FYrst where Christ our Lorde sayeth, [...]he Gos­ [...]llerschur [...]e recea [...] ­eth the [...]ole Scri­ [...]tu [...]e. my shepe heare my voyce: the churche of Christe (whyche to be knowne from the churche of Papistes, is called the gospellers church, as the chur­che of Englande in Kyng Edwardes tyme was) dothe acknowlege and re­ceaue the Canonical bokes bothe of the olde Testamēt and newe, as those that were proclaymed and spoken out of Boddes owne mouthe. Ther is none of them, that it denyeth or refu­seth, but receaueth and reteyneth thē al holly and perfytly. Nother doth it capciously reason, about y ^e receauyng of those bokes, who hath receaued them, or who hath refused them: nor whether is of greater force, the auto­rite of the churche receauyng the scri­ptures, [Page]or of the scriptures them sel­ues receaued. For albeit we read that S. Austen wrote thus: Non crederem Euā gelio, nisi ecclesiae catholicae autoritas me cōmoue ret. I wold geue no credēce (sayth he) vnto y ^e gospell, if the autorytye of the catholike churche dyd not inoue me: yet Berson the chauncellour of Pa­rise, Gerson. a ryght excellent famous man in hys tyme, dothe in hys seconde boke De vita spirituali like a discrete profoūde learned clerke, saye: S. Austen in that place, taketh the churche for the pri­mityue congregacion of those fayth­ful christē men, that harde and sawe Christ, & were his recorde bearours. For whan, ther crepte out dyuerse sō ­dry Bospelles in the churche, while the apostles & disciples of Christ were yet lyuing, they that hade sene Christ him selfe, & hade harde hys apostles, could testifye whych were ryght and true, and whych were not. Ireneus also in the .xi. chapter of his .3. boke Contra haereses, sheweth by many many­fest proues, that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles, and yet he maketh no mencion of the churche, that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles, by­cause the churche hathe receaued no [Page]moo but only 4. but bycause the Lord hath so appointed. For ther was ne­uer man that in any Conuocacion or Synode assembled al for that purpo­se from the begynnyng, cōfirmed the Canonical bokes of the scriptures, or decreed which were canonical, which were not, but the thurche as it recea­ued them of the writours, & autours the holy Prophetes and Apestles thē selues, euē so dyd it delyuer them (as it were by hande) vnto her posteritie. It was late ere it begōne to be decre­ed in counsailes vpon canonical and not canonical bokes of scripture: not that ther was no diuersitye of them before that tyme, or that the bokes of holy scripture had none autoritye be­fore that tyme (as they hade and must haue dyuine autoritye in dede, al­though ther hade neuer ben counsayl holden) but that the holy men of God were disposed to shewe their iudgemēt also, agaynst suche as bare to vnfren­ly a minde agaynst y ^e canonical bokes of scripture. And we confesse al, that y ^e churche is buylded and set vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and a­postles: so if the doctrine of y ^e apostles and prophetes be the foundaceon of y ^e [Page]churche, thā it foloweth of necessytye, that the autoritye of y ^e doctrine must nedes be of greater force and impor­taunce, than the autoritie of the chur­che. We therfore in Englande dyd receaue, as the Gospellers church elles where doth stil receaue al and singu­lar Canonical bokes both of the olde Testament and newe, and namelye those that the Greke wrytours Melito, Origene, and Eusebius Caesariensis, and of the Latines Cipriane and Ierome haue affir­med by theyr owne hāde wrytynges, to be taken and reputed of the aunci­ent fathers, yea euen from the begynnyng, for the vndoubted true Cano­nical scriptures.

AS touching the truthe and perfyte integritye of these bokes, Of the truth and perfection of the canen­nical scrip­tures. we doubt nothyng therof at al: & in such places as be doubtful & hard to vnderstand, we teache men to make re­course vnto the oryginall fountaynes wherout they were translated. S. Au­sten contra Adimantum the 3. chap. saithe: Si admittamus haereticis, quod caussātur, libros [Page]sacros esse corruptos, nullus erit contentionum fi­nis. That is: yf we graunt vnto the he retikes (as they fynde fault) y ^e the bo­kes of holy scripture are corrupt, ther wylbe none ende of cōtencion. And in the, 2. chap. of hys .xi. boke Cōtra Faustum Manichaeum, he sayeth: Si de fide ex emplarium quaestio verteretur, sicut & in nonnullis quae paucae sunt & sacrarum li­terarum studiosis notissimae sententiarum varietates, vel ex aliarum regionū codi­cibus vnde ipsa doctrina cōmeauit nostra dubitatio dijudicaretur: vel si ibi quo (que) co dices variarēt, plures paucioribus, aut ve­tustiores recentioribus praeferrentur. Et si adhuc incerta esset varietas, praecedens lingua, vnde illud interpretatum est, con­suleretur. Yf questiō should be moued, concernyng the credence to be geuen vnto the copyes of the bokes of holye scriptures, as it chaunceth in some diuersities of sentences, whyche are but a fewe, and knowen (at the fyn­gers endes) to them that be studentes of holy scriptures, eyther our doubt muste be resolued by the textes of o­ther coūtreyes whence that doctrine came, or elles yf the textes themselues dyd varye in that behalfe, the greater [Page]nombre should be preferred before y ^e fewer, or the auncienter before the yonger. And in case y ^e diuersitye were yet still vncertayn, it should be tryed bi the former tongue wherout it was interpreted or translated. For the same Austen rehearceth in an other place & it is alleged in y ^e decrees Dist. 9 vt veterū librorū fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examināda est, ita nouorum veritas Graeci sera monis normam desiderat That is: like as the truthe of the bokes of the olde testa­mēt is to be tryed by the Hebrue tex­tes, so must the bokes of the newe be ruled by the truthe of the greke tong. And agayn in the .xi. chaptre of hys seconde boke De doctrina Christiana, he saythe: Latini homines & duabus alijs ad scripturarum diuinarum cognitionem opus habent, Hebraea scilicet & Graeca, vt ad exemplaria praecedentia recurratur, si quā dubitationem attulerit latinorum in­terpretum infinita varietas. Latine men (sayeth he) had nede of two other tō ­gues also to the perfyte knowlege of holy scripture, that is to saye, the He­brue and Greke, that they maye haue recourse vnto the original copyes, in case the infinite diuersytye of latine interpretours haue caused any doubt [Page]Thus muche saithe Austen, whythe hathe taught vs to be more fauoura­ble vnto the sondry translaciones of the Bible, and to iudge more purely of the authentike boke being written in bys owne language, thā those mē ­nes wonted maner is, whych takyng vpō thē to haue the holy goost, bynde all the churche vniuersally vnto the common receaued latine translacien contrary to the iudgement of all the aunciēt doctours of the churche: and condemine all godlye and faythfull interpretours of the Bible fowlly of ingratitude.

VVe of the churche of Eng­land refourmed and go­uerned vnder Kyng Ed­warde the All truthe and god­lynesse to be sought in the scri­pture. .vi. and al other gospellers churches doo constauntly beleue, that all truthe is to be sought and beleued, and that all godlynesse and true seruing & wor­ship of God is most pleyntifully cō ­prised in the holy sacred authentike hoke the Bible, so that the mā of God is perfytlye prepared vnto all good workes, vnto all good partes of offi­ce and al dueties doyng. And on thys [Page]wyse dothe the gospellers churche de­me and thynke of the Canonical scri­pture. Wherin it diffreth toto muche from the churche of heretikes, that most vniustly eyther defame the scri­ptures of vncertayntie and imperfe­ction, or els do not receaue some par­ticular bokes therof, or yf they do re­ceaue them, yet they corrupt and myngle mangle them, and contende with tothe and nayle that all thynges ne­cessarye to godlynesse and saluacion, are not fully conteyned in them.

ALso where S. The me­nyng of the scrip­ture. 2. Pe. 1. Petre pro­noūceth in playne wordes, that propherye, that is to saye, the declared scripture was not brought by the wyl of man, but the holy men of God beyng enforced spake as the holye Goost taught them, and that therfore the scripture (whych is the worde of prophecye) is not of mannes priuate interpretacion: furthermore where Paule accordyng to S. Ro. 10. Petres wor­des, cōmaundeth vs to moderate pro­phecie, that is, the office of interpreta­cion [Page]after the proporcion of faith, and that the interpretours vse a discrete sobrietie, and abyde wythin the ban­des of fayth, as the Lorde hath besto­wed vnto euery one the measure of fayth. The gospellers churche admit­teth not euery interpretacion of the scriptures after euery ones opinion, but that onely whych is fette out of the scripture selfe, whych is of the spi­rite of God, by whom the scripture is inspired, whych agreeth wyth hym selfe in euery thyng, and accordeth wyth the rule of fayth and charitie, wherof we shal anone speake more largely. For the scripture can not be expounded by any other spirite than by the self same, by whom it was de­liuered and set furthe. [...]. 8. As Thrist saithe in the gospel: If you haue God to your father, why doo ye not knowe my speche? [...]m. 8. And the apostle saithe: He that hathe not y ^e spirite of Christe, is none of his. And agayn: what mā knoweth the thinges that be of man, Cor. 2. but the spirite of man which is in him: so the thinges that be of God, non knoweth but the spirite of God. But we haue not receaued the spirit of the worlde, but the spirit which is of God, that [Page]we may know what thynges are ge­uen vnto vs of Christ. In dede after suche sorte we affirme, that the scrip­tures are cleare, whych the heretikes contende to be obscure, so that in thys behalfe we haue no thyng to do wyth them.

IN thys case we do in no wyse re­iecte nor contemne the disputa­cions, reasons, what is be attri [...] ­ted vnto the fath [...] the interpretours of script [...] ­re. and expositions of the holy fathers (I meane the auncient olde byshopes and doc­tours of the church) vpon the scriptu­res, as Ireneus, Origene, Chrisosto­me, Ambrofe, Ierome, Austen, and suche other lyke, so theyr exposition & iudgementes vary in no poynt from the rules of the Apostles. For theyr mynde and wyl was, that theyr wry­tynges should be none otherwyse de­med of, nor no further fidelitie attri­buted vnto them. Hereof let S. Austē hym self tel the tale, wher he wryteth to Fortunatianus in hys thyrde epistle in these wordes: Ne (que) quorumlibet disputa tiones quamuis catholicorum & laudato­rum hominum velut scripturas canonicas [Page]habere debemus, vt nobis non liceat, salua honorificentia, quae illis debetur homini­bus, aliquid in eorum scriptis improbare at (que) respuere, si forte inuenerimus (que) aliter senserint quā veritas habet, diuino adiuto rio vel ab alijs intellecta uel à nobis. Qua­lis ego sum in scriptis aliorum, tales volo esse intellectores meorum.

