Of Naaman I shall not nede to speake nowe /

[[6]]

for of him I haue spoken inough before.

[[7]]

I suppose lykewise that the cause is open and plaine inoughe /

wherfore manye of them which were healed of Christe were sent

from him to their own countrie / and kindred / to publishe and

declare and amonge them / what hade happened vnto them. This nowe

remayneth / that I sholde peculiarlie speake of the Iues / and

heretikes. For these too kindes of men do in all places this daye

liue amonge / and do dwell togither wyth the Christians.

[[Of the Iues]]

As concerninge the Iues / there be certayn reasons why they are

to be borne withall and suffered. Of which Augustine / amonge

others / doth make mencion in many places. Furste / they aboue

all other sortes and nations of men hadde the promise made vnto

them. Neither are they all yet vtterly to be despayred of / for

the roote remaynethe into the which they maye be ingrafted

agayne / and nowe and then some of them / thoughe not many in

Nombre / do come vnto Christe. Paule saithe to the Romains /

[[Rom. 11.]]

that partly blindnes is happened is Israel / as if he wolde

saie / not vpon all / not for euer. And afterwarde he saieth /

when the fulnes of the gentyles ys comme / then all Israell

shalbe saued: vnto that ende therfore the lorde saueth / and

preseruith them vnto this daye. And that thou sholdest not

thincke that this place is to be vnderstanded allegorically of

the spirituall Israel / Paule teacheth it as a mysterie / and

dothe recite the prophecie of Esaie /

[[Esa. 59.]]

in which it is sayd: That then all the iniquite of Iacob shal be

taken awaie. Besids this they are called ennemies / but yet

beloued for the fathers.

[[Quest. Euang. lib. 2. quest. 33.]]

And Augustine expoundinge the historie of the prodigall sonne /

saieth / that he dothe represent the gentiles /

[[Luc 15.]]

for as he went into a farre countrie / so the gentyles dyd

departe so farre frome God / that they worshipped Idolls as by a

publike order and custome commenlye receyued: But the elder

sonne / by whom the people of the Iues is signified / went not

farre awaie / but was in the felde / not in his fathers house

verylie / which is the church / but in the fielde / for the Iues

are occupied / and conuersaunte aboute the letter of the

scriptures / they vnderstande them whith an earthly and fleshy

mynde: And therfore it is sayde / that he was in the felde: At

the begynning he wente not into the house / but at the last he

shall entre / and be called also:

[[Lib. de fide rerum inuisib. cap. 6.]]

And alwaies Augustine bringith this sentence to persuade men to

suffer the Iues / which is writen in the 58. psal.

[[Psal. 59]]

as he nombred the Psalmes. Sley them not / lest my poeple do

forget / but scater them abroade. &c. The sonne of God praieth

the father / that the Iues mighte not be vtterlie slayne and

destroyed but scatered abroad throughe the worlde. Other

countries and nacyons / being subdued of the Romaynes receyued

their lawes and rytes / and so became Romains / but the Iues

although that they also were ouercomme of the Romaines / yet

were they neuer made Romains / neither in ordinaunces / lawes / nor

religion. They do kepe their own lawe (so farre as they can) euen

vnto this daye: They wander aboute dispersed and scattered

abrode / neither do they forget the lawe of Godd / the haue it /

not to obserue it indeede / but only they do reade yt / and they

do also reteyne certeyn signes / as Circumcision and other

ordinaunces / by which they are knowen from others. But they offer

no sacrifices / for to sacrifice was lawfull only at Hierusalem.

And thus it semeth that the lorde hathe sett vppon them a

signe / as he dyd vppon Cain / which slewe his brother Abell.

Neither is this their dispersion amonge all the nacions of the

worlde vnprofitable for vs. They are braunches broken of / and we

are grafted in their place / which thinge whilest we do

beholde / we must acknowledg the iustice of God towards them /

and his grace towards vs: And we muste take hede / that we be

not lykwise cutt of through vnbelefe / for the which they were

broken awaie. Ther is another commoditie besydes this that

commith of this their dispersion which is / that they do kepe our

bokes / the holy byble I do meane. These they do carye aboute

with them / they reade them / and thoughe they beleue not /

because they are blinded / yet do they confesse that these

wrytinges are true. And so though they be our enemies in their

mynde / yet the bokes which they haue and do reuerence / are our

witnesses. wherfore I can not maruayle ynoughe at those men which

do persequute and hate the tonge of the Hebrewes / and the

Hebrewe bibels / and do burne them / when as Augustine in his

boke / _De doctrina Christiana_, dothe bidde /

[[Lib. 2. ca. 11.]]

that we sholde go to the truithe of the Hebrue tonge / if we do

doubte in any place of our translations. The selfe same thinge

dothe Hierome teache in manye places. But they saie that these

bokes are corrupted of the Iues. Heare I thinke good to answer

with Hierome. Either saithe he they dyd this before the comminge

of Christe / and the preachinge of the Apostles / or after: if

before / it is maruell that when Christ / the Apostles / and

Paule / dyd reproue moste shanfull faultes in the Iues / that

they wolde haue kepte in silence so greate and haynous a

sacriledge as this: surelie if it hade bene so / they wolde haue

reproued yt. But if it was done after Christes ascension / they

wolde then chieflie haue corrupted those places which do make

mencion of Christ / and those which Christe / and his Apostiles

did alledge. But those remayne safe and vncorrupte / the same

sense and meaninge of them is in their bible in which they were

recyted of Christe / and his Apostles (for aboute the wordes

they were not so curious) wherfore it is not lyke / that they

haue corrupted any other places at all in the holy bokes of the

scripture. Yea if a man dothe iustly beholde them / he shall see

that they haue many moo testimonies and sentences for vs / more

plaine / I saye / then our commen translation hathe / as in the

.2. Psal. kisse the sonne / where ours hathe / laie holde of

knowledg. In like maner the whole .53. of Esaie / which dothe

moste plainlie prophecie of Christ / remaynith vncorrupt. The

bokes therfore are not corrupted. Yea they coulde not haue

corrupted those bokes thoughe they wolde / but it shuld be

easyly espied: for ther be of them many moste awncient in wryten

hande / which haue bene kepte moste diligentlie of Christians.

But let vs retourne to the profyt that Augustine speaketh of.

Many mighte thinke / that those thinges which are spoken of the

olde people were vayne and fayned / and likwise those thinges

which we do tell owte of the prophettes / excepte they dyd see

the Iues themselues yet liuinge / and remayninge / with their

bokes / which do beare witnesse to the thinges that we do

speake: wherfore though the Iues be blinded in mynde / and in

harte are our enemyes / yet euen them and their bokes we haue

moste plaine witnesses of out faithe. Aske then of the prophettes

whom Christ dothe alledge / they graunte them to be true. Aske

them of the vnderstandinge of them / in yt they are ignoraunte /

because they are blinded. And amonge all other witnessinges /

that witnesse which is gyuen of a mans enemie is of greatest

weight / and makith most for him: Of suche witnesses truly the

lorde hathe prouided good stoore for his churche. For we haue

not only the bokes of the Hebrues to make for vs / but also the

verses or rydles of the Sibylles / which were of an heathen

poeple. It is not to be thought / that our elders fayned thos

verses: for Sibylles bokes were euen commune / in all mens

hands / in the tyme of Eusebius the bishoppe of Cesarea / of

Lactantius / and of Augustine. All which do vse / and alledg

them. But if they hade alledged false and counterfett verses /

the heathen men which then excelled in knowledge / and were very

many also in numbre / they wolde haue reproued theym as vayn men

and lyars. If then men wyll gyue this vnto the verses of the

Sibylles that they be vncorrupte / moche more is it to be giuen

to the bokes of the Hebrues. Thus hath it pleased the lorde to

defende and arme his churche / yea euen with the testimonies of

his aduersaires. Wherfor let the Iues be suffred amonge the

Christians / both for the promis which they haue of the saluacion

to comme to their stocke / and also for the commodities which

they do carie with them / such as I haue rehearsed. And for this

cause / they be not only by lawes suffered / but also they haue

their Synagoges graunted vnto them: As in the Nouellis

Constitutionibus of Iustinian / and in the Decrees / it doth

appere: But this is permitted vnder such condicion that they

shuld not haue moo Synagoges then they hadd before / nor

greater: Yet maye they repaire them that fall into decaye: This

was graunted to them / bicause that in their congregacions / ther

is no impiete / nor wickednes committed: They do but reade only

the bookes of the holy scripture / and do publiquely praye. In

which thinge yet the Magistrates and Bushopps / do euell / which

do not diligently serche / take heede / and prouide / that they

do nothinge els in their congregations indeede / then that I

haue spoken of: for they shuld by al meanes take heede / that in

their publique and common prayers / exhortations and readinges

they do not speake euell of Christe our lorde and Godd. Which

thynge seing they do not / both the Magistrates and the Bushopps

are in greate fault. Vnto Turcks this ought not to be graunted /

that they shuld gather them selues together in congregations to

do their Godd seruice / bicause that in the same they reade

neither the old Testament / nor the newe / but only their own

blasphemus and filthie Alcorane. Morouer the Iues shuld be

forbidden the practise of their exchaunges / and their vsuries.

For not without mutch dishonesti and shame / do they afflicte

many poore Christians therwith. But Christian Princes and Rulars

do take tributes / and gret taxes for these gaynes of vsurie and

shamefull couetusnes of the Iues / so farr ar they from

forbidding them these wicked practises. Agayne Christian princes

do not prouide to haue the Iues which do dwell vnder their

dominions taught in Goddes truithe: which indeede is an euill

negligence in them: for truly they ought to compell the Iues to

comme vnto the godly sermons of the Christians / and that often

tymes. Els if they be left in this point neglected / they do

waxe dayly wors and wors / and lytill yea no hope at all is ther

to be hadd of their conuercion. Theise princes are likewise

bownd to take heade that the Iues do not corrupt the Christians /

which ar vnder their Rule / that they do not seduce them and

bringe them into Iuishnes. Neither shuld the weaker sort of

Christians haue ony familiaritie with them / but only such

Christians as be learned / and constant in the truithe. And that

for such causes / as I haue alledged before. Last of all it is

meete and conuenient / that they shuld be known from the

Christians by their araye / or som suche outwarde signe / les

ony man at vnwares shuld be conuersaunt with them / as though

they wer Christians. And thus mutch of the Iues shall suffice.

Now will I entreate of Heretikes.

This worde Haeresis, is deriued of the Greke worde / +hairein+,

which signifieth to chose / to pick / or to cull out. For

heretikes do chose out / vnto themselues sum doctrine which is

contrarye to the holy scriptures / and do obstinatly defend the

same. Vnto this euell they are brought / either bicause they do

not know the holy scripture / either bicause that though they do

knowe them yet they do contemne and despise them either els

bicause they do applye themselues to get sum honor or riches by

this meane. Wherfor Augustine saith.

[[Lib. de vtilit. creden.]]

He is an heretike which either enuentith / or folowith fals and

new opinions for ony worldly commoditie / and cheifly to gett

himself glorie and autorite. But of Heresie I will make this

definicion.

[[Vvhat heresie is.]]

Heresie / is a choise and obstinate defence / of certeyn

doctrynes which are contrary vntto Godds worde / springinge /

either of the ignoraunce / or of the contempt of the holy

scriptures / to gett therby aduauntag / or honors. There are

foure kyndes of causes in this definicion. The formall cause

is / chosinge and defending of picked doctrynes. The materiall

parte or cause is picked doctryns contrary to Godds worde. For

he that beleauith no doctryne at all / is godles / and not an

Heretike. The cause efficient by which they are moued to Heresie

is / ignoraunce and contempt of the holy scripture / and lust or

couetus desire. The end whi men fall to Heresie is / to obtayne

honors / and riches: For they do abhorre the Crosse which

folowith the preachinge of the gospell / and as Paule saith /

[[Phil. 3.]]

Theyr belly / is their god. Augustine hath also this diuision.

[[Quest. in Matth. quest. 11.]]

