vs and therfore be of vs also auaylably prayed vnto that is to say desyred to pray for vs accordynge wherevnto all common prayers of the churche oughte to be alwayes fynyshed and ended with a remembrance of our sauiour Iesu Christe In whom by whome and for whome all is accepted of god and without whom nothyng can be effectually done or granted And therfore it is moche to our comfort to remembre the exaltation of mans nature in our head our sauiour and redemer IESV CHRISTE whiche inseparably and indissolubly conioyned and vnited to the deitie in the person of hym sytteth on the right hande of god the father almighty by cōmunion of preeminence and power as before is expressed wherby we be certified how our sauiour Iesus Christ is god equall to god the father in godhead therin not inferyour vnto hym and therfore to be honored worshypped loued and dread feared and trusted on beleued hoped on as on very god almighty to whome nothyng is impossible and yet he is man also whiche hath experience of our infirmities and can and wyll mercyfully haue compassion on the same who ascended vnto heuen Ephe. iiii to sende giftes vnto men wherby we myght be able strong to passe ouer this transitorye lyfe to the pleasure of god and the atteynyng of euerlasting lyfe The seuenth article From thens he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade IN this article it is declared / howe our sauiour and redemer IESV CHRIST shal come from thens that is to saye frome heauen to the whiche he ascended and commyng in his maiesty and glory shal than in the very visible fourme of his naturall body appere vnto the bodily eyes of all the people of the worlde in his perfecte manhode and in the selfe same bodye wherin he ascended to the inestimable comfort and reioyce of the good and to the extreme terrour and confusion of the wycked Where beinge accompanyed with his holy aungels his ministers wayting vppon hym he shall sytte openly in the cloudes of the ayre and shal iudge all quicke and dead according to truthe and iustyce and accordynge to his holy worde expressed in scripture that is to saye according to euery mans owne workes and dedes done by him in his lyfe tyme whiche workes and deedes shal be than examyned discussed and tried not after mens owne fantasy and inuention without authoritie and ground of scripture but accordyng to the commandement of god and the teachyng of Christ and his apostles for at that day of iudgement all the people of the worlde quycke and deade that is to say as well all those whyche shall be founde on lyue in the worlde at that day as also al those whiche euer sithe the creatiō of Adam liued here in this worlde and dyed before that day shal come and appere afore the presence of Christe in their very bodies and soules And whan they shall be so gathered and assembled togyther our sauiour IESVS CHRIST shall pronounce the fynall sentence and iudgement of euerlastynge saluation vppon all those persones whyche in theyr lyfe tyme obeyed and conformed themselues vnto the wyl of god and exercised the workes of right beliefe and charitie Rom. ii and so perseueryng in well doinge sought in theyr hartes and deedes honour glorye and lyfe immortall And contrary vpon all those whiche in their lyfe tyme were contentious and dydde repugne agaynst the wyll of god and folowed iniustyce and iniquitie rather than truthe and vertue our sauiour Christ shall than and there pronounce the sentence of euer lastyng punyshement and damnation Mat. xxvi In whiche sentence there shall be made a perfect separation or dyuision betwene these two sortes of people that is to say betwene the shepe and the gotes the corne and the chaffe the good and the badde the blessed and the cursed the membres of his bodye and the membres of the deuyl and so the good and the blessed beyng vppon his ryght hande he shall clerely and perfectly delyuer theym for euer from the power and malice of the wicked and from all the paines and euyll and so take them all vp with hym into heauen there to be crowned and rewarded in body and soule with honour and glorye and euerlastynge ioye and peace whyche was prepared for them from the begynnynge of the worlde And all the other whiche shall be iudged to euerlastynge payne and deathe beinge vpon his lefte hande he shall sende them downe into hell there to be punyshed in body and soule eternally with fyer that neuer shall haue ende whiche was prepared from the begynning of the worlde vnto the deuyll and his aungelles And here it is especially to be remembred howe this article was for great consideratiōs added immediately and conioyned vnto the former articles and chiefly to the intent that no man shulde in his life time presume vpon the said benefites of Christ or take occasion of carnall libertie or securitie and so lyue without feare to transgresse or without regarde to obserue the commaundementes of god but rather that euery good christen man shulde in euery parte of his lyfe haue a continuall remembrance and respect vnto the last day of iugement and so be in continual feare to committe any thing contrary to the wyll of god for the which he might deserue to haue the sentence of euerlasting damnation pronounced vpon him For this is certainely true that at that day euery man shall be called to an accompte of his lyfe and shall be than fynally iudged according to his workes good or bad done in his lyfe tyme Rom. ◠that is as saynte Paule saythe to theym that perseuere in well doinge and labour to atteyne glory honour and immortalitie shall be gyuen lyfe euerlastyng and to theym that be contentions and obey not the truthe but folowe and do iniustice shall come indignation yre affliction trouble and peines euerlastyng In this article it is further to be noted that lyke as there is nothinge more certeyne vnto vs than that we be all mortall and shall ones dye and yet noo man lyuynge knoweth the tyme whan he shall dye euen so there is nothyng more certayne than that this daye of iugement shall ones come and yet the houre and tyme whan it shal be is hidden and kepte secrete from the knowlege of all men and aungelles and is reserued to the onely knowledge of god whiche thynge procedeth of his onely goodnes towardes vs and is done to the intent we shulde alwayes here in our lyfe tyme flee frome synne and imploy all our hole study and endeuor to walke in the wayes of god that is to say in such fayth hope and charitie as God requireth of vs so prepare our selues and ordre our lyuyng towardes god that we may be in a redynesse at all tymes whan so euer it shall please god to calle and summon vs to appere before hym in the sayd generall iudgement there by his mercy and goodnes to receyue