That is, we ought not to repute any mennes reasons and sayenges, though they be catholyke and prayse worthye men, as we ought to do the canonical scriptures: as thoughe we myght not (sauyng the reuerence due vnto those men) improue and reiecte any thyng in theyr wrytynges, yf we chaunce to fynde that they meane o­therwyse than the truthe hathe, whe­ther it be vnderstanden by the helpe of God of vs or of others. As I am in the wrytynges of other, suche wolde I haue to be vnderstanders of myne. The same S. Austen dothe more lar­gely expounde thys hys iudgement in his epistle to S. Ierome, & in the 5. chap. of his. 11. boke Contra Faustum, and in hys. 48. epistle Ad Vincentium, and in the. 3. chap. of hys. 2. boke, De Baptismo cō tra Donatistas. Furthermore he rea­soneth vpon generall Counsailles [Page]wyth Maximinus bishop of the Arianes in hys. 3. boke, and among other thinges sayeth: Sed nunc non ego Nicenum, nec tu debes Ariminense, tan (que) praeiudica­turus, proferre consilium: nec ego huius au thoritate, nec tu illius detineris: scriptura­rum authoritatibus non quorum (que) propri­is, sed vtris (que) cōmunibus testibus, res cum re, caussa cum caussa, ratio cū ratione con­certet. But now ought not I (sayeth s. Austen) to allege the Coūsail of Nice, nor thou the counsail of Arimine, as though to haue y ^t vpperhāde ther by: but by the autorities of the scriptures not by euery mannes owne authori­tie, but both sydes hauyng common witnesses, let mater pleade wyth ma­ter, cause wyth cause, & reasō w ^t reasō.

Here you see S. Austen calleth vs from counsailles, yea euen from the moste sacred couunsail of Nice, vnto the autoritie of the scriptures.

Panormitanus therfore (a writour of late dayes) semeth not to speake fond­ly nor falsly, wher he sayeth, Panormi­tanus. Plus credē ­dū est vni laico afferentiscripturas, quam genera li concilio vniuersalem representanti Ecclesiam, si scripturas non afferat.

There is more credence (sayeth he) [Page]to be geuē to one laye man that brin­geth furth scriptures, than to a gene­ral Coūsail, whych representeth the hole vniuersal churche, yf they bring not furth scriptures. Therfore yf the sayenges or iudgementes of fathers or expositions of the scriptures varye from the canonical scripture & the ru­le of fayth, ther is no cause why any man should laye agaynst vs, that the fathers were ryght famous learned men, singular holy men and men of reuerend antiquitie. For the prophe­tes and apostles of Christ were grea­ter learned, more holy, & of more aun­cient antiquitie than they. Nother is ther any cause why any man should charge vs with the multitude of chur­ches, that haue agreed in thys or that meanyng, or in thys or that expositi­on. For the cōsent of Christes prophe­tes, Apostles and Patriarkes is wor­thy muche hygher reputacion in syn­cere religion and godly vnderstāding of religion, manifestly reuealed vnto vs by the scriptures. And yf a man wolde recken vs vp thus many and thus many great realmes and hole countreyes that are of thys iudgemēt or that, we wyl cheoke hym wyth the [Page]trauailes of one mā, euē poore Paule, whych filled all places full wyth the playne sense and simple vnderstan­dyng of the Gospel from Ierusalem and the coastes lyeng rounde about vnto Illiricum.

NOtwythstandyng in thys behalfe I maye not saye naye, Of the ca­tholike v [...] derstan­ding of the scrip­ture. but the holy fathers the olde interpretours of scriptures do many times make mencion of some certayne vn­deniable & most catholyke meanyng of the scriptures. But yet we may not vnderstande that of theyr owne pecu­liar expositions, seyng they varye ve­ry often in theyr interpretacions and disagree wyth them selues, and ac­corde not wyth other interpretours of most excellent iudgement: yea and wonderous many tymes one repre­hendeth an others exposition. As we nede to seke no further examples but of S. Ierome in hys Cōmentaries vpon the Prophetes. And the catho­lyke churche of God hathe alwayes had and hath yet at thys daye, a cer­tain [Page]catholike and assured true expo­sicion of the scriptures, grounded of the concordaunce of faithe, and set forthe for Christes people to folowe it in all poyntes: wherin al godly men, albeit they dissent in other maters, yet they agree in it: as wher we read in scripture that God made heauen and earth, that he spake vnto the fathers, and that he hathe and dothe stil rewarde the good and punishe the euil: the catholike vnderstanding of faithe biddeth vs vnderstande tho­se sayenges of the true euer lyuing merciful God, & not of a fearce cru­el God that were a maker of euil, as Cerdon, Mercion, and Manicheus in their fonde fables flirted out the mater. Also wher we reade that God wor­keth al in al thinges: the catholike sence of faith chargeth vs, that we ta­ke not God to be the autor of synne. For we bring and commytte synne (as it were by enheritaunce) euen of our owne original vicious poisoned nature. And y ^e holy people (while they lyue in this worlde) are endaungered to synne, & are saued by the mere mercy & free ꝑdone of God, & not by theyr owne merites. Furthermore where [Page]the scripture speaketh of God, and calleth hym the Father, the sonne, & the holy goost: the catholyke sense of faith & of the church byddeth vs vnderstād, that God is one in substaunce, & three in persones. And wher the scripture affirmeth Christ to be very perfite God & very perfite man: the catholike sense of the church byddeth vs vnder­stande Christ to be & abyde in diuerse natures but not confused in them sel­ues, & yet in one inseperable persone. Praxeas and Sabellius confounde & iom­ble the persones together. Arius deny­eth the sonne to be very God consub­stancial wyth the father. Valentinus denyeth the sonne to be very man of al one substaūce wyth vs. Nestorius disseuereth hys persone. Eutyches & Timotheus make the natures of hys Godhead & māheade al one. But the catholike churche alwayes reteyneth her owne true ryght vnderstandyng of the scripture: whych for all that the holy fathers in theyr written workes & disputacions against heresies haue declared & cōfirmed by y ^t scriptures.

For that cause the holy fathers haue euer obiected the catholyke mynde of the churche to heritikes, [Page]howbeit they dyd strayght wayes confirme and declare the same by the scriptures, and deduced it religiously out of the chief principles of our fayth.

As I shal anone speake of these ma­ters more at large. And thys selfe sa­me catholyke sense & vnderstandyng of the scriptures, the gospellers chur­che kepeth diligently perfite, & sounde euen at thys daye, as Kyng Edward the .vi. and the churche of Englande dyd in hys tyme.

THerfore y ^e gospellers chur­che dothe not cal euery one at auēture (tagge & ragge) to be ministers of Goddes holy worde, Ministers of the gos­pellers churche. but suche men as be furst exerciced in the holy scrip­tures, and in the catholyke vnderstā ­dyng of faythe wyth the churche. For ther be chosen vnto the holy ministe­rie of the churche, men of sounde doc­trine and vpryght lyfe, accordyng to the Apostles rules. And lyke as saynt Paule, whan he ordeyned Timothee to be bishop, byndeth hym as it were wyth an othe, 2. Timo. 5. to preathe the Gospel [Page]syncerely, sayeng: I charge the in the syght of God and our Lorde Iesus Christ and of the chosen holy angels, that thou kepe and obserue thys with out rashenesse of iudgement. 2. Timo. 4 And eft­sones he sayeth: I charge thee before God & our Lorde-Iesus Christ, whych shal iudge both the quicke & the deade at hys appearing, and in hys kyng­dome, preache the worde, be feruent, and reproue in season and out of sea­son. &c. Euen so doth the Gospellers churche bynde theyr ministers by an othe, that they make no newe gloses nor exposicions of theyr owne heades nor vtter in theyr docerine any thing against the scripture and the true ca­tholike vnderstandyng of fayth: but euery where and in euery point both to respecte & onely folowe the canone and rule of faythe. And in the yeare­ly conuocacions which the gospellers churche vseth, there is diligent inqui­sicion and searche made vpon the pa­stours, and vpon the lyfe and doctri­ne of euery minister, whether it be soūde and vpryght or not, least the so­rer fal of the minister should make a good parte of the churche cōmitted to hys spiritual charge, to fal miserably [Page]into euil wyth hym.

The lyke ordre was appointed & set furthe by kyng Edwarde the .vi. to hys churche by hys publyke com­mission & cōmaundement, onely the fault of not executyng the same was in some of hys corrupte doublefaced dreamyng counsailours, and traite­rous harted Popishe Bishoppes and ordinaries, by whom the vertuous good Kyng was deluded.

And so in thys mater againe we are most farre of from the heretikes churche by al meanes. For the here­tykes (bothe Papistical and Anabap­tistical) lyke as they renne whan no man sendeth them, nor haue any re­garde to the sayd general rule, inas­muche as they be a rule and a lawe to them selues, euen so maye they in no wyse abyde any reformacion or cor­rection.

Of the chief prin­ciples of our faithe and religion. In dede the Gospellers churche dothe most religiously kepe the catho­lyke vnderstandynge of the churche and the chief principles of the true ca­tholyke religion and doctrine. Our congregacion beleueth and embra­ceth the fyrst promise that the eternal almyghty God hym selfe made & pro­nounced [Page]in Paradise, sayeng: Ge. 3. I will set enemitie betwene the and the wo­man (or that specially appointed wo­man) and betwene thy sede and her sede. It shall treade downe thy head, and thou shalt tread vpon hys heele. For we knowe & acknowlage that the furst and principall groūde wor­kes of our faythe and saluacion were sattled and cōprised in thys promyse. For we are lost through our owne synne, but we are saued by the mere mercie of god through christ, in whō, like as God hathe frely chosen vs frō euerlasting, euen so he openeth vnto vs by hys worde (whā it is best tyme in his sight bothe for his owne glorie and our cōmoditie) that we through hys grace should beleue in Christ the sonne of the most souerayne hyghe God and of that excellent woman, Hebr. 2. the most blessed virgine Marie, and so be saued. For Christ by hys pain­full passion hathe brokē and stamped vnder fote the head or kingdome of the Deuil, in that he hathe conquered deathe, abolished synne, & despeched damnacion quyte out of the waye frō all faithfull christianes.

VVe and oure Gospellers churches do beleue and religiously embrace that on­ly and eternal couenaunt that God made to Adam, The coue­ [...]aunt of [...]od with [...]en. furst in Paradise, & afterwarde ma­ny tymes renewed and playnly com­pacted with the holy fathers, as Noe, and singularly wyth Abraham the father of the beleuers, adding therto the Sacrament of Circumcision. For the Lorde appeared vnto Abraham, [...]. 17. and sayd vnto hym: I am El Saddai, a myghty strōg God, euery where pre­sent and omnisufficiently fillyng all wyth all good thynges. Walke befo­re me and be perfite, and I shal rayse vp, that is, I shal repayre my couenāt betwene me and thee, and betwene me and thy sede after thee in theyr ge­nerations with an euerlastyng coue­naunt, that I may be thy God & thy sedes after thee.

Al these sayenges we applye also vnto vs, [...]ala. 3. in that the Apostle sayd: yf you be of Christ, than in dede ye are the sede of Abrahā, and heyres accor­ding to the promise: in that Baptisme was geuen vnto the churche in stede of Circumcision: and also in that we [Page]haue receaued Iesus Christ our Lord the ende and accomplishement of all the promyses.