Euell catholiques are they / which do lyue otherwise then they

saie that they do beleaue. Schismatiques are they / which for

diuersitie in opinion do diuide and separat the church / for

+schizein+, is to deuide. Heretikes are they / which perseuere /

and continue in that schisme.

[[Lib. 2. contra Cresco. cap. 7.]]

But in an other place he saith. That Heresie / doth differ from

schisme. For a Schisme / is a stryfe which risith vppon

diuersitie of sentences. Neither can a dyuiding or a schisme be /

onles they which do make it do thinke and holde contrarie

thinges. But Heresie is / an inueterat schisme.

[[1. Cor. 11.]]

Saint Paule obseruith no such diuersitie / for he vsith theise

too wordes for one thinge. Nowe that ye se what Heresie is /

consider well wether that the papistes be heretikes / or no?

They themselues do stoutly saye that they be none. Yea and sum

other ther are / which dare affirme / that the papistes do

differ from vs only in certayn abuses of ceremonies / and not in

the doctrine of faith. But how farr theise men do err from the

truithe / it shall forthwithe appeare. For I will playnly

proue / that the papists are Heretikes / and do mayntayne

Heresie againste certayn principall doctrines of our faithe.

[[1]]

[[The Papistes are heretiques.]]

Furst in the Article of Iustification / the papistes do picke out

vnto themselues this doctrine: That a man is not iustified by

faithe only / but by goode worcks also. which doctrine is

contrary to the holy scriptures. Paule teachith thus.

[[Rom. 3.]]

We holde that a man is Iustified by faithe / without the deedes

of the Lawe. Agayn he saith.

[[Gal. 2.]]

We do knowe that a man is not Iustified by the deedes of the

lawe / but by the faithe of Iesu Christe. And Peter / whom Paule

did then withstond / did not speake agaynst this doctrine. Of the

Iues / also he writith thus.

[[Rom. 10.]]

For being ignorant of Gods righteousnes / and goinge about to

establishe their own righteousnes / they were not obedient to the

righteousnes of God. In which place he settith theise two

righteousnesses / the one / against the other / the righteousnes

of faith / against the righteousnes of worckes / so that the one

excludith the other. The same thinge he doth where speaking of

Iustification he saith.

[[Rom. 11.]]

If it be of grace / then is it not of worcks / if it be of

worcks / then is it no more grace. To the Philippians he playnly

saith /

[[Phil. 3.]]

that the worcks which are wrought before Regeneracion / can not

iustifie / for he doth counte them to be but losse and dunge /

which truly he wold not haue done / if they hadd such poure and

vertue / that they could iustifie. This is most playne / that

men before regeneracion are euell / and then must this sentence of

Christes stonde true.

[[Mat. 7.]]

An euell tree can not bringe forth goode fruite. For how can it

be / that they wich are deade as concerning righteousne / can of

them selues go ony thinge forward vnto their new birhte:

[[Ephes. 2.]]

And we all wer such / euen deade throughe synne / and the

children of wrathe. The Epistle writon to the Hebrues doth

witnes /

[[Hebre. 11.]]

That without faith it is impossible to please God: And to the

Romayns Paule saith.

[[Rom. 14.]]

That what soeuer is not of faith is Synne. This is the doctrine

of the scripture concerning this matier. The papistes (as I

sayde) so teache cleane contrarie doctrine / and do obstinatly

defend it / notwithstonding that they be admonished of their error

by the holy scriptures / by the aunciente fathers / as Hierom /

Augustin / and others / by the godly Councels / as Africanum /

Mileuitanum / Arausicanum / And now also being admonished therof

by vs / yet will they not leaue their errour: Wherfor by the

former definition of Heresie / they are proued heretikes.

An other doctryne also they do hold which is this. That the

worcks which men do after regeneracion / are meritorius of their

own worthines vnto euerlasting lyfe / And that they do fulfill

the lawe of God. Yea they be not content to saye this only / but

they adde. That men can do more goode worcks then the lawe of

Godd requirirth. For (saye they) to lyue a syngle lyfe / to

preache the gospell frely / men are not commaunded by ony expres

commaundement of Godd. This they do teache / and obstinatly

defend. But we do lern out of the holy scriptures / that

[[Rom. 8.]]

The afflictions of this lyfe / are not worthie of the glorie /

which shalbe shewed vppon vs. He speakith heare of the best kind

of worcks / euen of sufferinge martyrdom. Besides this eiche man

dothe fele him selfe bounde betwene / and giltie of the breaking

of theis two comaundementes.

[[Deut. 5.]]

Thou shalt loue the lorde thy God whith all thy harte / with all

thy soule / and with all they mighte: lykewise of the same other

commaundemente.

[[Exod. 20.]]

Thou shalte not luste / Ther is none among mortall men / that dyd

euer fulfill those commaundementes. For the prophet saythe:

[[Esa. 64.]]

that our rightuousnesses / are as the clothe stayned withe the

floures of a woman. And Christe wolde haue vs all / yea euen the

blessed virgin / and the Apostles themselues to praye /

[[Mat. 6.]]

forgyue vs our trespasses.

[[Iacob. 3.]]

Iames addeth / in many thinges we all do synne.

[[Ioan. 1.]]

Iohn saythe. And if we saie we haue no synne / we do deceyue our

selues.

[[2]]

This do we learne in the holie scripture / of our continuall

synnynge: they teache not then that we can do any thing more

then we sholde. But here the papistes do seke startinge hooles /

and saie that they which liue a sole life / they which do preach

the gospell frelie / do more then the law commaundeth / as I

sayde: But this is not true / for they which haue the powre to

liue a sole and chaste lyfe / and do know that in this kinde of

lyfe they shall more paynfully and profitably labor in the

preachinge of the gospell of Christe then otherwise. They are

bownde to take it on them and to lyue in it. For if they do yt

not / it is certeyne that they loue not God with all their

harte / bycause they sholde then leaue vndone somewhat that they

mighte do / to the glorie of his name / and wolde not. Like is

to be saide of them / which mighte preache the gospell frelye /

and do se that it shalbe for the increase of the kingdom of

Godd / and do it not. Wherfore seinge the papistes do bothe

thincke and teache otherwise in this matier then the holie

scripture dothe teache / and do defend their errour with an

obstinate mynde they are heretikes.

[[3]]

They do chose vnto them selues also an other doctrine / which

is / that they which be regenerat / muste alwaies doubte of

their saluation. But Christ / the Apostles / and the whole

scripture / do teache cleane contrarie /

[[Ioan. 6.]]

he that beleuithe in me (saith Christe) hathe euerlasting life.

If he hath it / howe can he doubte of yt then?

[[Act. 10.]]

And it is writen in the Actes. To him giue all the Prophetes

witnesse / that all they which beleue throughe his name / shall

receyue remission of synnes.

[[Rom. 8.]]

And to the Romains / whom he hath called / them also be

iustified / whom he iustified / them he also glorified: But here

the papistes haue this shifte / A man muste not doubte of Gods

promises (they saye) but he muste doubte of the infirmitie of

his fleshe / that he can not do those thinges which are to be

done / to obtayne the promises of Godd.

[[Rom. 4.]]

Butt we be admonished by Abrahams example / that we sholde not in

beholding of our imbecyllitie / fainte in faith / nor fall from

beleauinge certainly the truithe of the promises: he considered

not the barren wombe of Sara / nor his own old and effoebled

bodie / he stackered not at the promise of God through

vnbelefe / but became stronge in faithe / and dyd giue glory vnto

God / knowinge that he was sufficientlie able to performe those

thinges which he promised. &c.

[[Rom. 4.]]

Therfor by faithe is the enheritaunce gyuen that it might come of

grace / that the promise mighte be certaine and sure: for if the

certayntie of saluacion did hange on our merytes and worthines of

our worckes / it should alwaies stumble / and be in daungier of

ouerthrowe. Thus the papistes do spoile men of healthfull hope /

and make men doubt / if not despaire / which is not to be done:

for that nature of hope maie not be inuerted which Paule

teacheth

[[Rom. 5.]]

to be suche / that it dothe not make a man ashamed: if then we

do certaynlye hope and loke for life euerlastinge / we shall not

be deceyued: and seing it is the holye ghoste that bearithe

witnes vnto our spret /

[[Rom. 8.]]

that we are the children of Godd / surly his witnes we may not

reiect / without committing gret offence.

[[Exod. 20.]]

I am sayth Godd / The lorde thy Godd / this will he haue them

that be his to beleaue:

[[Roma. 5.]]

And whosoeuer beleauith this / hath the quiet peace of a

iustified conscience / and knowith hymself to be in safetie / for

Godd is his iustifier / and who shall condenne hym / whom Godd

doth iustifie.

[[Roma. 8.]]

Against al theise manifest testimonies of the holy scriptures /

theise men do teache their contrary doctrine / and do obstinatly

defend it / wherfor they are heretiques.

Moreouer they do teache that euery man must satisfice for hys

synnes in this lyfe / which if he do not / then must he go to

purgatorie: And that by the poure of the Keyes committed vnto

them / they can turn the euerlastinge punishment in to a

temporall.

[[Psal. 32.]]

If therfor satisfaction be not made whilest a man is in this

lyfe / he shall do it / when he is goone out this lyfe. But

against this / the holy scriptures do teach.

[[Rom. 4.]]

Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnesses are forgyen / and whos

synnes are couered. What blessednes / I praye you shuld this

be / if they which be reconciled vnto Godd / shuld be bownde to

sustayne such paynes and punishmentes. When a Synner doth repent

(saith Godd by the prophet)

[[Ezech. 18.]]

The synnes that he hath done / shall not be thought vppon. But

Godd will thincke vppon them / if it be true that either a man

must satisfice / or go to pugatorie / if Godd wil so sharply

punishe them by such paynes as they saye are in purgatorie. It

is writon in the reuelacion.

[[Apoc. 14.]]

Blessed are the deade which do dye in the lorde / euen so saieth

the spret / that they rest from their labours. They which do dye

in the lorde / that is the beleauers / how do they rest from

their labours / if it be so that they must yeat be vexed in

purgatorie? Christe our Sauiour when he did forgyue synnes

sayed.

[[Luc. 7.]]

Thy faithe hath made the safe: go thy wayes / synne no more.

[[Ioan. 5.]]

[[Luc. 23.]]

To the theif he saied. This daye thow shalt be with me in

paradise.

[[Phil. 1.]]

Paule desired to be loosed / and to be with Christ. How

chauncith it that there is no mencion made of purgatorie? In the

old lawe / ther wer sacrifices ordeigned / for princes /

prests / for the Nazarites / for the lepars / for gelousie / for

the synne of ignoraunce / and many such lyke. How happened it

that ther was no sacrifice appointed for the dead? The church

truly (as we also do graunte) hath keyes committed vnto it. And

theise are / the preachinge of the gospell /

[[Mar. 16.]]

that is the forgyuenes of synnes to them which do beleaue in

Christe / and the threateninge of condemnacion / through which

heauen is shutt againste the vnbeleauers. One key is the

promis / an other key is faith / by theise two keys heauen is

opened to the penitent. Theise keyes Christ did delyure when he

sayed: goo in to the whol world / and preach the gospell to euery

creature / he that beleaueth and is baptised / shalbe saued.

Those ministers do occupie these keyes which do preach the

gospell. But here is no mencion made of altering of Goddes

iudgements / nor of turninge of punishmentes. Christe our

sauiour / by that one sacrifice of his bodye / ones offered for

all euer / did worcke perfect saluacion / and made a perfect and

consummate ende of sacrificing for synne: where then is their

enuented satisfaction for synne? Yea who doth not see / that this

theyr doctryne doth withdrawe from Christ / the fulness of that

his satisfaction with which he satisficed for vs? when they do

saye that it is not sufficient / except we do adde ours also.

And this theyr wicked errour they go about to colour / because

the olde fathers vsed often times this worde / satisfaction. But

they will not see / that the fathers ment therby / to satisfice

the churche / when they were receyued publiquely to

repentaunce / and not to satisfice to Godd. Except thow wilt

saye that to satisfice is nothing els / but when one doth make

himself approued vnto an other man. For euen so are we saide to

satisfice to Godd / when as after our conuercion and turning to

his grace / we do lyue godly for his pleasure / to aproue our

selues vnto hym / as his children. Thus satisfactions / are

signes of the forgyuenes of synnes and of true repentaunce. But

(as I sayde) theise men do both thincke / and teache otherwyse /

and do defende obstinatly theyr error / they will not be

satisficed by the word of God / wherfor they are heretikes.

