¶The first article.

FYrst of al I bothe beleue and knowe, His fayth of the vni­tie & tri­nitie of God. that ther is but one a lonly God, and that he is of nature good, true, almighty, ryghteouse, wyse and mercy­ful, the maker and gouernour of all thynges visible & inuisible. And that the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost are thre persones, but the Essence & substance of them is simple, vnmixte and but one alone. And concerninge the Godhed and names or thre persones I agree vtterly in opinion in al thinges wyth the declaracion of the Crede aswel of Nicene as of Athanasius.

I beleue that the Sonne hath ta­ken to hym flesshe, His belefe of Christ the sonne of God & the sonne of man. vnderstandynge therby, that he hath verely and truly of Mary the vndefyled and perpetual virgine taken to hym the nature of man, yea the hole man, whych consi­steth of body and soule, and that after this maner: [...] the same hole mā [Page 4] is so taken into the vnitie of substāce or persone of the sonne of God, Of two naures in one persone that man maketh not a proper or special persone, but is taken vnto the insepe­rable, indiuisible, and vnlousable personage of the sonne of God. The distī ­cte proper­ties & operations o the two natures in Christe diuide not the perso­ne. And al be it that both natures, that is the God­hed and Manhed so kepe styl their natures and properties, that both of thē in hym may truely and naturally be knowen and perceaued, yet neuerthelesse the distincte and seueral proper­ties and workinges of natures diuid not the vnitie of persone. No more than in man the soule and body make two persones. For as thei are of most diuers and contrary natures, so are they also of sundry properties and o­peracions. And yet man whych con­systeth of them both is not two perso­nes, but one: Euen so God and Man is one Christ: the perpetual sonne of God from euerlastynge, and the sōne of Mā frō y ^e tyme appointed & deter­mined. One persone, one Christ, per­fecte God, and perfect Mā. Not that the one nature is made the other, or that they are mixed, confounded or disordred amonge them selues, but that either of thē abydeth styl in his owne [Page 5] propertie. And yet y ^e vnitie of persone by these sondrie properties is not dis­ioyned. And thus one & y ^e same Christ touchyng y ^e propertie of his manhed cried as a chylde, grewe & waxed, in­cocased in wysedōe, hōgred, thrysted, dyd eat, drynke, slepe was hote colde, beatē, dyd swet, was wounded, mur­dered, affrayed, was in heuinesse, and suffred other thinges, whych pertain vnto the payne and punyshment of synne, and yet was he vtterly gyltles and moste estraunged from synne it selfe. But touchynge the propertie of hys Godhed, he wyth the Father and y ^e holy Ghost ordreth, goeth thorow, ruleth, sustayneth and nurrysheth all thynges both hyghe & lowe, he lyght­neth the blynde, restoreth the lame, calleth vp the dead, wyth a lytle word throweth downe his enemies, beyng deade he taketh agayne to hym lyfe, he ascendeth vp to heauē, and sendeth downe the holy Ghost as his owne spirite. And one and the same Christe abydynge in one persone of the sonne of God doth al these thynges, albeit they are contrary in nature and pro­pertie, so that euē those thinges, whi­che belonge properly to the Godhede, [Page 6] because of the vnitie and perfecciō of persone, are sometyme ascrybed and imputed to the Manhode: and cōtrarye, those thynges whych are proper to the Manhode, are sometyme spo­ken of the Godhede. Iohan. 3. He sayd: that he hym selfe beynge the sonne of Man was in heauen, when he had not yet in body ascended into heauen. 1. Petre. 2. Peter also sheweth: that Christe suffred for vs, when only hys māhode could suf­fer. But for vnitie of persone it is trulye sayd: bothe that the sonne of God suffred, and that the sonne of mā for­gaue synnes. For bothe he whyche in one persone is the sonne of God, and the sonne of Man, touchinge the pro­pertie of hys manhode, suffred: And he whych in one persone is the sonne of God, and the sonne of Man, tou­chynge hys Godhed, forgaue synnes. So we saye: thys man is wyse, whan notwythstandynge he consysteth as­wel of body as of soule. And the body is moste estraunged from wysedom, yea it is a very poison and hyndraūce of knowlege and vnderstandynge.

And agayne, we saye: the same mā is sore cutte and wounded, whan onely the bodye can receaue woundes, and [Page 7] not the soule. Thus no man sayeth. Of man there is made two persones, whan to either partie hys owne pro­pertie is attributed and applyed. And agayne no man sayeth: that the natures are mixte, disordred and confoun­ded, whan of the hole man that is sayd, whych for the vnitie of persone pertayneth to the hole, but for the propertie of the parties belongeth onely vnto one. Paule sayeth: 2. Cor. 12. whan I am weake, then am I stronge. Who is it that is weake? Paule. who ryghtly is also stronge? Paule. But is not thys sayeng contrarye to reason, vnstable and intollerable? No. for Paul is not of one nature, albeit he is but one persone. Therfore whan he sayeth: I am weake, doutlesse that person speaketh whych is Paule, but that that is sayd, is neither spoken nor vnderstanded of both natures, but only of the weaknesse of the fleshe. And whan he say­eth, I am stronge: Surely the person of Paule speaketh it: but only hys spirite is vnderstāded. Euen so, the sōne of God is dead: Doutlesse he (whyche by vnitie and singlenesse of persone is bothe God and Man) is deade, but that is only touchyng hys manhode. [Page 8] Thus therfore not only I thynke concernynge aswel the Godhead and persones, as taking to the nature of mā, but so lykewyse haue thought al they both olde and newe that are of ryght fayth and belefe. Yea and so thynke they also that euen nowe acknowlege the truthe vnfaynedly.

¶The seconde Article.

SEcondarely, I knowe and beleue, Here fal­leth man­nes free wyll. that thys moste excel­lēt maiestie, which is my God, doth frankely and wythout cō straynt or let appoint and de­termine of al thynges, so that his coū sel and determinacion hangeth of no cause or occasion of any creature, for that is the propertie of the maymed wisedome of man, to iudge and determine by conferrynge and debatynge of natural reasons, or by exemple goynge before. But God (whyche from euerlastynge vnto for euer & euer w ^t one only and simple lokynge vp­on beholdeth al thynges) nedeth no accompt, Goddes prouidēce. rekenyng, experience or profe of thynges that are done, but beynge on euery parte wyse, prudēt, good &c. hath frankly determyned and set an order in al thynges. For hys owne [Page 9] are al thynges that are. Hereof it is, that all be it wyttingly and aduisedly he in y ^e begynnyng wolde make mā, Of mānes creation. whych he knewe perfectly wolde fal, yet neuerthelesse wolde aswell deter­myne, to cloth hys sonne wyth mans nature, to repayre and restore againe the fall: wherby hys goodnes on eue­ry parte doth appere. In Goddes goodnes is conteyned mercy & righteou­nesse. In whych goodnes is comprised both hys mercy and ryghteousnes. His ryghteousnes he put forth, whan he cast the transgressours out of the pleasaunt mansions of Paradyse: whan he tyed them in the prison of mannes mysery, and fettered them in the chaynes of sycknes­ses, and whan he layed the lawe vpō them, whych (albeit it was holy) they could neuer of theyr owne power fulfyl. For here man beynge a dubble wretch learned, not only hys body to haue fallen into mysery, but also his mynde for fear of the lawe transgressed to be tormented. For whan after the spirite he sawe that the lawe was holye, Roma. 7. ryghteous and the messenger of Goddes mynde and wyll, as she whych cōmaunded nothyng but that-that ryghte requyred, but yet also se­ynge that by dedes he coulde not ful­fyll [Page 10] the mynd of the lawe, he in hys owne iudgement condempned (the hope of attaynyng felicitie cast awa­ye) goyng awaye desperate from the sight of God, remembred nothing but that he shulde suffer the payne of eternal tormentes. Thus farre was Gods ryghteousnes made open.