Our churches do religiously em­brace the most holy tables of thys eternal couenaūt, The tables of the co­uenaunt. grauen wyth the very fyngre of our almyghtye souerayne Lorde God, in two tables of stone with great mysterie, and to thintent they should the longer indure and ge­uen to the churche of the Israelites & of al faythfull beleuers throughout al the hole worlde, of God hym selfe by hys most blessed seruaunt Moses. In the which as it were in a certain hād­som short sūme (and yet most fully ex­pounded) we haue recyted and conteyned al mystical maters perteynyng to godlynesse, and the most sure testi­monie of Goddes good wil towardes vs, and the most perfite rule of al out offices and dueties.

These tables (I saye) that were written wyth the fyngre of God, and proclaymed beforehande wyth God­des owne mouth in that great church at the mount Synai, we kepe entier perfite, sounde & vncorrupte: we take awaye nothyng, we altre nothyng, we putto nothyng, we leaue out no­thyng, [Page]we thrust in nothyng contra­rye to Christes mynde, we chaunge nothynge at al. From the botome of our hartes therfore we abhorre Ido­latrye, whiche we se also condemned so zelously and so earnestly of the pro­phetes and Apostles. And therfore we should thynke it abhominable wyc­kednesse, in case ther be sene in our tē ples (dedicated only vnto God) any Images eyther of God hym selfe or of hys sayntes, muche more of pro­phane men or women. S. Paule rea­sonyng with the most wyttye learned Brekes of Athenes, Act. 17. sayeth: For as­muche as we are the generacion of God, we ought not to iudge that the alwelding God is lyke vnto golde or syluer or stone craftely grauen, or vn­to the inuencion of man. By meanes wherof we reade also that S. Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist charged Christes Churche, sayeng: Babes be­ware of Images: [...]. Io. 5. which wordes the auncient writour Tertullian in hys boke De corona militis expoundeth thus. Custodite vos ab Idolus: non iā ab idola­tria quasi ab officio, sed ab idolis; id est ab ipsa eorum effige. Indignum enim vt ima go Dei viui, imago idolis & mortui fiat. [Page]That is, kepe your selues from ydo­les, not now from ydolatrie, as from the seruice doyng, but from the ydo­les, that is, from the very ymages of them. For it were wrong, that the y­mage of the lyuing God should be the ymage of an ydole, and of a deade thyng. Therfore our churches are by these wordes acquieted from the cry­me of heresie, whych a great meignye of bishoppes, preachers, and Papistes (wyth stampyng and staryng, scol­ding and roaryng) charge vs wythal, and for none other cause, but that the ymages of God and hys sayntes be throwen out of all Christes temples, and were in no wyse receaued any more in Kyng Edwardes dayes, but the scriptures of the lyuyng God set in their places. Ther is no doubt (say­eth Lactācius, Li. 2. ca 19. Constātinus scholemaister) but ther is no religion, whersoeuer an ymage is. And S. Austen in hys Cataloge, wherin he rehearceth al the heresies of hys tyme, reckoneth amōg them, one Marcella, a woman of Carpo­cratia, whych worshipped the ymages of Iesus Christ, of Paule, of Pythagoras and of Homere, wyth makyng addraci­on and incensing to them. For the ho­ly [Page]martir S. Ireneus in the 24. chap. of hys fyrst boke Contra haereses repor­teth that the heretikes called Gnostici dyd worship the expresse lyuely pain­ted ymage of our saueour Christ, the paterne wherof they sent vnto Pilate the lieutenaunt of Iewrie who foūde the meanes to haue Christ, set furthe (as an heathen man) by ymage lyke vnto hym selfe whan he was alyue, by singular connyng payntours and caruers. And yet that bishop and martir inueyed to the vttermost of his po­wer agaynst that ymage, whyche the Gnostici set so muche price by: A and yf it were now to be had, it should be repu­ted among the most holy reliques.

But thys Bishop was not a seuere earnest persecutour and enemye of ymages and ymage seruice alone: for it is knowen to all men what Epipha­nius the Bishop of Salamine Cyprus dyd, [...] as he wryteth of him selfe in hys gre­ke Epistle, that S. Ierome translated into latine: whych doubtles he wolde not haue done, yf he had thought E­pyphanius facte to haue bē sacrilege.

Epiphanius also sawe a vaile hanging in a certain churche dore stained and paynted, and hauyng an ymage [Page]as it hade ben of Christ orsom saynt. But he plucked it by the ende, In tomo Hiero. 3. fo. 73. b and rēt it downe thinking it vnworthy that the image of a man should heng in y ^e churche of Christ, cōtrary (as he saithe playnly) to the autoritie of the scrip­tures. And he exhorteth Iohn bishop of Ierusalem, to charge the elders & ministers of that place, y ^e they should heng vp no such vailes, whych come against the religion of Christ. For he sayd it was more besemyng the due­tie of a bishop, to see that such scrupu­lositie (for so he termeth the vse of i­mages in temples) should be taken out of the waye, whych is not worthy of the churche of Christ. Now ther is no good grounde for the papistes to obiecte vnto vs the sentences and de­crees of Gregorie B. of Rome, Damascene the greke wrytour (Bardiners great clearke) and of the seuenth Synode, whych they call the Synode of Nice, agaynst these so cleare and so substaū cial authorities. For these that I haue alleged are of muche more auncien­tie & certayntie thā theyrs be. Ther­fore who so euer reporteth vs to be he retikes, bycause we lacke ymages, let them fyrst proue the lawe of god he­resie, [Page]let them prone the testimonies & iudgemētes of the Prophetes and A­postles heresie, and let thē proue the sayenges and doynges of Ireneus, Tertullian, Lactātius, Epiphanius, Austē, and Ierome to be heresie, and whan they haue done so, let them com and condemne vs of heresie also. And so they wyl do one day, whan they cā. But yf they spare them, let them be good to vs also, Now wil we returne to our purpose.

Our churche (called the gospellers churche) dothe religiously holde and confesse that most excellent and most true godly belief called Symbolū apostoli­cum or the apostles Crede. [...]. apost [...] Crede. Whyche though it be purported in no place of the scriptures in the very same forme of wordes that we rehearse it in, yet it is all holly, and euery title of it fette out of the apostles writinges. Thys Crede comprehendeth the most plen­teous full forme of belief, so that our elders did by it (as a most tryed and certain sure rule) alwayes proue and trye, who were true ryght catholike beleuers, & who were false beleuers and heretikes. Sym­ [...]n. is.

S. Cipriane in the exposicion of thys apostles Crede saythe, that this [Page]greke worde Simbolum is a declaraciō, a collacion or a gatheryng of sondry maters together into one forme. And for thys cause thys same declaracion is set and compacte together by con­ference of the apostles doctrine, that therby it myght be knowne, who cō ­fessed Christ truly according to the rules of the apostles. The holy Mar­tir Ireneus after the rehearsal of the apostles Crede, saythe: Li. con [...] haereses. Ca. 3. Forasmuche as y ^e church dispersed throughout the hole vniuersal worlde hathe receaued thys confession and Crede, it obser­ueth it diligently, as though the hole churche were dwellyng all in one house, and preacheth and confesseth it after all one consonaunt sort, as if al the churche had but one mouthe. For albeit the speches in the worlde be vnlike, yet the vertue and power of the declaring therof, is but all one & the self same one. And nother the lāguage that is in Spayne, nor the speche that is in Fraunce, ne the lan­guages that are in the east coūtreyes, ne yet the Egipcians tongue, nor the Lybianes speche, nother the langua­ges that are vsed in the mydle partes of the world: but as the sunne of god­des [Page]makyng is but one and the selfe same one in all the hole vniuersall worlde, so dothe the light & preaching of the truthe shyne euery wher & ligh­teneth all folkes that are willing to com to the knowlage of the truthe. And nother the bishop of the churche hym self that hath the best vtteraūce, speaketh any thyng elles but these articles, nother doth he that is of slende­rer vtteraunce, speake any lesse. For seyng ther is but one and the selfe sa­me one faythe, nother dothe he that is hable to vttre it at large, speake any more, nor he that can not vttre the mater so plenteously, speake any lesse. Thus muche hath Ireneus. Therfore it is most certainly out of perauēture, that the ful forme of belefe, is most fully comprehended in the Apostles Crede, and he that constaūtly and pu­rely continueth therin to the ende, shall doubtles obteyne euerlastyng lyfe, as Athanasius sayeth: who so e­uer wylbe saued, before al thinges it is necessary that he hold the catholike faythe, whych fayth except euery one doth kepe holly and vndefyled, wyth out doubt he shall peryshe euerla­styngly.

Nother dothe Christes churche of the gospellers cleaue supersticiously & frowardly vnto the wordes, neclec­ting the holy sense & ryght meaning: and therfore it ioyfully receaueth all declaracions and conferences of faith (called in our cōmon speche, Credes) whether they be set furthe by the ho­ly fathers or true faithful counsailes, though in mo and more copious wordes, yet nothyng varieng in senten­ces nor conteynyng any contrarye mater. Therfore we receaue and reuerence the Crede of Nice & of Athanasius, and the seconde set furth Crede, called Symbolum Constantinopolitanum, and all o­ther good definitions of faythe agre­ing to those same. And so we reproue and reiecte al heresies, and holde ac­cursed al heretikes condemned by the holy scripture eyther in the Counsai­les or out of the coūsailes. And so we cōdemne Symon Magus wyth al Symo­nye, Basilides, Valentinus, Marcion, Braxeas, Artemon, Montanus, Nouatus, Sabellius, Appol­linaris, Arius, Eunomius, Macedonius, Mani­cheus, Nestorius, Eutyches, Priscillianus, Dona­tus, Pelagius, Heluidius, the Monothelites, and all other of the lyke leuen. So that the churche of gospellers is not a congregacion [Page]of heretikes, nor a swarme of schismatikes, as the Papistes and set­taries do wyckedly and falsly lye vpō vs, but a true christian and catholike churche of Iesus Christ.

THe very cyuile lawe it self doth also recken vs among the catholikes. For the Emperours Gratianus, Valentinia­nus, and Theodotius wrytyng to the people of Cōstantinopole geue them thys decreed commaūdement. We wil that al people whom our im­perial clemencie hathe the gouerne­ment of, lyue in that religion, whych S Petre the apostle set furthe to the Romanes, as the religiō that he him self maketh mencion of, beareth re­corde euen vnto thys daye: the whych it is euident that bishop Damasus & Petre bishop of Alexandria (a man of apostolike holynesse) did also folowe. That is to saye, that we should accor­ding to the apostles discipline & doc­trine of the Gospel, beleue one God­head of the father and the sonne and the holy gost vnder like Maiestie and [Page]holy Trinitie. Those that folowe this lawe, we commaunde to take vpon them and embrace the name of chris­tian catholikes: and the rest as (wit­les and madde folkes) we iudge to beare the infamye of hereticall lear­nyng. &c. If any man be ignoraunt what was the faythe that the holy fa­thers Damasus and Peter B. of Al­exandria professed, let hym learne of the ecclesiastical histories. They va­ried not one tote from the apostolike and Nicene Crede. Therfore seing we beleue them wyth all our hartes, we are purged cleane from the slaū ­der of heresie, which our aduersaries goo about wickedly to discredite and blemyshe vs withall.