coupled togyther conteining as it is aforesayde the obedience to the hole doctrine and religion of Christe And here is to be noted that euery man that dothe offende god dothe not lose his faythe therby For they that synne by frailtie and sodeyn motions whiche iuste men doo not auoyde and be taughte therfore of Christ to say in their Pater noster Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgyue them that trespasse agaynste vs Yet those men so breaking their promyse with god and slackyng in suche care and desyre as they shulde haue to please god neuerthelesse be not accompted to haue lost theyr fayth therby yea they also who after the knowlege of god fall into deadly synne aduisedly as they that committe murther adultery and other abhominations and soo falle from faythe as it is taken in the seconde acception and be therfore out of the state of grace and fauour of god for the tyme yet do not those men fall frome fayth as it is taken in the fyrst acception Luc. xii that is to saye from certayne and assured knowledge of god and his doctrine And therfore the gospell speaketh of a seruaunt that knoweth the wyl of his lord and dothe it not And saynt Iames in his epistle sayeth Iacob ii that Faythe may remayne without charitie Wherfore a transgressour of the lawe of almyghty God after baptisme kepeth styll a remorse of conscience and the lyghte of knowledge by Faythe wherby he seeth the remedyes howe to atteyne remyssion of synne and by a special gyfte of further grace is moued to vse the same remedyes and so by faythe walketh the wayes ordeined to atteine remission of sinnes as in the sacrament of penance shal be declared Thus we haue shewed two acceptions of fayth and declared that the fayth of knowledge may remayne in hym that hath fallen from fayth after the second acception But whether there be any special particular knowlege which man by faith hath certainly of him self wherby he may testify to him selfe that he is of the predestinates which shal to th ende perseuere in their callynge we haue not spoken ne can not in scripture ne doctours find that any such faith can be taught or preached Truth it is that in the sacramētes instituted by Christ we may cōstantly beleue the workes of god in them to our present comfort and applycation of his grace and fauour with assurance also that he wyll not faile vs if we fall not from hym Wherfore so continuinge in the state of grace with hym we may beleue vndoubtedly to be saued But forasmoche as our owne frailty and naughtynes ought euer to be feared in vs it is therfore expedient for vs to lyue in contynuall watche and continuall fight with our enemies the deuyl the fleshe and the world and not to presume to moche of our perseuerance contynuance in the state of grace which on our behalfe is vncertayne and vnstable For although goddis promises made in Christe be immutable yet he maketh them not to vs but with cōdition so that his promise standyng we may yet faile of the promise bicause we kepe not our promise And therfore if we assuredly recken vpon the state of our felicitie as grounded vppon goddis promise and do not therwith remēbre that no man shal be crowned onles he laufully fight we shal triumph before the victory and so loke in vain for that whiche is not otherwise promised but vnder a condition And this euery christen man must assuredly beleue ¶ The Crede or the .xii. articles of the christen faythe iI Beleue in god the fatheralmighty maker of heauen and earth ii And in Iesu Christe his onely sonne our lorde iii whiche was conceiued by the holy goste borne of the virgine Mary iiii Suffred vnder Pōce Pylate was crucified dead buried and descended into hell v And the third day he rose agein frō deth vi He ascended into heauen sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty vii From thens he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade viii I beleue in the holy goste ix The holy catholike churche x The communyon of sayntes The forgyuenes of synnes xi The resurrection of the body xii And the lyfe euerlastynge Amen THE NOTES Here folowe certayne notes for the better vnderstanding of this Crede FIrst it is to be noted that all and singular the .xii. articles conteined in this Crede be so necessarye to be beleued for mans saluation that who so euer wyll not constantly beleue them or wyll obstinately affirme the contrary of theym can not be the very members of Christe and his espouse the churche but are very infidelles or heretikes and members of the deuel with whom they shall be perpetually damned Secondly it is to be noted that all true christen men ought and muste moste constantly beleue maynteyne and defende all those thinges to be true whiche be comprehended in this Crede and in the other .ii. credes wherof the one is vsed to be sayde at masse and is approued by the auncyen generall councelles the other was made by the holye man Athanasius And also all other thynges which be cōprehended in the hole body canon of the bible Thirdly that all true christen men ought and must not onely repute take and holde all the sayde thynges for the most holy most sure and most certayne and infallible truthes of