Mercy.After thys whan the tyme shulde come to vtter hys goodnes, which frō the begynnyng he appointed to shew as well as ryghteousnes, Christes in carnation he sent hys sonne to take to hym oure nature on euery parte, except that that is dispo­sed and redy to synne, that he made a brother and lyke vnto vs, myght be a mediator, whych for vs by offering hys innocent body vnto death, might satisfye Goddes most vpryght iustice, whych behoued to cōtinue holy, pure & vncorrupt aswel as hys goodnesse, that the worlde myght be throughlye assured both of the recompensacion & satisfyeng of hys ryghteousnes, and of hys present mercy to be offered vn­to vs. For seyng he hath to vs and for vs geuen hys owne sonne, Roma. 8. howe shall he not to vs gyue al thīges with hym and for hym? what is it that we may not promyse to our selues of him whiche [Page 11] hath let downe, abased and hum­bled him self hyther, to be not only ly­ke vnto vs, but also to be holly & fully our owne? who can maruel ynough at the inestimable rychesse and fauor of Goddes goodnes, Iohan. 3. 1. Iohan. 4 wherby he hath so loued the world, that is, mankynd, to gyue his owne sōne for y ^e lyfe of it?

These lyuely fountaynes & swete vaynes of y ^e Gospel I thynke are the only and alone medicine of the sycke soule, The only medicyn of the syck sowle. wherby she is restored bothe to God & to her owne selfe. For nothing can assure her of Goddes fauour, but God hym selfe. And he so lyberally, so abundauntly and so prudently hathe powred hys louynge kyndnes hollye vpon vs, that nowe he hath lefte no­thynge behynde that we can desyre, onlesse any durst requyre any thinge more then enough, and aboue the o­uerflowynge habundaunce.

¶The thyrde Article.

THyrdlye, I knowe ther is no nother Sacrifice of purgynge synne, but Christ a­lone, 1. Cor. 3. (for Paule truly was not crucifyed for vs:) & that [Page 12] ther is none so sure and vndoutefull pledge of Goddes goodnes & mercye as is Christ (for ther is nothynge so sure as God, Christ is the only waye to reconciliation & feli­cite. Acte. 4. Iustification of workes & pra­yng vnto Sainctes is here dispatched. 1. Timo. 2 The electe are on this condition chosē, that by the son­ne they myght be saued. which affirmeth y ^e same) and that vnder the sūne ther is none other name but the name of Iesus Christ, wherby we muste be saued.

Here therfore (concernynge the at­taynynge of Goddes goodnes & mer­cy) are refused as wel the iustificacion and satisfaccion of our workes, as the merites, deseruynges, prayers, and intercessions of all saintes, whether they be in earth, or in heauen. For here is but that one alonly mediator betwixte God and man, the God and man Iesus Christ. And Goddes elec­cion abydeth stedfast & sure, for those that he hath chosen before y ^e makinge of the worlde, he hath so chosen them, that he myght chose them out to hymselfe by hys sonne. For as he is gen­tel and mercyful, so is he holy & rygh­teous. Al hys workes therfore resem­ble of mercy & ryghteousnes. Wher­fore ryghtly his eleccion smelleth of them both. Of hys goodnes it was to haue chosen whome he wolde, but it was of ryghteousnes to purchase and ioyne to hym selfe them that are cho­sen [Page 13] through hys sonne made a sacri­fice to recompence Goddes ryghte­ousnes for vs.

¶The fourth Article.

FOurthly, I knowe that that great graundfathers father, our fyrst father Adā through selfe loue, by the subtyle sug­gestion, wycked temptacion and enuious coūsel of the deuel, was allured to thys pointe, to couet to be made lyke vnto God. And when he had committed that synne, he tasted of the forbydden and moste daunge­rous frute, Of origi­nall synne. wherby he fel into y ^e faute and gyltinesse of most horrible death and dampnacion, made therby the stubburne aduersarie and enemye of hys God. Wherfore whā God myght of equitie and ryght haue vtterly de­stroyed hym, yet beyng moste graci­ouse Lorde vnto him, he chaunged his euerlastynge payne and punyshment into a state, that is, to make hym a bond seruaunt, whome he myght ha­ue worthelye punyshed wyth euerla­styng death and vtter destruccion.

For asmuch than, as neither he, nor [Page 14] yet any that is borne of hym can take awaye thys state and condicion of bō dage (for a bondman can not but be­get another bond mā) he hath by the deadly tastyng of the forbyddē frute, They are called bōd that are saued, whan of right they might haue bene kylled by their ta­kers. kest all hys posteritie into bondage. Nowe therfore touchynge original synne I thynke thus:

That is truly called synne, whych is cōmitted against y ^e lawe: for where no lawe is, there is no transgression. And where no transgression is, there is no synne, as synne is properlye ta­ken, that is, so far as synne is a dede, a faute, an acte or offence. Therfore I acknowlege that our fyrst father syn­ned a sinne, that is sinne in dede, that is to say, an acte a faute, and a detestable thynge. But they that are borne of hym haue not synned after that ma­ner. For whyche of vs haue bytten wyth our teeth and eaten the forbyd­den frute in Paradice? Wherfore wil we nyl we, we are cōpelled to graunt that original synne as it is in the children of Adam, is not properly synne, as it is nowe declared, for properly it is not an acte or dede cōmitted agaīst the lawe. But it may properly be cal­led, a byrthsore, a naturall sycknesse & [Page 15] disease, and also it may be called a sinful state and cōdicion. A disease it is, for as he of self loue fel, so we also fal It is also a synful state or condicion: for lyke as he by his synne was made bond and subiecte to death, so we also are borne bond, the childrē of wrath, and subiecte to death. Al be it I passe nothynge yf thys disease and condici­on after Paules maner be called syn, yea it is suche a synne, that who so e­uer are borne in it are the enemies & aduersaries of God: for hither the synful state of our byrth draweth vs, and not the actual cōmittynge of offence, excepte so farre as oure fyrst parent hath cōmitted it once. Therfore the very cause of enmitie & death is the synne and offente committed of Adā, Synne is the cause of mannes miserie. and that is verely synne. But this syn whych cleaueth to vs in our concepci­on is verely a natural disease & a syn­full state, yea a necessitie of dyenge. Notwythstandyng that neuer shulde haue ben by byrth onely, had not of­fence fyrst defyled the byrth. Synne therfore is the cause of mannes mysery, and not the byrth. But of byrth it is none otherwise, than of it that foloweth of the foūtayne and principall [Page 16] cause. The confirmacion of this sentence is grounded both vpon authoritie and exēple, Roman. 5. Paule speaketh thus: Yf by the synne of one, Autoritie death reygned by the meanes of one: muche more they (whyche receyue abundaunce of grace, and of the gyfte of ryghteous­nes) shal raigne in lyfe by the meanes of one, that is to saye, Iesus Christ. Here we se that synne is properly ta­ken. for this one, is Adam, throughe whose fall death hāgeth ouer our neckes. Agayne the same Paule sayeth: All haue synned and haue nede of the glorie, Roman. 3. that is, the goodnes & lybera­lytie of God. Here synne is taken for the disease, state and byrth, that we al are sayd to synne, yea before we are powred out into thys lyght, that is, we are in the state and condicion of synne and death, yea before we synne in acte or dede, whyche sentence vna­uoydably is agayne strengthned by these wordes: Roman. 5. Neuerthelesse death raigned from Adam to Moses, euen ouer them also which had not synned wyth lyke transgression as dyd Adā. Loo, death is vpon vs, albeit we haue not synned lyke as Adam dyd. Wherfore? For he synned in dede, but seyng [Page 17] we haue not synned after y ^e maner, why dothe death deuoure vs? For he is dead because of synne, and beynge dead, that is, iudged to death, he hath begottē vs. Therfore we also dye, but thorowe hys faute, and by our owne synfull state and disease, or yf thou wylt, by synne, but takē vnproperly. Exemple. The state sprīgheth of the fawte. The exēple is suche: one takē prisoner in battel, by his vntruth, disloyaltie & ennemitie hath well deserued to be a bondmā. They that ar borne of him, that is, the bondmannes children are made bond, not by faute, acte or offence on theyr behalfe, but by state & condicion, whych followed the faute: for theyr father of whome they were be­gotten, had deserued that by offence. The chyldrē haue not y ^e offēce, but the punyshment & penaltie of the offence, that is, the state or condicion, the bō ­dage and prison. Yf ye lust to cal these thynges offence, because they are executed and ministred for offence, I forbyd you not. To be short.