They do teache furthermore / that it is lawfull in the

congregacion to do the holy seruice / in a tongue that is not

vnderstonded. And this they do indeede / and defende theyr

misdoinge / neither being admonished will they amende it.

[[1. Cor. 14]]

Paule doth forbidde the christians the vse of those tongues in

the congregacions / which euen by miracle were bestowed vpon

them / except they did interpretate and expounde that which they

shuld speake in them. And all Paules reasons are grounded vpon

the edifying of the congregacion / whiche aboue all thinges we

ought to seeke in the holy meetinges and congregacions. But there

shalbe no edificacion at all / when that thing which is spoken /

is not vnderstonded of the people. Paule saith. My brethren yf I

do come vnto you speaking with tongues / what shall I profite

you / excepte I speake to you / eyther by reuelacion / or by

knowledge / or by prophecying / or by doctryne. But these

sacrificers / lyke men that can do mutch more then Paule / they

do come with a straunge tong / which the congregacion

vnderstondeth not / and yet neuertheles they bragge that they do

muche profite the congregacion. Paule will rather speake fyue

wordes / to the enformacion of others / then ten thousand wordes

with tongues: Our sacrificers cleane contrary / will rather

speake a thousand / yea an infinite number of wordes in a

straunge tongue / then a very feawe / the meaning of which maye

be vnderstonded. Paule proueth his sentence and minde / euen by

thinges that haue no lyfe / as by a trompe / and harp / and les

we shulde be one to an other as barbarus / and aliauntes / but

this is of no force / nor auctoritie with the papistes. For our

purpose we haue the example of Godd himself / which dyd speake

vnto the Iuishe people in their naturall tongue. The greke

churche did receyue the doctryne of the gospel of the Apostles

(whiche were Hebrues) in their naturall greke tongue. And as

from the beginninge the Hebrues in theyr congregacions haue vsed

their naturall Hebrue tongue / so haue the Grecians their greke

tongue / and so at the begynning the latin churche vsed their

naturall latine tongue also: Only these heretiques (the papistes

I meane) are delighted with a straunge tongue.

[[In nouel. Constitu]]

Iustiniane the Emprour determineth / that all thinges shulde be

spoken openlye and plainlye in the Temples / that they mighte

bothe be hearde and vnderstonded / But this the papistes regarde

not. Wherfor seing they can not / nor will not / be moued from

this their opinion / which is so absurde and repugnant to the

holye scriptures / to the order of the catholique churche / to

the lawes of the Emproure / without all doubt they are

heretiques.

They do teache that the sacrament of the Lordes body and bludd /

shuld be ministred in one kinde only / when it is gyuen to the

people. It is most manifest and playne / that Christe our

Sauiour did otherwyse institute it / euen to be mynistred in

bothe kindes to all communicauntes. These sacrificers therfore

in taking awaye of the cupp from the people they do committ most

shamefull sacriledge. We bring in agaynst them the Institucion

of Christe: But that can they not abyde to heare of. Yeat les

they shulde seame to saye nothing / They saye / That the Lord

did delyuer it in bothe kindes vnto prestes onlye / that is to

his Apostles. And yet when they themselues do mynister it vnto

prestes whiche do not saye Masse / they do gyue but the one

kinde only. But they haue nothinge to aunswer vnto Paule

[[1. Cor. 11.]]

(who writinge to the hole churche of the Corinthians / which

were not prestes only (as the papistes call them) but a

congregacion bothe of men and women) dothe delyuer the holy

supper vnto them in bothe kindes / as he receyued it of the

Lorde / heere haue they nothing to saye. And vnto this madnes

some of these masters do come at lenghth / That they saye that

the holy communion is not to be called the Lordes supper / for

wher is it (saye they) called the supper of the Lorde?

[[Dotor VVeston.]]

Forsothe Paule / the scoler of the holy ghost / calleth it so.

1. Cor. 11. Yea they aske farther / where the scripture

teacheth / that this holy sacrament shulde be gyuen vnto women /

[[Lyberall to Women]]

as thoughe they wolde be counted of fauour and of their

liberalitie / to gyue a communion vnto women /

[[1. Cor. 11.]]

and not because Godd in his worde hath appointed the sacrament of

hys bodye and blud to be delyuered vnto women as well as to men.

In the holy scripture it is writen / Let a man proue hym selfe.

In this worde man is man and woman comprehended. No saith a

Doctor the greke worde is / +ane:r+ which signifieth the mankinde

only:

[[Maister Latymers answer therfor is true.]]

Thys Doctor lyeth lowdly / for the greke worde / in that place

is +anthro:pos+ / which signifieth bothe man and woman. The

scriptures also do teache /

[[1 Cor. 10.]]

that the holy communion doth partayne vnto all them / which ar

one breade / and one cupp: wherfor except they wyll exclude

women out of the bodye of Christ / and shew that they be not of

the churche of Christe / how shall / or can this papist /

depryue them of the holy communion? Especially seinge it is

playnly taught / that in Christe there is neyther man / nor

woman / neyther bonde / nor fre / but all are one in Christe.

[[Gal. 3.]]

But to returne to their sacriledge / in which thei do take away

one parte of the sacrament. Of this thefte the institution of

the Lorde / the Epistle of Paule / the custome and manier of the

primatiue churche / which was to mynister this holy supper in

both kindes / dothe accuse them / which dyd continue euen vntill

the tyme of Thomas Aquinas / and vnto this daye it continueth in

all the Easte church / wherfore seing tht in this thinge also

they are so obstinate / they can be none otherwyse estemed but

as heretykes.

They haue also another most pernicious and hurtefull doctryne /

of the calling vpon the dead sainctes / and worshippe / and

adoration / to be gyuen to theyr Images.

[[Deut. 6.]]

The holy scripture sayth / Thou shalt worshipp the Lorde thy

God / and hym onlye shalte thou serue. But they denye that they

do worshippe the Images: They maye denye it in wordes / but in

theyr dedes they do testifie cleane contrarye. They fall downe

before them / they praye to them / thei crie and call on them /

they cense them / they light vp candels before them / what do

they more to God hym selfe? They leaue no peculiar thinge vnto

Christe / to aske of him / which they do not aske of some

saincte / They do gyue titles / and names vnto the sainctes /

especiallie to the blessed virgin Marie / which do belonge vnto

Christe alone. Thou quene (saye they) of mercie / our aduocate /

our lyfe / our sweetnes / and our hope. Certaynlie these thinges

do belonge to Christe onlye / vnto him therfore alone shoulde

thei leaue these thinges vntouched / and withowt diminution.

I speake not this / as though I dyd not thinke / that the moste

holie virgin were worthy of singular praises / But euen she her

selfe will not be made equall with Christe. They do furthermore

crie owt of all corners at all their altars vnto their

sainctes / as thoughe they were present euerie where. But this

presence belongithe to god onlie / neither is it communicated to

any creature.

[[Acto. 4.]]

Again it is writen in the holye scripture: That ther is none

other name vnder heauen / but the name of Christe onlye / wherin

we muste be saued.

[[1. Ioan. 2.]]

And Iohn doth saie: If we synne / we haue an aduocate wyth the

father / Iesus Christe the rightuous / and he is the

propiciation for our synnes. But theis heretikes make many

aduocates. Esaie confessith and saieth.

[[Esa. 63.]]

Abraham hathe not knowen vs / And Israel hathe forgotten vs. And

therfore (saith he) these are not to be called vpon / we must

not truste in them / but in God onlye / and that vnto him wee

muste flye. We are commaunded also in moste plain wordes / that

what so euer we aske / we sholde aske it in the name of Iesus

Christe /

[[Ioan. 16.]]

and not in the name of other sainctes / as theise men do. But

contrary to this true doctryne they do stifflie maynteyne their

wicked error / therfor are they verylye heretikes. Here I do

let passe their masse / in which they make their mishapen Godd

of breade / throughe their art of transubstantiation. They sett

vpp their sacrifice for the quicke and deade / the verie

abhomination and God Maozim: which thinges they do defende wyth

moste peruerse obstinacie. But howe contrarie they are to the

worde of Godd is not nowe again to be repeted / seinge that a

lytell before / in this matter I haue sayde sufficientlie. But if

I wolde spende more tyme here / I mighte reherce many other

doctrines of the papistes in which they do shanfully swarue from

the truithe of Godds worde. And of their errours they will not

chaung any thing at all which prouith them to be obstinate

heretikes. But this that I haue writon is inough / and inough

againe to proue that thei are heritikes. Now let them saie that

we dissent but in ceremonies. But I saie that we dissent in

doctrines. Let the papistes saie that we shold not haue departed

from them / but I saie / they shoulde not then haue departed from

the truithe. Augustine wolde not graunte vnto Cresconius /

[[Aduersus Crescon. lib. 21.]]

that the controuersie betwene the Catholikes and the

donatistes / was a lighte and small contention / and schisme:

But he saieth that they defended an heresie / and that moste

horrible / euen this that they did rebaptize. And yet baptisme

reiterated dothe nomore differ from the worde of God / then

these errours of the papistes / which I haue repeted.

Wherfore Christian princes / whilest they do suffer them in

their dominions / they owghte no otherwise to suffer them / then

vpon suche condicyons as are aboue rehersed. That is / that they

do compell no man to partake their wicked Idolatries. That they

do not permitt them to haue their rites and supersticious

ceremonies. That they take hede / that they do not corrupte

others which do beleaue truly / and be of good iudgemente. And

last of al / after that they haue bene competentlie taughte / to

enforce them outwardly to embrace sownde / and holye rites / and

ceremonies agreinge with Godds worde. Thou wilte saie happelie /

if it shoulde be so / their condition sholde be more miserable

then the condicion of the Iewes / and Turckes / whom we do not

compell to receyue our Religion. I graunte / but yet this sholde

be iustlie done. And that for theis causes. Firste bycause the

Iewes are not Citizens in our common welthes / but receyued

vnder this condicion / that it is lawfull for them to vse their

owne lawes / so longe as they will: wherfore if they do not

behaue themselues well / or they do not please vs / they be

turned awaie and caste owte / as often tymes they haue beene

handeled. And not without iuste cause / when their conuersation

hathe beene hurtfull. But these papistes are our citizens /

therfore they must be otherwise handeled / and seinge they do

confesse Christe / they are to be enforced to his pure and true

religion. Again the Iues can not do so moche hurte as these

Iebuzites maie / for all men / for the moste parte / do shonne

and deteste the Iue / But these are subtile sorcerers / which

vnder the cloke of the name of Christ / and ciuile

familiaritie / maye deceyue many: furthermore there is a promise

of the saluation of the Iues / to be shewed in the latter age /

The lyke peculiar promise of papistes ther is not. And yet I do

not speake this / as though I dyd condemne the counsell of many

good princes / which haue cast the Iues owt of their countrye /

for good iuste and laufull causes. Their acte I do allowe. But

to returne vnto theise heretiques the papistes / we are bounde

to praie for them / and seinge they do dwell amonge vs / we

muste obserue the aforenamed rules / In vsinge or not vsinge

familiaritie / and being conuersaunte with them / which I dyd

giue / of being conuersaunt with the vnfaithfull and wicked / in

which sorte I do place them. And if any of them do returne to

the truith / and will embrace the true Religion of Christ / they

are not to be rebaptized. For though a Christian ought not to

demaunde baptisme in the popishe churche / yet the baptisme

which they haue hetherto vsed we acknowledge it to be such that

it is not to be reiterated of them whom they do baptise.

