maye hartely forgeue another, and that the one do Christenly and brotherlye beare the others faute and burthen, and so lyue in true peace and vnite, as this commaundement teacheth and requyreth.
The sixte commaundement. ‘Thou shalt not breake wedlocke.’
Here do I learne agayne what god requyreth of me, and what he wil haue of me, namely, that I should lyue chastely, honestly and measurably, bothe in thoughte, worde and dede, & leaue euery mās wyfe, doughter and mayde vndefyled, but help, delyuer, defende, and do al whatsoeuer partayneth to [Page] the preseruation of theyr honour and honestie. Also helpe to stoppe the vngracyous monthes, that do cut awaye or steale theyr honour or honestye. For al this I am bounde to do, and God requyreth of me, that I shal not onely leaue my neyghbours wyfe, and hys vndefyled, but also shal be bounde to helpe, to kepe, and to saue hys honour and honestye, euen as I woulde that my neyghbour shoulde do to me in lyke case, and vse thys commaundemēt towardes me and myne.
Secondarely I do thanke the heauenly father for this his grace & benefyte, that with this commaundement he taketh in hys tuition, protection & defence, my husbande, sonne, seruaunt wyfe, daughter, mayde, & cōmaundeth so earnestly and strayghtly, that they shal not be defyled, for he geueth me safe conduyt, He doth also execute it, and leaueth it not vnpunysshed, although he shoulde do it hym selfe, noman escapeth hym, he muste eyther paye it here, or elles at the laste receyue [Page] hys rewarde for suche pleasures in hell fyre. For he wyl haue chastite, and wyll not suffre adulterye, euen as we se dayly in al impenitent and ryotous people, that at the last they are ouertakē by the wrath of GOD and shamefully destroyed, or elles it were not possyble to any man to kepe hys wyfe, chyld or familie one houre in honestye and clenlynes, for the vncleane spirite, for they woulde vse mere dogges feastes, and bestyal a cō uersacion, euen as it commeth to passe whan God in his displeasure withdraweth hys hande, and letteth all thynges go at large.
Thyrdely, I do confesse and knowledge my synnes (and the synnes of al the worlde) whiche I haue done agaynst thys commaundement, all the dayes of my lyfe, whether it be in thoughte, worde, and dede, and haue not onely ben vnthankeful for thys hys goodly doctryne & gyfte, but also haue murmured and grudged against god, that he cōmaunded this clenlines [Page] and chastite, and hath not left all maner of vnclenlynes and vngraciousenes at libertie and vnpunysshed, haue also despysed and condemned wedlock &c. Euen as the synnes of thys commaundemēt are of al other the rudest and moost knowen, which are not hydden nor couered. Wherfore I am sory &c.
Fourthely, I do praye for my selfe and for al the world, that God wil geue vs grace, to kepe thys commaundement with luste and loue, that not onely we maye lyue chastely oure selues, but also helpe and counsayl other therto.
Euen so do I procede with the other commaundementes, yf I haue tyme and space, or yf I amlusty, for as I haue sayde, I wyl haue nomā bound to these my wordes or thoughtes, but onely haue shewed myne exāple, whiche may followe, whosoeuer wil, or amende it whosoeuer can, & take afore hym at one tyme all the cōmaundemē tes, or as many as he wil, for the soule whan she desyreth a thinge, be it good [Page] or bad, yf it be earnest vnto her, can thynke more in the twynkelinge of an eye, than the tonge is able to speake in tenne houres, and the penne to write in tenne dayes, suche a swyfte subtill and mightie thinge is the soule or spirite, therefore can she soone execute the tenne commaundementes throughout all the foure partes whan she wil, and is earnestly disposed.
The seuenth Commaundement. ‘Thou shalt not steale.’
Fyrste do I learne here, that I shall not take my neighbours goodes, nor haue them against his wil, neither preuely nor apearily, that I shall not be vntrue nor false, in occupyenge, seruinge or labouringe, whereby I might gette my goodes theuysshely, but shall lyue & earne my lyuinge in the sweate of my browes, and eate myne owne bread with al trueth. Gen. iij Itē, that I should helpe, that my neyghbours goodes [Page] through the aboue named poynctes be not taken awaye from hym. I do learne also, that God by this cōmaundement doth, assure and defende me my goodes, of Fatherly care, & greate earnest, for so muche as he commaundeth, that nothinge shalbe stolen from me. And yf it be not obeyed, he hath ordeyned a punysshement for it, and hath committed the gallowes, & corde to maister Iohn, or yf he can not, than doth he punysshe hym selfe, that at the last they must become beggers. Accordinge to the common prouerbe, he that loueth to steale in his youth goeth a begginge in his age. Item, wrongfully gotten goodes do not prospere. And euill gotten, euill spent.
Secondarely, I do thanke his truthe and goodnes, that he hath geuen to me and to all the worlde suche a good doctrine, and therwith also protection and defence. For yf he did not defende, noman were able to kepe one peny, or a morsell of breade in his house.
Thirdely, I do cōfesse al my synnes [Page] and vnthākefulnes, how soeuer I haue done any man wronge or falsehode, all the dayes of my lyfe. &c.
