of God and coūteth the blood of the newe Testament an vnholie thing But some haue not onely troden vnder foote but also mocked despised and most cruelly brent the Testament and woorde of the eternall God and also tormented and shamefully murdered his true and faythfull seruauntes and preachers the deere members of Iesus Christ his sonne And most blasphe ▪ mously contemning the holy sacraments truely mynistred and all godly ecclesiasticall orders and discipline To redresse of these enormities must come by y ◠magistrates for they are powers ordayned and exalted of God for the same entent ▪ If they be not redressed and that short ▪ lie in stéede of the comfortable promises of God wée shalbe oppressed with the terryble plagues whiche hée threatneth to the breakers of his lawe As dearth warre pestilence and other his scourges as wée be threatened now of late by the punyshmente of our neyghbours in Fraunce Happy are those that can bée admonyshed by the fall of others and amend I would thinke my labour well bestowed if I mought obtayne of your honor and other that be of a godly meaninge to reade this ouer with good delyberation and Iudgement And also suche as be in doubte whiche is the true religion And those that thinke we be in an errour I would to God they woulde vouchesafe to reade and conferre it with the scriptures and doctours as is noted in the margine And in reading to put a syde disdayne contempte and all singular and pryuate affections And then I doubte not but God wyll open vnto them further knowledge and mooue them to be more studious in Gods word and also haue a better opinion of the true religion I haue for my Countryes sake translated this godly and necessarye woorke wherevnto I haue added nothyng of myne owne but symple and playnelye according to my small vnderstanding I haue kepte the wordes and meanyng of the authoritie as neare as our English wyl suffer mée rather shewing mee selfe homelye and playne then by ouer muche fynenesse to dissent from the mynde of hym who in the feare of God and for his Bretherns sake set it foorth Humblye beséechynge youre honour and all godlye Readers to take this my small labour in good parte and accept my good meaning which tendeth to the profite of my Country men and especiallye to the glorie of God and aduauncement of his kingdome Who prospere and maintaine your honour in his feare long to continue enrytching you with all good blessinges and gouerninge you and yours by his holye spirite vntyll he shall call you to come vnto him selfe there to continue in his glorious kingdom for euer and euer Amen This vvhole Worke or confession consisteth of .vij. principall poinctes The first number signifieth the article The second the leafe THe fyrste poinct intreating of the Trinitie contayneth these thrée articles 1 Of the vnitie of God Folio 1 2 Of the Trinitie of personnes distinct in one vnitie of substance Eodem 3 Of the eternall prouidence of God Eodem ¶ The second poinct intreating of God the Father containeth these fowre articles 1 Of the person of the Father fol. 2 2 How the father is creatour and preseruour of all thinges Eodem 3 Of the creation of Angelles Eodem 4 The works of y e trinity are inseparable eodē ¶ The thirde poinct intreating of Iesus Christ the onelye Sonne of God containeth these 26 articles 1 Of the diuinitie of the Sonne fol. 3 2 The Sonne onely mediatour betwéene God and his elect eternally ordayned Eodem 3 God is perfectly iust and mercifull Eodem 4 God is immutable Eodem 5 The counsell of God doeth not exclude the seconde causes Eodem 6 Man was created to declare the Iustice and mercy of God Foli 4 7 Why it was necessarye that the fyrste man should be created good and pure Eodem 8 It was necessary that man should fall from his puritie Eodem 9 How God hath created men good Foli 5 10 How mā brought himself w t all his posterity culpable of the first seconde death Eodem 11 The way which leadeth to y ◠first death Eodē 12 The fyrst death can not be eternall Eodem 13 The way which leadeth to y ◠secōd death eodē 14 What free wyll remayneth in man after sinne Foli 6 15 A briefe summe of originall sinne Eodem 16 Howe God turneth mannes sinne to his glorie Foli 7 17 Iesus Christ the onely mediatour ordained and promised Eodem 18 The agreement and difference of the olde and new Testament Foli 8 19 Wherefore it behoued Iesus Christ to be a very naturall man in body and soule without synne Eodem 20 Wherfore was it néedeful that Iesus Christ should be very God Folio 9 21 Howe the mistery of our saluation was fulfilled in Iesus Christ Foli 10 22 The two natures were vnited and knitte in one personne from the fyrst instaunt of the conception Eodem 23 The Vyrgine Marye is Mother of Iesus Christe God and man Eodem 24 The summe of the accomplishment of our saluation in Iesus Christ folio 11 25 Howe Iesus Christe beinge ascended into heauen is neuerthelesse here on earth wyth his flocke Fol. 12 26 There can be no other true