But I knowe well inough, they wyl charge vs, that we doo not only not receaue the tradiciones of the a­postles, but also contemne them and vtterlyreiecte them: and that therfore it is but lost labour for vs to pretende an vncorrupte soūde faythe, specially forsomuche as the imperfectiō of the doctrine of the apostolike scripture is most fully perfyted by vnwrytten tradicion by worde of mouthe, & for that cause the vnwrytten tradicions to be [Page]of equal authoritie wyth the aposto­lyke holy scriptures. And seyng we reiecte the tradiciōs, it foloweth that our doctrine and faith is not perfyte.

Now in asmuche as our aduersa­ris the Papistes make these y ^e toppe and roote of al theyr maters, as they them selues reporte in theyr open de­crees and bokes: we wyl talke a lytel (as sortenesse of tyme shall suffre) of the traditions of Apostles & Fathers. I fynde thys worde Tradicion many tymes in the holy Apostles wrytyn­ges. Tradici­ons. For wher the historie of the gos­pel was not wrytten from the begynnyng of any man, the Apostles of Christ, as they sawe wyth theyr eyes, and hearde with theyr eares, and re­ceaued out of Christes owne mouthe, so dyd they declare in dede the wordes and dedes of Christ to the congregacions, by tradicion, or lyuely worde of mouthe, but yet not without scriptu­re. For loke what they learned & preached of Christ, they confirmed thesa­me by the scriptures of goddes lawe, of the Psalmes, and of the prophetes, And at lenght whan God sawe tyme he admonished hys Apostles by the holy Goost, that they should enrolle [Page]that lynely tradicion partly in to wryltyng them selues, and partly shoulde cause other to wryte vp the rest. For so the Euangelist Luke reporteth, that he wyth al diligent forsyght and sure searche of all thynges before hande, wrote a moste certayne true historie as they instructed hym, whych frō the begynnyng had sene with theyr eyes, and part of them also hade ben mini­sters of the thynges thēselues, which they spake of. Suche a wytour was Marke also. As for Mathewe & Iohn the Apostles, they were both seers and hearers them selues. Nowe for as­muche as the churche of Christ hathe these scriptures at thys daye, it can not be chosen but it hath also the full fayth, doctryne or tradicion of the A­postles. For the Apostles in theyr wri­tinges left out nothyng, that they beleued necessarie, and that semed to appertayne to the makyng vp of the doctrine fully perfite. I am not a­lone nor the furst that auouche thys. For ther were that haue spoken the same before me, Ireneus and Papi­as, very auncient olde doctours of the churche. For Ireneus in the fyrst Chapiter of hys. 3. doke Contra Valentinianos, [Page]sayeth: we knewe not how our salua­cion was bestowed vnto vs by any other men, than those by whome the gospel came vnto vs: whyche they at that time preached vnto vs, and after ward by the wyl of God they delyue­red vnto vs in scripture, that is, in wrytyng, to be the foundacion & pil­ler of our fayth. Nother can we safe­ly say, what they preached, before they had parfyte knowledge.

And Papias in Eusebius Caesariensis say­eth: Eccl. histo [...]i. 3. Ca, [...]lt. Marke (whan he was Petres in­terpretour) dyd diligently put in wri­tyng what so euer he kept in memo­rie, as necessitie required. For thys one thyng he thought vpon, that he would leaue out nothyng that he had hearde. The Apostles therfore wrote al that was necessarie vnto the salua­cion of al faythful beleuers: As Iohn the Apostle reporteth in the ende of hys gospel most manyfestly y ^e he hath done. [...]. 21. Iesus dyd many other thynges (sayeth he) whych are not written in this boke. But these are wrytten, that ye may beleue and lyue. Thys scrip­ture therfore is sufficient to informe our faythe fully, and to attayne euer­lastyng lyfe.

Therfore we are certainly assured that we haue the declaracion or tradi­cion, which the apostles taught con­cernyng the saluacion of faythful be­leuers, sufficiently and fully compre­hended in the scriptures. Touchyng thys tradicion the apostle Paule ma­king mencion in the furst to the Co­rinthianes, sayth, 1. Cor, 11. that he deliuered y ^e vnto them whych he receaued of the lorde. Nother speaketh he in the wor­des by and by folowing any thyng, but the same that we reade in y ^e gos­pel written almost worde by worde. In the same epistle he speaketh also of the same tradicion, and saythe: I deliuered vnto you that whych I re­ceaued, 1. Cori. 13. that christ died for our synnes according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the thyrd daye accordyng to the scrip­tures. Again he maketh mencion of his maner of teaching or tradition 2. Thes. 3. but he openeth in playne flat wordes whych a one it was. And in the .2. of the Thessaloni .2. he spea­keth eftesones of tradicion: Ther­fort brethren (sayeth he) stande and holde fast the tradicions whych ye ha­ue receaued, whether it be by worde [Page]of mouthe or by epistle sent from vs. Now Paule comprehendeth all hys hole doctrine, whyche he calleth by a general terme, tradicion, in worde spoken, and epistle writtē, By worde, he vnderstādeth the preachyng of the gospel whyche he hade preached pre­sently to the Thessalonians by lyuely worde of mouthe, after such sorte and reason as the other Apostles also preached Christ vnto other naciōs, which Luke also put in wrytyng, and Paule hymselfe preached to the Romaynes by hys wrytten Epistle. For I sayde that Luke dyd wyth most circumspect diligence put in wrytyng those thyn­ges that he hade learned of the Apost­les touchyng Christes wordes and dedes.

Eusebius reporteth, that the olde fa­thers: vnderstode these wordes of Paule (according to my gospel) of the gospel of Luke. And in dede Paule hym selfe in the .1. and 15. Chapters to the Romanes, testifyeth that he prea­ched the Gospell to the Romaynes in hys wrytten epistle plaine to al mens vnderstandyng. For in his epistles he treateth of the mater more briefly beyng absent, whyche when he was [Page]present wyth thē he had taught more at large, reformyng by his written epistles those errours in the churche, whych the false Apostles had sowed a­broad, the tyme while he was absent: and admonished al men of theyr due­tie, and refourmed yf any thyng were diminished. And for asmuche as ther remayne foure consonaunt bokes of the Gospel, and fourtene Epistles of Paule (as I wyll not speake of other Apostles epistles) who could doubt, that the tradicion or doctrine of the Apostles is not fully delyuered and registred vnto vs?

In the Actes of the Apostles we reade that Luke made mencion of the Apostles decrees, Act, 15.16. whyche other men ral tradicions. But it is expressed in cleare playne wordes by the wrytten epistle that the Apostles sent furthe at theyr conuocacion tyme, what they ment by theyr decrees or tradicions. Act. 15. For thus they wryte: It semeth good to the holy Goost & vs, to charge you wyth no more than these necessary thynges, that is to saye, that ye ab­steyne frō thynges offred to ymages, and from bloud, and from strangled, and from fornicacion.

Surely thys decree (whych is a right Apostolike decree in dede) dothe by al meanes contrarye the tradicions fal­sely called the Apostles tradicions, wherwith faythful christiās are gre­uously burthened in y ^e churche at this present. For y ^e true Apostles of Christ saye: It semeth good to the holy goost and vs, to charge you wyth nomore. Lo, to charge you wyth no more, saye they. For Paules aduersaries, against whom the hole conuocacion house of the Apostles and elders geueth sen­tence, Loke So­crates in eccle. histo. Li. 15. ca. 22. contended that christians must nedes be circumcised, and obserue the lawe of Moses. And made the rest of the Apostles autors of that theyr false doctrine. As in our tyme also many vnder the pretēce of the Apostles tra­dicions, do laye heauy burthens vpon free faythful folkes neckes wyth opi­nions and ceremonies. But what is the Apostles sentence of them? We gaue them (saye they) no suche com­maundement. They went furth from vs, but they were not sent of vs. They are distourbours of the congre­gacions. Out of the whyche aposto­like sentence Saint, Paule dyd doubt­les borowe hys wordes, whyche we [Page]reade in the begynnyng of hys epistle to the Galathians, in thys wyse: Gal. 1. I maruaile that ye are so sone turned from Christ, whyche called you by grace, vnto an other Gospell, whych is nothyng els, but that ther be some whych trouble you, and intende to peruerte the Gospel of Christ. Neuer­thelesse though we oure selues or an Angel from heauē preache any other gospel vnto you, than that whych we haue preached vnto you, let hym be accursed. The Apostle in repetyng thys same sentence declareth, howe ware christen folkes hade nede to be in receauyng suche obseruaunces, as are set furthe in the tytle of the Apo­stles tradicions. For al tradicions are condemned and denounced accursed, whych burthen and ouercharge chri­sten mennes lybertie, and what so e­uer thei be that are not agreable with the written gospel and doctrine of the apostle Paule, yea and wyth the prea­chyng of the rest of y ^e Apostles, whych is al of one sorte and consonaunt in euery condicion.

In the .15. [...]. of Matthewe ther is also mencion made of the tr [...] ­ons of Elders or Fathers (as [...] [Page]in the fyrst to the Galathians) whych Christ our Lorde hym selfe vtterly cō ­dēneth, bycause they were not agre­able to the scripture & lawe of God: and calleth Esaye the prophete to wyt­nesse wyth hym, whych also condem­neth al suche tradicions of man, say­eng: They worship me in vayne, tea­chyng doctrines whych are mennes preceptes. Therfore Tradicions, that is, al doctrines and obseruaūces that are not agreable to the scriptures, or procede of a Iewishe supersticion, are barred out of Boddes true seruice & worship, howe gloriously so euer they be garnyshed wyth the tytle of aunci­ent fathers. And the Apostle hym self wryteth also against them. Collos. 2. Thus muche of the iudgement of scripture concernyng Tradicions.

Now as touchyng the fathers, Note how bolde Ire­neus is to call the Pope and his shaue­ [...]inges he­retikes. a mā may easely gather of theyr owne wrytynges, howe sore heretikes dyd combre the holy fathers vnder the cloake & pretense of the Apostles Tra­dacions. For Ireneus in the .2. chap­ter of his .3. boke Contra Valentinianos, sayeth: whan heretikes be reproued by the scriptures, they fal straight wayes to accusyng of y ^e scriptures, as though [Page]they were not wel, or were not of au­toritie, and that they be spoken after diuerse vnderstandinges, & that suche as knowe not Tradicions, can not fynde the truthe by the scriptures. For tradiciōs were not geuen in wryting but by lyuely worde of mouthe. Thus muche sayeth Ireneus.