goddis worde and suche as neyther oughte ne can be altered or conuelled by any contrarye opinion or authoritie but also must take interpretate all the same thynges accordynge to the selfe same sentence and interpretation whiche the wordes of scripture do signifie and the holy approued doctours of the churche do agreably intreate and defende Fourthly that all true christen men ought and must vtterly refuse and condemne al those opiniōs contrary to the said .xii. articles of our crede whiche were of longe tyme paste condemned in the .iiii. holy counsels that is to say in the counsel of Nece Constanstinople Ephese and Calcidonense The fyrst article I beleue in god the father almighty maker of heauen and earthe FOr the plain vnderstandinge hereof euery materiall worde of this article shal be declared hereafter And first we muste knowe God that God is a spiritual and an inuisible substance or nature of infinite power and eternall without beginning or endyng of incomprehensible knowlege wysdome goodnes iustice and mercy and that there is but one very god thre persons the father the sonne the holy gost that these thre persons be not three goddis but all one god one nature one substance all one euerlastinge essence or being and all lyke and equall in might power wisdome knowlege rightwysnes and all other thynges belongyng vnto the deitie And that besyde or without this god there is none other god Moreouer we must knowe that god the father is the fyrst persone in trinitie Father and Father of his onely begotten sonne the second persone in
mayntenance support an vniust vsurpation for that church hath no more ryghte to that name than the churche of Fraunce Spayne England or Portugale whiche be iustly called catholyke churches in that they doo professe consent agree in one vnitie of true fayth with other catholike churches This vsurpation before rehersed well considered it may appere that the bishop of Rome doth contrary to goddis lawe in chalengynge superioritie and preeminence by a cloke of goddis lawe ouer all And yet to make an apparance that it shulde be soo he hathe and dothe wreste scriptures for that purpose contrary both to the true meanyng of the same and the interpretation of ancient doctours of the church so that by that chanleng he wold not do wrong onely to this churche of Englande but also to all other churches in claymyng this superioritie without any authoritie by god so to him gyuen For God by his goodnes hath called indifferently and equally all such churches in sundry places as his highe wisedome hath thought good to assemble and call vnto hym Moreouer the perfitte beleue of this article worketh in all true christen people a loue to continue in this vnicie and a feare to be caste out of the same and it worketh in them that be synners and repentaunte great comforte and consolation to obteyne remission of synne by vertue of Christis passion and administration of his sacramentes at the ministers handes ordeyned for that purpose for as muche as god doth not ordinarily giue suche thinges but onely within this churche It is to be noted that this churche of England and other knowen particular churches in whiche Christis name is truely honored called on and professed in faythe and baptisme be membres of the hole catholike churche eche of them by him selfe is also worthyly called a catholyke churche whan they merely professe and teache the faythe and relygion of Christ according to the scripture and the apostolike doctrine And so euery christe man oughte to honour gyue credence and to folowe the particular churche of that region soo ordered as afore wherin he is borne or inhabiteth and as al christen people as well spirituall as temporal be bounde to beleue honour obey our sauiour Iesus Christe the onely heade of the vniuersall churche soo lykewyse they be by his commaundemente bounde to honour and obey nexte vnto him selfe christen kinges and prynces whiche be the heade gouernours vnder him in the particular churches to whose offyce it apperteyneth not only to prouide for the trāquillitie and wealthe of theyr subiectes in temporal and worldly thynges to the cōseruation of their bodyes but also to forsee that within theyr dominions suche ministers be ordeyned and appoynted in theyr churches as can and wil truely and purely set out the true doctrine of Christe and teache the same and to see the commaundementes of god well obserued and kepte to the wealth and saluation of theyr soules The tenth article The communion of sayntes / The forgyuenes of synnes IN this article be taught two speciall fruites and benefytes whiche all men called of god and obeying to the same calling in theyr wyl and workes doo obteine by goddes grace in the saide catholike churche whiche benefites be the communion sayntes and forgyuenes of synnes And here is to be noted that althoughe this word Sayntines our english tungue signifieth proprely them that be departed this lyfe and be establysshed in glory with Christe Yet the same worde Saintes wherby in this article we expresse the latin worde Sanctorum is here extended to signifie not onely these before mencioned but also all suche as be called into this holy assemble and churche and be santified in our sauiour Iesu Christe And as touching the communion that is to say the mutuall participation of these sayntes ye must vnderstande that lyke as all the partes and membres which be liuing in the natural body of a man do naturally cōmunicate and minister eche to other the vse commoditie and benefite of all theyr forces nutrimentes perfections In so muche that it lieth not in the power of any man to say that the meate which he putteth into his owne mouth shal nouryshe one particular membre of his bodye and not an other but that all and euery one particularly shall receyue of the sayde nutriment and of the vertue and benefyte therof more or lesse accordyng to the naturall disposition portion and place