I acknowledge this originall syn­ne by condicyon & infeccyō to spring in al mē which are begotten through the affectyon of man and woman.

And I knowe: Ephe. 2. that we are by nature [Page 18] the chyldrē of wrath: but thorow grace, whych by the second Adam Christ hath restored the fall, I dowt not to be receyued amonge the chyldren of God, and that after thys maner that foloweth:

¶The .v. Article.

It is ras­shnes to condempne infantes dyeng withowt bap­tym of water.FYftly. Doutlesse thys is eui­dent: Yf in Christ the seconde Adam we are restored vnto lyfe, lyke as in the fyrst Adā we are gyuen ouer to death, than do we rashly cōdempne the chyldren borne to christen parentes, yea and the chyldren of the heythen also. For yf Adam by synnynge could de­stroye all mankynde, and Christe by dyeng hath not quickened and rede­med all mankynde frō the great my­sery brought in by hym, then is not lyke the saluacion restored by Christ, and so (whych God forbyd) thys scri­pture is not true: 1. Cor. 15. He wyll not diffine of the infā tes of the heythen. As in Adam al dye, so in Christ are al restored to lyfe.

But howe so euer men determine of the infantes of the heythen, thys certaynly we affirme, because of the power of saluacion perfourmed by [Page 19] Christ, that they rashly gyue sentence wythout reasonable cause, that iud­geth them to the euerlastynge curse, partlye, for the sayd cause of restauracion by Christ, and partly, for the free eleccion of God, whych foloweth not fayth, but fayth it, wherof I wyl speake more in the article folowyng. For they whyche are chosen from euerla­sting, doutlesse are chosen before they haue fayth. Therfore they whych for lacke of age haue not fayth, ought not vnaduisedly to be condempned of vs. For albeit they haue it not yet, yet goddes elecciō is hyd from vs, of whō yf they be electe, we iudge to hastelye of thynges to vs vnknowen.

Neuerthelesse touchynge the infā tes of Christianes we diffine other­wyse, that is to saye: He diffi­nyth of the infantes of christianes that so many as are the infantes of Christianes are of the congregacion of Goddes people, and partes & membres of his church, whych we proue of thys wyse: By the wytnesses almoste of al the prophetes it is promysed that the cōgregaciō of y ^e heythē shulde be gathered together to the churche of Goddes people. And Christ hym selfe sayeth: Many shall come from the Easte and from the [Page 20] West and shal sytte wyth Abraham, Isaac and Iacob in the kyngdome of heauen. Math. 8. Marc. 16. And: Go ye into al the world and preache. &c. But to the churche of the Iewes their infantes perteyned aswel as the Iewes them selues.

Therfore no lesse pertayne our infantes vnto the churche of Christ, than in tyme past the infantes of the Iewes. For yf it were otherwyse, Gene. 17. then were not the promyse perfourmed and ra­tifyed: for than we shulde not equally sytte with Abraham in Goddes kingdome. Doutlesse he was nombred to the church wyth them, whych also af­ter the fleshe were borne of hym. But yf our infantes be not so nombred wyth theyr parentes, as were the in­fantes of the Iewes, thā were Christ not indifferent, but parcial and enui­ous towarde vs, denying to vs that, that he had gyuen to them of olde. whych were to muche wyckednes to affirme. For otherwyse al the prophe­cies concernyng y ^e callyng of the Gē ­tyls shulde be made of none effecte. Therfore, for asmuche as the infātes of the Christianes are aswel of the visible church of Christ, as are theyr pa­rentes or other that be of age, it is euident [Page 21] that they are aswel of theyr nomber whōe we iudge elect, as are theyr parentes. For thys cause it is, that I iudge them to do wyckedlye and pre­sumptuously, whyche appoint to con­demnacyon the infantes of Christia­nes, seyng that so many playne wit­nesses of scripture affirme the contrarye. Which shewe that the church of the gētyles shall not nowe be equall, but much mor large, than the church of the Iewes. All which thynges shal nowe be made playne, when we shall shewe our fayth concernyng the Churche

¶The .vi. Article.

SYxtlye, Cōcernyng the church, thus we thynke: Of the church of the electe. y ^t the Church in y ^e scriptures is diuersly takē. Fyrst it is takē for those chosē, which by y ^e wyl of God are ap­pointed to eternal lyfe. Of whyche Paule speaketh, sayeng: Ephe. 1.5. that she hath neither wrynkle nor spotte. Thys Church is knowen only vnto God. For he only (after the worde of Salo­mon) hath knowen the hertes of the chyldren of men. But neuerthelesse, 3. Reg. 8. [Page 22] they that are membres of thys chur­che knowe verely that they themsel­ues are electe, and are membres of thys fyrst Churche, because they haue fayth in Christ. But they know none other mēbres therof besyde themsel­ues, for so is it wrytten in the acres of the Apostles: Act. 13. And they beleued as many as were ordeined to eternal lyfe. Therfore they that beleue are ordey­ned to eternal lyfe. But who truly beleueth, no man knoweth but he that beleueth. Ephe. 1.2. 2. Cor. 1.11 The felicitie of fayth is to knowe that he is the inheri­toure of e­ternal lyfe. He therfore nowe is sure that he is the chosen of God. For he (after the worde of the Apostle) hathe the earnest of the spirite, wherwith he beyng dispoused and sealed, knoweth hym selfe to be made, not bond, but verely free, and the sonne of the familie. For that spirite can not dis­ceyue. Whych, yf he beare recorde vnto vs & certifyeth our cōsciences, that God is oure father, & that we beynge sure and wythout feare do cal hym father, not doutyng but that we shal go vnto the euerlastyng inheritaunce, than is it certayne that the spirite of of the sonne of God is powred into oure hertes. It is certayne therfore that he is electe whych is so surely by [Page 23] faith perswaded. For they that beleue are ordeyned to eternall lyfe. Act. 13. But many in times past were, and many nowe are chosen, whych yet haue no fayth. The blessed mother of God,

Iohn and Paule whyle they were yet but infantes and lytleones were they not electe? & that before the crea­cyō of the world? but thys they kne­we not in their īfācy nother by fayth nor reuelacyon. Mathew, Zacheus, y ^e righth ād thefe, & Magdalē were they not also electe before the world was made? and yet they knewe not that, tyl they were lyghtned by the spirite, and drawen of the father vnto Christ Hereof therfore it maye be gathered, Ionh. 6. that this fyrst churche is knowen on­lye vnto God, and that they only whiche haue a sure and an vnshakē fayth knowe them selues to be membres of thys churche.