Relygion then this Folio 13 ¶ The iiii poynt intreating of the holye ghost containeth the 15. Articles 1 Of the person of the holy ghost Folio 13 2 Of the effectes properlye consydered in the holy Ghost fol. 14 3 The holy Ghost maketh vs partakers of Iesus Christ by fayth onely Eodem 4 What meanes the holy ghost vseth to create and maintaine faith in vs. Eodem 5 How necessary faith is what faith is fol. 15 6 What is the obiect of the true fayth and of what force it is Fol. 16 7 How this is to be vnderstand which we say as Saint Paule sayth that we be iustified by onely fayth Eodem 8 To be assured of our saluation by faythe in Iesus Christe is nothing lesse then arrogancie or presumption fol. 17 9 Faythe findeth in Iesus Christe all that is necessary to saluation fol. 18 10 Of the remedy which faith findeth in Iesus Christ only against y e first assault of y e first tēptation groūded vpon y e multitude of our syns what assuraunce there is in this case eyther vpon the saints or vpon our selues Eodem 11 The remedy which only fayth findeth in Iesus Christe onely against the second assault of the first temptation grounded vpon this that we be vnfurnished of the righteousnesse which God requireth of vs. fol. 22 12 The thyrde assault of the same temptation grounded vppon the naturall corruption of originall sinne which is within vs. Fol. 23 13 The remedy against the seconde temptation whether we haue faith or not fol. 24 14 Those do slaunder vs falsely which say that we disalow good workes fol. 26 15 The first differēce in the mater of good works is which be good and which be euyll fol. 27 16 Which be
body formed of y e substance of y e virgin Mary daughter of Dauid by the vertue of the holye Ghost was by this meanes conceyued and borne of the same virgin Marye deliuerance both after and before her deliuerance al this was done for the accomplishment of our reconciliation 24. The summe of the accomplishement of oure saluation in Iesus christ HE therfore came down on earth for to drawe vs vp to heauen He hath borne the paine dewe to our sins clearly to discharge vs euen from the beginninge of his conception vnto his resurrectiō He hath fulfilled perfectly al righteousnes for to couer our vnrighteousnesse he hath declared to vs all y e wyl of God his father both by workes and also by words to the end to shew vs the trew way of saluation In fine for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whole ful satisfaction for our sinnes which he toke vpon him he was bound to vnbind vs condempned for to delyuer vs he suffred great and infinite shame for to deliuer vs from all confusion he was nailed on the crosse for to fasten thereon our sinnes he died and sustained y e curse and malediction which was dew to vs for to apease the wrath of god for euer by his onlye oblations made hee was buried to approue verify his death and to vanquishe deathe euen to the house thereof that is to say euen to the graue wherin he felt no corruption for to declare that euen in dying he had ouercome vanquished death He was raised againe in tripūhe as a conquerer to y e end that al our corruption being dead buried we should be renued into a new spirituall euerlasting life that therby the first death should be no more to vs a punishmēt dew for sinne as it were an entraunce into the second death but cōtrariwise a finishing and ende of y ◠death of our corruption and an entrance into eternal life Finally he being raised afterward was conuersaunt here on earth by the space of fortie daies to confirm and approue his resurrectiō He ascended visible verily into heauen where he is set on the right hande of god his father and hath taken possession m of his eternal kingdom for vs and for our behoue for whose sake also he is y e only mediatour n and aduocate o gouerning his church by his holy spirite vntil the nōber of y e elected of god his father be accomplished and fulfylled 25. Hovve Iesus christ beinge ascended into heuen is neuertheles here on earth vvith his flocke WE vnderstande that glory hathe brought immortality to y e body of Iesus Christ but hath not taken away the nature of his body therfore concerninge his humayne nature hee hathe taken it from vs into heauen where he shal dwell vntil the time he shall come to iudge the quyck and the dead but concerning his dyuinitye and the workinge of the holye spirite he is with his elect and shalbe vntyll the ende of the world ▪ as Christ hath sayde the poore shall yee haue alwayes with you but me shal ye not haue And also as the Angelles sayd to the Apostles after his ascension Iesus which is lyft vp from you into heauen shal come agayn euē as ye haue seene him ascend into heauen as S. Peter sayd to the Iewes that heauens must hold him vntil the restoring of al thinges Whervpon saint Augustin said well agreeing with the scripture that we ought to take heede that we do not so confirme the diuinity that we deny the verity of the body and not to make this conclusion