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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	canonical_a	holy_a	scripture_n	5,721	5	6.0092	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13257	A confession of fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed churches beyonde the seas: with an exhortation to the reformation of the Churche. Perused and allowed accordinge to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions.; Confessio Helvetica Posterior. English.	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Old, John, fl. 1545-1555.	1568 (1568)	STC 23554; ESTC S118060	120,110	316

hath broughte in newe commaundementes and a newe maner of seruing God we thinke it moste reasonable to preferre the cōmaundmentes of God whiche is the truthe it self to the cōmaundementes of men who naturally are enclined to lesyng and vanitie And what soeuer our aduersaries pretēde against vs yet dare we saie bothe before God and manne that we suffer for none other cause but for maintainyng our Lorde Iesus Christe to bee the onely Sauiour and redemer and his doctrine to be the onely doctrine of life and saluacion And this is the onely cause why the handes of hangmen haue been so ofte embrued with the bloodde of your poore subiectes Who sparyng neither life nor gooddes for maintainaunce of this Confession of faithe haue manifestly declared to all the worlde that thei wer moued therto by a farre mightier spirit then any spirit of manne whiche is more carefull of quietnes and commoditie then of the honour and glorie of God And therefore accordyng to the goodnesse and clemencie whiche your Maiestie promiseth to shewe to vs your poore subiectes wee moste humblie beseche you to bee so gracious as to take in hande the knowledge of the cause by whiche beyng daily pursued to death or banishemente wee lose the power and meane to shewe to you that most humble seruice whiche of duetie wee owe. Maie it therfore please your Maiestie in stede of fire and sweard heretofore vsed to examine our Confession by the worde of God and to graunt vs sufferaunce and sauetie in the meane while And then wee hope that your self shall iudge of our innocēcie well perceiue that there is neither heresie nor rebellion in vs but that we onely tende to this ende to liue in quietnesse of conscience serue God as he hath cōmaunded and to obeye your Maiestie in all humble obedience and seruice And bicause the preaching of the word of God is necessarie to putte vs in remembraunce as wel of our duetie towardes hym as towardes you wee moste humbly beseche your Maiestie that we maie sometymes gather together to be exhorted to the feare of God by his woorde and confirmed by the administracion of the Sacramentes whiche our Sauiour Christe hath appoincted to his church And if it would please you to graunte vs some open place where all the worlde might see our assemblies that onely sight should discharge vs of those hainous crimes that heretofore our said assēblies haue been charged withall For there is nought to been but modestie and chastitie nought to be heard but praise to God exhortacion to his seruice and praier for the conseruaciō of your Maiestie and kyngdome And if it please not your grace to shew vs this fauor yet maie it please you at the leaste to graunte that wee maie particularly vse that quiet order whiche is established Moste humblie besechyng your Maiestie in readyng this present supplicacion to cōsider that it is the cries and groaries of an infinite nomber of your poore subiectes whiche craue suche mercie at your handes that it maie quenche the fires that your cruel Iudges haue kindled in your realme And so that hūblie seruyng your maiestie wee maie lawfully serue hym that hath exalted your highnes to this dignitie and state And if ye refuse to beare vs yet maie please you to heare the voice of the sonne of God who geuyng you power ouer oure bodies goodes liues requireth of you that the power and gouernment ouer our soules and consciences whiche he so dearely bought by the price of his hart bloud should be reserued to hym onely The same God we beseche to guide you with his holy spirit and with pour yeres to encrease your might and power to geue you victorie ouer all your enemies and establishe for euer in all equitie and iustice the throne of your Maiestie Before whom it maie please hym to graunte vs to finde suche fauour that we maie obtain some frute of our presente supplicacion That so chaunging our grieffes and afflictiōs into quietnesse and libertie wee maie also chaunge our sighes and teares into perpetuall thankyng GOD for your Maiestie for grauntyng a thing so agreable to hym so worthie of your goodnesse and Iustice and so necessarie for the conseruacion of your most humble and obedient subiectes and seruauntes ¶ A confession of faithe made by common agrement of suche Frenchemen as desire to liue accordyng to the puritie of the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ The firste article WE beleue and confesse that there is a Deut. 4. 35 39. 1. Cor. 8. 4. 6. one onely GOD which is one onely and simple substaunce b Gene 1. 3. Iohn 4. 24 2. Cor. 3. 17. spirituall c Exod 3. 15 16. 18. euerlastyng d Rom 1. 20 1. Tim. 1. 17 inuisible e Mala. 3. 6. vnchaungeable f Rom. 11. 33 Act. 17. 24. 7. 48. endlesse incomprehensible vnspeakable g Ier. 10. 7. 10. Luc. 1. 37. that can doe all thynges who is h Ro. 16. 27 whollie wise i Mat. 19. 17 whollie good k Iere. 12. 1. whollie iuste and whollie mercifull 2. This God declareth himself to men l Exod. 34. 6. 7. so to be Rom. 1. 