Agayne the Churche is taken vniuersally for al that are rekened vnder the name of Christ, that is, Of the vnē uersall & sensible Churche. whych haue gyuen theyr names to Christ. Of which a great sort acknowlege Christ sensibly by confession of fayth, & vse of Sacramentes, and yet in theyr hertes other they abhorre hym, or els [Page 24] knowe him not. Therfore we thinke, that so many as acknowledge the na­me of Christ, In thys church as­well the e­uel as the good are cōteyned. are of that Church. So was Iudas of the church of Christe, & al they that stept backe from Christ. For of the Apostles Iudas was aswel thought to be of the churche of Christ, as Peter or Iohn, whan he was no­thynge lesse. But Christ knewe who was hys, and who was the deuelles. Of thys knowen and sensible church (albeit it agree not in thys worlde) are al that with mouth cōfesse Christ, although there be many reproba­tes amonge them. Mat. 25. For Christ payn­teth out thys church by a proper parabel of ten virgins, wherof fyue were wyse, and fyue folyshe. Thys churche also somtyme is called electe, albeit it is not y ^e fyrst church, whych is wyth out spotte. but lyke as by the iudge­ment of men it is Goddes church for the sensible confession of fayth, so by the same reason it is called electe. For we iudge them both faythful and chosen, whyche gyue theyr names to Christ. 1. Pet. 1. So spake Peter, sayeng: To the electe whych are scattered thorow Pontus. &c. where by the name of E­lecte he vnderstādeth al them whych [Page 25] were of the cōgregacions, to the whi­che he wrote, and not them only whi­che properly are chosen of the Lorde. For as they were vnknowē vnto Peter, so could he not wryte vnto them.

Fynally, the Churche is taken for euery partyculer assemble, company and congregacion of thys vniuersal & sensible church, as: The church of Rome, the Churche of Ausbrough. The Church of Lyōs. There are also other maner of takynges of the Churche, whych I wyl passe ouer wyth sylence at thys tyme.

But here I beleue that ther is one Church of them, whyche haue the sa­me holy spirite that certifyeth them, that they are the true chyldren of the housholde of God, and these are the fyrst frutes of churches. That church I beleue verely can not erre, namely in those chefe foundacions of y ^e fayth, wherin the chefe pointe of true religion consysteth.

I beleue also that the vniuersal & sensible congregacion is one church, so longe as it holdeth thys true con­fession of fayth, wherof it is sayde al­redy. And I beleue that al they are of y ^e churche, whyche gyue theyr names [Page 26] to it accordynge to the rule and pro­myse of Goddes worde. I beleue also that the infātes Isaac, Iacob, Iudas and all that were of the sede of Abra­ham, & also those chyldren whose pa­rentes in the begynnyng of the chur­che at the preachinge of the Apostles came to take parte wyth Christe, are of thys Church. For yf Isaac and the residue had not bene therof, they had not receyued the badge of the church. Seyng therfor they were of the chur­che, the infantes and chyldren of the primatiue churche were also therof. And for that cause I beleue & knowe that they were marked wyth the Sa­crament of Baptyme. The fa­thers & mothers, godfathers & god mothers & the churche it selfe acknowledge their infantes to be of the church by the recepte whereof, they were rekened to be of the nombre of the Churche. For so the very infantes acknowlege before the receyuynge of Baptyme by the mouthes of theyr parentes, and of theyr godfathers and godmothers when they are offered to the churche, yea rather because the promyse offe­reth them whyche is made no lesse vnto oure infantes, but muche lar­ger and more often than to the infantes [Page 27] of the olde Hebrewes.

These are the foundacions of bapty­synge infantes and commendynge them to the churche, agaynst whych al the craftye inuencions and subtyll deuices of the Catabaptistes can do no thynge. For not only they that beleue are to be baptysed, but also they that acknowlege, and they that are of the churche by the promyses of Goddes worde. For otherwyse vtterly none of the Apostles shulde haue baptysed a­ny man or womā, because they were not throughly assured of the fayth of them that confessed and gaue theyr names. Act. 8.5. For Symon the iuggler and enchaunter, Ananias, Saphiras and Iudas the traytoure wyth many mo were baptysed, whan they gaue theyr names to be christianes, Gen. 17. and yet they had no fayth. Contrarywyse Isaac beynge an infant was circumcised, whan he profered not hys name nei­ther beleued, but the promyse gaue the name. Then, seynge that our in­fantes are in the same state that y ^e Iewes chyldrē were, the promyse both prefereth the name & acknowlegeth [Page 28] them to pertayn to our church. Therfore baptyme (we speake of the Sacrament of baptyme) as verely as Circū cision requyreth nothynge but one of these, that is, other confession or pro­ferynge of the name: or els the coue­naunt or promyse. Al whych thynges shalbe made more euidente by these that folowe.

¶The seuenth Article.

Sacramen­tes geue not grace.SEuēth. I beleue, yea I know. y ^t al Sacramentes are so farre of frō gyuyng of grace, y ^t they do not so muche as brynge or ministre it. In whych asser­cion perchaunce (O moste myghtye Emperour) I shalbe thought to malaperte. But thus fast standeth my iud­gement. For grace as it is wroughte and gyuen to vs of Goddes spirite (I speake after the facyon of latyn, whā I vse thys worde grace for forgeue­nesse of synnes mercy and free bene­fyte) so dothe that gyfte pearce, entre and attayne to our only spirite. But a guyde or chariote is not nedful to y ^e spirite. For the spirite is a power and cariage wherby al thīges are caried, [Page 29] neither haue we redde at any tyme in the holye scriptures, that sensible thynges (as Sacramentes are) could certaynly brynge wyth them the spi­rite. But yf at any tyme sensible thynges haue bene caried wyth the spirit, then it was the spirite that caryed, & not the sensible thynges.

So when the vehemēt wynd was brought, Acte. 2. by the power of the wynde tongues were also brought, but the wynd was not brought by the power of tongwes. Nume. 11. So the wynd brought the quales, and caried awaye the lo­custes, but no quayles or locustes at any tyme haue bene so swyfte to carie the wynde.

So whan the wynd beyng so great that it was albe to take away moun­taynes, passed by Elias, 3. Reg. 19. Iohan. 3. yet the Lorde was not caryed by the wynd. To by shorte: the wynd bloweth wher it wyll, that is, the wynd bloweth so as his nature is, and thou truly hearest the voyce of it, but knowest not from whence it came, or where it stayeth. So is euery one that is borne of the spirite, that is, ys lyghtned and dra­wen inuisibly, and insensybly. Truth hath spoken these thinges, therfor the [Page 30] grace of the spirite nether is brought wyth that dyppinge in the water, no­ther wyth that bytte or drawght, no­ther wyth that anoyntinge. For if it were so, than it myght be knowen, howe, wher, wherwith, by whom, & into whom the spirit were brought. For if the present effecte & strength of grace were tyed vnto the Sacra­mētes, thā wither they are brought, al thinges are gracyously wrought. And wher they are not ministred nor applied, al thinges are infeblysshed, that is, than were all they gracelesse whych had not receaued the Sacra­mentes al be it they be electe and cho­sen, Ephe. 1. whyche election is by the grace of God in Christe. Nether is there cause, why the diuynes shulde alledge Materia or subiectum, the matter or subiecte, for that the order and dispo­disposicyon of it is before required, that is, that the grace of baptyme or of thankesgyuyng (for so they speake) maye be gyuen to hym, that is fyrste prepared thervnto. For he whych (af­ter theyr mynde) receyueth this grace by the Sacramētes, other prepareth hys selfe thervnto, An argu­ment. or els he is prepa­red of the spirite. Yf he prepare hym [Page 31] selfe, then haue we also some power of our selues, and so the preuentynge grace is nothyng. Yf he be prepared of the spirite to the recepte of grace, than I aske: whether y ^t also be done by the Sacrament as a guyde: A questiō. or without the sacrement. If by the meanes of the sacramente, than by the sacrament man is prepared vn­to the sacramente: And so the processe shalbe endlesse, for alwaye the sacra­ment shalbe required to the prepara­cion of the Sacrament. But if wyth­out the Sacrament we are prepared to the recept of the sacramētal grace, then y ^e spirite is present by hys boun­teous liberalitie before y ^e Sacramēt, and lykewyse grace is there alredy presēt before y ^e sacramēt be brought. Sacremen­tes are witnesses wherwith we witnesse to the church that we haue receyued the gra & mercy of God Of whych thynges thys is gathered, (whyche wyllyngly and gladly I a­lowe in the ryght vse of sacramētes) that the Sacramentes are gyuen for an opē wytnesse of that grace, whych fyrst is present to euery faythfull particuler man.