whiche it hath within the same body euen so what soo euer spirituall gyftes or treasure is gyuen by god vnto any one membre of the holy church although the same be gyuen particularly vnto one membre and not vnto an other Yet the fruite and merites therof shall by reason of theyr abydyng together in the vnitie of the catholike churche redounde vnto the common profyte edifienge and increace of all the other membres of the same catholike churche In so muche that there shal nede no mannes autoritie to dispence and dystribute the same or to applye it vnto this membre or that but eche membre shall be made participante of the sayd treasure and shall haue and enioy the fruite and benefyte of the same in such quantitie and measure as for the rate and proportion of the faythe and charitie which he hath in the same body shall be expedient and necessary for hym to haue And hereby is notified and declared vnto vs the vtilitie and profyte whiche all the membres of the church do receiue by the merites suffrages and prayers of the churche And forasmoche as the moste blessed sacrament of the Aultare wherin by the myghty operation of goddis worde is really present in fourme of breade the naturall lyuynge body and bloude of our sauiour and redemer IESV CHRISTE increaseth and worketh in them that worthily receiue it the communion and coniunction in body soule of them to Christe and Christe to them with a mutuall coniunction also in loue and charitie of eche good man in Christe to other Therfore the sayde sacrament may worthely be called the Communion of saintes And so the fyrst parte of this article hath ben by good deuout and lerned men expounded to sygnifie the sayde blessed sacrament of the aultare which we must beleue to be a reall effectuall communion of all saintes that is to say of al men whiche be called by the holy callynge of god and there with wyllyngely and obediently do knowlege and folowe the same In the seconde parte of this article we be taught to beleue remission of synnes which is one of the effectes and chiefe benefites of the moste blessed passion of Christe head of the holy churche whiche is called and assembled in his name in which churche is applyed the benefites of remission of synnes by the workynge of god in his sacramentes ministred in the same as shal be hereafter declared in theyr place ⧠The XI and XII article The resurrection of the body / and the lyfe euerlastynge AT the daye of the generall dome or
Mat. xxiiii Charitie is waxed colde and synne doth abound as Christ sayeth in the gospell that it shulde yet if christen men wyll auoyde the great indignation of god it shall be good for theym whan so euer they receyue this sacrament them selues or be presente where it is ministred or vsed as speciallye in the tyme of masse to behaue them selfe reuerently in pure deuotion and prayer and not to talke or walke vp and down or to offend their brethern by any euyl example of vnreuerence to the saide sacramente excepte they wyll declare theym selfe to haue smalle regarde to our sauioure CHRIST there bodyly present of whiche vnreuerence and contempt may ensue not onely spirituall punishemementes of god by withdrawyng his grace from suche vngodly persons i. Cor. xi but also bodily and opē scourge as saint Paul sheweth to the Corinthians That for the vnworthy entreatyng and vsynge of this sacramente many amonges them were weake sycke and dyed The sacrament of Matrimony AS touchynge the sacrament of matrimonye and the institution therof you shall vnderstande that almighty god at the fyrste creation of man consideryng of his infynite goodnesse and wysedome howe necessary it was to couple and conioyne man and woman togither in mariage as well for theyr mutuall aide and comfort and for the preseruation and continuance of mankynde in lawful succession as also that the same generation myghte after the falle of mā be exercised perpetually vnto the worldes end without synne and offence towardes god dyd conioine Adam and Eue together in mariage And thā instituted matrimony and consecrated and blessed it by his holy word as appereth in the boke of Genesis where is also described the vertue and effycacye of the same by these wordes folowyng Gene. ii Nowe this bone is of my bones and this flesshe is of my flesshe and therfore the man shall leaue hys father and mother and adhere and cleaue vnto his wyse and they shall be two in one flesshe and in one bodye By whiche wordes it is mente that by the vertue efficacy of matrimony rightfully and by the auctoritie of god contracted the man and woman which were before two bodyes be nowe vnyted and made one body duryng theyr lyues so that the husbande hath no power of his owne body to vse the same as hym lyst and with whom hym lyketh but it is hys wyues and with her onely he maye vse the acte of matrimonye Nor the wyfe hathe any power of her owne body to vse it as her lyst or with whom her liketh but her body is her husbandes body and with hym onely may she vse the acte of matrimony And therfore the sayde two persones so conioyned may not after be deuided for any affection to father or mother or for any earthely thynge in the worlde but eche muste adhere and cleaue to other for as muche as they be nowe two persones in one flesshe and in one body Secondely howe that almyghty god allowing and approuing the sayd institution of matrimony sanctified and blessed it with his holy worde immediately after Noes fludde sayeng vnto Noe and his chyldren in this wyse Rom. vl Increase and be ye multiplyed and replenyshe the earthe This institution of matrimonye thus allowed by god vnto Noe and his chyldren although it was a sufficient instructiō vnto them and all theyr posteritie howe to vse the same in al puritie and clennesse to goddis pleasure and his contentation Yet god consideryng the naturall inclination of man to malyce and synne dyd afterwarde further explycate and establysshe the same by his