And what dō the Papistes obiecte elles vnto vs nowe a dayes, when we laye for vs most euident cleare scrip­tures? They are come to suche a wyc­kednesse and shamelesnesse, that they sticke not to pronounce in theyr open bokes, that the chief foūtaine of al er­rours is to receaue nothing but only that whych is conteyned in the scrip­tures. For they saye, ther is an other kynde of doctrine besydes, whych they cal tradicions, wherin yf a mā be not wel skilled, he cā nother go vpryght­ly in the scriptures, nor haue any per­fection or certaintie in the onely scri­ptures. Whych sayeng, as it is not spokē without great reproche of the eter­nal truthe, euen so they take no hede, but receaue those tradicions also at a­uenture wythout weyeng of them, which the holy fathers themselues ser out for the Apostles tradicions. For I [Page]see that the tradicions which they set furthe, be not of al one kynde. For ther are, whyche they cal the fathers tradicions, but not directly the Apo­stles tradicions. Ther are also whych they wolde haue to seme all together apostolike tradicions. And ther is a diuersitie in these also. For ther are some that be vtterly historical tradici­ons, that rehearse what Christ, & what Christes Apostles haue sayd or done: of whyche sorte Eusebius reporteth that Papias rekoned vp many. Eccl. histo i. 3. ca. 39. And the same wrytour clouteth in other maters, as though they had ben tolde hym by lyuely worde of mouthe, and certayn straunge parables and doc­trines of our saueour, wyth dyuers flyme flammes besydes. And concer­nyng the tradicion of Iohn the Apost­le touchyng the age of our Lorde Ie­sus Christ (whych Ireneus speaketh of) he that seeth not it to be a vayne flamme flewe, Contra Walent. [...]i. 39. seeth nothyng.

The tradicion of Policarpus, Eccl. hist. li. 3. ca. 28 that Iohn ranne awaye from the bayne, wherin Cerinthus the heretike was, least he should fal, agreeth gayly with the scripturely doctrine of the Apost­les. Let vs therfore in thys kynde of [Page]tradicions holde that is to be holden in al pointes, proue al thynges, holde that whych is good.

Ther are also tradicions set furthe of rites and opinions, De peccat. meritis & remiss. li. 1. ca. 20. but yet they are not in al pointes lyke, nother obser­ued nor receaued of al men S. Typri­ane and S. Austen reherse a tradiciō, wherby the communion was vsed to be ministred vnto yong chyldren vn­der bothe kyndes, as a necessary ma­ter vnto saluacion: but who medleth wyth that tradicion at thys daye?

Epiphanius contra Aerium wryteth it to be a tradicion of the Apostles, that fol­kes should .vi. dayes before Easter eate nothyng but bread and salt, Eccl. hist. li. 5. ca. 24. but Ireneus reporteth that all churches obserued not that, as Eusebius telleth the tale.

In an other place it was said, Damaseen Ang. dc Bap. con­tra. Dona. li. 2. ca. 7. l [...]. ca. 42 li. 5 ca. 23 & de cura pro mort. that the Apostles commaunded the Passe­ouer to be celebrated after the maner of the Iewes. But Socrates the histo­rie writer in the .22. chap. of the .5. boke Eccl. histo. speaketh agaynst them.

Epiphanius Contra Valesianos, sayeth that the wyueles lyfe of ministers, is a tradicion. In an other place it is read that the Apostles cōmaunded by [Page]tradicion, that folkes should pray and offre for the deade: whyche onlesse it be vnderstandē of thankes gening, who is it, [...] Cor. 7. [...] Io. 5. [...] Thess. 4. that seeth not suche maner tradicions manifestly repugnaunt w ^t the doctrine of the euangelistes and apostles, and for that cause nothing is to be attributed to these and such like? Finally I see S. Ireneus in sondry places wonderously preache and beate vpon the tradiciō of the apostles. And that is it that our aduersaries wraste and wrythe to all their feyned tryn­kettes and tradiciones of the Masse, of Images, of Mōkery & cloister life, & the rest of such trumpery. Howbeit the holy man Ireneusin these princi­pal places vnderstandeth nothyng cl­les by the apostles tradicion, than the commune sense and vnderstandyng of our faythe, and the very apostles Crede. I wyll not desyre to be beleued in thys case, if Ireneus hym selfe saye not the same that I haue sayde. Reade hys .1. boke Contra valentinianos, Ca. 2. & .3. and hys .3. boke the .4. chap. In bothe places he dothe agreably rehearse the articles of fayth in ordre one by one, & whā he hath done, he plainly calleth thys profession of y ^e faithe, a tradicion.

Of thys tradiction spake Constan­tine the myghty Emperour in his E­pistles, whyche Eusebius maketh re­porte of almoste in the ende of hys .3. boke De vita Conslantini. Thus farre therfore the gospellers churches wythout any busynesse embrace the tradicion that I haue now spoken of: but as for other tradicions, whether they be A­postles or fathers tradicions, they lay them to the rule of Goddes worde, & as they agree or disagree, they eyther reiecte them or receaue them, accor­dyng to Christ our Lordes owne commaundement, Math .15. and Col .2. Wherof I haue already spoken be­fore. And I pray you, wherin thynke you the gospellers churche offendeth in thys behalfe? Herein it hath no­thing adoo wyth heretikes, who hade deuised to teache false opinions vnto suche as were to symple, vnder pre­tense of tradicions, and contrarywyse to teare in pieces, corrupt, yea and to denye and stampe vnder fote the true tradicion, that is, the Apostles Trede.

In thys behalfe I coulde dryng furthe a great deale against our ad­uersaries, who recken thys predense of tradicions of muche force agaynst [Page]the very scriptures and the simplicitie of tradicion, yea & for the affirmyng or confutyng of any mater what so e­uer it be. But I wyl kepe thys in store tyl a better and a further leasure.

Hitherto I haue treated as briefly as I could, of the most certain and p­fytest principles of the Christiā faith. Wherby I trust it dothe specially ap­peare, y ^e the Englyshe Churche vnder King Edward the .vi. & the rest of the gospellers churches haue deuysed no newe doctrine of fayth, but enibrace & confesse the olde faythe wyth all theyr hartes: and that they reiecte no point of syncere doctrine, whether it be pro­ued by the scriptures, or by tradiciōs consonaūt to the scriptures: and ther­fore we are most farre of from newe fangled felowes, and obstinate hereti­kes.

SO the poore gospellers church beyng confirmed by this true doctrine of the true faythe, [...]ustificati [...]n. lo­keth to be iustifyed, that is, to haue full forgeuenesse of all theyr synnes, ryghteousnesse & euer­lastyng lyfe, of the only free mercye & [Page]grace of God by Iesus Christ, that dy­ed and rose agayne for vs. We beleue that Christ wyth al hys gyftes is re­ceaued by faythe, and that by faythe Christ dwelleth in our hartes. And that fayth is learned by the worde of the Gospel, is craued & asked of God by prayers, and geuē frely by the ho­ly Boost.

We attribute not that vnto man­nes merites and mannes workes, whych we knowe is due onely vnto fayth, naye, vnto Christ our redemer, and to the fre grace of God. Eph. 2. For Paul sayeth: By grace are ye saued through faythe, and not of your selues. It is the gyfte of God, and not of workes, that no man should boast. For we are hys handy worke created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes, whych God hath prepared, that we should walke in them. Therfore we knowe and ac­knowlage that workes which procede out of a true faythe, by the spirite of Christ (powred in to our hartes) and done after y ^e rule of Goddes worde & christiā charitie, are good workes in dede: and we affirme, that excepte those that be iustifyed, practise those workes diligentlye, it is but lost la­bour [Page]of them to beast of theyr faythe, as Petre the Apostle teacheth vs and sayeth: Geue all diligence in youre fayeth, ministre vertue, in vertue kno­wlage, Iacob. 2. 2. Pet. 1. in knowlage temperaunce, in temperaūce pacience, in pacience god lynesse, in godlynesse brotherly kynd­nesse, in brotherly kindnesse loue. For yf these thynges be amōge you and be pleynteous, they wyll make you y ^t ye nother shalbe idle, nor vnfrutefull in the knowlage of our Lorde Iesus Christ. But he y ^t lacketh these thinges is blinde, & gropeth for the waye with hys hande, & hath forgotten, that he was purged from hys olde synnes.

Thys doctrine of grace and meri­tes, of fayth and workes hath no smel of heresie. And so it eftesones clearely appeareth that the gospellers churche is the true churche of Christ.

And if they laye to our charge, that our doctrine is iustlye condem­ned, bicause we constauntly affirme, that man is iustifyed by only faythe: thys is to answer them, that we haue feyned no newe kynde of speakyng in thys behalfe, nother doo we alone affirme, that faythfull beleuers are iustifyed by only faythe. For we bo­rowed [Page]that maner of speakyng of the very scriptures of the apostles and e­uangelistes, and of certain doctours of the churche, that are no heretikes but true catholikes. For I haue all­ready shewed playnly ynough, that we contende not by thys our sayeng, that faythe is alone, that is to saye, vnfruteful, If righte­ousnesse come of the lawe, than Christ died in vayne. but that faithe is the only cause of our saluacion. For it is cer­tain that we are iustified not for our owne workes sake, but frely for Chri­tes sake, and so our synnes are not imputed vnto vs, and that iustified folke doo the workes of iustice, and yet seing the faythfull knowe, that they are iustified frely, they ascribe not iustificacion vnto workes, albeit they doubt not but God alloweth the workes of faythe. If it wold lyke our aduersaries to condemne of heresie, the doctrine of the Euangelistes and Apostles, with Origene, Chrisostome, and Ambrose, whych saye most many festly that the faythful are iustified by only faythe. In dede we had rather be heretikes wyth them, than ryght fe­lowes and catholykes wyth our ad­uersaries.

THe same poore Gospellers churche denyeth not abso­lucion to such as haue fal­len, The woundes of syn­ne are he­aled by Penaunce. but we cōfesse that pu­re penaunce is a holsome medicine to heale synners in y ^e chur­che, yf whan they be accused by the worde of God, and enlumined wyth the holy Goost, they acknowlege and confesse theyr faultes and synnes to God, and be hartely sory for theyr of­fenses, & trust to be forgeuen through Christes merites, & then leade a newe lyfe.

Now it appeareth agayne in thys place, that we ymagine no newe doc­trine of penaunce in the churche of God. It is newe fangled stuffe that is feyned of synnes to be confessed (ex­cept a man wilbe damned) not only to God, but also to hys owne prieste, by all circumstaunces euen to the vtter­most smal thoughte. It is newe foūde marchaundise that is feyned of cases Papal and episcopal reserued, Act, 16. of satis­faccions and indulgences. Whan the keper of the pryson at Philippos, fell to y ^e Apostles fete, and besought them sayeng: Sirres what must I doo that I may be saued? they tolde hym. Be­leue [Page]in the Lorde Iesus, & thou shalt be saued and al thy hole house. Saint Petre gaue none other coūsail to the citizines of Ierusalē, Act. 2. that were pear­ced in theyr consciences, & sayd: what shal we doo, you men and brethren? Petre answered, Repent and be bap­tised euery one of you in the name of Itsus Christ to the remission of syn­nes. &c.

