and his benefytes laudynge and thankynge hym magnyfyenge his holy name and then also eate of this bread and dryncke of thys wyne to a remembraunce that Chryste hath gyuen his body and shed his bloude for vs. Math xxvi And because that it is a comyn vse that a token of remembraunce hath the name of the thynge that is remenbred by it Therfore hath Chryst called the breade his bodye and the wyne his bloude not that his substaunce is in the breade and wyne but that we sholde remember hym therby Lykewyse as the ââ¦aster laÌbe was called the passyng by and yet was it not in it selfe the very pas syng by but a token or remembraunce of the passyng by Deynge now that the easter lambe hath the name of the thing that the Israelites remembred by it and wherby they myght euer lastyngly kepe in remembraunce the benefytes of god right conuenient is it that Christe hath called the breade his body and the wyne hys bloud bicause that we shoulde remeÌber therby his death and passion yea the only sacrifice of his body whiche he hath sufferyd to be broken and his bloud to be shed for vs. Neuerthelesse how be it that the materyall body of Chryste is not in the bread nor his bloude in the wyne yet neuerthelesse is the supper of the Lorde ãâã parttakynge but spyrytually of the body and bloud of Chryste as Paule sayth Is not the ââ¦uppe of thankes geuyng wherwith we gyue thaÌkes a parte taking of the bloud of Christ And the bread that we breake is it not the ãâã takyng of the body of Chryste These wordes of Paule do witnesse clerely that the faythful eate the body of Christ spiritually vnder the breade and wyne yea lykewyse as a bryde receyueth her housbande with a rynge euen so receyue the faithfull Christe to be theyr owne and euerlastynge saluacyon But that some men wyll haue that the bodyly presence sholde be in the breade is a great mysse vnderstandynge of the godly worde yea it is an antechrystes doctryne which is contrary bothe to our fayth and to al holy scrypture For we be leue and holy scrypture beareth wytnes that Chryste after his resurrection is ascended vp into heauen and sytteth vpon the ryght hand of his almighty father Rom. viii And bideth ther as concernynge hys bodyly presence but spiritually he hath promised to abide with vs to the ende of the worlde in hys worde Mat. xxviii And seynge that now Chryste as concer nyng his bodely presence abydeth at the ryght hand of his father Hebre. x. so may not the body of Chryste be in the breade And agayne it is agaynst all truth that Chryste at one tyme hath ben in many or diuers places as touching his body Forthermore we do dayly se what dredful ydolatrye is sââ¦rong out of the carnall vnderstandynge of these wordes of Chryste This is my body and yet dayly spryngeth to the great and abominable slaunder of the honoure of god so that men worshype a piece of breade for theyr god yea and holde that to be theyr maker And the papystes locke hym in ââ¦olde and syluer not remeÌbrynge what Paule and Stephen wytnesse sayenge The mooste hyghest wyll not dwell in temples made wyth mannes handes Actes vii and. xvii O blynde men that are so bewytched of the whore that ye can not nor wyll not beleue the manifeste truth O blyndnesse and great presumptuousnesse of the papistes that wyll take vpon them to fetche Iesu Christe out of heauen into a piece of breade whyche is consumable as we clearelye se by experience and that it shoulde be worshypped for God whyche is euerlastynge and vnchaungeable Nowe what remedye for we can not helpe it therfore muste we do as the Lorde Iesu Christe spake vnto hys apostles of the phariseis sayinge Let them go for they are blynde and leaders of the blinde wheÌ one blynde leadeth an othââ¦r so fall they both into the dytche Mat. xv But the Lorde muste be thaÌked that out of his vnmeasurable grace hath ââ¦ned our eyes that we can se knowe wherfore we shal take the bread and the wyne in the supper namely for a memoriall and token of the sufferyng and death of Iesu Christ yea for the body and bloud of Christe but that for the by names sake and not of the material thynges behalfe as is aboue rehearsed of the Easter Lambe â Forthermore the supper of the Lorde is also a ioynynge togyther of the christen coÌââ¦regacion in loue And also the congregacion that wyl holde thys supper muste be well appoynted and ioyned togyther in brotherly loue yea they must stande in one spirite and soule Philip i. hauing a