other lawes wrytten wherby god prohibited that any matrimony shulde be made in the degrees folowyng that is to say No man shall marry with his mother hys graundame his great graundame and so vpward neither may he marry with the wyfe his father his graundfather or his greate graundefather and so vpwarde neyther any man may marry with the syster of his father or of his mother his graundefather or his graundmother and so vpwarde neyther may any man marry with the wyfe of hym that is brother to his father his mother his graundefather his graundmother and so vpwarde And lyke wyse euery woman is forbidden to marry any man within any degrees aboue rehersed It is also further forbydden that any man shall marry with hys syster whether she be his hole syster or his halfe syster begotten in mariage or out of mariage neither may he marry with his brothers wyfe nor with his wyues syster Whiche lawes of prohibition in maryage althoughe they were not by expresse wordes of God declared at the fyrste instytution of matrimonye ne also whan the same was allowed after Noes flud yet god dyd ingraue and imprinte the same lawes in the hart of man before they were wrytten by Moyses And forasmuch as the natural lyght and knowledge of man was not onely by originall synne obscured and blynded but also in the most parte of men by the increace of synne and malyce in longe continuaunce and proces of tyme almoste peryshed and extincte In so muche that they coulde not perceyue nor iudge what thynges were of theyr owne nature naught and detestable in the syght of god ne yet howe farre the naturall honestie and reuerence whiche we owe vnto suche persones as be nere of our kynne or alliance vnto vs was extended God therfore wyllyng manne to returne from darckenesse commaunded his prophete Moyses to promulgate to declare by his worde vnto the people of Israell the sayde lawes of prohibition of matrimony in certayne degrees of consanguinitie and affinitie as is before mentioned In the declaration of the whiche lawes of prohibition Moyses soo tempred his wordes that it maye euidently appere therby that not onely the Iewes but also all other the people of the worlde were as muche and as streyghtly bounden to the continual obseruation of the same lawes as they were to the other morall lawes of the ten commandementes Thyrdely / that the coniunction betwene man and woman in matrimony dothe not onely signifie and represent the perfyte and indissoluble coniunction and vnion of the nature of god with the nature of man which was fulfylled whan the second person in trinitie descendyng from his father dyd take vpon him the very forme and substance of our nature and so these two natures were vnited and knyt togither in one persone but also therby is sygnified and represented the societie and coniunction in perfite and indissoluble loue and charitie betwene Christ and his church that is to say the congregation of al christen people And this to be true saynt Paule him selfe affirmeth in the fyst chapyter of the epistle vnto the Ephesians In whiche place the apostle myndynge to proue and perswade that al women beyng marryed oughte to loue to reuerence to honour to obeye to be subiecte vnto theyr husbandes in all thinges euen as the church is subiect vnto Christe and lykewyse that all husbandes ought and be
in the man doing his duetie lykewyse as is required of the woman Fynally it is to be considered how in matrimony be coÌ„meÌ„ded specially thre good thinges al which they that contracte matrimony ought to remembre and regarde Fyrst of al the thing it selfe whiche is signified therby whiche as is sayde before is the hygh the myghty and incomprensible worke of god in the coniunction of Christe and the churche together wrought by hym to our singular benefite and euerlastynge saluation And that therfore the man wyfe ought to liue together in perfite vnitie and concorde to loue eche other as their owne bodies and to vse the same in all cleannesse puritie and honour Ephe. v. euen as Christe him selfe loued his espouse the churche and suffered all afflictions and peynes to make her glorious and voyde from all maner of spotte or wrinkle of vncleannesse Whiche matter saint Paule moste godly declareth in his epistle to the ThessaloniaÌ„s where he wryteth in this maner â—… Tâ—e iiii I pray you brethern and instantely desyre you for our lorde Iesu Christis sake that like as ye haue herde heretofore of vs howe and in what maner you shuld go forward please god so ye do procede in the same and that after suche sorte and maner that you may contynually profitte and encreace therin You remembre I doubte not what preceptes and commandementes I haue giuen vnto you in tymes past in the name of our lord IESV CHRIST And now in lyke maner in his name also I say agayne vnto you that the wylle and coÌ„maundement of god is that you shoulde sanctify your selues that is to saye that you shulde absteyn from all maner of fornication and that euery one of you shulde vse and keepe the vesselle of his bodye in holynesse and honour and not in desyre of carnall concupiscence lyke as the Gentyles doo whiche know not god and that no man shuld craftyly compas and circumuent his brother to obtein his flesshely lustes For almighty god taketh vengeance vpon all suche people as do committe any of those thinges Knowe you also that god hath not called vs to vncleannes and fylthynes of lyfe but vnto holines and santimonie And therfore I do exhorte you all and in the name of god commaunde you to eschue all fornication and adultery all vncleannesse and carnall concupiscence all fylthynes and vnpure lyuynge in flesshely lustes of the body And I saye further that who so euer despyseth and breaketh these my commandementes doth not despise me but despiseth god For they be his commaundementes whose spirite ye haue receyued The second good thyng which ought to be remembred in the said sacrament is the faith and