Augustine writinge of baptisme /

[[Contra donat. lib. 5. cap. 23.]]

againste the donatistes / sayeth that when they retorne / the

handes only are to be layde on them: and that les is sholde

apeare / that they were before without fault. Also that the

holye ghost maye by praier be begged to comme vpon them / whose

singular gifte the vnitie of the true churche is. This ceremonie

trulye is laudable / but yet seinge it is not appointed to this

purpose in the holye scripture / it maie be omitted: because we

do se that the cheifest vse of it (as the apostles vsed it) was

in the institution of the ministers of the churche. Suche of

them as haue bene byshopps / and elders / maie be receyued into

their degrees / and offices / if they do returne vnto the

truithe: but this must be done / so as shall seme moste

profitable to the flocke / and churche of the lorde. If they

haue suche giftes as maie serue for the edyfying of the

churche / And if by their ministerie / the truithe of the

gospell and the saluation of the people which was committed vnto

them maye be propmoted more then by the ministerie of other /

and aptelie / and as profitable. They maie be restored to their

place / and degree. The order of which matter is lefte vnto the

iudgement of the churche of God. But if they remayne obstinate

in their euill / and do continue peruerters of the godlye

doinges of the magistrates / and pestilent corruptors of the

people: Then the magistrates maie / and owghte to vse the sworde

againste them: for he bearith the sworde to take vengeaunce on

them that do euill / and therto is he minister of God.

* * * * *

* * * *

* * * * *

A Sermon of the true confessinge

of Christe / and the truithe of the gospell:

and of the foule denyinge of the same / made

in the conuocacion of the clergie at Zurich

the 28. daye of Ianuarie in the

yeare of the lorde

1555.

By H.B.

Our lorde Iesus Christ hath forsayed that ther shuld be

persequutions / and cheifly in the later tymes / through which

sum shuld be despolied of their goodes / sum also thrown out of

their dwellinges / and other shuld be shut vpp in prison / agayn

that other shuld be fried in the fire and put to other

punishmentes / and executed with infamus deathes / And that for

the lord Christe himself / and for the doctrine / and confession

of the truith of the gospell. The same lord did then also

forsaye / that not a few shuld fall from the truithe known. All

which thinges truly we haue herd and seene fulfilled / not in

this tyme only / but in tymes long passed. For ther are sum

which at this daye do openly / and that without shame / curs and

bydd adew to the truith of the gospell / which with demas do

embrace this present worlde. There are other / and not afew /

which do themselues also denie the truith known / and yet wyll

not be accompted to be forsakers of it. Thy do stayne themselues

with dyuers glosses and colours that they might not be known of

the godly and more simple sorte of men. One faynith that he doth

not go out of Egipt and Babilon / bicause he may wynne many vnto

Christe: when as in the meane tyume he doth both withdrawe

himself from Christ / and doth confirme manye that be weaker men

in the filthes of babilon so that they do not at ony tyme

thincke ernestly of true repentaunce. Other do fantisie that

ther is no neade openly to confes religion / but that the inward

beleif of the hart doth suffice: And if it be of vrgent necessite

to confes ony thinge openly / yet that the confession sufficith

which is made amonge the brithern which are well known and

companions in Religion: Neither that the confession amonge the

aduersaires is straitly required / which shall put them in

daunger of lyfe. And therfore thou shalt finde sum men of

exercise which can conningly dispute of papisticall ceremonies

and make meruailus interpretacions of theim / laboring by all

meanes to proue that the godly by the partaking of them neither

are defiled / nor yet that the religion of the gospell is denied.

Thus wittye and subtill doth that trembling feare / and gret

desire of this world make them. Truly when the tyme serued that

they might lyue without daunger in rest and quiet at ease / they

then wold neuer haue thought / no not so mutch as dreamed ony of

this matier / Yea of theis thinges they wold haue ben loth but

euen to haue spoken / as thinges playne contrary to simplicitie /

and true religion. But now when the lord hath sent amonge them

the fire of persequution or rather of probation / and they do se

that either they must flye out of their countrie / or that they

must put ther lyfe in extreme ieoperdie / and yet haue no will

to leaue either ease or their riches / or to committ themselues

to daungers / they turn themselues into all formes / and craftyly

creping backe by clokinge and dissemblinge they do seeke wayes /

by which they may slypp awaie out of the conflict. Which when it

happenith as they wold haue it / then without all doubt / ther

lyues / their substaunce / and goode estimacion do vtterly

perishe. For this cause I thincke that I can not entreate a more

profitable mater and more meete and necessarie for this our

world /

[[The argument and matter.]]

then of the true confessing of Christe and the truithe of the

gospell / and of the foule denyinge of the same. This matier

truly is copius / and most ample / wherthrough I doubt nothing at

all but sum of you be all redy made afraide with the largenes of

it / which do consider the end of the sermon by the begynning /

and of the mater it self: But I will at this present touche but

certayn pointes of this matier hauing consideracion of the tyme /

and especially of you / reuerend fathers and beloued Brethern in

Christ. The lord gyue me grace bomitting thinges not necessarie /

to prosequute only all thos thinges which be necessarie. Thos

shameles men / which affirme (without doubt against their own

conscience)

[[The cloke of them that deny true religion.]]

that ther is no neade at all of the outward and daungerus

confession among the aduersaries of the religion of the

gospell / they do wrast the ordinaunces of Godd to make a cloke

for their malice. And they saye / that Godd will not haue holy

mariages broken / or that the honor due vnto parents shuld be

vndoone / that Godd will not haue the gouernment of polities or

howsholds disturbed / and to be short that he will not haue a

mans death and destruction. For what encrease shall happen to

the glorie of God by the vnrecouerable miserie of me and my

houshold? what profyt shuld come of my chaynes / or of my

pouertie vnto my neighburr? And who is it that knowith not that

all thinges which we do are to be referred to the glorie of

Godd / and to the profit of our neighburr? Yea and if I be

burned / or cast into exile for the confession of the gospell /

do I not take miself awaie from myne by deathe / before my tyme?

Do I not throw all myn with me into extreme pouertie and

beggerie? And then after all by goodes be loste I am compelled to

be burdenus vnto others. The towardlynes of my Sonnes shalbe

brought in daunger. The chastitie or my wyfe and doughters

shalbe brought into hazarde. For they being pressed with most

hard necessitie shall learne by euell artes to gett necessaries

for their lyfe. And who will thincke that Godd doth allowe theise

thinges? who doth so mutche commend the faith of mariage / the

godly bringing vp of children / and an howshold wel ordered /

that Paule his apostle fearith not to saye,

[[1. Timo. 5.]]

That if ony prouide not for his and specially for theim of his

houshold / the same hathe denied the faith / and is worse than an

infidell. Wherfor les I shuld be constrayned to confession / and

so denie the faithe / I retayne faith in my harte / and by

holding my peace I do dissemble for a tyme / I do not vtterly

denye nor throw awaye all Religion. All theise thinges (I say)

they do most wickedly wraste against their naturall and godlye

sense / to defend their desires / and to retayne their wordly

commodities.

[[Confession is necessarie]]

But against all theis we do sett the sentence of our lord and

Sauiour Iesus Christe / which is neither darcke nor doutfull /

that by it all the subtilties of theise mene maye at ones be

confuted / and vanishe awaye. In the gospell of Mathewe he

confirming the mynds of his disciples against the thretts and

terrors of this wicked world / among other thinges /

[[Matth. 10.]]

Are not (sayth he) two lytle sparowes solde for a farthinge. And

one of them shall not lyghte on the grownd withe out your

father: yea euen all the heares of your heade are nombred. feare

ye not therfor: ye are if more value then many sparowes. Euery

one therfor that shall knowledge me before men hym wyll I

knowledge also before my father which is in heauen. But

whosoeuer shall denye me before men / hym wyll I also denye

before my father which is in heauen: the same lord in the

gospell of Marcke /

[[Marc. 8.]]

Whosoeuer (saythe he) shall lose hys lyfe for my sake and the

gospell He same shall saue it. For what shall it profyte a man /

if he wynne al the worlde and lose his owne soule? or what shall

a man gyue to redeme hys soule wythall agayn? Whosoeuer therfor

shalbe ashamed of me and of my wordes / in this aduowtrus and

synfull generation: of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed

when he commith in the glorie of his father withe the holy

angels. Theis wordes of the lorde are playne / and spoken without

ony darcknes. The lord requirith of eiche one of vs that symple

and open confession which we make before men / and that such men

as are synnars and adulterars / the emenies / I saye / of Godd /

and of all true religion. for such men do the prophets also call

fornicatours and adulterars. He requirith / I saye / that we

shuld confes hym and his worde / That is / that we shuld simply

confes that he is Christ / and that we shuld not denye ony thing

of his worde either by out wordes or deedes.

[[Examples of true confession, Mat. 16.]]

We read that Peter did confes Christ the lorde sincerely and

with a true confession when he answered vnto the lorde / which

asked and sayed. But whom saye ye that I am / he answered. Thow

art Christe the sonne of the lyuinge Godd.

[[Ioan. 6.]]

Agayn when many did fall from the lorde for that sermon in which

he declared in the Synagoge of the Capernaites / that he only

was the foade of lyfe / and for that cause the lorde saide to

his disciples: Wyll ye also go awaye? Peter answered / and

confessing the lorde with a notable confession he said / lorde to

whom shall we go? Thow hast the wordes of eternal lyfe / And we

beleue and are sure / that thow art Christe the sonne of the

lyuinge Godd. Such like confession absolute and true doth the

blessed apostle and Euangelist Iohn commend vnto vs sayinge.

[[1. Ioan. 4.]]

Dearly beloued / beleue not euery sprit / but proue the

sprites / whether they are of Godd or not. For many false

prophetes are gone out into the worlde. Hereby shall ye know the

spirite of Godd: Euery sprite that confessith that Iesu Christe

is comme in the flesh / is of Godd. And euery sprite which

confessith not that Iesu Christe is come in the fleshe is not of

Godd. And this is that spirite of Antichriste / of whome ye haue

herde / howe that he shuld comme and euen now alreadi is he in

the worlde. Furthermor this true and catholike confession / doth

so attribute all out whole lyfe and saluacion vnto the lorde

Christe / that it doeth take the same from al other meanes and

thinges with which mans doctrine hathe ony part: wherfor it is

not sufficient only to haue confirmed the part affirmatiue (as

they call it) except thow do also expres the negatiue / and dost

so ascribe vnto Christe our lorde all the thinges of our lyfe

and saluacion / that all men may vnderstond that thow dost clyme

to him al the partes of our saluacion / and that thow dost not

gyue ony part therof to ony other. For we do fynd that the lord

Iesus did teache such a confession / and that his apostles made

the lyke. For when the lorde in the gospell of Iohn speaking

plainly inough hadd sayed.

[[Ioan. 10.]]

I am the dore / by me if any man entre in / he shall be safe and

shall go in and oute / and finde pasture. A thefe commith not but

for to steale / kyll / and to destroye: I am come that they

might haue lyfe / and that they might haue it more abundantly:

I am the goode shepeherd / a goode shepeherd gyueth his lyfe for

the shepe. Yet was he not content with theis though thy be most

playne wordes / but he ioyned also a Negatiue / with a most

pitthie asseueracion / saying: Verely verely I saye vnto yowe he

that enterith not in by the dore into the shepefolde / but

clymbeth vp some other waye / the same is a theife and a

murtherer. He likewise saith playnly in the same chapter /

A goode shepeherd goeth before his shepe / and the shepe folowe

hym bicause they knowe his voice. Yea forthewith he addith this

also / A straunger will they not folowe / but wil flie from him /

for they know not the voice of straungers. Agayn in an other

place /

[[Ioan. 14.]]

I am the waye (saithe he) the truthe and the lyfe: Yet he not

being content wyth this so playn a doctryne doth adde agayne the

exclusyue and saithe / No man commith to the father but by me.