burning loue For Paule sayth we many are one breade and one bodye in as muche as we are partakers of one bread Lyke wise as y t mebres of one body are not in striâ⦠one agaynste an other but in a charitable vnitie seruynge one an other i. Corhi xii so maye there no stryfe nor debate be founde in the con gregacion of God i. Corhin i. so that any man shoulde onely care and take thought for hym selfe and not care nor loke vpon his brothers lacke but the one muste helpe and care for the other in al thynges necessary where he can or maye Gal. vi and no man must seke that that is his but euery one the others wealth Philip ii And lykewise as of the graynes of corne can not be baken breade but through fyre eueÌ so can not the congregacion be a right spirituall lofe wherof Paule speaketh but through burning loue charitie And so ought y t christeÌ congregacion to be one lofe i. Cor. x. For lykewyse as many graynes are sowen to the enteÌt that breade shoulde be baked of it So soweth the greate father of housholde his preciouse wheate into the acre or grounde of this world to the entent that they all shoulde become one lofe and breake the supper of the Lorde rightly after the wordes of Paule we many are all one breade and one body in as much as we are parte takers of one breade i. Cor. x. And where so euer the congregacion is not so apoynted and the breade broken in thys maner there is the bread eaten and the wyne droÌken to a iudgement from the whiche God the merciful father wyll defende and kepe all diligent louers of the euerlastyng trueth thoââ¦owe his vnexpressable goodnesse and mercye Amen ¶ Of the very chrstian kyngdome VVE beleue also that god the heaueÌly father hath gyuen to his onely begotten sone Iesu Christe al powre in heauen and erth Math. xxviii yea as Paule sayth He hath set hym on his ryght hande in heauenly thynges aboue all powre rule myght and domynyon and a boue al that maye be named not onely in this worlde but also in the worlde tocome Ephe. i. Aboue all this hath the heaueÌly father especyally instituted and ordeined Iesu Christ his onely begotten sonne to be a kyng ouer the mount of
be cause they haue not the power to vnderstande and beleue For this part of y â text partaineth no more vnto them theÌ the other concerning the precept of the preachyng doth This place of scriptur therfore is to be vnderstanded of them onely that haue the vse of reasone to per ceiue and vnderstaÌde the preachyng of the gospell and yet wyll not embrace it and receyue baptisme the signe of the washynge of theyr sinnes by the preciouse bloude of our sauiour Christe shedde for the redeÌption of the world As for the other texte that is of Paule to the Hebrues the. xi chapit wherin is declared that without faieth non can he acceptable to God apparteyneth also vnto suche as are of yeres of discrecioÌ For in al the chapter is ther none rehersed but such as were of age discrecion Wherfore we maye iustly inferre herof that it is not possible that any persone shoulde bee acceptable vnto god in hys workes without the worke that he doeth do proceade of a pure and sincere fayth For as the prophet Esaye sayth in his lxiiii chap. Out workes are al as the cloth y t is defiled with menstruous bloud And further ãâã Paule to the Romaynes xiiii The workes that procede not of fayth are sin Fayth it is therfore that maketh our doinges acceptable vnto God and without fayth nothyng that we doo is acceptable Wherupon I infer that excepte the congregation whych Baptise theyâ⦠chyldreÌ do it of faith this their Baptisyng is synne in the syght of God and therfore not acceptable vnto God But if theâ⦠do it of fayth ââ¦rusting that God shal plant in the hertes of the infantes that lyuynge fayth that may cause them to confesse his name wheÌ they shal receyue the vse of reasoÌ then is this their facte no lesse acceptable before God theâ⦠the deede of Abraham was when he vpon the fayth that he had in the promyse of God Circusised al the males of hys housholde For as Circumcision was a signe or token to declare that all they that receiued it trusted to bee redeamed by the Mesias that was promysed to the sayde Abraham and as the fathers to declare thier faythful hope dyd not onely cyrcumsise theim selues but their chyldren and familes also so is Baptisme a signe to declare that the receiuers therof doo vnfaynedly beleue that y t bloud of Chryst hath washed their sinnes And vppon lyke trust as the