So is baptyme before the congregacion gyuen to hym, whych before he receaue it other hath confessed the reli­gion of Christ, or els hathe the worde [Page 32] of promise, wherby it is knowen, wen that he pertayneth to the churth For thys cause it is, that when we baptyse one of lawful age, we fyrst aske hym whether he beleue. And yf he answere yea: than in conclusion he re­ceaueth baptyme. Therfore fayth is confessed to be present, before he receyue baptyme, and so fayth is not gyuē in the recepte of baptyme.

But yf an infant be offred to bap­tyme, thā it is asked: whether the chyldes parentes offer it to be baptysed. And whan it is answered by the wytnesses that they wolde haue it bapty­sed, thā by & by the infant is baptised.

And here the promyse of God wēt before, that he aswel estemeth our in­fantes to be of the church, as were the chyldrē of the Hebrues. For whā they whych are of the churche offer them, than the infante is baptysed by thys lawe, that for asmuche as it is borne of christianes, it is by Goddes promyse reputed and taken amonge the mē bres of the Churche. Therfore by baptyme the churche openly receaueth him, which before is receyued by grace. So than, baptyme bryngeth not grace, but wytnesseth to the churche, [Page 33] that grace is alredy gyuen to hym, to whome baptyme is ministred.

I beleue therfore O Emperoure, that a Sacrament is a sygne of an holye thynge, that is, What a sa­crament is of grace gyuen al­redy. I beleue that it is a visible figu­re or fourme, of an inuisible grace. whyche by the fre gyfte of God is mi­nistred and gyuen. Sacramen­tes represēt the agre­ment af a thing done by the spi­rite. And that it is a visible example whych neuerthelesse declareth almoste a certayne conueni­encie, proporcion or agremente of a thynge done by the spirite. Moreouer I beleue that a Sacramente is an o­pen wytnesse of grace gyuen: As whā we are baptysed, the body is wasshed wyth a moste pure Element: but therby is sygnifyed, that we thorowe the grace of Goddes goodnes are chosen into the company of the churche and people of God, wherin we oughte to lyue holely, ryghteously and godlye, for so Paule expoundeth the mistery. Rom. 6. Therfore he whych receaueth bapty­me wytnesseth therby hymselfe to be of Goddes churche, whyche worship­peth here God in soundnesse of faith and purenes of lyfe. And for that cause the sacramentes, Awsten vpon Iohn whych are holye Ceremonies (for the worde cōmeth to [Page 34] the Element and it is made a Sacra­cramēt) are deuoutly to be reuerēced, treaty. 80 that is, to be had in price & esti­macion, and reuerentlye to be mini­stred & vsed. For albeit they can not pardone vs nor release vs of our syn­nes, yet vysiblye they ioyne vs to the churche, whych fyrste were inuisibly by the grace of Eleccion receyued into the same, whych thynge seyng that in the ministracion of them it is together pronounced and publyshed wyth the wordes of Goddes promyse, it is wyth muche deuociō to be had in esti­macion. For yf we thynke otherwyse of the Sacramētes, namely that they beyng applied outwardly do purge & clense inwardly, then playnly Iewyshnes were come home agayne, whiche wyth diuerse wasshynges, oynte­mentes, offerynges, sacrifyces and meates beleued that theyr synnes were purged, and that grace by them were as it were purchased & bought. Whych thynge neuerthelesse the pro­phetes, and specially Esay and Iere­mye dyd alwaye moste constantlye wyth sharpe wordes shake vp, tea­chinge that the promyses and benefittes are gyuen by the free liberalite of [Page 35] God, and not for the regarde of wor­kes, merites or outward ceremonies

I beleue also that the Catabapti­stes denyeng baptyme to the infan­tes of christen men, do moste shame­fully erre, not only therin, but also in many other thynges, wherof nowe is no tyme to speake. And to beware and exchue whether ye wyll the foo­lyshnesse or malyce of them, throughe the helpe of God not wythout peryl I both taught & wrote fyrste agaynst them, that nowe throughe hys good­nes that infeccion amōg vs is great­ly slackt, ceassed, relinquyshed & lefte of, so farre is it of that I other haue receyued, taught, or defended any thynge of thys sedicious secte.

¶The eyght Article.

EYght, I beleue that in the holy Supper of thākes gyuing the very body of Christ is present wyth the eye, Of the ho­ly supper of the Lorde. contemplacion and beholdyng of fayth: that is, that they whyche gyue than­kes to the Lorde for the benefyte gy­uen to vs in hys sonne, acknowlege hym to haue taken to hym very flesh, [Page 36] in it verely to haue suffred, and vere­ly to haue wasshed awaye our synnes in hys bloude, and so al the thynges done by Christ to be made to them in the beholdyng of fayth as it were present.

But that Christes natural body by substaunce & really, that is, that hys natural bodye other is present in the Supper, or chued in oure mouthes & wyth our teeth, as the Papistes and certayne that loke backe vnto the pottes of Egypte shewe and wryte, that truely we do not only denye, but con­stantly affirme to be an errour, whi­che is contrary to Goddes worde.

Whych thynge O Emperour, by goddes helpe I shal in fewe wordes ma­ke as playne and euident to your maiestie, as is the sunne. Fyrst by bryngynge notable and godly authorities of holy scripture. Then wyth argu­mentes taken out of them as it were wyth great peces of ordināce encounteryng in battel against our aduersa­ries. And fynally, in shewing that the olde doctours & diuines were of oure mynde, and stande fully wyth vs.

A prayerIn the meane whyle come O thou holy spirite the creatour, be present & [Page 37] lyghten the myndes of thyne, fyl with grace and lyght the breastes whyche thou haste made.

Fyrst Christ him selfe the mouth and wysedome of God sayeth thus:

You shall alwaye haue poore folke wyth you, Mat. 26. but me shall ye not alwaye haue. Lo here the only presence of his body is denyed. For accordyng to his Godhede he is alwaye present. For so is he alwayes euerye where, accor­ding to an other worde of hys: I wyl (sayeth he) be w ^t you vntil the worldes ende. That is, touchyng hys Godhed, Mat. 28. power, and goodnes.

Wyth vs in declaryng thys place agreeth S. Aug, Awsten vpon Iohns gos­spel the 50 treaty. vpon Iohns Gospel the .l. treatye.

Neyther is there cause why oure aduersaries shulde alledge: that Christes manhed is, whersoeuer is hys Godhed, otherwyse the person is diuided. For that allegyng shulde take a­waye the very manhed of Christ. For nothing but God can be euery wher.