Wherfor Peter thought it not inoughe that he sayde in that full

senate of Hierusalem / That Christe is that Rocke which doth by

his dethe and resurrection establishe and preserue the

beleauers /

[[Act. 4.]]

onles moreouer he had Vindicated to Christ alone all thinges

that concerne saluacion / and taken the same awaye from others /

saying. Neither is there saluacion in ony other: For among men

vnder heauen ther is gyuen none other name wherin we must be

saued. After which manier likewise saint Paul doth proue that

[[Roma. 3.]]

faith in Christ through grace doth iustifie / neither doth he

saye this only /

[[Ephe. 2.]]

but he doth also remoue all that which might seeme to gyue

iustice vnto men / the lawe I meane and worckes / sayinge. We

knowe that a man is not iustified by the dedes of the lawe /

[[Gala. 2.]]

but by the faith of Iesus Christe. And we haue beleued on Iesus

Christ that we might be iustified by the faythe of Christe / and

not by the dedes of the lawe / bicause that by the dedes of the

lawe no fleshe shalbe iustified. And in an other place the same

Paule: Behold (saith he) I Paul saye vnto yowe /

[[Gala 5.]]

that if ye be circumcised / Christe shall profite yow nothing at

all. I testifie agayn to euery man which is circumcised / that

he is bownd to keape the whole lawe. Christe is become but in

vayn to yowe / as many of yow as are iustified by the lawe are

fallen from grace / we loke for and hope in the spirite to be

iustified thorow faithe. Theis cleare examples of Christ and the

apostles / and doctrine of the sincere and sounde confession of

Christe do suffice to yow reuerend and godly hearers. Out of

which we do gather / that their confessions are neither full /

nor sincere / which do confes that indeede Christe is thier

saluacion and rightuisnes / their preist and sacrifice / their

aduocate and mediator /

[[Imperfaite confessions.]]

yet so that it notwithstonding they do gyue the very same / and

communicate them to synneful men / to thinges also and meanes

which are in no place instituted nor approued of Godd. And no

les corrupt is their confession also / which do confes wyth the

mouthe that Godd alone is to be adored and worshipped / that

Christe is the only preiste and true aduocate with the father /

but yet in their deedes they do denye that same confession of

their mouthe / bowinge their knees to Images / worshippinge

creatures / callinge vppon their patrons and fayned saynts of

heauen.

[[The hole doctryne of Christe is to be confessed.]]

But the Apostles did not only confes Christe himself / but also

all Christes doctrine / all Christes wordes / the whole gospell

(I saye) of saluacion: of which Christe is the only Marcke. And

therfor when the preistes and senators of Hierusalem did forbidd

the apostles that they shuld nomore preache the gospell / they

answered hartily and playnly: whether it be right in the sight of

Godd to herken vnto yow more then vnto Godd / iudge ye.

[[Act. 4.]]

For we can not but speke that which we haue seene and herde. And

when they were shutt vp in prison for free preching of the

gospell / and wer in daunger of their lyues / they are delyuered

of the angell / of whom by the commaundement of Godd they do

heare.

[[Act. 5.]]

Go and stande and speake in the temple to the poeple all the

wordes of this lyfe. Therfor all thos thinges which are contayned

in the holy gospell / and holy scriptures / must be confessed of

them which are faithfull indeede: for all thos are the wordds of

Godd / and the wordds of saluacion / And all thos do sauer of

Christe and do bringe vnto Christe.

[[Ioan. 1.]]

In whom only it hath pleased God the father that all fulnes

shuld dwell / in whom (as Paule doth witnes)

[[Colos. 1. 2.]]

we are made perfite so that we want nothinge / as agayn the

lorde himself doth testifie:

[[Ioan. 4. 5. 7.]]

he that eateth or drincketh me shall not be hungry or thrustie

for euer / but he shall haue in hym self the healthefull waters

of euerlastinge lyfe. Yf we do knowe / beleaue / and vnderstonde

theise thinges let vs gyue glorie to our only Sauiour Christe /

and not gyue it awaye vnto other / But let vs frely confes hym

only / and alone / in mouth / and deedes / to be our saluacion

iustice sanctificacion absolution or rather perfection / the

peace of our soules / and lyfe euerlasting. But the lord doth

sett denying against confessinge. Ther are diuers kinds of

denyinge / which beinge but lightly rehersed it shall again

appeare what is the sowndness and simplicitie of confessinge.

Furst Christe and Godds worde is denyed / when our redeamer

Christe / and the worde of lyfe is openly blasphemed in playne

wordes / when he is not acknowledged to be the only Sauiour / and

when the due dignitie and auctoritie of the scriptures is not

adscribed vnto them. Then by silence also is Christe and

Christes worde denyed / namely when vppon occasion offered we do

not deffende the glorie of the name of Godd and of the truythe

known againste the ennemis of Godd and sclaunderers of the worde

of Godd.

[[A. Neuter.]]

For in this case it is lawfull for no man to be a / neuter / as

they call it. In the most auncient lawes of Solon which were at

Athens grauen in postes of woode / the which also ons made by

hym the Athenienses ordeygned vnder great religion and punishment

that they shuld contynue for euer: one lawe Aristotle doth

report to be writon in this sence. That if throughe discorde the

poeple shuld be deuided into too partes / and eich partie shuld

take armour / then he which did not ioyne himself to the one

partie / but slipp asyde separated from the common euell of the

cytie / he shall lose howse / countrithe / and goodes / and be

an exile and a banished man. Mutch les is it lawfull for them

which haue professed the name of Christe / and are signed with

holy baptisme / in that fierce fight betwene Christe and

Antichriste to slippe a syde / and to ioyne himself vnto neither

partye. That same newtralitie doth seame truly to be wisdom to

many children of this worlde / but indeede it is folyshnes / yea

it is a very denying of Christ / by which they do exclude

themselues out of that heauenly countrithe / they spoile

themselues of all spirituall riches / and make themselues exiles

and banished men.

[[Math. 26.]]

For Christe and his truithe is denyed either by dissemblinge: as

when Peter was charged by the mayde that he was one of the number

of the disciples / and he answered I wote not what thow sayest.

He knew verily what she sayed / but being bewitched with a

certayne feare / he fayned that he knewe not the thing which he

did know very well. Euen so truly at this daye many do saye that

they are more simple then that they can vnderstond the

dissension in religion and gyue answer of all controuersies: But

they do vnderstond so mutch as sufficith: yet for the ieoperdies

which be at hand / or for sum vayne feare / they do fayne that

they do not vnderstonde. Neither wer it necessarie for euery one

to answer to all darcke or hard thinges / which thing they which

are well exercised can not do / it sufficith to confesse thos

thinges which be open and playne. Ther is also a coloured

denyinge when we playyng the foxes with foxes do confes verely

sumwhat of our religion / yetwe do so enwrapp it with such

darcke wordes and doutfull sentences / that vnto them which are

most subtill and conning in quidities / it shall not playnly

appeare what we do thincke. But the confession shuld be simple /

and playne.

[[Glorie is to be gyuen to Godd.]]

In making of it Godd / and not Man were to be considered. Man

maye be deceyued / but no man can deceyue Godd. And also we are

commaunde to render vnto God his glorie franckly before men. But

I do not see how thow haste glorified Godd before men / when

thow dost so temper thy confession that it sumwhat sauerith

indeede of the truithe of the gospell / and yet they which be

superstitius shall not see their supersticions vtterly

reiecrted / nor their errors condemned by thy confession / but

maye iudge that thou dost yet holde on their syde. Agayn many do

confes Christe in wordes and his gospell frely / and openly

inoughe / but euen they themselues do forthwith defile and

ouerthrow this Christian and gospellike confession with

vngospellike deedes. I do speake nothing heere of thos synnes

and wickednesses by which they do vnhallow the doctrine of our

Sauiour / but of thos supersticius ceremonies and wicked

congregacions with which they do communicate / by which communion

or partakinge indeede they do denye that which they did confes

before. For he which doth confes by mouthe that they which do

depart out of this lyfe in true faithe do not (throughe the

mediacion of Christe) comme into Iudgment / but do strayte waye

passe from the bodily deathe vnto lyfe euerlasting / euen as the

doctrine of the gospell doth enstruct vs / and we do playnly

confes in the articles of the apostles Crede / this namely that

we do beleaue the forgyuenes of synnes / the rising again of the

fleshe / and lyfe euerlasting: And yet so sone as ony of their

elders or familiars do depart out of this worlde / they go

strait to sacrificing prestes / and do demande of them churche

assemblees / supplicacions / dirges / weake myndes / trentalles /

to be short / yearemynds / and prayers and sacrifices expiatorie

for the deade / to whom he doth ioyne hymself / and doth obserue

thos rites / hath he not playnly denyed in deede that which he

hadd confessed in worde? He that doth confes that Christe was

ons only offered for the synnes of the whole world / and that he

is not therfore to be offerred any moore / And that the holy

Supper is a remembraunce of this only and euerlasting sacrifice /

and not the sacrifice it self / and yet neuertheles doth go vnto

ther gods seruice / which do stoutly asseuere that they do offer

vp Christ in substaunce for the synnes of the lyuing and the

deade: doth he not by going to and communicatinge with this

seruice / denye that which by speaking and professing he hadd

confessed? Theis truly are wayes of denyinge / which they do not

fully vnderstonde which are almost persuaded / that Religion is

but a playe / and as it were a slipper fitte for euery foote.

Theis men do knowe how to rule all religions vnder a certayn

colour of holy concord / but indeede for earthly commoditie /

that among whom soeuer they do lyue like vnto a Cameleon they do

take vnto themselues their coloure and ceremonies / being mutch

more changeable than Protheus / of whom it is but folly to

beleaue / that they do passe for ony religion at all. But let vs

passe ouer theise vnstable changelinges / and establishe our

mynds / that they be not lewse nor waueringe / but being knytte

vpp and confirmed in the lorde / they maye haue sum suretie and

stablenes of the sure and stable worde of Godde / which we may

both in mowthe and deedes confes / and in which we may finally

reste. That maruailus and heauenly and therwith thonderinge

prophet Helias /

[[3. Reg. 18.]]

howe longe (saithe he) halte ye betwene two opinions. If the

lorde be Godde folowe hym: but if Baal be he / then go after

hym. Euen so truly our lorde hymself doth saye in the gospell /

that no man can serue two masters. Let vs therfor forsake all

other Godds and religions / and cleaue only to our Godde / which

is the father of our lorde Iesus Christ / and let vs sticke

faste in the only Christen religion / which is delyuered vnto vs

in the holy scriptures. For it is euerlasting and most certayne.

[[It sufficith not to confes Christe amonge the brethern.

Mat. 10.]]

But if it be sufficient to confes Christe and his gospell amonge

our felows and brethern in religion / wherto I praye you will

theis our men refer thos wordes which do go before this place of

confession in the gospell? Behold I send you forthe as shepe

amonge wolues. &c. They shall delyuer yow vp to the cowncelles

and shall scourge yow for me. &c. But when they delyuer yow vpp

take ye no thought how or what ye shall answer: for it shalbe

gyuen yow / euen in that same houre / whal ye shall speake. &c.

Feare ye not them which kyll the bodye / but are not able to kyll

the soule. He which doth denye that all theis sayinges must be

vnderstond of persequutors / he saithe that darcknes is lighte.

Yea and in Marc he doth playnly saye.

[[Marc. 8.]]

Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamed of me and of my wordes in this

aduoutrus and synefull generacion / of hym also shall the sonne

of man be ashamed. He requirith therfor a confession of the

truithe not only in the companye of the godly / but also in the

companye of the vngodly and persequutours / howsoeuer it be

ioyned with the ieoperdie of lyfe and of all the substaunce. The

lord speaking in the boke of the reuelacion with the church of

pergamos /

[[Apocal. 2.]]

I knowe (saith he) where thow dwellest / euen where Sathans seate

is / and thow keapest my name / and haste not denyed my faythe:

And in thos dayes in which Antipas was a faythfull witnes of

myn / which was slayne amonge yow where Sathan dwellithe. In which

wordes truly the confession made in persequution is allowed /

made I saye in that place / wher Sathan did beare rule / wher

euen very then Antypas thaty notable Martir of Christe was slayn

for confessinge of religion. Otherwise when all thinges are

quiet it is not so harde a thing to confes the name of Godde.

For if so be that the lord will not haue vs be in ieoperdie of

bodie goodes and lyfe / if it seme to be euill and a synne for a

man / as it wer to procure deathe to hymself by the confessinge

of truithe / wherfor dothe the lorde (I praye yow) exhorte thos

his disciples / that they shuld not feare them which do kill the

bodie / and can not kill the soule? Whi doth he by playne wordes

saye / as it wer prouoking vs to martirdome?