And on this facion we reade that the Apostles vsed the keyes of y ^e kyng­dome of heauen, The Key. whan they receaued them of Christ, & after thys sorte they opened the kyngdome of heauen to faithful beleuers. And on this wyse y ^e gospellers church vseth yet stil y ^e key­es y ^t Christ hath geuen them. So that we haue Christes olde keyes, and not the Popes newe monstrous polling pikepurse crosse keyes.

Lactantius whych was neuer no­ted of errour in treating vpō penāce, Li. 4. c. 20. after that he hade sayd, ther is no sal­uacion founde but wythin the catho­like churche, he addeth by and by: But for a smuch as heretikes thinke theirs to be also the catholike churche: it is to vnderstāde, that it is the true chur­che, wherin is religion, confession, & [Page]penaunce, that holsomly cureth syn­nes and sores, wherunto the fraile fleshe is subiecte.

Therfore seyng thys holsome me­decine is not wanting in the gospel­lers churche, wherin desperacion is also singularly beaten downe, & sure hope faste fixed and confirmed, who can doubt that the gospellers churche is the true churche of Christ?

FƲrthermore ther is in oure church brotherly admoniciō, [...]dmonici [...]n and [...]rotherly [...]rrection. correction, and some reformacion of mennes faultes & of­fenses. For though all be not yet fully well herein as godly men could wyshe it, yet ther is some Chri­stiā discipline practiced in the gospel­lers churche.

Ther is two maner of disciplines, the one of the clergie, and the other of the laitie. The gospellers churche by keping of conuocacions and other cō ­uenient meanes in Germany kepeth the cleargie in ordre to do theyr dutie. And so Kyng Edwardes wyl and cō ­maundement was, to haue hys clear­gie. [Page]as for the discipline of the laytie, it confisteth in good lawes, and dili­gent execucion of them. And how that is vsed among the Germanes, let o­ther men reporte: As for me I knowe nothyng, but heare that it is godlye handled. And though al is not so per­fite as it should be, & that theyr sharpe roughe censure dothe not thwyte awaye all offenses at once, yet eue­ry good man knoweth that many thinges are reserued to be plucked vp by the rootes in y ^t iudgemet to come: euery godly persone acknowlageth his fault, and is sory for it, as often as he dothe lesse than he perceaueth the Lorde requyreth hym to do. I could demaunde of the Papistes, to shewe theyr discipline whyche they haue in theyr churche: but bycause I knowe them as shameles as wylde coltes wythout discipline, I hade rather de­fende the innocencie of the gospellers churche, wherof I am an vnworthye membre, than at thys tyme to cast o­ther men in the tethe with theyr faul­tes: I leaue that to the discussyng of better learned and fyner wytted men than I am.

Thus farre I trust the chief mar­kes [Page] [...] foūde in the poore gospellers chur­che, and therfore we haue nothyng a doo wyth the churches of heretikes & schismatikes.

Prayer and inuo­cacion of God by Christ. THer is also reteyned & kept in the gospellers churche (as it was in Englāde vn­der Kyng Edward) the ho­ly sacred and ryght diuine prayer, which Iesus Christ the sonne of God hym selfe hath geuen vs, as a handsome shorte summe of all pray­ers or formes of prayers, and is writ­ten, Matthew. 6.

Ther is vsed and exercised in the Bospellers churche (and so it was al­so vnder King Edwarde) the true in­uocacion and callyng vpon the true almyghty God, with due thankes ge­uyng for the gyftes & benefytes that we haue and do receaue of hym. And that inuocacion we kepe syncere and pure. For we vse our vulgare com­mon knowen tongue in all thynges, whether we syng, or praye wythout syngyng. For who knoweth not [Page]that it is free eyther to syng or not syng in churches, as is requisite or not requisite for the congregacions? We call vpon God alone, our most mercyfull alknowyng and almyghty father, yea and we call vpon hym, as he hym selfe hathe taught vs, by Iesus Christ our Lorde. As for crea­tures, we call vpon none of them, no­ther in stede of the creatour nor wyth the creatour. We call vpon hym, Rom. 10. in whome we beleue: but we beleue in God alone, and not in creatures, therfore we call vpon God and vpon no creature. As for the sayntes de­parted (whose soules lyue wyth God in heauen) we make no prayer to them. For inasmuche as the scripture teacheth vs, that in God alone is all pleyntifull fulnesse of all good thyn­ges, and that Christ Iesus dothe at al tymes continually, diligently, fayth­fully, and most perfitely accomplyshe all the partes of a most faythefull in­tercessour wyth God the Father: ther is no cause lefte, why faythfull fol­kes should turne vnto others, than vnto God alone, or desire helpe at any other, than at Iesus Christ, vnto God the Father.

Come to me (sayeth Christ aloude) all ye that labour and are heauy laden, [...]. 11. & I shal refreshe you. [...]o. 16. Ʋerely I saye vn to you, what so euer ye shall aske the father in my name, he shall geue it you. Hebr. 4. And Paule sayeth: we haue not a hygh priest that can not haue com­passion on our infirmities, but was tempted in al pointes, lyke as we are, but yet without synne. Let vs therfore go boldely vnto the trone of grace, that we may obteyne mercye, & fynde grace to helpe in tyme of nede.

What offence now doth the gospel­lers churche in thys case, whych in o­beyeng the preceptes recorded in the Euangelistes and Apostles wrytyn­ges, goeth the strayght hygh waye vnto Christ, and desyreth to be commen­ded vnto God by his only intercessiō? It is not readde in any place of the scriptures, that any of the holy Apost­les, whyle they lyued here vpō earthe, requyred the intercession or helpe of any Patriarke, Prophete, or Martyr. They dyd all cal vpon God by Iesus Christ alone. Why should we than fo­lowe straunge examples? Thys is the true and pure callyng vpon God, this is the true seruing of God, and a sa­crifice [Page]to God most acceptable, Hebr. 13. Ro. 12. as Paule after the Prophetes beareth playn recorde. Therfore ther is no he­resie nor schisme foūde in these cases. Saint Austen in his exposicion of this place of Iohn, Babes, if any do sinne, Super epist. Io. canoni­cam. 1. Io. 2. we haue an aduocate wyth the father Iesus Christ the righteous, sayeth: Iohn dronke the secretes of hydden mysteries out of the Lordes brest. He (for al he was suche a man) sayd not, you haue an aduocate with the fa­ther, but we haue an aduocate. He sayd not, you haue, nor you haue Christ, but he put in Christ & not hym selfe: and he sayd, we haue, & not you haue. He rather put hym selfe in the nombre of synners, to haue Christe hys aduocate, than put hym selfe an aduocate in Christes stede, & be founde among the proude damned. Bre­thren, we haue Iesus Christ the righ­teous an aduocate wyth the father, he is the mercye seate of our synnes. He that hath holden thys, hathe done no heresie: he that hath holden thys, hath done no schisme nor sedicion. Thus sayeth Austen. Than seyng we folow the commaundement of the Apostle, which did nother heresie nor schisme, [Page]and seyng we call not vpon Iohn now lyuyng wyth Christ in heauen to be our aduocate, but vpon Iesus Christ alone, we may not be iustly cal­led either heretikes or schismatikes.

YEt for all thys the Gospel­lers churche contemneth not the sayntes in heauen, Honou­ring of Saynctes. nor hyndreth them of their due glorie. For we so ho­nour them, as the holy scripture teacheth vs to honour them. We iudge honourably of them, as it be­cōmeth vs to iudge of goddes electe. We thanke God for theyr fayth and doctrine, and we praye that we maye atteyne to theyr company.

We loue them as brethren, we prayse them as teachers and examples of faythe, we defende them agaynst rai­lers and wycked wretches, as fayth­full persones and worthy of eternall glorye, we acknowlage them as dere frendes and brethrem of the sonne of God, we preache of them as of y ^e ercel lent instrumentes of God, by whome he hathe wrought bothe our saluaci­on and wonderful weyghtye great [Page]maters besydes.

Now I trust no man wyll saye, that we are enemyes to the sayntes raignyng wyth Christ in heauen, se­yng we attribute thus muche vnto them of a syncere and reuerent vn­feyned hart, geuyng to God that is Goddes, and to hys sayntes, that is theirs.

A Gayn, Sacram [...] ­tes of Christ a [...] the cure [...]. the gospellers chur­the hathe no newe Sacra­mente, nor any mo, than God hym selfe hath orday­ned for it. If ther be any o­ther discipline or obseruaunce, we so reuerence & vse it, as the Lorde hathe commaūded to vse it, or as the forge­yng examples of the Apostles haue taught vs.

Therfore the Churche of Eng­lande vnder Kyng Edwarde the .vi. hade not, Baptism [...] and the gospellers churche elles where at thys daye hathe not a­ny newe Baptisme, but the olde Bap­tisme, euen the same that wyth cal­lyng vpon the name of God is geuen in the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the holy Goost, to the forgeueneffe of synnes.

By thys baptisme we beleue that all are baptised to be one body throughe the spirite of Christ, [...] 6. [...] l. 3. & that baptisme dothe alwayes worke effectuallye in faythful beleuers: For Christ dothe al­wayes wattre the mēbres of hys bo­dye wyth hys owne spirite.

So are we therfore the true mem­bres of Christes churche, [...]e head [...] mem­ [...]s of the [...]rche. vnder that one head, kyng, shepeherde, and most myghtye hye priest Iesus Christ our Lorde. We are not schismatical cut of membres. For we stycke faste vnto our one only head Christ our Lorde, nother do we fal from the feloweship of the membres or body of the church, wherwyth we are knytte together in spirite, fayth, and loue: than why are we called schismatikes? If we dyd put on an other head, or departed frō the true mēbres of Christ, and were cou­pled to other straunge membres, and so cōstituted a new churche, we might iustlye be noted for schismatikes: but now sence we acknowlage that ther is but one only churche, and that it is the communion of sayntes dispersed throughout al the wyde worlde (in the feloweship wherof all our possible en­deauour [Page]is to remayne) and seyng we crye wyth S. Petre, and saye: Lorde, Io. 6. whyther shall we goo? thou haste the wordes of eternallyfe, and we beleue and haue knowē, that thou arte Christ the sonne of the lyuyng God: why (I pray you) are we called schismatikes?

VVe do also participate and fede of al one self same ta­ble of the Lorde wyth all sayntes through out y ^e ho­le churche of Christ ren­dring thankes for the vnspeakeable benefite of our redemption. The Lor­des Sup­per. We eate al one spiritual meate, we drynke all one spiritual drinke wyth al faythful­les throughout the holy catholyke churche. We are al one breade and one body with Christ & wyth al fayth­fulles. By what right therfore are we called schismatikes? Wyl our aduer­saries cōdemne vs of heresie, bycause we beleue, that to be the beste forme of celebratyng of the mystical supper, whych Christ hym selfe hathe institu­ted, and the Apostles delyuered? wyll our aduersaries condemne vs as he­retikes, [Page]bycause we obey Christes bid­dyng, Drynke of thys all, and communi­cate vnder bothe kyndes? Wyll our aduersaries condemne vs of heresie bycause we worship Christ the sonne of God and of Mary syttyng on the fathers ryght hande, and not hidden vnder the kyndes of bread and wyne? wil our aduersaries condemne vs as heretikes, bycause we acknowlage Christ to be the only priest, and that the one only sacrifice of hys body on­ly once offred vpon the crosse, is euer of sufficient & perfyte efficacie in God the fathers syght to clense the peoples synnes: and bycause we obserue the mystical supper for a remembraunce of the sacrifice, that was offred for vs on the crosse once for all? Than let them furst condemne Christ hym self, whych instituted these maters none otherwyse: let them condemne his A­postles, whyche haue taught vs so to beleue and so to do. But yf they thinke it wyckednesse to thynke any suche thyng, than let them ceasse to charge the gospellers church wyth the cryme of heresie, whych thynketh nothyng herein, whych doth nothyng herein, but as it hathe receaued of Christ our [Page]Lorde hym selfe, and learned of hys holy Apostles.