Fourthely, I do praye that he will geue grace, that I and all the worlde maye learne and remembre this his cō maundement, & also take amendement therof, that there may be lesse stealing robbinge, spoylinge, falsehode, & wrōg and briefely, that through the later day (to which ende the prayers of all sayntes and Creatures are directed Rom. viij.) an ende may be made of al. Amē.
The eyght cōmaundement. ‘Thou shalt beare no false witnes agaynste thy neighbour.’
This teache vs Fyrst, to be true one to another, and to eschue all maner of lyes and schlaunders, gladly to speak and to heare the beste of other. And hereby is a wall and defence ordeyned for oure good name and innocēcye [Page] agaynste the euill mouthes and false tonges, which also God suffereth not vnpunysshed, as hath ben sayd of other Commaundementes.
Therefore ought we to thanke hym bothe for the doctrine & for the defence whiche he geueth, is so graciously by this commaundement.
Thirdely ought we to confesse & to desire mercy that we haue so vnthākefully and synfully spent all the dayes of our lyfe, with lyenge, with false and euill tonges agaynste our neighbour. Whome notwithstanding we owe delyueraunce and preseruation of all his honour & innocēcye, euen as we would be done to oure selues.
Fourthly, we pray for helpe to kepe this cōmaundement from hencefurth and for a holsome tonge, &c.
The nynth and tenth commaundementes. ‘Thou shalt not desyre thy neyghbours house, nor his wyfe, &c.’
[Page] This teacheth vs fyrste, howe that we by no coloure of right or Iustice, shall put our neighbour besydes his goodes or whatsoeuer is his, but helpe, that he maye kepe it, euen as we oure selues woulde, that other men shoulde do to vs. And it is also a defence against the spiteful inuentions and prankes of the wittye men of the world which neuertheles at the laste haue also theire punysshement.
Secondarely ought we to geue thā kes for it.
Thirdly, to cōfesse our synnes with sorowe and repentaunce.
Fourthly to pray for helpe & strēgth that we maye waxe good, & kepe these commaundementes of God.
Whosoeuer nowe hath tyme superfluous, or elles is Lusty, maye do in lyke maner with the Crede or beleue, and make a fourefolde garlande therof. But the Crede hath thre greate Principall partes or Articles, according to the thre personnes of the Godly Maiestie, euen as they are deuyded before, and also in the Catechismus.
The fyrst Article of the Creation. ‘I beleue in God the Father almightie, maker of heauen and earth.’
Here shyneth fyrst a great lighte in thy harte. Yf thou wilte haue it. And teacheth the with fewe wordes that, whiche can not be expressed with all tonges, nor written with many bokes, Namely what thou arte, whence thou comest, and whence heauen and earth do come. For thou arte the creatiō, makynge, Creature and handy worke of God. That is, of thy selfe, and in thy selfe, arte thou nothing, canst nothing knowest nothinge, and arte able to do nothinge. For what wast thou a thousande yeres a gone? Vvhat was heauē and earth sixe thousande yere agone? Euen so hole nothing, as the thing is nothinge, whiche neuer shall be made. But whatsoeuer thou arte knoweste, [Page] canst or mayest, the same is the creatiō of God, euen as thou doest here confesse with thy mouthe, wherefore thou hast nothing to reioyce of before God but that thou arte nothinge at all, and that he is thy maker and creatour, and can tourne the to nothinge euery momente. Of this light knoweth the imagination of man nothinge at all. Many highe learned men haue sought and searched, what heauen and earth. Man and creature might be, but they haue not founde it. But here sayth oure belefe, that God made all thinges of nought. Here is the pleasaunt garden of the soule to walke in, in the workes of God, howe be it, it is to longe to writte of it at this tyme.
Secondarely, ought we here to geue thankes, that we through the goodnes of God are made of nought, and are dayly preserued of nought suche a goodly creation, whiche hath body and soule, discretion and the fyne wittes, &c. and ordeyned Lordes and rulers ouer the earth, fysshes, foules & [Page] cattel. Hither belongeth the .i.ij. and .iij. chapiter of Gene.
Thirdely ought we to confesse & to lamente our vnbeleue and vnthankefulnes, that we haue not regarded beleued, remēbred nor knowledgede thesame, worse then the vnreasonable cattell. &c.
Fourthely, to praye for a true and sure faith, that we maye from hence-furth earnestly beleue & take the true God for our Creatour, accordinge to the sayenge of this Article.
The seconde Article of the redemption. ‘And in Iesu Christe his onely sonne our Lord. &c.’
Here shyneth agayne as greate a lighte, and teacheth vs: Howe we are redemed through Christ the Sonne of God from death wherein we are fallē after our creation through the synne of Adam, and must eternally perysshe. [Page] And here is it tyme, lyke as in the fyrst Article thou must also counte thy self for one amonge the creatures of God and doubte nothinge therein. Euen so muste thou counte thy selfe also for oure amonge them, that are redemed and doubte nothinge at all. And set by euery worde the fyrste worde (oure) as Iesus Christe oure Lorde, euen so lyke wyse, oure suffered Oure dead, oure rysen, that he be all hole oures. And that thon arte also vnder the same oure, euen as the worde it selfe doth geue it.