[[Marc. 8.]]

Whosoeuer will folow me / let hym forsake hymselfe / and take vp

his crosse / and folowe me. For whosoeuer will saue his lyfe

shal lose it. But whosoeuer shall lose his lyfe for my sake /

and the gospelles the same shall saue it. He addith forthwithe

wordes which do make for the contempt of thos thinges / for

which theis men do thincke that in religion silence maye be kept

and dissimulacion vsed / sainge. What shall it profite a man / yf

he wynne al the worlde / and lose his owne sowle. Therwith also

doth he adde through what thinge we do lose our soules / that is

through Shame. For he saithe. Whosoeuer therfor shalbe ashamed

of me and of my wordes / in this aduowtrus and synefull

generacion / of hym also shall the sonne of man be ashamed when

he commithe in the glorie of his father withe the holy Angelles.

Therfor Paule that chosen vesell of Christe / and a most

faithfull teacher of the churche / who gyueth euell councell to

no man / neither leadith he ony man from the true waye / it is

(saith he) a true sayinge:

[[2. Tim. 2.]]

for if we be deade with hym / we shall also lyue with hym: if we

be pacient / we shal also raigne with hym. If we denye hym / he

shall also denye vs. The same Paul to the Hebrues /

[[Heb. 10.]]

Call to rememberaunce (saithe he) the dayes that are passed / in

the which after ye hadd receyued light / ye endured a great

fighte of aduersities / partely while all men wondered and gased

ay yowe for the shame and tribulacion that was done vnto yow /

partely while ye became companions of them which so passed theyr

tyme. For ye became partakers also of the afflictions which

happened thorow my bondes / and toke in worthe the spoyling of

your goodes / and that with gladnes / Knowing in your selues /

how that ye haue in heauen a better and an enduring substaunce.

Caste not awaye therfor your confidence / which hath a greate

recompense of rewarde. For ye haue neade of pacience / that

after ye haue doone the will of God / ye might receyue the

promise. For yet a very litill while / and he that shall comme /

will comme / and wyll not tarye. But the iuste shall lyue by

faithe. And if he withdrawe hymself my soule shall haue no

pleasure in hym. It is not we that withdrawe ourselues vnto

damnacion / but we partayne vnto fayth / to the wynning of the

soule. This truly is a sownde and wholsome doctrine / to cleaue

faste vnto this / is to pleas Godd / and to glorifie hym / adde

also to promote the saluacion of the brethern.

[[The deathe and persequution of the sainctes doth glorifie

Godd.]]

Therfor whils theise men do replie / what shuld come to the

encrease of glorie of Godd / or what commoditie shuld comme to

Christe of thos my labors and daungers which I shuld sustayne

for religion? wittingly and willingly they do disproue the

doctrine of the apostle / which doth playnly witnes / not in

theis places only which we haue alledged / but in many others

also / that both Godd is glorified by our sufferinges and

calamities which we do sustayne for religions sake / and also

that the weake brethern are therby edified / of whom it is

certayne that by dissemblinge and denyinge of Religion they be

offended / confirmed in ther errours / and indeede destroyed.

For that most excellent prophete Dauid /

[[Psal. 116.]]

Righte deere (saithe he) in the fighte of the lorde / is the

dathe of his sainctes. And sainct Peter saith Dearly beloued /

[[1. Pet. 4.]]

maruayle not that ye are proued by fyre / which thynge is to

trye yow as though sum straunge thinge happened vnto yow / but

reioyce / in as mutch as ye are partakers of Christes passions /

that when his glorie appearith / ye maye be mery and gladd. If

ye be rayled vpon / for the name of Christe / happie are ye /

for the glorie and the sprite of Godd restith vpon you. On ther

parte he is euill spoken of / but on your parte he is

glorified / and so furthe. And sainct Paule dothe pronounce that

it is a most greuus synne of ony man do offend the weake by his

euell example. Thy brother doth perish (saithe he) for whom

Christe died. When ye synne so against the brethern / and wounde

thier weake conscience / ye synne againste Christ. Again we are

saied in the scriptures to haue saued hym whom we haue by sounde

doctrine and our goode example / either reteyned in the waye of

the lorde / or haue brought hym backe that went astraye. But if a

greater regarde vs to be had of wife / children and houshold then

of pure religion / so that for that regard / religion seeme

either to be dissembled or denyed: Yf it be euill for religions

sake to dissente from them that be of kindred and alliannce /

yea and for religion to depart from a lawfull wyfe / and in

sum / for faithe to disagree with all frendes and familiars /

shall we saye that the lorde did teach euill / which sayed in

the gospell?

[[Mat. 10.]]

Thincke not that I am come to sende peace vnto the earthe.

I came not to send paeace but a swearde. For I am come to sett a

man at variance against his father / and the doughter against

her mother / and the doughter in lawe against her mother in

lawe. And a mannes foes shalbe they that are of his own

housholde. For from hence forthe ther shalbe fyue in one howse

deuyded / thre against two / and two against thre.

[[Luc. 12.]]

The father shalbe deuided against the sonne / and the sonne

against the father. This not spoken as though that dissension in

itself did pleas Godd the autor of all peace / but bicause he

will haue that peace which stondithe vppon euell and wicked

thinges broken / and haue vs all conioyned in that which is holy

and goode. And therfore we do not allowe when mariages

frendshippes and leagues are broken without necessitie / and

vnder an vntrue pretence of religion. Agayn we do dissalowe thos

which are kept againste the commaundement of Godd with playne

hurte of true religion / and open denyinge of the faithe. All

persons must bende themselues to peace and concorde so far as

they maye / with retayninge of sowndnes in religion: But when it

can not be retayned / let none thincke that to keape peace with

them he must committ Idolatrie.

[[1. Cor. 7.]]

And therfor the Apostle of Christ saith: If any brother haue a

wyfe / whiche beleauith not / if she be content to dwell with

hym / let hym not putt her awaye. &c. But if the vnbeleauinge do

departe let hym depart. A brother or a Syster is not in

subiection to such. But Godd hathe called vs in peace. Euen so

truly it is an vnnatural thinge not to norishe the children / or

to neglect the aged parentes / or to forsake frendes and

familiars. Godds worde doth euery wheare commaunde that we shuld

do reuerence and dutie to them to whom by the lawe of Godd / and

man / we owe it. In which sense we do willingly admitte that

sayinge of the Apostle. That he which doth not prouide for them

which be of his howshold / both denieth the faith / and is wors

then an infidele. We do acknowledg that they are deuels and not

men whosoeuer they be / which do wickedly disturbe wel ordered

policies / and howsholdes. But yet in all theis we do also

acknowledge this / and we se it taughte in the whole scripture as

for an vndoubted truithe / that the lord Godd is better then all

theise / that the couenant and bonde of religion doth excede all

other bondes in the world. And that the lord doth both so will

and commaunde / that we shuld esteame him aboue all thinges / and

loue hym aboue al thinges / and that when he speakith we all

shuld holde our peace / that there we shuld not thincke at all

of coloured expositions and excuses / but only of symple and

playne obedience / such / as we reade that Abraham shewed vnto

Godd / whom Godd

[[Gen. 12.]]

[[Heb. 11.]]

[[Gen. 22.]]

[[Heb. 11.]]

commaunding hym / did go out of his countrie into a straunge

lande / and when he did not refuse to sacrifice vnto the lorde

his only Sonne / withough suspicion of crueltie. Truly in the

hold gospell the lord dothe saye.

[[Luc. 14.]]

If a man come to me / and hate not his father / and mother / and

wyfe / and children / and brethern / and systers / yea and his

own lyfe also / he can not be my disciple. And whosoeuer doth

not beare his crosse and comme after me / can not be my

disciple. They truly which haue beene content to beare this ioke

of the lords / haue neither lost themselues / yea thoughe they

haue beene slayne of persequatours / nor yet their familie /

which they dyd leaue in trobles and penurie of thinges. For by

teachinge of experience and witnessing of histories / we haue

lerned / that Godd by such miracles as haue beene done at the

graues of martirs hathe witnessed / that they which wer killed /

wer not loste but saued, that they wer not deade but lyuing.

Furthermore we can not say nay but that Godd hathe blessed the

families of such slayne martirs / and that he hath moued the

hartes of goode men which haue receyued thos abiects and

miserable persons into their custodie / so that they wanted

nothinge. Besids this the godly do knowe that in this world they

must honger / and that they must be exercised with diuers

aduersities / that they may be made like vnto the image of

Christ who was himself in all pointes tempted for vs /

[[Heb. 4.]]

lyke as we are / but yet without synne. But now this remaynith

as yet to be discussed / which theis men do take as for an

oracle / and most euident truithe.

[[Wether it sufficith to kepe faith in the harte, and not

confesse it with mouthe.]]

That it is sufficient if a man do keape the true faithe in his

harte / and that ther is no farther neade of outward

confession / through which thow shuldest be drowned in the deape

of afflictions. Yf it doth suffice to beleaue in harte / and the

confession with the mowthe seme not necessarie / wherfor I praye

you Hath the lorde sayed? Euery one which confessithe me before

Men. &c. Beholde he saythe before Men. But faith which stickith

still in the harte is not brought forth before men. Yea it is

not to be called a confession / when faith doth lurcke in the

hart. For Confession doth properly bringe forth that which dyd

lye hidden wythin. The Apostle therfor taking from vs all doubt

in this controuersie.

[[Rom. 10.]]

The worde (sayth he) is nyghe the / euen in thy mouthe / and in

thy harte. This same is the worde of faythe / whiche we preache.

For if thow knowledg with thy mouth that Iesus is the lorde /

and beleaue in thy harte that God raysed hym vpp from deathe

thow shalt be safe. For to beleaue with the harte iustifieth /

and to knowledge with the mowthe maketh a man safe. what canst

thow desire to be more playnly and euidently spoken in this

matier? Thow dost clearely heare that thow takest awaye

saluacion if thow dost cut of the confession of the mouthe from

the beleif of the hart. Yea and the beleif of the harte is that

nature that it can not lye hydd / but must of necessite breake

forth to be confessed with the mouthe. Yf the confession of the

mouthe neadith not / neyther then shall ther neade ony

preachinge of the truithe. But the Apostles / bushopps and

faithfull martirs of Christ / when they preached euen amonge the

wicked / haue most bitterly condemned Idolatrie / and all

doctrine and worshipp which doth not agre with the holy

gospell / and affirmed that the gospell only dothe teache the

true worshipp of Godd. By that confession of mouthe they did

glorifie Godd / they did disanull Iudaisme and paganisme / and

did erecte many holy congregracions throughe the worlde / which

by holdinge their peace and keapinge the true faith within their

harte they shuld neuer haue edified. Wherof euery man seith that

the confession of the mouthe is allwayes necessarie / and that

it is required of euery one of vs. The notable examples also of

the excellent seruauntes of Godd contayned in the scriptures do

teache the same.

[[1. Reg. 19.]]

That same gret prophet of Godd Helias was ones of that mynde

that he only of all the true worshippers of Godd was lefte alyue

vppon the earthe. But he hearith euen of the lord hymself / which

sayeth / I haue lefte me seuen thousand in Israel / of which

neuer man bowed his knee vnto Baal nor Kyssed hym with his

mouthe. Heere is nothinge spoken of the secret faithe of the

harte / but of the outward fruites of true faithe. For theis wer

outward thinges / to bowe the knees vnto Baal / and to kisse his

Image with their mouth. It is saied that they did not theis

thinges / and therfor are they taken for true and veray

worshippers of Godd. The lorde / if he hadd thoughte that which

theise our men do thincke / he might haue made mencion of the

faithe of the harte without the outward confession / especially

seing thos tymes wer so daungerous that Helias himself did flie

into the wildernes. But the lord doth praise in his faithfull

the outwarde confession / which was made in worcke / rather then

in wordes. Wherfor we must shew forthe the faith of the harte

both by deedes and wordes / after the exeample of theise seuen

thowsande confessors whom God doth praise. We must not goo vnto

vnholy assemblees / we must not bowe our knees nor vncouer our

heades before Idolls / we must not kisse thos thinges / which

are contrarie to the gospell.