fathers had that God wyl exteÌd his mercy vnto their chyldren and famyly they do baptise them also as appeareth in the actes of the Apostles wher is mencion made of certayne meÌ whose families and housholdes were Baptised wheÌ thei had receiued the fayth But here it myght be sayd that in these places it is meÌcioned that the whole families beleued and then receiued Baptisme So that the infantes whych had no beleue remayned styll vnbaptised Whervnto I aunswere that if the Parentes were faithful they coulde not chose but theyr faith would constrayne them to do as those fayth ful dyd y t brought their chyldren vnto Christ Marke x. And then the Apostles I am sure were not so forgetfull but that they bare in mynde the wordes of their maister who rebuked theÌ for forbidding the children to approch hym whych were brought by theyr faythfull parentes that he myght put hys hand on them Yea ãâã doubte not but that after the example of theyr maister they embraced the infantes declaring theÌ to be the inheritours of the king dome of God and that none should enter that kyngdome vnlesse he woulde become aâ⦠one of them Thus haue I declared myne opinion concernynge the Baptisme of infantes as I trust sufficietly to satisfy them that haue inââ¦staken me to declare that all such sentences in this litle boke as doo so greatly impugne Baptisme without faith are to be vnderstaÌd so that nether they that be of age ought to be Baptised without they do fyrst beleue and coÌ fesse Chryst nor the infantes onles the fayth ful congregation do with one assent offer theÌ at the font of regeneration with ful mynd and heââ¦tie desire to haue them membres of the church of Christ hauyng most sure and certayn hope that God ãâã ââ¦oorke in theÌ such maner of fayth as shal cause theÌ at the yeares of discretion to professe and folow the doctrine of Christ to whom wyth the father and thâ⦠holye gost bee all honour for euer and euer ⪠ââ¦o be it A BRIFE AND FAYTHfull declaration of the true fayth of Christ made by certeyne men susspected of heresye in these articles folowyng ¶ i. Thessalonians v. â Quenche not the spirite despise not the propheciynges but proue all thynges and kepe that that is good ¶ Esaye v. â Wo be vnto them that call good euyll and euyl good whyche make darkenesse lyght and light darkenesse ¶ Anno. M. D. xlvii Per me I.D. The Prologe SEynge that saynte Paule sayeth to the EphesiaÌs iiii that there is but one fayth or beliefe so may euery christen man hertely morne when he seeth that so manye and diuers faythes are founde amonge them that boste them selues to be christen men Also that the one dreadfully sclaundereth and with great tyranny persecuteth the other and that wythout indifferencie But also the lorde Iesu Christe hath sayed that in the last dayes shall be many offended and the one shall betraye the other and the one hate the other And that ma ny false prophetes and false christen shal aryse and seduce many For thys cause is it very necessary that euery christen man faythfully crye vnto God wyth continual prayer that he wyâ⦠gyue hym a stedfast beliefe and wyl kepe hym in the ryghte waye that he do not go into croked wayes through the gyle or disceyt of false hypocrysye of the false christen or propheââ¦es And God wyll doubtlesse kepe his electe from Sathan his ministers although the tyme be neuer so perylous or neuer so many dampnable sectes be broughte forth yea althoughe the darkenesse shouldè couer whole Egypte yet shall God neuertheles let his face lighten ouer all trewe Israelites so that they shall knowe his wayes vpon the earth and his saluacion amonge the heathen And although Himeneus and Phileââ¦us do turne from the ryghte waye neuerthelesse the sure grounde of God standeth euer faste and hath thys seale that God knoweth them that are his For we know wel that God howe be it ' that he out of his vnmeasurable nââ¦ye grace yea out of the vnexpressable loue of his fatherly hert defendeth his childreÌ froÌ al euyl yet neuerthelesse wyl he be prayed vnto of them as we haue many ensamples therof in scrypture how that the holy men in theyr trybulacion or angwyshe haue called vnto god and haue ben herd and holpen of hym And seyng then that the ryght christen euer for theyr befifes sake greuously are troubled yea as golde and syluer in the fyre bothe with bodely troble and fals doctryne vndââ¦tsought