THe Apostle S. Petre spea­kyng of wycked teachers, Obedience to Prince. & magi­strates. 2. Pe. 2. sayeth: They despyse auto­ritie, they are presumptu­ous, and stubborne, why­the feare not to rayle vpon them that excelle in honour. &c. we therfore ab­horryng that kynde of doctrine, & con­demning that ambicious, stubburne, presumptuous, and raylyng rebelli­on of those men, doo hartely honour Princes and magistrates; and teache all other to doo the like, allegeing S. Petres lesson: Feare God, 1. Pe. 2. honour the King. And S. Paules sayeng: Geue to euery man therfore his duetye, Rom. 13. tri­bute to whom tribute belōgeth: custō, to whom custō is due: feare, to whom feare belōgeth: honour, to whom ho­nour perteyneth. We allowe scholes & studie of good sciēces, & to our power (vn boasted be it) we doo faithfully & diligētly endeauour our selues to fur­ther them. Further more we doo not damne good & iuste politicall lawes, nor necessary defenses iustly taken in hande, ne iuste punishmentes against [Page]offenders. We do not improue politi­cal rule & gouernement, honest buy­eng and sellyng, good sciences & law­ful occupacions, propretie of goodes and landes, and suche lyke, whyche the pretendyng apostolical sectaries the Anabaptistes did afore tyme fynd fault wythall.

We teache folkes also to flee ydle­nesse, 1. Thess. 4. 2. Thess. 3. and to labour wyth theyr han­des, accordyng to the Apostles rules: as we are constrayned also for causes of necessitie to abandon mōkery and cloistre lubbers in our cōgregacions. For the solitary lyfe, whyche the olde fathers make mencion of, is an other maner a matter, than thys is, whych at thys daye (where they continue) is a heauye burthenous plage almost to al common wealthes. And to reckē vp all that can be spoken, we haue no thyng adoo wyth eyther sectes or schismatikes.

THe Apostle S. Paule by the holy spirite of God prophe cieth, The diffe­rēce of me ates. 1. Timo. 4 that in y ^e later tymes ther shal come most corrupt men, whych shall geue hede [Page]vnto deceauable spirites, and do [...] ­nes of deuilles, for byddyng mariage, and commaundyng to absteyne from meates, whych God hathe created to receaue wyth thankes geuyng vnto the faythful.

And so we preache sobre fastyng, and yet we bryng no meate into an e­uil name, but alwayes graunt free vse of meates. Howbeit we teache, that abstinence is to be kept for a ty­me, from al meates, what so euer we ꝑceaue do make the fleshe ouer stoute, so that it obeyeth not vnto the spirite.

As for mariage we forbidde it vn­to none, eyther ordre or lawfull age, 1. Cor. 7. Hebr. 13. 1. Cor. 16. whether it be man or woman: albeit we wype not virginitie from her due prayse. Mariage is honourable amōg al men, and the mariage bedde vnde­filed. But we deteste al vncleanesse, fornicacion, adulterie, inceste, and a­bominable lustes. We deteste dronke­nesse, surfettyng, ryote, and al vntem­peraunce. We teache temperaunce, 1. Thess. 4. Hebr. 12. sobre diete, and chastitie. We teache wyth the Apostle Paule euery one to possesse hys vessel in puritie and holi­nesse, wythout the whyth no man shal see God.

[...] that Christi­ane charitie is the most propre right marke of faihtfull christians, Chur [...]e & workes of mercie. Ioh. 13. Math. 25. as our saueour saithe: In this shall all men knowe that you are my disciples, yf you haue loue one to an other.

Therfore we condemne malicious manslaughters, furious bloodshea­ding of Kynges and Princes, vniust warres, treasones, murthers, wytch­craftes. &c. For we knowe that mer­cye and gentilnesse is more accepta­ble before God, Ose. 6. Math. 9. than all other ver­tues. I requyre mercye (sayeth the Lorde) and not sacrifice, and the knowlage of God, more than burnt offringes.

Nowe hereof it commeth, that se­yng we be cōstitute in the same body that all the holy sayntes of God are, we suffre for thys faythe and for this doctrines sake, the selfe same perse­cucion, that all that haue confessed the same faythe that we do, haue suf­fred sence the dayes of Abel vnto this present. Ioh, 15. If you had ben of the worlde (sayeth our Lorde in the Gospell) the worlde wolde loue hys owne. But bycause you are not of the worlde, but I haue chosē you out of y ^• worlde, [Page] [...]

For all though we be synners, and doo all amysse in many thinges, yet this maye we iustly reioyte in, that our aduersaries hate vs not for synnes sake, but for godlynesse and syncere professing of Christes reli­gion. For we should haue ben a great deale better taken of many a one, yf we wold fall in to the same ryotous losenesse and in to all filthynesse of religion and maners that they doo. 1. Pet. 4. Therfore we are not sondred from the felowship and communion of the thurche, that hathe ben from the be­gynnyng of y ^t worlde vnto this daye. We are souldyours with all sayntes vnder all one Emperour and cap­tayn, we haue the same hope and ex­pectacion that they haue. We repose all the necessaries of our life, salua­cion, and helpe, in one only and the self same paymaister, euen our lorde God Iesus Christ. So we be true membres of y ^• true churche of Christe though our aduersaries haue hither­to synfully accused vs (the membres of the gospellers churche) of heresye and sedicyon.

[...] vs vp theyr olde song, [...]uersaries obiections. that we are fal­len from the holy churche of Rome, that we haue gathered a newe fang­led schismaticall churche together, whych hath nother head nor continu­al successiō of bishoppes: and therfore that newe fangled churche is no chur­che, but a conspiracie of a fewe mystye rascal knaues crept out of a sorte of obscure felowes and denounced accur­sed long ago, and slaketh and abateth agayne daylye more and more, to be­wraye it selfe by that token, seyng it is not stable, as Bamaliel sayde, it is of men and not of God.

Here vnto we make thys answere at fewe wordes. Aboue all thynges it is to be weyghed and consydred, whi­che a one the true churche of Christ is, and wher it is. Not al that are called Israel (sayrth the Apostle) are Israel: Rom. 9. euen so al that bragge of the name of the churche, be not the true churche: but y ^e is the true churche, that is knyt to her one onely husbande and head Christ, that heareth the voyce of none but of her only husbande and shepe­herde Christ, and continueth wyth al sayntes in hym. From thys maner [Page]church we neuer fel, whether it beare the name of the churche of Rome, the churche of Alexandria, the churche of Constātinopole or the churche of An­tioche. For what so euer is or euer was of Christ, of truthe, and of true godlynesse, in these or in other chur­ches throughout the wyde worlde, we embrace it with al our hartes, and en­deauour our selues to kepe that synce­rely stil vnto the ende. But in dede we are fallen from, and abhorre the Romyshe wyckednesse, the Romyshe errours, the Romyshe corrupciōs, the Romyshe lyes, the Romishe false iug­glyng knackes, and all abuses whēce so euer they be, as we vtterly also ab­horre the Ieweship and Mahumetes religion. We do very wel agree wyth the olde states of the churches of A­lexandria, Antioche and Constantino­pole, but wyth Mahumetes corrupci­on of them, wherin they sticke all fast at thys daye, we agree not. We agree very wel with y ^e olde church of Rome, which y ^e chosen vessel of God S. Paul made so muche prayse of: but we agre neuer a wytte at thys daye wyth the extreme corrupcion of the churche of Rome, whyche theyr owne very [Page]frendes can not chose but speake euil of, bycause of the horrible abominaci­ons of it. Are we therfore fallē frō the churche of Christ, bycause we (accor­dyng to Christes owne mynde and cō maundement) renounce and caste a­waye the errours: of the churche of Rome? The holy prophetes of God, the natural sōne of God Iesus Christ our Lorde, wyth hys chosen Apostles, were vndoubtedly in the body of the true and catholike churche of God, al­beit they had no feloweship the while wyth that churche that vaunted them selues to be the true churche of God: Naye, that churche excommunicated and persecuted the Prophetes, and Christ and the Apostles, and condem­ned them openly for heretikes and schismatikes. But yet they were true faythful men and catholikes neuer­thelesse for al that.

And how cometh it to passe that the gospellers churche is called a newe fangled churche; which haue theyr re­lacion from hence to the begynnyng of the worlde: whych haue Christ the eternal sonne of God to be theyr foū ­dacion, and acknowlage the Apost­les [Page]and Prophetes to be her foun­ders, and sheweth in her selfe all the tokens of the true churche in the sight of all men?

That is not an headlesse churche, whych acknowledgeth and reuerēceth Iesus Christ the sonne of God, the sa­me, I meane, whom the Apostles na­me the heade, and the saluacion, the king & chief hygh priest of the church.

Nother is the gospellers churche without cōtinual succession of bishop­pes, seyng it hathe her relacion euen vnto the Apostles of Christ.

Christ hade the continual rable of bishoppes and pristes in the cathedral churche of Ierusalem euer agaynst hym. The same was agaynst the apo­stles also. But yet who wyll therfore denye, that the Apostles churches are the true churches? Who wyl reproue Christes doctrine and hys Apostles of lyeng, excepte it be a man to wycked to tel of? Besydes thys I coulde tell, what a maner one the succession of bi­shoppes of Rome is, namely of them, that haue made theyr neste in that Satanicall seate for these fyue hun­dred yeares, yf I wolde do as Suetonius [Page]dyd: and yf I lusted (as he disclosed the most shameful filthy lyues of Empe­rours) to blase out y ^e cursed false par­tes and abominable wyckednesses of many bishoppes of Rome, and yf I lusted to expoūd thys sayeng of Paul: Ther shal starte vp from among you, Act. 20. men speakyng peruerse thynges, to drawe disciples after them. &c. But it is ynough to play touche & go in these maters, bycause I speake to men of vnderstandyng. That churche is not of a fewe folke, that is dispersed al the worlde ouer, and comprehendeth all those that be faythfull: except our ad­uersaries peraduenture meane that whych Christ our Lorde spake in the Gospell: Mat. 22. Many are called, & but fewe chosen. And agayne. Narowe is the gate and strayte is the waye that lea­deth vnto lyfe, and fewe ther be that fynde it. Ther is also no conspiracie in vs to any euel purpose, but an holy consent to the doctrine and obedience of Christ. As for mystye knaues we are none, for we cast no mystes nor darke clowdes to deceaue any man, but we allure al mē to the most clear lyght of the gospel.