[[Dan. 3.]]

Yf ony other in the whole world / thos the princes (of whom

mencion is made in Daniell) might haue coloured ther Idolatrie /

but they chose rather to submitt themselues to cruel

punishment / then to bowe their knee before that Image which the

kinge did sett vpp to be worshipped. Their men of ours wold haue

sayed. It shalbe better to kepe faithe in the harte for the

profitinge of many / then rashly to poore it furthe to the hurte

of an infinite number. For so longe as we are safe / the

miserable captiues shall receyue gret and many benefites: Yea

and also we priuely may promote the truithe in the princes

courte. But by this same vnceasonable confession / confusion of

all thinges shall euen at ons ouerwhelme all theise thinges. And

with out doubt they wold haue added that the Image which the

kyng hadd sett vp was not altogether to be deputed among prophane

thinges / forbicause that the true God had shewed the kinge a

vision or an Image / which did conteyn great misteries of the

kingdome of Godd / after the forme of which Image /

Nabugodonozor hadd caused this Image to be made and graued /

which Image the faithfull for the cause might beholde and

reuerence as the worke of Godd. But thos valieant / and glorious

Martirs do make mention of no suche thinge /

[[Dan. 3.]]

and though they did knowe the kinges mynd well inough in this

matier / yet they do playnly saye to the kinge. Be this known

vnto the (o kynge) that we wil not serue they goddes / nor do

reuerence vnto that Image which thow hast sett vpp. Neither did

they only vse this libertie of speache before the kyng / but

willingly they offered ther bodies to all daungers / yea euen to

most fearfull fires.

[[Dan. 6.]]

Daniel also did not thincke that Godd was religiusly inough

worshipped and serued with the inwarde faithe of the harte /

except he had added the outward confession also. For when thos

hethen princes did laye snares for hym / of which he was not

ignorant / and therfor might peaceably haue prayed to the lorde

within his walles at home / yet wold he not dissemble in this

matier. For what doth the scripture saye? This / that when

Daniel perceyued what the kinge hadd commaunded / he wente into

his howse / and the windows of his wall towardes Hierusalen stode

open. There kneled he down vpon his knees thre times a daye / he

made his petition and praised his Godd / and so opened he his

confession to Godd. This same most holy prophet of Godd mighte

seme to be beside hymself thus willingly to procure euill to

hymself / and as it wer without neade to prouoke the enemies of

Religion against hym: but the scripture doth not settfurth vnto

vs ony error / no vnconsideratnes or rashe boldnes in this

matier / but doth teache vs playnly to yelde vnto Godd

confession in deedes and in wordes. Vnto theis examples of the

holy scripture we will now adde other thinges which do agre with

them (for thos thinges which do diagre from the scriptures we

passe litill or nothing at all / what autoritie so euer they

haue amonge men)

[[Ecclesiast. hist. lib. 6. cap. 28.]]

This we will do out of the Ecclesiasticall historie. Eusebius

entreating of such things as Origen did / makith mencion that

Origen did mightily oppugn a new heresie which did springe vpp

in his tyme / it was called the heresie of Helchesaites / and at

lenghth he did happily extinguishe it. He shewith that they among

many other things did holde this heresie / that if a man did

denie in persequution he synned not at all / forbicause that he

which is stable and confirmed in his harte / although he doth

denie with the mouthe for necessitie / yet as touching the harte

he abidith in faithe. By which wordes truly euery man may

perceyue that the same pestilent errour is brought agayn as it

wer out of hell / in our age / and se that he ought cheifly to

beware of it as of an heresie condemned. The same Eusebius in

the viij. booke doth sett furth notable examples of many martirs

of Christe which did frely confes the truith / out of whom I

will recite vnto your godlynes theise few thinges / wich without

doubt will be acceptable vnto all. They whos mynd (saithe he)

was more readie and their faithe more stronge / suffered

torments. Sum wer beaten with whippes / other were tormented with

iron houes / sum other wer burned with fierye plates / of whom

many indeed being weried did gyue ouer. But other did abide

paciently euen to the end. Sum of the persequutours them selues

verely / as thoughe they hadd vsed pitie / did bringe many of

our men to the wicked sacrifices / and made a noise as though

thay hadd sacrificed / when indeede they hadd not sacrificed. Of

sum other when they hadd not so mutch as come nighe the vncleane

sacrifices / they did crye out / that they had already

sacrificed and did now depart. Which wer only faultie (I praye

you marcke theise wordes) in this / that they did with silence

beare the fault which was obiected against them. Sum being taken

vpp half alyue were thrown awaye as thoughe they hadd beene

deade. Sum beinge drawn out by the feate / were accompted amonge

them which hadd sacrificed. Other cryed out that they were

Christians / and dyd glorie in the confessinge of that

healthfull name. Many also with a greater confidence did

testifie that they neither hadd / neither wold sacrifice euer.

Whos mouthes and eyes the tormentours did forthewith beate / to

cause them to holde ther peace / and they wer with violence

thrust forthe as though they hadd done the thinge. For so the

enemies of godlynes did mutch esteame it / if at least wise they

did but seeme to bring to pas that which they wolde. Many other

thinges like vnto this / might I add / partly out of the

Tripartita historia / partly out of Eutropius. But theis are

sufficient: And theis do plainly and euidently inough proue /

that the lord doth require of true Christians / a true and playne

confession of the mouthe / yea euen in the gretest daungers and

furies of the persequutors and therfor that theise tenderlinges

do most manifestly err / which do thincke otherwise / only to

saue their filthie paunche.

[[Of ceremonies.]]

It remaynith now right Reuerend fathers / and most deare

brethern in Christe that I shuld breifly touche also theis mens

reasoninges of popishe Ceremonies / which I said at the

begynning they do wittyly handle to persuade themselues / and

others / that no man by the partakinge of them doth either

defile himself / or by it denie the religion of the gospell. And

surly it is well known that the name of Ceremonies not being

narowly weyed / hath bewitched the eyes of many / not only in

this but in other controuersies of religion. It is therfor to be

known that Ceremonies are nothinge els but holy rites. And of

Ceremonies sum are called diuine which are instituted (I saye)

of Godd himself / sum other are called humayne / such as are

inuented by mans will.

[[Diuine ceremonies.]]

But of the dyuine or ceremonies of God / sum belonged to the

olde poeple / of which the writinges of the prophetes and

apostles do beare witnes that they wer abrogate in Christe. Sum

do belonge to the new poeple that is to Christians / which were

delyuered vnto them of Christe by the Apostles / and thos truly

very fewe / as of holy assemblees / of sacramentes / and certayn

ecclesiasticall obseruacions / which are declared in the writinges

of the Apostles.

[[Humaine ceremonies.]]

Of ceremonies enuented by man ther is almost neither measure nor

end. For they wer enuented and established at dyuerse tymes / and

that by diuers and sundry autors / and they were so delyuered

and instituted of them / that they do not only not consent with

the holy scriptures but they be contrary to them / insomutch that

they do deface and corrupt the ordinaunces which Godd hath

instituted / and do put them out of place. Of this kinde is that

churche deckinge and dressinge / in which Images haue the cheif

place. Of the same sorte also is Massinge / straunge apparell /

synging / and feastes appointed to saintes which be in heauen /

and other innumerable of this sorte. All which truly the

papistes do adorne with the title of ceremonies / which when the

simple and such as haue litill knowledge do heare / they do

Imagine sum holy thinge as thoughe that all theis thinges were

sent down out of heauen from the lord Godd hymself to be kept.

But heere we do admonishe men that they must stey sumwhat / and

must sumwhat more diligently make difference betwene

ceremonies / and must more narowly loke / whether that theis

ceremonies (of which we do contend) be of Godd or of man. Euery

man knowith that none in defiled by such ceremonies as are of

Godd. And he which denieth that a man is defiled by humayn

ceremonies / he seith nothing at all. For though I do not again

vrge that which I saied euen nowe / that thos humayn ceremonies

are contrary to Goddes worde / and do defile Godds ordinaunces /

corrupt them and hyde them / can that be obscure or vnknown to

ony man which our lord Iesus Christe doth playnly with expressed

wordes bringe out of Esaye?

[[Mat. 15.]]

They do serue me in vaine / teachinge the doctrines and

preceptes of men.

[[Tit. 1.]]

Again that which Paule doth affirme that they be commaundements

of men that tourn awaye the truthe? And that the holy Martir of

Christe propownced?

[[Cypriani epist. lib. 1. epist. 8.]]

It is adulterus / it is wicked / it is sacrilegus / whatsoeuer

is instituted by mans furie to violate the ordinance of Godd.

And for this cause the godly will not call theis ordinances ony

longer / ceremonies / simply / but rather mans institutions / and

supersticions / which are reiected and forbidden of Godd.

Wherfor howsoeuer theis men do beautifully set furth and adorn

theise thinges / yet shall they neuer bringe this to passe /

that the goddly will beleaue that it is lawful for them to

communicate with supersticions / and such institucions as are

forbidden of God: Neither will the godly beleaue but that theis

thinges are forbidden / except the papistes shall proue by playne

testimonies of the scripture that they are so instituted of Godd

as they do vse them. Which thinge when it can not be proued of

them / nor yet at all of ony other of the papistes / sum of our

false gospellers do turn them selues hither / that they saye that

Paule also did vse forbidden ceremonies /

[[Paul circumcised Timothee.]]

and that the prophetes of Godd did reproue the sacrifices /

which they neuertheles did partake without synne. And if we do

graunte them this altogether / how can they (I praye yow) helpe

or sett furth their cause? We reade that Paule vsed ceremonies

instituted of Godd / circumcision and sacrifices / but theis men

do contend for ceremonies instituted by men. Paul did ons

circumcise his Timothie /

[[Actu. 16. 18. 21.]]

and did ons ore twis take on him a vowe / and that for certayn

and weightie causes. But theise men couet to waxe old in their

supersticions / and haue no lawfull causes to do so / except

thow wilt call that lawfull which commith of the affections of the

fleshe. Without doubt Paule wold not haue one ore two of his

actes to be sett against his whole doctrine. But whi do they not

rather folow Paule in that /

[[Gal. 2.]]

when he refused to circumcise Titus? seing like causes are

ministred vnto them by thos which go about to spoile them of

their libertie / and bring them into bondage.

[[Hovv the prophetes reproued Sacrifices and vver also

partakers of them.]]

We do saye that ther were two sortes of the Sacrifices among the

old poeple of Israel. Sum of them are redd to be instituted of

Godd / which the poeple sum tyme abused / or els did not vse

them with true faithe / which thing the prophetes did reproue /

and not the Sacrifices themselues / of which they did partake

religiusly and without synne: Euen as we reade that Paule did

worthely partake the supper of the lorde / although he doth

reproue the abuse of the supper in the Corinthinians. Other

sacrifices ther were enuented by man / such were the sacrifices

of Baal / and of Ieroboam / and thos which were done in the

hilles. Theis truly the prophetes did reproue / but it is not

redde that they did communicate with the same. This example

therfor is of force against them which will excuse themselues by

the example of the prophetes / in that they do partake such

sacrifices as are instituted of man.

[[Hovv sum do thincke that they may be at Masses, and hovv thei

vnderstond the masse.]]