and proued it is therfore very necessarye that we praye the lorde with all dilygence for a ryght vnderstaÌdyng of his godly worde and for a sure vnmouable fayth for euermor Also it is not vnnecessarye y t they beare theyr beliefe conteyned in wrytynge alwayes about them and dayly rede it partly to the eââ¦horting and confortyng of them in all persecution and tribulacions which may come vnto them by goddes worde Partly agayne for a defence agaynste all antechââ¦ystes spyrytes whyche alwayes iââ¦dae the fayth of the rightuouse how chrystenly so enââ¦r it be and how many feste so euer it agreeth with all godly scrypture foâ⦠an heresye yea for a deuelyshe doctryne and gvle shal it be compted Say ii ââ¦or vi And of this so doynge no man shall merueyle seynge that all sayntes haue bââ¦n taken for transgressours or seducers of this euill blynde worlde Yea Iesus Christe him selfe though ââ¦e ââ¦e the euer ââ¦astynge truth Iohn ââ¦iiii was taken of vnmyse Scrihes and Pharises for a bââ¦gyler of the people Iââ¦an vii yea for a mad man and a man ââ¦ossessyd with the deuyl ò lorde what a blasââ¦heinye And his doctââ¦ine was not taken of them as goddes worde but as a disseuable sââ¦ducynge not as breade of lyfe nor as a medicine for the soule but compted as a poyson or venym of the wycked serpent Seynge then that the Lorde dyd suffer reason it is for the seruaunte to suffer also And all that that is come vpon the lorde that muste as trewlye as Goddes worde is ouercome the seruaunt also Here vpon maye euerye seruaunt or disciple of Iesu Christe prepare hym for he must be readye to suffer all confusion sclaunder and tribulation for hys Lorde and maysters sake We therfore perceyuynge thys wyll not be moued wyth the scaunder of the wycked people the whyche sclaunder oure fayth for heresy and yet many of them knowe not what we beleue but as they here of oure aduersaryes and therafter do they iudge vs. Notwithstandynge though we do not regarde theyr sclaunder yet neuerthelesse wyll we so farre as it is possible mete them wryte through the grace of God oure fayth bycause that euerye man maye reade it and then may they wyth vnderstanding and with christen charitie iudge The which we both of al good diligent readers and also of oure aduersaryes frendely desyre and mekely pray ¶ Here endeth the Prologe The articles of the chriââ¦ten fayth I Beleue in God the father almighty maker of heaueÌ earth And in Iesu Christ hys onely sonne oure Lorde whyche was conceyued by the holye gooste and borne of Marye the virgyn He suffered vnder Poncius Pylate he was crucifyed dead and buryed He desended to hell and rose the thyrde daye from death He ascended to the heauens and syttteth on the ryght hande of God the father almyghty And froÌ thens shal he come to iudge the quicke and dead I beleue in the holy goost the holy churche catholyke to be a congregacion of sayntes to haue remission of synnes the resurrection of the fleshe and the euerlastynge lyfe â At the fyrst we beleue in one God Deut. vi father of our lorde Iesus Christ. ii Cor. i. the whyche is the Lorde of heauen and earth Luke xi and creatour of al creatures Hebre. i. Yea he is father of vs all Ephe. iiii the which hath elected vs to be his crildren through Iesu Christe Ephe. i. And therfore shall we hym all onely worship besyde hym none other gods Deut. vâ⦠Also we shall feare him as an almigh ty god Psal. xxxiiii and as a mercyfull father we shal loue him wyth al oure hertes with all our soule and wyth al our power and mynde Mat. xxii and vpon him muste stande all oure hope Hiere vii For he is the father of lyghte Iacob i. of the whythe all mankynde lyueth Actu xvii both ââ¦odelye goodes Prouerbeo x. euerlastynge saluacion Psalm xxxvii togyther wyth al perfyte gyftes come and descended Iacob i. â Forthermore we beleue in Iesu Christe the soÌne of the lyuing god our lorde i. Cor. vii The whiche is the very bryghtnesse of his fathers glorye and the verye ymage of his substaunce Hebre. i. Yea he is the onely begotten sonne of the father Iohn i. come forth out of the mouth of the moste hyghest God Eccles. i. xxiii fyrst borne before all creatures Collos. i. Thorowe the whiche all thynges are created Heb. i. In whom we haue redempcion namely remission of synnes thorow his bloude Col. i. wyth the whyche he hath wasshed vs. Apoc. i. and hath also recoÌciled vs agayne to hys most holy and gloriouse father Ephes i. ii that were afore enemyes to God Roma viii ¶ For after the tyme that god had made