Secondarely we ought hartely to geue thankes for this great grace and be glad of this redemption.
Thirdely, bitterly to Lamente and to confesse oure shamefull vnbeleue & doubtefulnes, concerninge this grace, Oh what a heape shalte thou fynde here for to remembre, howe muche Idolatrye thou haste vsed contrary to this, with so many seruynges of saynctes, and innumerable workes of thyne owne, whiche haue ben quite and cleane against this redemption.
[Page] Fourthely muste thou praye that God wil kepe the by the true and syncere faith in Christ thy Lord, frō hence furth vnto the ende.
The thyrde Article of the Sanctification. ‘I beleue in the holy Ghoost, &c.’
This is the thyrde greate lighte, whiche teacheth vs. Where this Creatour and redemer in earthe externally is to be founde and to be taken, and where al thinges shall become at the last, whereof there were muche to say: And briefly this is the summe. Whersoeuer the holy Catholyke Churche is, there is founde God the Creatour, God the redemer, and God the holy Ghoost, that is to saye: whiche dayly sanctified through forgeuenes of synnes, &c. And the Churche is, whersoeuer Goddes worde is truely preached and knowledged of this faythe. [Page] Here haste thou agayne many thinges to remembre of all that the holy Ghoost doeth dayly exercyse in the churche. &c.
Therfore geue here thankes, that thou arte also come and called into this Church.
Confesse and Lamente thyne vnbeleue and vnthankefulnes, that thou hast not regarded all this. And praye for a righte sure faythe, whiche maye continue and abyde, vntill thou comest where as all thing shall continue for euer, that is, after the resurrection of the deade in the lyfe euerlastinge.
AMEN.
A prayer agaynste the Pope & the Turkes, the Mortall enemies of Christ and of his Churche.
HEuēly Father, ful well haue we deserued, to be corrected of the.
But correcte vs Lorde thy selfe accordinge to thy mercy, and not after thy fury. It is better for vs to geue oure selues into the correctiō of thy handes, than in the handes of men or of the enemy, as Dauid prayed also. For great is thy mercy. We haue synned agaynste the, and haue transgressed thy commaundementes.
But thou God almightie Father knowest, that we haue not synned agaynst the deuill, Pope, or Turkes. And that they also haue no authorite nor power vs to correcte. Howe be it thou canst and mayest vse them, as [Page] thy fearful scourge, agaynst vs, which agaynst the haue offended, and deserued all myschief.
Yea deare God, heuenly father, we haue done no synne against thē, wherfore they might lawfully punyssh vs. But muche rather would they, that we with thē most abhominably shoulde synne against the. For they regard it not, yf we to the were disobedient, blasphemed the, vsed al maner of Idolatry (as they do) & went aboute with false doctryne, false fayth, and with lyes, and committed agaynst the aduoutry, vnclenlynes, murther, thefte, robbery, Sorcery, and al maner of enyl. But this is our trespasse against them, that we preache, beleue, & knowledge the, God the father to be the onely true God, and thy welbeloued sonne, our Lord Iesus Christ, and the holy ghoost, to be one onely God, yea thys is the synne that we committe agaynst them, but yf we shoulde denye the, then shoulde the deuil, world, pope and turcke fulwel leaue vs in rest, accordynge to the saynge of thy deare [Page] Sonne, yf ye were of the worlde, the worlde woulde loue her owne. &c.
Here shewe thy mercy, O merciful father ouer vs, and earnest iudge ouer oure enemyes, for they are more thyne enemyes then oures. Because that when they persecute and stryke vs, then do they persecute and stryke thy for the world, which we preache, beleue and knowledge, is not oures, but thyne, and the work of thy holy ghost in vs.
The deuil wil not suffre such thynges, but in steade of the he wyl be our god, in stede of thy word he wil stablis she lyes in vs. The Turke wil set hys Machometh in the rowme of thy deare sonne Iesus Christ. For he speaketh euyl of hym, and sayth: That he is no ryght God, and that hys Machomet is hyer and better then he.
Yf it be synne, that we holde, knoweledge and boaste the father, and the Sonne and the holy Ghoost, for the true onely God, Then arte thou the synner thy selfe, whiche workest thys in vs, and commaundest vs to do it. [Page] Therfore do they hate, stryke, and correcte thy selfe, whē they for such matters, do hate stryke or punysshe vs.
Wherfore awake O Lorde God, & sanctifye thy name, whome they blaspheme, strengthen thy kingdom, whiche they distourbe in vs, & let thy wyl be done, whiche they will quenche in vs, and suffer not thy self so to be troaden vnder fete for our synnes sake, of them, that do not correcte our synnes in vs, but woulde quenche in vs thy holy worde, name, and worke, to thintent, that thou shouldest be no God, & haue no people to preache, beleue, and knoweledge the. Vouchesafe o Lorde gracyously to heare this oure petitiō, and do accordynge to oure beleue and truste, By the deare Sonne oure Lorde Iesus Christe, whiche lyneth and raygneth, with the and the holye Ghooste worlde without ende.
AMEN.