And the manhed to be in one pla­ce, but the Godhed to be euery where doth not diuide the persone, no more then the sonne takynge to hym man­hed, diuideth the vnitie of substance. [Page 38] But marke thys well. It shulde seme rather to diuide the vnitie of substāce (but yet it dothe not) whyle one per­sone taketh to hym a creature, which the other two persones take not to thē at all: than is, to diuide the persone, the manhed to be in one place, but the Godhed to by euery where. For we maye also se in creatures. That the bodyes are tyed to one place only, but the power and vertue of them stray­eth farre abrode. As appereth by two examples folowynge.

The Sūne.The sunne is bodely placed but in one place: but hys power and vertue worketh in al places of thys worlde.

Mannes mynde also surmoun­teth euen the very starres and pear­ceth the very helles, Mānes mynd. and yet the body is but in one place only.

Iohn. 16.Christe also sayeth thus: Agayne I leaue the worlde and go to the fa­ther. Lo, here is a worde of forsaking, as before ther was a word of hauing: because our aduersaries shal not be able to saye: A Popisch glose. we haue him not here visiblie. For whan he speaketh of the visible wythdrawynge of hys bodye, he sayeth thus: A lytle whyle, and ye shal not se me. &c. It were nothynge but [Page 39] iugglyng yf we shuld stryue, that his natural body were present here, Iohn. 16. but inuisiblie. For why shulde he, whych yet wer here, refuse to be sene, which so often tyme afters hys resurreccion shewed hymselfe to hys disciples moste manyfestly.

Agayne Christ sayeth: Iohn. 16. It is neces­sarie for you that I go away. Marke that he sayeth: that I go awaye. But yf he were here styl, it were not necessarye that we shulde not se hym, but rather confortable that we myght se him. For he (as often as hys disciples were amased and astonnyed at the beholdynge of hym) shewed hymselfe playnly and openly to them. And lest other theyr senses or theyr thoughtes shulde suffer any suspicion. Luc. 24. He sayeth vnto them: Se my handes & my feete: for it is euen I my selfe. Touche me, and handle me.

And to Thomas he said: put thyne hande into my syde. Iohn. 20. And to Magda­lene he shewed hymselfe vysiblye.

Agayne when he nowe euen go­ynge awaye shulde cōmende hys dis­ciples vnto hys father, he sayd:

Here after I wyl not be in the world. Here is vsed a Verbe substantiue, Iohn. 17. as [Page 40] well as in these wordes: thys is my body, that the aduersaries maye not here saye, that there is a fyguratiue speache, seyng they denye that verbes substantiues receiue any fygure. But the thynge hath no nede of these eua­sions, For it foloweth in the texte: But they are in the worlde. Whyche collacion teacheth manyfestly, that he touchynge hys manhed is not in the world than, whā hys disciples were. And that we maye knowe whan he went awaye (not as they rather faine than expound: Luc. 24. whā he made hymselfe inuisible) so sayeth Luke: And it hap­pened, whā he blessed them, he wente awaye from them, and was caryed vp into heauen.

Loo, he sayeth not: he vanyshed a­waye: or made hymselfe inuisible.

Marc. 16.And Marke addeth: The Lorde after he had spoken to them was taken vp into heauen, and sytteth on rhe ry­ght hande of God. He sayeth not: He abydeth here styll, but hath made his body inuisible. In y ^t Actes: whyle they beheld he was take vp on hye: Act. 1. And a cloud receyued hī out of theyr syght. A cloud couered hym, whych had ben no nede, yf he had onely taken awaye the syght of him selfe, and otherwyse [Page 41] had ben present here styl. Neither ne­ded he then the takyng vp, Act. 1. or lyftyng vp on hye. And it foloweth ther: The same Iesus whyche is taken vp from you into heauen, shall so come euē as ye haue sene hym go into heauen.

What is clearer than thys? he is taken away from you. Than he was not wyth them nother visiblie nor inuisiblie concernyng hys manhed. Wherfore, whan we shal se hym cōe agayne, lyke as he wente awaye, thā shall we knowe that he is present. Or els touchynge hys manhed, he sytteth at the ryght hande of the father, tyll he shal come to iudge both the quicke and the deade.

But because ther is some that do take away place from Christes body, and sayeth that it is in no place: Let them take hede howe openly they go agaynst the truth and shut theyr eyes wylfully. For they are not ignorant, Christes body occupieth a place. that hys body was in the Maunger, in the Temple at Ierusalem whā his parētes were in theyr iorney. It was on the Crosse, in the Graue, wythout the graue. for the Angel sayd: he is ryson, he is not here. Lo the place wher they layed hym. And that they shulde not say: that hys body is euery wher, [Page 42] let them wel marke the Aungell say­eng: He is not here. And thys place: Iesus came whē the gates were shut and stode in the myddest of them. Iohn. 20. What nede he to come, yf hys bodye be euery wher, but inuisiblie? It had ben enough not to come, but only to shewe hym selfe, whych was bodelye there present before. But away wyth so craftely alleged tryfles, which take from vs the truthe as wel of Christes manhed, as of the holy scriptures. These aforesayd places of scripture take awaye the presence of Christes body euery where, except in heauen, speakyng orderly and ryght after the rule of holye scripture, that is, for so muche as we are assured by the scrip­ture touchynge the nature and pro­pertie of the bodye taken to hym.

Howe muche so euer contrarye places constrayne vs, (as whan they tell vs of the myraculous power of God) yet what so euer we put forth touchynge the power of God, Contrary places neuer ought to be wrythē of vs so farre that we shulde beleue God to do contrary vnto hys worde, for that were the propertie of feblenesse & not of power.

That wyth our mouthe y ^e naturall [Page 43] body of Christ is not eaten, hym selfe shewed, whan he sayde vnto y ^e Iewes stryuynge for the bodelye earynge of his fleshe: The fleshe profiteth nothīg. Iohn. 6. Namely to eate it naturallye, but to eate it spiritually profyteth much, for it gyueth lyfe.

That that is borne of fleashe, Iohn. 3. is fleashe. And that that is borne of y ^e spirite, is spirite.

Yf than the natural body of Christ be eaten wyth oure mouthe, what o­ther thynge of fleashe naturally eaten can be made but fleashe? And lest it shuld be thought of any mā to be but an easy argument and a lyght reason let hym here, waye and consyder the other parte. That that is borne of spirite, is spirite. The only spirite ge­ueth spiri­tuall thin­ges.

Yf than the fleashe of Christ be holsome to the soule, it muste spiritually and not carnally be eaten. Thys also pertayneth vnto the matter of Sacramentes, that the spirite is begotten by the spirite, and not by any bodelye thynge, as we shewed before.

Paule admonysheth, 2. Cor. 5 that yf any haue knowen Christ at any tyme af­ter the fleashe, yet nowe he shulde not knowe hym after the fleashe.

By these & suche lyke places are we compelled to acknowlege, y ^t these wordes: thys is my body muste be ta­ken not naturally, but figuratiuely: lyke as these are: Thys is the Passeo­uer. For the Lambe whych was yere by yere eaten in that great solempnitie of holy dayes was not the natural Passeouer or passe by, but dyd sygni­fye it in times past to be done. To this ende also agreeth the succession or ex­chaunge, because the Supper cōmeth in the stede of the Lābe, whych thinge putteth vs in remembraūce, y ^e Christ vsed lyke wordes. For the succession kepeth the imitaciō, that is, lyke ma­ner of speache.

The tyme also agreeth: for in the same supper the old passeouer is layd aparte and abolyshed, and the newe thankesgeuynge is begonne and ap­pointed.