man after his ymage and similitude he set hym into Paradise that he shoulde eate of al the fruites of the garden of pleasure exceptynge hym the tre of knowledge of good euyil Gene. ii But man hath disobeyed the Lorde his God and transgressed his commauÌdement Gen. iii. Thorowe the whyche disobedience and transgression of the godlye commaundement death and curse is come ouer all mankynde Rom. v. And when there was no helpe nor comfort for man wherby he myghte haue bene redemed or delyuered out of Sathans power Then had God the merciful father pitie vpon mankinde and promised theÌ a sead namely Iesus Christ his onelye begotten sonne the whiche shoulde treade vpon tââ¦e head of the serpent and ouercome the deuyll and restore theÌ to lyfe agayne Gene. iii. And lyke wyse as god is ryghtuouse in al his wayes and holye in all his workes Psal. criv and ââ¦ew in al his wordes Psal. li. so hath he kepte all his promyses truely And as the tyme was fulfylled Gala. iiii God let hys worde descende into the wombe of the vyrgyn Marye and by the workynge of the holy gooste be came fleshe as Iohn wytnesseth saiyng The word became flesh dwelt amonge vs we saw his glory as the glory of the onely begotteÌ sonne of the father ful of grace and verite Iohn i. Also thys onely begotten sone of god by the powre of the holy ghoste became man and is become lyke vnto vs in all thinges except synne Hebre. ii He hathsuffered death for our sake Esay liii and hath taken awaye Sathans powre and restored lyfe in agyne i. Timot. vi yea he is made vnto vs wysdome and ryghtwysnes sanctyfyenge and redemption i. Cor. i. And lykewyse as he dyed for our synnes Hebre. ii so is he rysen agayn through the powre of his father Roma vi for our righ tuousnes Roma iiii And as he oftentymes shewed hym felfe after his resurreccyon vnto his dyscyples Acti i. so is he ascended into hea uen in thyr presence Luke xxiiii And sytteth at the right hande of the almighty rather Ro. viii Aboue all rule and myght and dominion and aboue all that maye be named not onely in thys world but also in the world to come
behalfe whiche muste be done out of a cleane faythfull herte hath the baptysme powre and not for the waters sake wherwith the fylthynesse of the fleshe myghte be washed awaye But wythout it be that the hertes of them that are baptysed be cleansed Act. xv thorowe Goddes worde Iohn rv the water can not ãâã them Wherwith it is also proued that baptisme without fayth may in no wyse be broked â Forthly baptisme sygnifieth an offeryng of the fleshe and a resurrectyon into a newe lyfe as we haue vnto the Romaines know ye not sayeth Paule that al we whiche are baptysed in the name of Iesu Christe are baptysed to dye wyth him Therfore are we buryed wyth hym by baptysme for to dye that lyke wyse as Christ was raysed vp from death by the glory of the father eueÌ so we should walke in a newe lyfe ãâã Rom. vi This is now shortly expressed what baptysme is and what it signifyeth Nowe muste we also knowe that seynge no good worke wythout fayth maye be done Rom. xiiii So muste he that shal be baptysed beleue or els he can not ryghtly be baptised as we maye clearelye vnderstande in the wordes of Christ Iesu wherwyth he hath institute this baptysme and commaunded his apostles sayinge Go and preache the gospell to ãâã creatures he that beleueth and is baptysed shalbe saued Mar. xvi Here wyll no sophistiâ⦠reasonynges and dreames be alowed for the Lorde wyll destroye the wysedome of the wyse and wyll take awaye the vnderstanding of the prudent and wyl make the wisedome of thys worlde folishnesse i. Cor i. and. iii. But the worde of God shal abyde for euer i. Pet. i. And Christe sayeth that heauen and earth shal perishe but my wordes shal abide Mat. xxiiii Therfore muste also the wordes of Christe he that beleueth and is baptysed c. not be altered or chaunged And seynge that Christe hath instituted or ordeyned fayth afore baptisme so muste he that shal be baptised beleue or els the wordes of Christ suffereth force and are wholye and falsââ¦lye altered and chaunged as we now a dayes alas may ââ¦e and it is a miserable thynge that thys baptysme is so euyll vnderstande and so shamefully broken And seynge that the scripture doth so clearely therof wytnesse Though that all the wytnesses of scripture perteynyng to thys matter be not here alledged for the shortnesse sake yet do we take out one of them namely the example of the Apostle