that those things which are in god be euerye where as God is euery where 29. There can be no other nevve religion then this IN this mistery of our redemption which mans reason cānot attaine god is declared to be very god y ◠is to saye perfectlye righteous and perfetly merciful First perfectly righteous in y ◠hee hath punished al our sins very sharply in his persō who made himself a satisfaction pledge to wit in Iesus Christ moreouer doeth not receiue vs nor allow vs as his childrē except we be couered clothed with the innocencie holines perfect rightousnes of Iesus Christ On the other part he declareth himself to be perfectly mercifull in y ◠he finding in vs nothing but cause and matter of damnation yet would that his sonne should take our nature in whom he foūd a remedy to appease his iustice whom also he doth cōmunicat to vs freely with all his treasures to y e end that we may be partakers of eternal life by his only goodnes and mercy so that by faith we lay hold on Iesus Christ as shalbe shewed hereafter But contrariwise al religion whiche dothe appose or sette againste the wrath of God anye other thing then the only innocency righteousnes satisfaction of Iesus Christe apprehended by fayth spoyled god of his perfecte righteousnes and mercy and consequently ought to be holden for false and deceitful as shalbe declared in the seuenth poynte Of the holy ghost The fourth point The firste article of the person of the holye Ghoste VVE beléeue in the holy ghoste whyche is the coeternall and consubstanciall power of the father and the Sonne in whom he is resident from whom proceedeth being one God with them and neuertheles distynct in person 2. Of the effectes properlie considered in the holie ghost THe infynit force vertue of him is declared in the creation and preseruation of all creatures frō the beginning of the world and principally shalbe considered by vs in this present Treatise according to y ◠effects which he bringeth forth in the chyldrē of God in bringing with him his grace to make them feele the efficacie and vertue thereof and briefe to bring thē from degrée to degrée to the right ende mark whervnto they be predestined before the foundation of the world 3. The holie ghost maketh vs partakers of Iesus Christ by faith onelie THe holye ghost then is the same by whome the Father doeth put kéepe his electe in possession of Iesus Christ his sonne consequently of all the graces which bee necessarye to their saluation But first it behoued y ◠the same holy spirit make vs capable and méete to receyue the same Iesus Christe the which he doth in creating within vs by his méere diuyne goodnes and mercye that whyche we call Fayth the onely instrument to take holde of Iesus Christ when he is offered to vs and the onlye vessell to receyue him 4. vvhat meanes the holie ghost vseth to create and maintaine faith in vs. HE vseth two ordinarie meanes neuertheles without cōmunicating his vertue to them but working by them for to create in vs thys instrument of fayth and also to mayntayne and confirme it more and more That is to saye by
Thyrdelye for asmuche as wythoute fayth we haue no parte wyth Iesus Christe and so consequentlye wythout fayth we haue no part in the kingdome of heauen for the preachinge of the worde is the onely ordinary meane wherwith the holye ghost is serued to create in vs true faythe as wee haue shewed here before according as sainte Paule sayth that fayth commeth by hearynge Wherupon we conclude that the preachyng of the worde of God is the onely necessarye meane to saluation for those which be within age of discretion except it please God to worke extraordynarilye in the harte of some one and so hath not the vse of the Sacramentes But to bring for the fruite true faythe must go before as we haue declared and he y â— hath faith hath attayned to Iesus Christe and consequentlye eternal life It foloweth necessarilye that first we must haue title and right to eternal life before we can discerne rightlye the Sacramentes But those which haue fayth and yet haue not the meanes to be partakers of the Sacramentes shall not be depriued nor excluded from saluation For the necessitie of the Sacramentes extended not so farre as to exclude those out from eternall life which cannot enioye the vse thereof but thus farre to hym that despiseth them which no doubt is an act of infidelitie worthye of damnation if he reknowledge not his fault As S. Bernard hath very well declared Saying that it is not y â— priuation or lacke of Baptisme which damneth some dut the contempt of it Wherefore we do content our selues with that order which is appointed in the scriptures as is aforesayd Now he ought not to be called a contemner of the Sacramentes whiche hath not the meanes to communicate with theÌ„ according to y â— rule of the scriptures established in the Church of God Fourthly for as much as the simple word preached toucheth but one of our sences but the Sacramentes touche more as the