The propertie of all the remem­braunces do agree, which chalengeth to them selues the name of it, wherof they make mencion and remēbraūce. The Athenienses.

So the people of Athens called a certayne holy daye that they had: The easment of cōmon dette, not for that the dette shulde yerly be discharged, [Page 45] but because they wyth reuerence perpetually kept that that Solon had or­deyned in tyme past, and reuerenced that theyr feast, wyth the name of the thynge it selfe: So these thynges, that is, the bread and wyne of the supper, are called the body & bloud of Christ, whych are tokens, sygnes and remē braunces of hys very body & bloude. Nowe folowe the argumentes.

¶The .ix. Article.

Nynth. I beleue that the Ceremonies, Ceremonies. whych by supersticiō are nother contrarie to fayth, nor to the word of God, (albeit I knowe not whether a­ny suche maye be foūde) may thrughe charitie be suffred, til y ^e lyght of knowlege more and more shyne vpon vs. But I beleue also (the same charitie beynge mastres) that the sayd ceremonies (whan wythout great offence it maye be done) are to be abolyshed, al­though the vnfaythful crye out neuer so muche agaynst it. Images owght to be atken awaye yf ther be any peryll of worshippī ge them.

But I thynke that ymages, which are set vp to be worshipped are not to be accompted amonge ceremonies, but are of the nombre of those thyn­ges whyche are vtterly contrarye to Goddes word. But those that are not set vp to be worshipped, or wher ther is no daunger of worshippyng them here after, it is so farre of that I wyll condemne them, that I acknowlege both the paynters and caruers crafte to be y ^e gyftes of God.

¶The .x. Article.

Tenth. I beleue that the office of prophecie and of preachynge God­des worde is an holy thyng, and that amonge al offices it is moste necessa­rie. [Page 52] For to speake directly after the rule of scripture, we se amōge al people that the outwarde preachynge of the Apostles, Euangelistes, Byshoppes & Pastours went before fayth, whyche fayth neuerthelesse we attribute vn­to the spirite only. For (alasse) we se very many which heare the outward preaching of the Gospel, but they be­leue not, which happeneth for lack of the spirite. Whither so euer therfore Prophetes or Preachers of Goddes word are sent, it is a singler token of Goddes fauore, that he wyl vnto hys electe open the knowledge of hym selfe. And contrary wyse, to whom true preachers are denyed, it is a to­ken that Goddes wrath hangeth o­uer them. As we maye gather of the Prophetes and of the example of S. Paule, whyche somtyme was for­byddē to go to certein, and sometyme called vnto other. And truth it is, that both the lawes them selues & the Magistrates can by nothynge more pre­sently be furthered toward the defēce of publike iustice, than by the sincere preachynge of Goddes worde. For in vayne is ryght and equitie cōmaun­ded, excepte it be to them, that both regarde [Page 53] it and loue it. And thervnto the preachers as ministers prepare the mindes, but the spirite is the worker, as author both of the preacher and of the hearer. We also acknowlege that kynde of ministers, namely, whyche teacheth, cōforteth, affrayeth, careth for, and faythfully loketh to the saue­garde of the people of Christ. And also that, that baptiseth, that in the holy supper ministreth the body & bloude of the Lorde (for so we also figuratiuelye cal the holy bread and wyne of the supper.) And further we acknowlege that sorte of ministers, that visiteth the sycke: that ministreth to the poore wyth the almes and in the name of the cōgregaciō:

And finally y ^e, that in scholes teacheth, openly readeth and interpreteth, that other themselues or other may be in­structed that hereafter they maye ha­ue rule of congregacions.

But that monstrouse mitred and crosyard kynd of Papisticall byshop­pes we beleue to be lordly loyterers, bastardes and vnlawful chyldren. And y ^t it is a nōbre borne to consume vytayles, an vnprofytable burthen of the earthe, and fynally to be vtterlye [Page 54] that thyng in the body of the church, that byles, botches, wēnes and impostumes are in mannes body.

¶The .xi. Article.

ELeuenth. I knowe that the Magistrate ryghtly chosen & admitted is Goddes lieute­naunt aswel as the preacher. For as the preacher is the minister of the heauenly wysedome and goodnes, as he that faythfullye tea­cheth and rebuketh sinne and errour: so the Magistrate is the minister of goodnes and ryghteousnes. Of goodnes, that wyth faythfulnes and tem­perancie lyke vnto God he may both heare and se vnto the causes, matters and busynesses of his people. Of righteousnes, that he may represse, holde downe, breake and punyshe the bold­nes of the wycked: and support maintayne and defende the innocentes. Yf a Prince haue these gyftes, I bele­ue that hys subiectes nede not be a­frayed of his conscience. Yf he lacke them, and yet for al that wyll shewe hymselfe terrible and to be feared, I beleue that his cōsciēce by no meanes [Page 55] cā be discharged therfor, because he is ryghtly chosen and admytted. But yet also I beleue that a christen man ought to obey suche a tyraunt, vnto suche an occasion as Paule speaketh of: Yf thou mayst be fre, rather vse it. Whyche occasion neuerthelesse I be­leue to be shewed of God onely, 1. Cor. [...]. & not of mā, and that not obscurely, but as openly as Saule was abiecte, and Dauid taken to be his successour. And as touchynge payeng of tribute and cu­stome for our defece, I vtterly thinke as Paule doth. Rom. 13.

¶The .xii. Artitle.

Twelfte. I beleue that that forged fable of the fyre of Purgatorie is as blasphemouse a thynge agaynst the free redēpcion purchased by Chri­stes bloude, as it hath ben gaynful to the authors, inuentours and mayn­tayners therof. For yf it be necessary wyth paynes and tormētes to washe away the deseruinges of our synnes, than shal Christe be deade in vayne, and than is grace of none effecte. Thā whych thyng, what can be thou­ght more wicked in the christen com­mone [Page 56] welthe, state and condicion? Or what maner of Christ haue they, whiche wyl themselues to be called christianes, and yet are afrayed of this fyre, naye, no fyre nowe, but a smoke?

Holl.But as towchinge hell, wher with Ixion & Tantalus the vnfaythfull, diso­bedient and stubburne enemyes of God are euerlastingly punysshed, I do not only beleue that it is, but I verely knowe it. For when the truthe it selfe speaketh of the vniuersall iud­gemēte, he sheweth y ^t after that iudgemēt certayn shal go into euerlastyng fyre. Iohn. 5. Thā after y ^e vniuersal iudgemēt ther shalbe an euerlastīg fyre. So y ^t y ^e Anabaptistes cā not colorably cloke their erroure, wherby they teache,

The Ana­baptistes erroure is confuted.That Euerlastinge shall not conti­nue after the generall iudgemente. For here Christe speaketh of an euer­lastynge fyre after the iudgemente, whych shal burne and tormente the deuell with his aungels, with the wicked that despise God, with the Tyraū tes which with lyes oppresse y ^e truth, and with the vnmercifull, whyche of tender compassyon and fayth releue not y ^e necessytie of theyr neyghbour. These aforsayd artycles I stedfastlye [Page 57] be­leue, teache & defende, not with myne owne wordes, but wyth the notable sentences of Goddes holy worde.

And I promyse and professe (God so wyllyng) to do the same so longe as I lyue. Excepte any man by the decrees of the very holye scriptures ryghtlye vnderstanded can as plainly and opē ly (as we haue done these) declare, proue and confirme the contrarie. Vnto vs doutlesse it is no lesse pleasaunt & acceptable than ryght and lawful to submitte our wrytynges and asserci­ons to the holy scriptures, and to the Churche by the spirite iudginge the same. We myght haue declared all these articles more plenteouslye and at length, but seynge the tyme wolde not suffer vs, we ar cōtent with these. Whiche we thynke to be suche, as mē maye easely pynche at (for so is the faciō now a dayes) but no man cā be a­ble worthelye to confute and auoyde them. Neuertheles yf any wyl assaye he shall (by Goddes grace) not escape vnanswered. For than perchaūce we shall brynge forth the resydue of oure artillarie and ordenaūce, wherof we haue good store and plentye behynde but these are sufficient for this tyme.