Forthewith then they saye / what is it to me though papistes do

abuse the Masse? In their abuse I do call to mynd the true vse /

and I comme vnto it with an other mynde and vnderstondinge then

they do saye it. For when I see the breade and cupp / I do not

thincke vppon the transubstanciation which the pope hath fayned /

but on the sacrament of Christe. And therfor when I am at masse

I do not regarde what ceremonies be ther / ore what the minister

is / but I do remember the very institution of Christe and I do

spitiually receyue that / wich he doth saye that he doth

corporally offer and receyue / for the lyuinge and the deade.

and seinge I know that the vertue of the sacrament is not of les

force for the varietie of ceremonies / ore the vnworthines of

the ministers / I do suppose that I / which do well vse an euell

thinge / am neither defiled / nor yet that by this my spirituall

communicating I do denie the gospell. By theise wordes a man wold

iudge theis men to be madd / except he do consider that it is

not they which do thus speake / but feare / and desire / which

are affections playnly most trobled. They do simply acknowledge

that papistes do abuse the supper of the lorde / but yet (they

saye) that they themselues do wel vse their abuse / forbicause

they do come enstructed with an other meaninge then the papistes

do it / not to heare a popishe masse which the papistes saye /

but to receyue the supper of the lorde / the self same which

they in their masse do thincke abhominable. I do not know whether

ther can be ony greter absurditie spoken. Thow maiste saye that

theis men haue learned an arte which hetherto no man coulde

attayne / to robb a naked man of clothes / to wringe water out

of a pumeise stone / and to bidde a man to get fishe in the

aire / that is / at a table wher no meate is sett furth at all /

to fare delicatly and to be filled. But go to / let them frely

profes before them with whom they do thus communicate / that they

be of that mynd which they speake of / that is / that in cumminge

to Masse they will not comme to Masse / but that in it they will

vnderstond and consider breade / yea and that they will sett

before their myndes the supper of the lorde / that they wil not

confes the popishe transubstantiation / but that they do here in

acknowledge Christes Sacrament / and that they do well receyue

that spiritually in the Masse / which the prest doth offer / and

receyue bodily for the lyuing and the deade / which thinge he

beleauith not. Will not all they forthewithe crye out / that

ther holy Masse is vnhalowed / and that they which thinke so are

heretikes / and that they which do communicate with them are

excommunicated? Truly they wold so behaue themselues / that

euery man might vnderstond / that ther is a grete difference

betwene the Masse and the supper of the lorde / and that they do

embrace the Masse / but the supper of the lord they do all wayes

hate and reiect. With such a kinde of men yet do theis men

communicate / which wold thincke it a hurtefull and damnable

thinge / if they shuld admitte vnto their diuine seruice / the

companions of the religion of the gospell with their faithe. For

they do take the approuinge of their doctrine / to be the

condemnynge of the religion of the gospell: And they do take the

communion in the Masse to be a certayn confession and

approbation of their religion. Who is it then which doth not

se / that theis men do receyue no part of the lordes supper at

all in the masse / but also that by comminge to the masse they

do deny the supper of the lorde and the whole faithe of the

gospell? Theis men saye that they passe nothing what the

ceremonies be / what the ministers / for that the vertue of the

Sacrament is not the wors for them. But the cheif question heer is

not of the worthines of the ceremonies or ministers / but of the

true vse and institucion of the supper of the lorde / and

whither that the Masse as it is this daye vsed (I do not now

speake ony thinge at all of that which was vsed aboue a thowsand

yeares passed) wer so instituted of Christe / and be indeede the

very supper of the lorde? Yf the Masse be that misticall supper

of the lorde / it must needes be allowed of the lorde / and thow

(if so be thow dost come to it in faithe) canst not but receyue

therof the foode of lyfe / forsomutch as the vnworthnes of the

mynister doth not hinder the. But if the Masse be not the supper

of the lorde / if the supper of the lord be defaced corrupted

and troden vnder fote by the Masse / truly thow shalt receyue no

fruite therof / but shalt rather purchase to thy self greate

gilte of synne / for that the gaye glosse of the ceremonies or

ony worthines of the ministers shall not helpe the at all. Euen

Ieroboam himself wold haue beene counted to haue sacrificed to

the Godd of Israel: but yet bicause he did not sacrifice after

the same manier which God had commaunded / but rather after that

sorte which he himself hadd inuented amd instituted / godd did

not accept his sacrifices / and thos did synne against godd and

against true religion / yea and against the lawfull Sacrifices of

godd / as many as did communicate with the sacrifices of Ieroboam.

For both that Ieroboam synned / and that he did leade Israel to

synne / the scripture doth repeate very ofte / to beate in to the

heade of the whole worlde / that simple obedience doth pleas the

lorde / in which we keape his ordinaunces after that manier only

which he hath instituted / addynge nothinge / dyminishing

nothing / and chaunging nothing in them.

I will not now reason how that the Masse doth agre nothing at

all with the lordes supper / for this is euen to the eyes of all

men often tymes shewed in many bookes of most lerned and godly

seruantes of Godd. Yea euen children which are but instructed in

the principles of faith / do know that Christe did institute a

comon partaking / ore communion / in which all the faithfull which

are one bodie in Christe are knitt together into one bodie / and

that the Masse is a dissipacion of vnitie and a priuate deuowring

of one lurching sacrificer. They knowe that Christ commaunded:

Take / eate / diuide it amonge you / and drincke ye all of this.

And that the Masse doth sett furth theis thinges to be gazed

vppon / to be worshipped / to be caried about / and to be shutt

vpp / to be handeled and also receyued of preistes only: They

know that Christe sayd: Do this in the rememberaunce of me. And

that the priestes do saye Masse in the rememberaunce of sayntes /

that they do sacrifice for the synnes of the quicke and the

deade / and to be short that they do say masse for euery

thinge / for filthie lucres sake.

Ther were in the tyme of the Apostles certayn witty disputars

which reasoned that it was lawful for Christians to eate meates

offered vnto Idols. Meates offered to Idolls / were sacrifices

vsed in the temples of Idolls / to be offered vnto Idols.

Therfor thos faithfull men did contend / that it was lauful

indifferently to communicate with the holy seruice of the

Christians / and also to sytte down in the Idols feaste. They

did add plausible expositions / that an Idoll was nothinge /

bycause Godd was not represented by the Idoll / that ther is but

one Godd / the same our true and euerlastinge Godd: Wherof it

folowed that the Idoll was nothinge / that is to say a thinge of

no valure or a very vanitie / that it could hurt no bodie / and

that the very meate offered vnto the Idoll was a thinge of

nothinge / that it did defile no man. But Paule with many wordes

doth confute that folery. 1. Cor. cap. 8. 9. and 10. In this

tenth chapter amonge other thinges he gatherith of the nature of

the supper of the lord that a man maye not bothe be partaker of

the supper of the lorde and of the table of Idols / and saith:

Ye can not drincke of the cup of the lorde / and of the cup of

deuils. Ye can not be partakers of the lordes table / and of the

table of deuiles. Either do we prouoke the lorde? Are we stronger

then he? Also the Apostles of Christe and elders of the churche

of Hierusalem in that same greate and notable councell of

Hierusalem / which of all that euer were was most holy and of

most auctoritie / did playnly forbidd the Gentils / which were

conuerted to Christe / thos meates offered to Idols. Yea and the

lord Iesus hymself in the boke of the Reuelacion doth greuusly

accuse and condemne them which do eate meate offered vnto Idols.

This may ye se in the epistles of the churche of Pergamos and

Thiatira.

[[Apocal. 2.]]

In the furst he saithe: But I haue a few thinges againste the /

bicause thow hast there them that maintaine the doctrine of

Balaam which taughte in balacke to put occacion of synne before

the children of Israel / that they shuld eate of meates dedicate

vnto Idolls and committ fornication / and so furth. I thincke

here neadith not many wordes to shew wherfor I haue alledged

thies sayinges of meates offered vnto Idolls: for all the godly

do plainly see / that by like reason all diuine seruice that is

vnholy / or contrary to Godds worde / with what colour so euer

they be stayned / are forbidden and condemned. They see that all

such expositions are put awaye / by which theise fearefull men /

and such as do loue the worlde and worldly pompe to mutch / do

leade themselues away from the right tracke / that they shuld not

sincerely confes Christe.

[[The Conclusion and adhortation to fre confession.]]

All they which be godly do both see and perceyue that they which

do desire to lyue euerlastingly haue neade to make a simple

cleare and playne confession / they see that Christes name must

be confessed / and that no man must communicate with

Antichriste / how great so euer daungers do hange ouer them /

and how gret so euer the aduauntages be which are offered vnto

them. They see that they must treade down the feare and desire

of the fleshe. The most holy Apostle of Christe writith of

Moses.

[[Heb. 11.]]

By faith Moses when he was greate / refused to be called the

sonne of Pharaos daughter / and chose rather to suffer

aduersitie with the people of Godd / then to enioye the

pleasures of synne for a ceason / and esteamed the rebuke of

Christ greater riches / then the treasures of Egypt. For he hadd

respect vnto the rewarde. Whos example (most goodely indeede)

that we may folowe / we must alwais haue before our eyes and (as

I iudge) we must neuer lett slypp out of our myndes thos most

holy most true and healthefull wordes of our lord Christe /

which I see neade often tymes to be repeated and inculcate:

[[Mat. 10.]]

Euery one that shall knowledge me before men / hym wyll I

knowledge also before my father which is in heauen. But

whosoeuer shall denie me before men / hym will I also denie

before my father which is in heauen.

[[Luc. 9.]]

For who so is ashamed of me and my wordes / of hym shall the

sonne of man be ashamed when he commith in his maiestie / and in

the maiestie of his father / and of the holy Aungels. And

therfor ther are in all places of the scripture most large

promises sett furthe to them which do fely confes Christe / and

deny Antichriste with a goode corage. Iohn in the boke of the

Reuelacion /

[[Apocal. 6.]]

I sawe (saithe he) the sowles of them which wer filled for the

name of Iesu and the word of God. And wher as in this furst

place he hadd writon / them which wer filled / he added.

[[Apoc. 13. 19. 20.]]

And as many as worshipped not the image of the beast / nor did

take the marcke in their foreheade / or in their hande / all

which / whom he did se in the very same place / he couplith

together and saythe. And they lyued and reigned with Christe. He

saith that they lyued and reigned with Christe / not only they

which were filled / but they which abiding in the constauntnes

and confession of true faithe / did not worshipp the image of

the beaste / nor receyued ony markes of it. The blessed Apostle

Paule doth proue that we do receyue more in the rewarde of

sufferinge / then it is that we do heere suffer in the affliction

it self /

[[Rom. 8.]]

saying: for I suppose that the afflictions of this lyfe / are not

worthie of the glorie which shal be shewed vpon vs. Who is it then

that will not labor with all his poure to come vnto so greate an

excellencie / that he may become the frend of Godd / and

forthwith ioye with Christ? that after famin and banishement or

tormentes and punishementes / which are but earthely / he may

attayn vnto heauenly rewardes? Yf it be a glorius thinge for

worldly souldiours to returne in to ther countrie triumphing after

they haue vanquished their enemie / how mutch more worthi a thing

is it for vs / after our fleshe the world and deuell beinge

ouercomme / to go again with triumphe into paradise? And to offer

vnto Godd a gifte most acceptable / faith incorrupte / the sownd

vertue of mynd / and sincere confession of faithe / a notable

praise of deuotion. To comme in his companye when he commith to

take vengeaunce of his enemies / To stond by his syde when he

shall sytte down to iudge / to be made the felow heire of

Christe / to be made equall with the angels / to reioyce in the

possession of the heauenly kingdom with the patriarches / with

thapostles / with the prophetes / and all confessours and

martirs. What persequution can vanquishe theis thoughtes / which

are not uain / but of force / and of poure / in the holy ghoste?

what tormentes can ouercome them? The mynd ons grownded in theis

godly meditacions doth endure stronge and stable / and that mynd

abydeth immutable against all the terrors of the deuell / and

the threttes of the world / and of Antichriste / that mynd I say

which the certayn and sure faith of thinges to come doth

strenghthen. The eyes be shutt vpp in theis persequutions of the

earthe / but heauen is open. Antichriste threatneth / but the

lord Christe defendith. The world is taken from him that is

killed / but paradise is gyuen to him being therunto restored.

Temporall lyfe is taken awaye / but the euerlastinge lyfe is

repayred. What a dignitie (o brethern) is it / how great a

safetie / for a man to depart myrily from hens / to depart so

through oppressions and trobles? It is a glorius thinge to shutt

vpp the eyes in a moment / with which men and the world wer

seene / and forthewith to open the same to se Godd and Christe.

But that we maye behold theis thinges in mynde and thought /

that we may (I saye) night and daye meditate theis thinges / and

sincely confes the holy name of Christ / and escape and treade

down all thinges which are contrary to pure confession / we must

diligentlly praye vnto that same our heauenly father through

Iesus Christe our lorde.

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