sighte and other corporall sences and also be distributed with expresse Ceremonies and of greate signification So it is easie to be perceiued how necessarye it is to vs the vse of the Sacramentes to encrease entertayne our fayth which after a maner to saye touch our fynger and eye and alreadye tasteth and féeleth in effect the commoditie of that whiche wée looke for as though we had it and possessed it alreadye and therefore so farre is it from vs â—o dispiâ—e the holye Sacraments that on the contrary we protest that we cannot worthely as our duty is extol and magnify the dignitye and lawfull vse of the Sacraments 36 Howe there is but two Sacramentes in the Christian Church IN this maner and significatioÌ„ we fynd but two Sacraments ordeined of God for y â— perpetuall vse of all his Churche as also S. Augustine â— S. Ambrose b did content them selues with two no more That is to say the holy Baptisme which succeaded the Circumcision and the holye Supper which succeded the pascall lambe For in these two Sacramentes bee represented to vs our full and perfecte saluation and in this respect succeded not onelye a part of the aunciente Sacramentes but all in general For the plainer vnderstanding hereof wee wyll speake fyrste of them generallye and after of eche of them particullarly 27. The foure pointes vvhiche be to be considered in the declaration of this matter THere be foure principall poynctes which we coÌ„sidar in the sacraments The firste is concerning the signes The seconde that which is signified by them The thyrd the coniunctioÌ„ of the signes and the things singnified The fourth touching the manar by the which they participate as well the signes as the thinges signified 38. The first point is to vnderstand what we doe meane by the name of signe in this matter of Sacramentes and wherefore the Lorde did chose for signes the most vulgar and common thinges COncernyng that whyche we call signe we mean not by that word a bare signe naked and empty as a thynge represented or paynted by a Paynter or some other simple memorial but we vnderstand of signes which representeth to vs moste great and excellent thinges declared effectuallie in the liuely word of God as hereafter we shall declare Also in these Sacraments bée offered spirituallie and veritablie those thinges which be outwardlie represented by them Moreouer it is to be noted that we doo comprehende vnder the name of signes not onely the materiall thinges of the Sacraments as the water of Baptisme the breade and w 〈…〉 in the supper but beside the word ioyned with the signes which declareth the wyll of God in vs being preached and expounded plainlie we vnderstand furthermore by the name of sygnes the Ceremonies ordayned of God in all this mysterie the which haue no lesse signification then the materyall thinges to thâ— which Ceremonies it is not lawfull for man to ioyne or put to any newe thinges neither to diminish without sacriledge I speake of those spirituall of theyr owne nature but by the ordinance of Iesus Christ For water of his nature is made to wash when we wyll wette vs with it Breade and wyne is to nourishe the bodye beynge eaten dronken But in the Sacramentes these thinges haue another purpose clean contrary as we shal say â–ª hereafter We may vse a similitud for y t better vnderstaÌ„ding hereof Take ware which is fastened to a writing or publike instrument and it differeth not from other Ware of it selfe but onelye because of the vse to the which it is appointed that is to saye to serue for a testimonie that the instrument is effectuall and auaileable the whiche it hath not of nature but by the ordinaunce of man But concernyng the Sacramentes they be ordeyned of God for a more excellent couenaunt 40. From whence procedeth this alteration the errour of those which make a charme â–ª or sorcerie of the sacramentall wordes THis mutacion then whereof wee spake chaungeth not the substance of the sygnes neither of bread water and wine but onely the vse of them and is done by the holy ghost according to the ordinance of the good wil of God which is testifyed to vs by that promise whereto the signe is ioyned and not by the pronuntiation of wordes after the maner of Sorcerers or charmers but the promise is as the soule of the sygne so accordingly the water the bread and wine become Sacramentes that is to saye verytable signes of those thinges which the worde promiseth and which be represented by them 42. The sacraments be no sacraments without the vse of them FOr as muche as this mutation or chaunge is onely in the vse thereof it foloweth also that before or after thadministratioÌ„ of the sacraments it taketh no place but onely during the action the vse to the which this chaunge or mutation tendeth 43. The second point is of the thing signified in the Sacramentes THe promyses whereto the Sacramentes bee ioyned