Wherfore moste prudent Empe­rour, and ye other princes, lordes of great power, and nobles of hyghe e­state, and fynally ye learned Embas­sadoures and heades of cōmon weal­thes, I praye and beseche you all, for Christe Iesus sake the Lorde and our brother: for his mercy and righteous­nes sake: for his iudgement sake: (be­fore whyche, wil ye nyl ye you muste al come and gyue a rekening of your procedynges) wherin he shall rendre vnto euery one accordyng to theyr desertes: from whome no coūsel is hyd: whyche by the Prophete threatneth woo to them that saye, Esa. 10.5. good is euell and euell good: and to the makers of wycked lawes: whych subuerteth and ouerthroweth the deuises and coun­sels of princes wickedly deliberating and vngodly decreyng, Psal. 33. enacting, pro­nouncyng, establyshyng and cōmaū ­dynge any thynge agaynst Goddes wyll, yea (I saye once againe) I most humbly desyre you all for hys cause, that aduaunceth the humble and ca­steth downe the proude, despyse not the symplenesse and bacenesse of me admonyshynge you so wyse and lear­ned men in the begynnynge. For fooles, [Page 59] Idiotes and symple men haue often spoken many thynges in due season. 1. Cor. 1. And the truth it selfe hath chosen to be publyshed and preached of men of rude, symple and lowe estate.

Agayne, remembre that ye your sel­ues are men also, whyche both maye disceaue and be disceaued. Psal. 116. For euery man is a lyer, and vnlesse he be otherwise taught by y ^e inspiracion of God, than he hym selfe other knoweth or desireth, ther is nothynge to be loked for of hym, but by hys owne crafte & counsel to hurle downe hym selfe.

For ful truly sayd Ieremye the Pro­phete: Loo, they haue refused the Lor­des worde, what wysedome than can remayne in them selfus? Wher­fore, forasmuche as youre selues are the prelates and ryngleaders of ryghteousnesse, no men oughte so muche as you to haue the sure and certayne knowledge of the wyl of God. which, from whence can it be fetched and re­quyred, than out of hys holy scriptu­res? Abhorre not therfore theyr myn­des which lean holly to goddes word. For cōmonly we se it happē, that the more the aduersaries stryue agaynst it, so muche the more a great deale [Page 60] it florysheth and cōmeth to lyght, and errour and falshed is cast oute of the dores. But yf amonge you ther be a­ny (as I knowe ther is) that wyl stoutlye deminishe and diffame oure lear­nynge vnto you, and wyll saye: that we are ygnoraunt and lacke know­lege, yea and that we are maliciouse also, yet thinke this with your selues: Fyrst, whether we whych folow this maner of preachynge the gospel, and the ryght vse of ministracion of the sacrament of thankes gyuyng, haue at any tyme so ordered our lyues, that any good man hathe douted, whether we ought to be reputed and taken as good, honest and faythfull men? And agayne, whether euen from our cra­dels we haue ben so estraunged from wytte and erudicion, that all hope of learnynge shulde vtterlye be caste a­waye from vs? vndoutedly we glorie of nother of these, seynge that Paule hymselfe sayeth: that what so euer he was, it was al of the gyft of God. Neuerthelesse, yf our lyfe haue hap­pened sometyme (by the benefyte of God) to be somewhat prosperous and pleasaunt, yet wholly was it neuer giuen to riote, excesse and fylthynes at [Page 61] any tyme, neither yet (God be praised therfore) hath degenerated into cruelnes, pryde, and obstinacie, so that the wytnes of our lyfe (through Goddes benefite) hath many tymes stayed the deuises of our aduersaries, and made them so astonyed, that they haue retyred backe againe. And as for our learnynge, albeit it is greater then oure aduersaries other can beare, with­stand, or without conscience despise, yet is it farre lesse than they that tenderly loue vs, iudge it to be. But yet to comme to oure purpose, we haue so not a fewe yeres bene sowldiars & studentes both in holy scripture and in mannes learnynge, that there is no cause why y ^t we shuld nowe teache any thynge rasshly. We maye law­fully prayse the grace and free gyftes of God so lyberaly distributed to our congregations. For owt of al dowte so haue oure congregacions (whyche here the Lord God by our ministerie) receaued y ^e word of truth, The frutes of the true doctrine of Goddes words. y ^e lyeng & vntruth are shroncken: pryde, ryote and excesse are broken: reuilynge, slaūde­rynge, chydynge and dissencion are trudged awaye from amonge vs, whyche doutlesse, yf they be not the [Page 62] frutes of y ^e holy spirite, what are they els? Consyder wyth your selues, O moste myghtye Emperoure and all ye princes & nobles, The frutes of mānes traditions what good frute thys vysar of mannes doctrine hathe brought to you. The Masses that are bought and solde, as they haue increased the outragious luste and wanton­nesse as well of princes as of the peo­ple, so haue they brought in and enlarged the fylthy luste & excessiue pryde of Popes, cardinalles, and byshoppes and the vnsaciable couetousnes and gluttony of mercylesse Massemōgers What myscheue is it, that thys masse marte, with choppinge, chaunginge, byinge and sellinge therof hath not procured and set forwarde? who is a­ble to wast and scatter abrode the ex­cedyng rychesse that is heaped toge­ther by massynge, except they be stopped and strāgled euen in the vaynes & that in tyme? God therfore muche better refourme these thynges than you all, whome we gladly bothe cal & beleue to be the chefe and most myghtye here in earth, & graunt you grace to cut awaye the rootes of that wyc­ked Masse and of al other errours in the churche, and that you may bring [Page 63] o passe, that Proude Rome wyth all her dirtie dregges, whyche she hathe thrusted into al christendome, and specially into your Germany, may be vtterly forsaken and lefte. And as you tender your owne saluacions, what power so euer you haue hytherto executed agaynst the puritie of Christes Gospell, that you maye haue grace nowe at the laste wholly to bende the same agaynst the wycked inforcemē ­tes of the vngodly Papistes, that true ryghteousnesse whych thorowe your negligences is banyshed, and inno­cency, whych is obscured with fained and counterfeated coloures, maye be brought agayne vnto vs.

Ther is enough and to muche crueltie executed already, except without a cause and contrary to ryght to com­maunde, to condempne, to torment, yea to spoyle, bannyshe, and kyl be not tyrannouse or cruell.

Therfore, seyng it goeth not wel forward wyth youre thys waye, you must surely go an other waye to wor­ke. Yf this counsel be of God, Act. 5. stryue not agaynst God. If it be any other­wyse, it wyl dowtlesse fal in the own folysshnesse. Wherfore O sonnes of [Page 64] men who so euer ye be, suffer the worde of God freely to be spred abrode & to spring furth. Remember y ^t it lyeth not in your power (if God wyl haue it growe) to forbydde and let the gras­se y ^t it growe not. Ye see y ^e this frut of y ^e gospel is abōdaūtly watered with y ^e heauenly showers, neyther with any heate of mē cā it be īforced to wyther and fade awaye. Consyder not what ye most desyre, but what in the mat­ter of the Gospel the worlde requy­reth. what so euer thys is, take it in good worth, & by your counsels, deui­ses and determinacyons, shewe your selues to be the chyldren of God.