mutuall promyse made betwene the husbande and the wyfe conioyned in lawful matrimony wherby and by the vertue of the sayde sacrament the persons so laufully conioyned be bound esche one to kepe promyse with the other according to such trust and coÌ„fydence as eche had in the other and expressed by wordes in the same contracte whiche promise god did assiste and ratifie and is now partie thervnto so that the breach of that promyse and faith is now a high and displeasant offence vnto almighty god lyke as the obseruation and keping therof is in the syght of god pleasant acceptable and meritorious and the knotte also and bonde of matrimony contracted betwene the sayde persons is made therby to be indissoluble Trouthe it is that if in any mariage it may appere and be duly proued that there is suche insufficient impediment by the lawes of god or by the lawes of the realme that the same matrymony was at the beginning vnlauful of none effect in that case the church may and ought to diuorce the same persons so vnlaufully contracted declare that suche matrimony is vnlauful and the bonde therof to be of no strengthe or efficacie bycause is was neuer good from the beginninge Notwithstandyng in mariages laufully made and accordyng to the ordinance of matrimonye prescribed by god and the lawes of euery realm the bond therof can not be dissolued durynge the liues of the parties betwene whom such matrimony is made The thirde good thyng to be consydered and obserued in matrimony is the child that cometh of maryage and the good and vertuous education and bringynge vp of the same Whervnto all married men women ought to haue a speciall regard and to folowe therin the example of Thoby Tobi. iiii which taught his sonne from his infancie to loue dread god to flee absteine from all maner of sinne for goddis sake For surely if the fathers and mothers be negligent in good bringing vp of their children in their youth and suffer them to fal in to folies and synne in defaut of due correction and chastisement of them for the same no doubte they shal aunswere vnto god for it as it appereth by the greate stroke and punyshement of god i. Reg. ii iiii whan he dyd sodaynly strike Ely vnto death bicause that he knowinge his children to do amisse dyd not punishe them therfore And therfore let all parentes emply theyr diligence and busy cure to educate and instructe their children by al meanes in vertue goodnes to restrain them from vices by coÌ„uenient discipline and castigation according to the saying of the wise maÌ„ Withdraw not thy iust discipline froÌ„ thy child for if thou do so he wyll fall into sundry inconueniences Pro. xxâ— and so finally shal be lost vndone Wherfore spare not to chastise thy childe with the rodde and so doing thou shalt delyuer his soule from hell And coÌ„cerninge the childes duetie towardes the father it shal be declared hereafter in the commandementes The sacrament of Orders AS concerning the sacrament of Orders tt is to be vnderstaÌ„d that order is a gift or grace of mynistration in Christis church giuen of god to christen men by the consecration imposition of the bishops handes vpon them and this sacrament was conferred and gyuen at the begynnyng by the apostles as it appereth in the epistle of saint Paule to Timothe whom he had ordered and consecrate prieste where he saythe thus ii Tim. i. I do exhorte the that thou do styrre vp the grace of god the whiche is gyuen the by the imposition of my handes And in an other place he doth monish the same Timothe and put hym in remeÌ„brance of the rome ministery that he was called vnto in these wordes Do not neglect the grace i. Tim. iiii whiche thou hast in the and the whiche is gyuen the through prophecy and with imposition of handes by the authoritie of priesthode Wherby it appereth that saint Paul did consecrate and order priestes and bishops by the imposition of his handes And as the apostles them selues in the beginninge of the churche dyd order priestes and byshops So they appointed and wylled the other byshops after them to do the lyke as saynt Paule
manifestly sheweth in his epistle to Tite sayinge thus i Tim. v. For this cause I lefte the Crete that thou shuldest ordeyne priestes in euery citie according as I haue appointed the. T◠i. And to Timothe he saythe Se that thou be not hasty to put thy handes vpon any mā And here is to be noted that althoughe this forme before declared is to be obserued in gyuyng orders yet there is no certaine rule prescribed or limitted by the word of god for the nomination election presentation or appointing of any such ecclesiasticall ministers But the same is holy left vnto the positiue lawes and ordinances of euery christē region proiuded and made or to be made in that behalfe with the assent of the prince and ruler And as concernyng the office and duetie of the sayde ecclesiasticall mynisters the same consysteth in true preachynge and teachyng the word of god vnto the people in dispensyng and ministring the sacramentes of Christe in consecratynge and offerynge the blessed body and bloud of Christe in the sacrament of the aulter in losynge and assoylyng from synne suche persons as be sory and truly penitent for the same and excommunicatynge suche as be gyltie in manyfest crimes and wyll not be refourmed otherwise and finally in praying for the hole churche of Christ and specyally for the flocke committed vnto them And althoughe the office and minysterye of priestes and byshoppes stande chiefly in these thinges before rehersed yet neither they nor any of them may exercise and execute any of the same offices but with such sort such limitation as the ordinances lawes of euery christē realme do permit and suffre And bycause it is not mete that this so chargeable a cure shuld be committed to euery man that peraduenture ambiciously wolde desyre it Therfore saynt Paule dothe dilygently set out to his disciples Timothe and Tite the conuersation