But afterwarde this custom was abolyshed in Constantinople by Nectarius predecessour to S. Iohn Chrisostome who afterwarde speciallye condempned thys auricular Confestion And yet there was in that tyme no such seruitude or bondage ioyned to it nor was neuer vsed or done by Nectarius nor yet Chrisostom had not approued it as to haue bene ordained of God eyther necessary or profitable to the Church Concerning satisfaction we knowe thanked be God that true repentaunce requyreth that he whiche hath offended shall satisfye to hym that is offended as much as maye be possible Moreouer we receyue and embrace with good moderation the auncient custome of the ecclesiastycall disciplyne toward those which haue offended the Church and which desire to be vnited againe into the flock but as to God to appose and set againste his wrath any other thing then y e only satisfaction of Iesus Christ we say affirme boldly that it is the most wicked excreable blasphemy that can be For consider their penaunce as they call them for the most part be vile Idolatries superstitious infamies partly of their owne nature as Pylgrimages Masses prayers nuÌ„bred compted and none vnderstande them worshipping of Idols such other abhominations couered vnder y e shadow of good ententes partly because of the abuse of fasting almoses afflictions of body all the which things and such other lyke tende to Idolatry when they ioyne to them the opinion of deseruing or merite in mingling them with the bloud of Christ ¶ Of the extreme vnction called anealing AmoÌ„g other things wherunto a past or is bouÌ„d we do count y e visitatioÌ„ of y e sick whom he ought to comfort to assure theÌ„ of theyr saluation as is required according to the contents of the word of God Now the apostles other of the ancient Church so long as y e gyft of miracles endured haue vsed in theyr visitations not only this ceremony of laying on of haÌ„ds but also oyle wherewith they annointed the sycke not after forme of medicine nor yet to make an ordinary sacrament in the Church For they themselues neuer vsed it and yet muche les dyd they blesse or worshyp the oyle or to crosse it or to ioyne it to certaine vertues and in briefe nothing les then to coniure or charme it But to assure the sicke person certainly by this visyble signe and ceremony But these men on the contrarie they come neuer to the sick but as do the Rauens to the carrayne and also knowe well that the gyft of healing by miracles was not geuen to the Church 〈…〉 for a certain tyme. Neuertheles they haue retayned and kepte the sygnâ— and marke yea as necessarye to saluation for soules abolishing the benefyte of Iesus Christe after they haue vtterly disguised it with a thousande manner of apyshe playes at the least For the Apostles vsed not the oyle but in those whiche they healed myraculously Therefore these ought to be ashamed not onely to vse as they falsely alleadge as the Apostles dyd but vse it in those which be out of all bope of lyfe by reason wherof they call extreame vnction or the last annoynting Of orders Concerning theyr orders as they call theÌ„ Nay what disordex was there euer so great in the whole world For they be not yet accorded how many ther be For one nameth seuen the other nyne and some thyrtéene But to speake as it is we may answere truely that there is no one order in altogether â–ª And as concerning offyces we shall shewe hereafter that they haue not retained one of those whiche God dyd appoint in his Church And for their sacramentes as they call them where is any one word or promise of God in their trompery Secondly concerning the Ceremonies whiche they doo vse in their orders caÌ„ they shew any one of them ordained of God By what title then shoulde they be sacramentes But consider we the same more nearely It appeareth that in the Church of God the persons lawfully called and elected for to serue aswell to to the word as the gouernement of the ecclesiasticall affayres were as consecrated dedicated to God by the ceremony of laying on of handes with the prayers of the whole Churche But these people not content with this simplycitie what they haue done They haue quite put awaye the custome of the auncieÌ„t Church â–ª brought in this which foloweth yea with a strange language Of the clericall tonsure First their must be a clericall tonsure where as they clyp thrée or fowre lyttle â—eaires in his crowne and he must haue a lytle blow on the eare and then put his head in a surplyse as they call it and behold a Priest ready made able to haue a benefice paying honestly for it and to be exempte from the secular magistrate in time of néede except being of age he wer maried to a widow or were twise maried Behold the foundation of the Popish clergie as comfortable agréeing to the worde of God the auncient Cannons as the diuels be to the Angels Item if one looke on the ceremonies of the iiij orders which they call Minores they geue the keyes of the Temple into the handâ— of those which they call Ostiarie A booke to handle to those they call Lectors to their Exorcists certain forms