Philip which when he shewed Goddes worde vnto the gelded man whyche was the chamberlayne to Candas Quene of the Moryans and he him selfe desyred to be baptised but the ââ¦ewe minister of god Philip woulde not baptyse hym excepte he dyd not onely beleue but also openly coÌfessed it Act. viii This example is well worthye to be marked for ââ¦t the fyrste we maye se here the greate diligence and howe desyrous the chamberlayne was of baptysme whyche is a learnyng vnto al them that loue theyr saluacion that they shal desyre thys worke hertelye and not deferre it bâ⦠as sone as they by hearyng of the worde of ãâã Roma x. wyth the operacion of the holy goââ¦st i. Cor. xiâ⦠hath receyued fayth And yf there be any maÌ that wyl not be satisfied with this ensample of Philip let hym perceyue also howe Ananias dyd compel Paule saying vnto him why taryest thou aryse and be baptysed and washe a waye thy synnes Aââ¦tu xxii Here we se that Baptysme after the fayth is receyued maye not be deferred Therfore hath the cham berlayne with greate diligence desyred baptisme after that he dyd beleue saying vnto Philip Beholde here is water what shoulde lefte me to be baptysed Actuum viii Forthermore seynge ââ¦he trewe minister of God Philippe woulde not baptyse hym excepte he confessed his fayth doubtlesse he hath therwyth teached vs that all they that wyll be baptysed muste confesse theyr beliefe as ye se the chamberlayne dyd But for as muche as all the former scriptures are spoken of them onelye that bee of yeres of discretion before they receyue the fayeth of Christ It is no altering of the institution and worde of Christe to baptyse the innocentes and vnbeleuynge infauntes whyche haue not as yet receyued the vse of reason wherby they myght decerne fayth to beleue and professe the name of Christe For as in the circumsition of the olde lawe the fayth of the parentes sufficed to make the chylde one of the chosen people of God notwythstandyng that the circumsicion of the flesh is not circuÌsicion as Paule wrytteth to the Romaynes but the circumsion of the herte euen so in the baptisme of our infantes notwythstandynge that the washing of the body in water is not baptysme but the washynge of the soule in the bloude of Christe by fayth yet shall the fayth of the parentes be accepted of God and theyr chyldren made meÌbers of the churche of Christe therby Yf anye require wytnesses of the scripture for thys assersion lette hym reade and consyder well the storye of Samson and Samuell wyth other lyke storyes of the olde testament wherin may easilie be perceyued how god dyd then accepte the chyldren for the parentes fayth Let him coÌ syder also the stories of the gospel wherin appeareth how Christ woulde not haue the chyldreÌ kepte froÌ him when theyr pareÌtes brought them to hym that he myght laye his handes vpon them and how certeyne chyldren were cured of diseases euen for the fayeth that was founde in theyr parentes And laste of all it is euident both in the Actes and Epistles of the Apostles that when certeyne men receyued the gospell both they and theyr whole housholdes were baptysed Where it is not to be thought that the infantes were reiected bycause they could not vnderstande the Apostles preaching For saynte Paule wrytiynge to the Corhinthians as concernynge the chyldren begotten betwene an heathen man and a faythfull woman or betwene an heathen woman a faythfull man sayeth that the chyldren are cleane by the reasone that one of his parentes is faythfull And what other thynge shoulde ââ¦e meane therââ¦y but that God accepteth those chyldren for members of his churche whom the faythfull parentes do wyllyngly brynge to the foun tayne of regeneratioÌ there to receyue the signe of the euerlastynge couenaunte betwene God and vs And yf any man wyl wyllingly withstande Christe and his Apostles and do other wyse then Christe hath commaunded and his Apostles taughte and dyd he is blynded but his blyndnesse shall waxe manifest well ynough Lykewyse as the Egypcians sorcerars the whiche wythstode Moyses and Aaron but at the laste were manifestlye seen and knowen ii Timo. iii. Thys is wyth the shortest the fayth of our baptisme ¶ Of the supper of the lorde THe supper of the lorde is a memoriall tokeÌ of the suffering and death of Iesu Christe and is instituted of Chryste for this cause that the faythfull congregacyon of Iesu Chryst sholde come togyther for to shewe the death of Iesu Chryst