learnyng conditions and qualities of them that shuld be admitted to the mynistery of priesthode i. Tim. iii. Tit. i. writyng in this maner A bishop or a priest ought to be blamelesse as the stewarde of god not wilfull not angry no drunkarde no fyghter not gredy of fylthy lucre but giuen to hospitalitie liberal discrete sobre rightuous deuout temperate and continent and such one as holdeth the true worde of doctrine that he may be able to exhort with bolsom lerning and to reproue them that saye against it Thus we haue shortly touched fyrst the ordrynge of priestes and bishoppes Secondly their ministery office and duetie with the charge cure belonging thervnto and finally the qualities and conditions required in the same And for as moche as it is an olde heresie of the Donatistes condemned in the generall counselles to thynke that the worde of god and his sacramentes shuld be of no efficacy strength or vertue whā they be ministred by euyll men it is to be remēbred that according to the saying of saynt Gregory Nazianzene Lyke as there is no differēce betwene the selfe same image or figure of any thyng imprinted with a signet of golde and a signet made of yron or of woode or any other viler mattier euen so the worde of god and the sacramentes of god mynystred by an euyll and noughty man be of the selfe same vygour strength and efficacie as whan they be ministred by a man of excellent vertu and goodnes The cause and reason wherof is for that the priestes and byshops although in the execution of their office and administration they do vse and exercise the power and auctoritie of god committed vnto them yet they be not the principall causers nor the sufficient or of them selues the efficient causers or gyuers of grace or of any other spirituall gyfte whiche procedeth and is gyuen of god by his word and his sacramentes But god is the only principall sufficient and perfite cause of all the efficacy of his worde and his sacramentes and by his only power grace and benefites it is that we receyue the holy goste and his gracis by the office and administration of the said priestes and byshoppes and the sayde priestes and bysshoppes be but onely as officers to execute and minister with their handes and tongues the outwarde and corporall thynges wherein god worketh and gyueth grace inwarde accordynge to his pacte and couenaunt made with and to his espouse the church And this also Chrisostome affirmeth the .lxxxv. homily vpon saynt Iohn where he sayth in this maner What speake I of priestis I say that neyther aungel nor archangell can giue vs any of these thynges whiche be giuen vnto vs of god but it is the father the sonne and the holy goste whiche is the effectuall cause of all these thynges the priest dothe onely put to his handes and his tongue And in this poynt saynt Ambrose also agreeth with the sayde sayinges of Chrisostome wrytyng thus The priest layeth his handes vpon vs but it is god that gyueth the grace the priest layeth vpon vs his besechynge handes but god blesseth vs with his mighty hande The byshoppe consecrateth an other bysshoppe but it is god that gyueth the worthynesse Wherfore we must always thynke and beleue that the vertue and efficacie of the word of god and his sacramētes consisteth and dependeth in and vpon the commandement ordinance power and auctoritie of god onely and that neyther the merites or worthynes of the ministers be they neuer of suche excellencie do gyue them theyr auctoritie strength or effycacie neyther yet the malyce nor corrupte lyuynge of them be it neuer so euyll can frustrate or take away from the sayde worde or sacramentes their sayd power authoritie strength or vertue Moreouer as touchynge the order of deacons we rede in the actes of the Apostles Act. vi that they were ordered and instituted by the same apostelles by prayer and imposition of their handes vpon them And as for the qualities and vertuous conuersation whiche be required in them saynte Paule setteth them out in his epistle to Timothe in these wordes l. Tim. iii. Deacons oughte to be chaste not double tounged no drunkardes not gredy of fylthy lucre hauynge the mystery of faythe in a pure conscience And their office in the primitiue churche was partly in mynistringe meate and drynke and other necessaryes to poore people founde of the churche partly also in mynystrynge to the bysshoppes and priestes and in doinge theyr duetie in the churche And of these two orders onely that is to saye priestes and deacons scripture maketh expresse mencion and howe they were conferred of the apostels by prayer and imposition of their handes And to these two the primitiue churche did adde conioyn certain other inferiour and lower degrees as subdeacons accolites exorcistes with diuerse other of the whiche mention is made of bothe of the most auncient writers that we haue in the churche of CHRIST after the apostelles and also in diuerse olde counsayles and namely in the fourthe counsayle of Aphrike in whiche
cōsidering of his most excellent wisedome not only the notable decay of Christis true and perfite religion emonges vs but also the intollerable thraldome captiuitie and bondage with the infynite dangers and preiudices whyche we his subiectes continually susteyned by reason of that longe vsurped and abused power whiche the bysshops of Rome were wōt to exercise here in this realme hath nowe of his most godly disposition and by the consente of his nobles spirituall and temporall by auctoritie of the hole parliament determined no longer to suffer the byshoppe of Rome to exercyse any parte of his vsurped iurisdiction here within this realme but clerely to delyuer vs from the same and restore vs agayne vnto our libertie Surely we haue great cause most ioyfully and thankefully to enbrace and accepte the same consideryng that therby no preiudice is done to goddis worde or his ordinaunces For as we haue shewed and declared before it was by princes