and maners of coniurations and to their Acolytes they gaue tapers and crewets to touche Notwythstandinge those which receyue these fayre sacramentes haue neyther Temples to shutte nor Bybles to reade nor Diuels to coniure nor Bishops to folowe and what more they receyue all those offices at one tyme together Who is it now that séeth not that all this is a verye apyshe playe and mockery to God and his Church Also for the thrée orders which they cal Maiores beholde howe it goeth Those which they call Deacons receyue a stole vppon their lefte arme with a text of the Gospell chopped in péeces Then my Lord the Byshoppe without callyng or Byshopryke putteth hys handes vpon him to make vp the measure of the auncient ceremony And yet notwithstanding these godly misteries they playe all in a straunge and vnknowen language And howe shall hée bee a Deacon whiche hath no goods for the poore to distribute No for it is not geuen him in charge by my Lord Byshop But to put wine in the chalice and bread on the paten â–ª To make cleane the alter and dresse it fayre to beare the crosse to synge the Gospell and the Pystle to the people in a straunge tongue and to doo other apyshe playe in theyr highe masse Beholde howe correspondent the Deacons in the Churche of God were wyth these of the papistry The subdeacons receyue of the Bishop the Chalyce and the paten And of the archdeacons the crewettes with water for as they saye theyr office is to beare the crewette and the to well to geue the Priest to washe to set the implementes for the masse vpon the aulter to
receyue the offeringes whereof the poore get nothing Behold an other mommery Finally their priests be ordained manifestly for to abolishe and bring to none effecte the onely oblation which Iesus Christe hath made in his owne person They be greased with Oyle to bring againe the leuiticall high Priesthood abolyshed by Iesus Christe Moreouer they may receyue a breathing of my Lord Byshop as though he had the holy ghost closed in his stomacke Beside this they do geue him a chalice with a paten and the bread not to eate nor to féede other but to sing as they call it which is a worde as me thinketh that should be suffycient to condempne the vse of theyr lowe masses as they call them Here ye may behold for theyr mysordered orders Of mariage For mariage it hath bene sayde before in what reuerence we haue it according as it is Printed in our seruice Bookes plainly to be séene But these men be for the most parte as great contempners of maryage as they are great louers of all kinde of lechery and whoredome as heauen and earth can wytnes puttyng maryage when they lysfe in the place and number of the Sacramentes by a verie apishe and ignoraunt manner As it hath bene declared to them I thynke a thousande tymes Yet notwithstanding wyll they permit the spyritualtye as they call them to vse this sacrament No truely least that Christendome shoulde bee lost So much seemeth this sacrameÌ„t to them to bee polluted and fylthye And in déede I confesse that whoredome of all kyndes appertayneth and agreeth better wyth them I leaue out the meanes by the whiche they pollute the holy state of matrimonie as muche as in them is theyr foolyshe benedictions theyr false opinion touchinge the seconde marriages the bondage and seruitude layed vppon the conscience touching affynitie both spirituall and temporall I pray them of one thing if they woulde not be angry with that I shall say that they would accord shew me their opinion that mariage is a sacrament with one sentence regystred in theyr decrées whome it maketh aucthor one of their Popes named Sircius to wéete whether that whiche Saynte Paule sayde those which be in the fleshe can not please God bée vnderstande of mariage or not Of Baptisme Concerning Baptisme certaine it is that the Lord hauing respect to his elected hath not permytted that this Sacrament should be abolished in the papistry For they baptise in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost The effect of Baptisme dependeth not in any wyse of him which ministreth it but yet notwithstanding in howe many sortes haue they polluted it for to bryng it to nothing and vtterlye to abolyshe it if it had bene possible Fyrst all is sayde and done in an vnknowen language and although they had spoke in the vulgare tongue what declaration is there of the ryghte vse of holy Baptisme in this forme and maner which they vse in the papaltie Secondlye howe many sygnes and Ceremonyes haue they ioygned to it wythout the woorde of GOD wherein they staye and truste more then on the simple and holy ordinaunce of Iesus Christe and the Apostles And it serueth them to no purpose to alledge antiquitie For tyme can not nor may not spoyle God of the honour which pertayneth to him onelye as wée haue sayde in the 22. Article of the fowrth point Moreouer they knowe well that the ceremonies of Baptisme were neuer holden by the Fathers for to be of the substance of the sacrament