Nother is the gospellers churche [Page]buylded vpon obscure men and hol­den accursed, but of Christes owne A­postles, which were most famous no­table men in all the worlde. For albeit the preaching of the gospel was brou­ght vnto vs by those mēnes ministe­ries, who are of most hygh cōmenda­cion amōg the godly, yet we geue not thankes for the begynnyng of so pre­cious a Iewel vnto men, but vnto Christ the sonne of God. Paule was the furst that preached the Gospel to the Corinthianes, but for all that he wolde not haue them called Paulini­anes, but he wolde haue them called Christianes. If Christ whych is the true lyght of the worlde, yf the Apost­les whych are the lyght bear ours of y ^e worlde, be obscure men and accursed, we graunt that our doctrine came of obscure and accursed men. But I am sure, they that go about to bryng them into that slaūder, shal haue light ynough (and to spare) in theyr kyng­dom, wher hel fyre shalbe theyr light.

They also make a most open lowd lye, in sayeng y ^e the gospellers church of Christ abateth and slaketh euery daye more and more. Sure they prate that, bycause Germanye was so late­ly [Page]assaulted and afflicted wyth war­res, & bycause of the horrible alteraci­on in Englāde. And do not the lyeng wretches see, that as Bermanye was tryed as golde is in the fyre, euen so is Englande by martires blood? The Lorde said to Petre: Symon, Symon, Satan hathe desyred to sifte you, Luce. 22. as it were wheat, but I haue prayed for thee, that thy faythe fayle not. And whan thou arte cōuerted, streyngthē thy brethren. As for Petre he fell, and denyed hys maister: yea hys maister was also hanged on the crosse, and all hys disciples ranne awaye. But yet who cā gather therof, Ergo Christes doctrine is false? Ergo the Apostles churche is not the church? Are not our aduersaries aduised, y ^e all which wyll lyue godly, must nedes suffre persecu­cion? Or why do they not see, y ^e they are fayne perforce, with a sorowfull hart to confesse it to be true, that in al theyr hyghe pōpous ruffe, their king­dom is euery daye more & more rent, cut of, & slydeth awaye: & that Christes gospel is clearly preached dayly more and more, and taketh good roote in very Italye and Fraunce, and is su­rely plāted (for al theyr massing mys­chief [Page]and tyrannous tormenting) in wooful England: it putteth furth hys grene buddes in Polone, in Hunga­rie, in Ilandes not a fewe, yea and in very Turkye also. For as fast as kyn­ges and Prynces (by the incensyng of bishoppes and priestes) psecute faith­ful christiā people with fyre & sweord, and for al that the wyse of thys world laye theyr heades together, & take coū sail amōg them selues, how they may hyndre the kyngdome of Christe, and thwyte awaye the preachyng of the gospel, yet they are neuer the farther for all theyr adoo: the gospel bloweth hys horne stil, & wil do (let the worlde stampe and stare) euen to the last day, til the sonne of God shal come, & geue rest and glorie to hys afflicted frēdes, and seruauntes, and caste hys ene­myes headlong from hys presence in to the lake of vrymstone, that shall burne for euermore. Now yf a man wyl gather out of al thys simple trea­tise & declaraciō, the very markes of y ^e true ryght catholike church of Christ, & wyl wyth aduised diligence beholde the gospellers churche (whom the Pa­pistes charge wyth heresie) obseruing whether y ^e more sure right markes of [Page]the true churche maye be founde in the gospellers churche, he shall vtter­ly confesse, that the gospellers church is gorgeously furnished wyth them, and therfore cleare acquieted from all accusacions and raylyng reportes of al traiterous papistes & aduersaries. For the gospellers churche receaueth al and singular holy sacred canonical bokes. The true markes of Christes [...]atholike [...]hurche. bothe of the olde Testament & the newe. To them we geue credence in al pointes wythout contradiccion or doubt, as authencicall, that is, ha­uing of them selues ful and perfit ab­solute autoritie. In them we affirme that all truthe is to be beleued, and al mysteries & offices of godlynesse are in them fully conteyned and taught: and therfore we referre all the affai­res and businesses of the churche, and al questions vnto them, and we geue sentence, ordayne and refourme after the definitiue iudgementes of them. How be it we receaue not euery man­nes iudgement of the holy scripture, but the most catholike & ryght mea­nyng, grounded vpon the mynde of the holy Goost, and of the conference of scriptures one place to an other, & conformable in all cōdicions to sayth [Page]and charitie. In thys behalfe we are not vnthankeful but thankful to an­tiquitis, and set muche price by the la­bours and trauailes that the olde aū ­cient fathers bestowed vpon the ex­pounding of the scriptures, and we gladly vse the godly interpretacions of the auncient prelates of the church, whych diffre not from the rule of holy scripture. The gospellers churche per­mitteth not the interpretacion of the scripture and the charge of the cōgre­gacions to euery man at auenture, but to suche as be therto lawfully cho­sen and apointed by the rule of the A­postles. We beleue & religiously em­brace y ^e chief principles of the christen fayth, namely y ^e fyrst & health geuing promyse made of God in Paradise cō terning Christ our redemer, breaking the head or kyngdome and power of the deuil. We religiously embrace that only and eternal couenaunt that God made wyth our fyrst parentes at the begynnyng of the worlde, and af­terwarde many tymes renewed it wyth the holy fathers. We religious­ly beleue & obey the most holye tables of the couenaūt written wyth the fyn­gre of God, and conteynyng the hole [Page]mysterye of al godlynesse. We religi­ously receaue and vse the moste ann­tient articles of belefe, called the Apo­stles Crede, comprehēdyng al the my­sterye of faythe: whych we fully & syn­cerely beleue wyth al our hartes, and confesse it also wyth open mouth: and therupon we directly cōdemne all he­resyes & heretical persons. We stycke not also to receaue al declaraciōs and definicions of faythe, whether they be of Coūsailes or of Fathers, so they a­gree wyth the Apostles Crede. No­ther do we refuse olde auncient Tra­dicions, yf they agree wyth the doc­trine of the gospell, and the apostles scripture. We preache the grace and merccie of God in Christ, we professe, that faithfulle christianes are iustify­ed by y ^e only merite of Christ, through only faith in Christ, and not by man­nes workes or merites. And therwith all we teache that a true faithe can not chose, but bring furthe good wor­kes: Iames. 2. and we affirme with S. Iames the apostle, that a fruteles faithe is a dead faithe. We acknowlage that al men are synners, and that all do a­mysse in verye many thynges, and [Page]therfore synners haue nede of perpe­tual salue: and we affirme that pe­naunce is the healthe geuyng salue to them that beleue in Christ. And in thys behalfe (as in other cases) the Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen haue place. Herein we neclecte not di­screte admonicion and brotherly re­formacion. In al these maters we praye continually to God wythout ceassyng. We vse euer the pure cal­lyng vpon God by the intercession of Christ alone. We receaue and vse nother mo nor fewer Sacramentes than God hym selfe hathe delyuered vnto hys churche. By Baptisme we haue entraunce into the churche, tho­rough baptisme we are washed and bounden by vowe vnto God. We al­so (the poore churche of gospellers) are nourished with the mystical Supper, we celebrate the remembraunce of mannes redempcion purchaced by the bodye broken and blood shead of Iesus Christ. We (the gospellers churche) geue thankes for goddes be­nefites, and so we openlye professe our faythe. We therfore abyde in the vnitie of the mysticall bodye vn­der one onely heade and Kynge, [Page]hygh priest & shepeherde Iesus Christ: we are not sondred frō the most faste knytte feloweship of the faythful mē ­bres. We thynke honourably of Princes and magistrates, that they are the ministers of God, and therfore they ought to be obeyed and to haue theyr duetie. We cōdemne nothyng in the political or ciuile states that is not repugnaunt wyth godlynesse. We for­bydde not meates, whych God hathe made to faythful folkes vse. We for­bydde not mariage to any ordre or state eyther of man or woman. For­nicacion wyth al vncleanes & intem­peraunce we vtterly deteste. Special­ly we commende charitie to be kepte towardes al mē. We serue God with willyng liberalitie to our power.

We do paciently beare the crosse that is layde vpon vs, for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christes sake, that aby­dyng constaūt in the felowship of the body of the churche, we maye receaue rewarde wyth al the sayntes whyche from the begynnyng of the worlde haue suffred persecucion for ryghte­ousnesse sake. Ther is no newe fang­led stuffe in the gospellers churche: all is of the olde sorte, doctrine of Fayth, [Page]Belefe, the Keyes, Prayer, the Sacra­cramentes, and all together. It de­parteth not fom the head Christ: it is not torne from the membres, that is, from the cōmunion of sayntes.

These true markes of the true right tatholike churche of Christ, whan thou fyndest in the gospellers church, why doubtest thou to cal and frely acknowlage it to be the true right catholike churche of Christe? Why doutest thou to forsake al them (as lyers traitours and slaunderous railours) that reporte it to be an heritical, schismatical & sedicious church? I do not nowe (nor in all this hole treatise) speake of them, that goo on wyth theyr religion vpon a certayn zeale, and speake euil of vs rather through instigacion of other, thā vp­on theyr owne mynde, beyng not yet so fully skilled, as to knowe how pure and syncere our religiō is, God ligh­tē theyr hartes: But I speake of those specially, whych are called learned men, and the leaders of the common sorte, and are not ignoraunt of our doctrine and doynges, and for that cause they most doggedly and falsely slaunder vs: of enuye, hatred, and ma­lice [Page]against the truthe, yea rather of couetousnes thā ignoraunce, and yet they cā make non ende of theyr false slaunderous railing.

Now forasmuche as it is more cleare than the light at none dayes, hauing wyped and dryuen awaye all the mystye darke clowdes of all our aduersaryes, that the gospellers chur­che is the true right & catholike chur­che of christ, it shalbe our partes doubtles, to contynue constauntly in thys true gospellike churche of God, and to goo on forewarde chearefully in the waye of the lorde, which we haue once allready entred in to. If thys worlde condemne and persecute vs, we knowe that the lorde hym self in tymes past tolde vs before hande of non other, of no pleasaūter, of no bet­ter: for the world first persecuted him. If y ^e rable of mytred maisters of mis­chief, which vaunt them selues to be the general counsail laufully assem­bled to gether in the holy goost, doo accurse vs: let vs considre, that y ^e lord hym selfe was condemned before vs of the highe bishop & college of pries­tes and elders. Let vs remembre, that our God dothe blesse them, that blesse [Page]the sede of Abraham, and dothe curse them that curse it: and that we for our true faithe in Christ, are the true sede of Abraham.

In the meane tyme let vs conty­nually make our hartye earnest pra­yers to GOD our father, by Iesus Christ our lord and saueour, without whom we can doo nothyng: that he wold graūt vs streynght to perseuer, & constauntly to continue in the blessed truthe of hys gospel, & to abyde stil in the right ca­tholike churche of Christ. Amen.