sufferaunce onely that the bysshoppe of Rome exercised any suche iurisdiction within this realme and not by the authoritie giuen vnto hym by Christe And as for the bysshop of Rome he can not pretende hym selfe no more to be greued or iniuried therwith than any of the kynges officers myght worthily thynke that the kynges byghnes shulde do him wronge in case he shulde vppon good cause remoue hym from his roume and office and committe it to an other And as for vs the kynges faythfull subiectes we shall vndoubtedly receyue and haue thereby syngular welth and commoditie as well spiritually to the edifieng of our soules as corporally to the increase of our substance and richesse The which how moch it was impaired decayed continually from tyme to time by the great exactions of the byshoppes of Rome and suche treasures as wente yerely out of this realme to his coffers for annates annuities and exemptions pardons and suche other vnlawfull exactions we doubte not but all men indued with any witte and zeale to the welthe of this our countrey do right well perceiue and vnderstande and accordingly with hart and minde wil not onely pray for the kynges highnes and his preseruation by whose occasion this lighte came fyrste vnto vs but also firmely and constantly stycke to those lawes wherby we haue so moche ease of wrongfull exactions and abuses and also our prince kyng now enioieth most rightfully his iust title with restitution of his royall and imperiall dignitie and princely gouernance The sacrament of Confirmation WE reade in holy scrypture / how the apostels in the beginnyng of the churche althoughe they dyd certainly knowe and beleue that al suche as had duely receyued the sacrament of baptisme were by vertu and efficacie therof perfitely regenerated in Christ perfitely incorporated and made the very members of his body and had receyued full remission of their synnes and were indued with graces and giftes of the holy goste yet they went vnto the people after they were baptised and so by their prayer and imposition of theyr handes vppon them the holy goste was giuen and conferred vnto them And the sayde people did speake diuerse languages and prophecyed wherby not onely they whiche had receyued baptisme and professed Christ were the better confirmed and established in Christis religion made more constant to confesse the same But also other whiche were out of the churche infideles mighte the soner be reduced by suche gifte and miracle frō theyr errours and be brought in to the right beliefe of Christe and his gospele Whervpon the holy fathers of the primitiue church taking occasion and founding them selues vpon the saide actes and dedes of the apostles and considering also that suche as had ones receyued the giftes and benefites of the holy goste by the sacrament of baptisme might and oftentimes dyd in dede by temptation frailtie or otherwise by theyr owne sinne and malice lose and fall from the same againe dyd vse and obserue as it hath ben hitherto by succession of ages continued that al christen people shuld after theyr baptisme be presented to theyr bishops to the intent that by theyr prayers and imposition of theyr handes vpon them consigning of them with the holy Chris◅ they shulde be confirmed that is to say they shuld receyue suche gyftes of the holy goste as wherby they shulde be so corroborated and establisshed in the giftes graces before receyued in baptisme that they shuld not lyghtly fall againe from the same but shulde constantly reteyne them and perseuere therin and shulde also be made stronger and hardier as wel to confesse boldly and manfully theyr faith before all the persecutours of the same and to resist and fight against theyr gostly ennemies the world the deuil and the fleshe as also to beare the crosse of Christe that is to suffer and susteine paciently all the afflictions and aduersities of this worlde and fynally that they shuld atteyne encreace and abundance of vertues and graces of the holy gost And although men ought not to contemne this sacrament but shuld present theyr children vnto the bishoppe to receyue at his handes the sacrament of confirmation yet it is not to be thought that there is any suche necessitie of confirmation of infantes but that they being baptised and dieng innocentes before they be confirmed shall be assured to atteine euerlastinge lyfe and saluation by the effecte of the sacrament of baptisme receyued The sacrament of extreme vnction AS towching extreme vnction we must vnderstand how according to scripture and the rule and ordre prescribed by the holy apostle saint Iames the catholike churche of Christ hath obserued and minystred this sacrament to such as haue required it in their sickenes and disease of body to the entent that by the workinge of god in ministration therof the sicke man through prayer of the priest the minister and suche as assist him might be releued of his bodely disease and also atteyne pardon and remission of his synnes For saint Iames saith If any be sick among you let him cal for the priestes of the churche and let them pray ouer him annointing him with oile in the name of our lorde and the prayer of fayth shall saue the sycke man and if be be in sinnes they shall be forgiuen him By whiche wordes like as the vse of the sacrament is confirmed and proued so that the churche may well vse the same with assurance that god assisteth the ministration therof So we must also remembre that although helth of body which here is prayed for doth not always folowe yet we shuld not doubte but god ordereth mannes praier therin alwaies to the best as he doth of his infinite goodnes all other prayers that men make who in dede knowe not what they shuld aske ne what is best or moste profitable for them Wherfore albeit we be taught to make all our prayers in a most certayne fayth to atteine our desires according to the generall promise made by god throughe Christe Aske and