Therfore when as super stition springeth it is necessary to abolish and suppresse it For certainely it is not possyble that the foolysh deuotion of men wyll be domegeable to the Church when they cannot bee contented with the ordinance of God Thirdly the grace of God it is not tyed or bound to the sacrament as if the promyse were not suffycient and stronge ynough of it selfe but the Sacrament is onely added and put to the promise for a greater confyrmation namelye when there is neyther contempte nor neglygence and we be out of all doubte that the children of the faithful are sanctified from their mothers wombe But these haue so tyed oure saluation to the exterior baptisme that they haue willed women to baptise children in case of necessitie as thâ—y cal it against the expresse decree of the third counsell of Carthage Item in baptisme we be so regenerated by the vertue of that whiche is there figured to vs that oryginall sinne that is to say oure corrupt nature is not imputed to vs to damnation and yet notwithstanding ceaseth not to be in vs. Althoughe dayly it be quenched and suppressed by the vertue of Iesus Chryste dwelling in vs. Neuerthelesse these doe not vnderstand of what importance originall sinne is But doe teache that it is vtterly quenched by the doppyng or sprinckling outwardely of water that it putteth awaye that sinne wherein we be all so culpable that it draweth our lyues to ruine and confusion And so attributing that to the water which appertaineth to the only bloud of Iesus Christ represented by the same Of the Supper Concerning the holy Supper of the Lord what desolation is there in all the Papistrie It is requisite that there be signes for to represent the thing signified otherwise it can be no Sacramente as we haue amply and largely declared But these abolish the signes saying that there is neyther breade nor wine but onely the whitenesse and sauoure of breade and wyne wherein they vtterly abolyshe the proportion whiche is betwéene the signes and the thing represented by them The coniunction of the thyng signyfied wyth the signes dependeth on the onely ordynaunce and promisse of God w tout being either locall or in any wise natural But so only as God offreth to vs verytably that whiche he promyseth to vs by his worde and representeth to oure sense by vysible signes that is to say the verie bodie and bloude of Iesus Chryste to euerlastyng lyfe But these on the contrarie wil haue by the vertue of foure or fyue wordes the breade to be chaunged into the bodye and the Wyne into the bloude of Iesus Chryste which is a verie Iuglyng or Sorcerie For in so saying they destroy by consequent the humanytie of Iesus Chryste If they alleadge furthermore that God is Almyghtie the annswere is soone made For there is no question to know whether God can for we doubt not but hée can do all but whether he wyll or not Nowe that he wyll not it appeareth by thys that he hath not declared it by hys worde But on the contrarie it is saide that Iesus Chryste hath taken hys body from vs into heauen shall not remoue from thence vntil he come to Iudge the quick the deade Although concerning his diuine nature and vertue he is ouer all Moreouer when Iesus Chryste dyd take a verie body he dyd sufficiently declare that he woulde not be inuisible nor infinite concerning hys
diuine nature as he sayd to his Apostles Finally if they alledge that the bodie of Iesus Chryst is now gloryfied the answere is peremptorie that wheÌ„ the Lord instituted thys sacrament his body was not as then gloryfied And neuerthelesse hys wordes were then as true and veritable as they be now at this day wherfore their saying is to no purpose for the glorification maketh but one bodye to become one infinite thing for it appertayneth but to one God to be infinite The ordinaunce of God ought to be playnely declared and expounded in the ministration of the sacramentes according to his word otherwise no faith can be there But these haue wrapped the ordinance word of the supper among a number of things vtterly contrarie to it for to turn away the people from that whiche they oughte chiefly to consider Also they say nothing but in an vnknowen language to the moste parte and finally muche lesse expounde they any thing but on the contrarie they enforce themselues to speake at that tyme basest and softeste so that then it séemeth they blow rather than speake And then they haue done their greate consecration by reason wherof they estéeme themselues more worthy than the Virgin Mary for say they the virgin Mary did but beare Iesus Chryst but we make him The supper is the Sacrament of the communion of the faythful as wel with Iesus Chryst as one with another but these against the expresse word of god againste the nature and the ende for whiche this Sacramente was instituted againste all the custome of the auncient Church haue changed it into their base Masses and particular Masses from whence shortely after were hatched and sprong vp this gret and horrible multitude of Massing Priestes We oughte to come to the Supper there to receyue in our owne persons by fayth the body and bloude of our onely Sauiour But these gyue in their Masses neyther breade nor Wyne but eate vp all themselues for all the Paryshe as they say But put the case that theyr Sacrament were a true Sacramente where fynd they that the sacraments do profite them whych receyueth them not or whether one maye receyue it by a Proctoure But what say they to Calixte one of their Popes whych woulde that al they shoulde be excommunicated whiche be founde at Masse not communicating the Sacramente wyth the Priest Also we ought to come to the Supper of the Lorde to the ende to receyue Iesus Chryste to euerlasting lyfe by the vertue of the oblation whiche he once made of hymselfe These on the contrarie what say they that they doe at their Masse They offer Iesus Chryst to God his father for the quick for the deade Now if this be true where is this only oblation of Iesus Chryst where is also his hie priesthood by consequent wher is the onely hope of our Saluation God hath instituted two Sacramentes that is to say breade and wyne These of their own authoritie besyde that in their hye and lowe Masses there is no communion no when they kéepe their Easter as they call it haue taken away the vsage of Wyne from all those whiche they call lay people And they cannot deny but it is against the expresse ordinaunce of God and against the custome of all the auncient Chrystian Churche But what say they of their Pope Gelasius which excommunicateth expresly al those which be conteÌ„t to take the bread and abstaineth from taking the Sacrament of the bloude The Sacrament of the bodye and the Sacrament of the bloude were ordayned seuerally and namely the bread oughte to be broken to be dystributed But these in the Sacryfice of their Masse where as I haue sayde before there is no Communion and consequently no Sacrament of the Supper but an horrible prophanation of the sacrament make 3. morsels of that which they séeke no more in Heauen by faith But they say they holde in their handes â–ª and so eate their soppes wine what say they then to Iulie one of their Popes which did expresly forbid them to wet the breade in the wine The sacrament of the supper oughte to serue vs as a ladder for to ascende vp to heauen by faith and there to embrace him which is represented in the supper by signes and visible ceremonies By reason wherof they also yet sing Sursum corda that is to say not to staye themselues vpon visible signes on the earth but to lyfte vp their heartes and mynds on hye for to eschewe all Idolatrie but these after they haue song it doe proue themselues lyers going clean contrary willing the people to stay and gase vpon that which they holde in their hands and do worshyp it as very God furely a thyng so detestable that it is maruell that the earthe dothe not open and swalowe them vp The sacramentes be ordained to be ministred and vsed as hath ben saide according to the word of god And therfore without this vse and ministration they be no sacramentes as S. Augustine declaâ—eth playnly speaking of the bread of the supper saying suche things be honorable and religious things but not maruelious or miraculous things but these contrariwise close it in their boxes worship it as very God and yet the wormes wyll eate it they make it rest some certayne dayes of the yeare and make him to walke some other dayes Whiâ—h was instituted by Pope Vrbane the fourth a boute the yeare 1264. for the Christian church did neuer know what that ment which they cal in som places the feast of god or corpus christi but since â—97 yeres which declareth sufficiently which â—orm and order of the Church is nowe eyther theirs or this which we now hold Certainely it is maruell that they doe not reserue and cause to walke or to leade about the wine as well as the bread for the one is as precious as the other It were out of order to saye they feare the wine wil eger or waxe palled For they holde that it is no more wine but the pure bloud of the Lord the which being glorified is no more subiecte to corruption But howe muche wanteth it after theyr doctrine that Saincte Hierome is not an heretik the which spake honorably of Exuperius Byshop of Tholouse for that he kepte the bloude in a cuppe of glasse and the body in a basket of osiers without any pompe What shal becom of al the auncient Churche whiche gaue the breade not into the mouthe but into the handes of the faythfull What shall become of the tyme of Saynte Ciprian where there were women which wythout reprehention dyd kéepe the residue in their coffers Althoughe there were in it wée confesse Superstition procéeding of ignorance but yet this was far from Idolatrie the whiche wée sée at thys day maynteyned with all kynde of crueltie as though we dyd not beléeue in God to say this whiche is true that we must séeke Iesus Chryste in Heauen by fayth