19. and first by his woorkes as well in creatyng conseruyng as guidyng of the same n Heb. 1. 1. But secondlie and more plainlie by his worde whiche in the beginnyng was o Gene. 15. 1 reuealed by Oracle and afterwardes p Exod. 24. 3. 4. written in bookes whiche we call q Rom. 1. 12 holy scripture 3. All this holie scripture is comprised in the Canonicall bokes of the old and newe Testament whereof the names hereafter followe Firste the fiue bookes of Moises that is to saie Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Nombers Deuteronomie Further Iosue the Iudges Ruth the firste and seconde bookes of Samuel the firste and seconde bookes of the Kynges The firste and seconde bokes of the Chronicles otherwise called Pari●●pomenon and the firste booke of Esoras Also Nehemias the bookes of Hester Iob Psalmes of Dauid Prouerbes of Salomon the booke of Ecclesiastes otherwise called the Preacher The Canticles of Salomon Likewise the bookes of Esaie Ieremie the Lamentacions of Ieremie Ezechiell Daniell Osee Ioell Amos Abdias Ionas Miche Nahum Abacucke Sophonie Agge Zacharie Malachie Also the holy Gospell of S. Matthew sainct Marke S. Luke S. Ihon Furthermore the seconde booke of saincte Luke otherwise called the Actes of the Apostles and one Epistle of sainct Paule to the Romaines twoo the Corinthians one to the Galathians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Collossians twoo to the Thessalonians twoo to Timothe one to Tite and one to Philemon Also the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of sainct Iames the firste and seconde Epistles of saincte Peter The firste seconde and third Epistles of sainct Ihon The Epistle of saincte Iude and the Apocalipse or Reuelacion of sainct Ihon. 4. We knowe these bookes

Apocrypha Apocrypha of other Ecclesiasticall bicause they woulde haue them Read in the Churche but yet not to be alleaged as sufficient authoritie to confirme our faith as Augustine in his booke Deciuitate Dei 18. ca. 38. declareth that in the bookes of Kinges mention is made of names and bookes of certaine Prophetes but he addeth that thei are not recited in the Canon and that those bookes which we haue are sufficient to instruct vs in all poinctes of godlines ¶ Of expoundinge the holy Scriptures of the Doctors Councels and Traditions Cap. 2 THe Apostle Peter saide that the 2. Pet. 1. The true interpretation of the Scripture holy Scriptures are not of any priuate interpretation Wherefore we doo not allow al kinde of interpretations neither doo we acknowledge that sence of that Romaine Church as thei cal it which simply God wote the defendors of the Churche of Rome would compell euery man to receaue but we accept that interpretation onely as true whiche is gathered out of the Scriptures themselues that is of the proprietie of that tounge in the whiche they were writen and examined according to the circumstance and so expounded as they may agrée with many other like and vnlike places not swaruinge from the rule of Faith and charitie but may moste auaunce Gods glorie and mans saluacion Therfore we dispise not the holy Fathers expositiōs Greke or Latine neither doo we The holy fathers expositions reiect their disputations or treatises of holy thinges as longe as they agree with the Scriptures Howbeit we disalow after a modest sorte their iudgementes when they are espied to write thinges not agreyng or cōtrary to the Scriptures Neither thinke we that we doo them any iniurie in so doynge seinge they all with one consent are of this minde that they woulde not haue their writinges to be of equall authoritie with the Canonicall Scriptures but wille vs so farfoorth to allowe thē as they consente with the Scriptures biddinge vs to receaue those thinges which agrée with Gods woorde leaue that whiche swarueth from the same In like maner ought we to esteme the decrées or Canōs of Councels Wherfore Councels we iudge it of small force in controuersies of Religion or matters of faithe to be vrged with the bare sentēces of the Fathers or with Decrées of Councels much lesse with receaued customes or with cōtinuance of time For we admitte none other iudge in VVho is our Iudge in matters of Faith matters of faithe then God himselfe pronouncinge in his holy Scripture what is true what false what to be folowed what to be auoided So that we are satisfied with the iudgements onely of spirituall men whiche iudgemēts are taken out of the woorde of God Ieremie and other Prophetes did vtterly condemne the Councels of the Priestes holden againste the lawe of God earnestly admonishing vs not to heare those Fathers who walking in their owne inuentions haue gone astray from the path of Gods lawe We refuse also Mennes Traditiōs Mennes Traditiōs which notwithstandinge their glorious titles as though thei came of God his Apostels deliuered to the Church by expresse woorde of mouth and as it were by the handes of Apostolike men geuen to Bishoppes their successours yet being conferred with the Scripture doth dissent from them which argueth that they were neuer made by the Apostles scolers For as the Apostles taught not cōtrarie doctrine one to the other so their scolers published not repugnant doctrine to the Apostles nay it were rather impious to affirme that the Apostles in their life time by woorde of mouthe did appoint thinges contrary to their owne writinges Paule plainely affirmeth that he taught one kinde of doctrine in all Churches And 1. Cor. 4. againe he saieth We write none other thinges vnto you then that you reade 2. Cor. 1. or know In an other place he witnesseth that he and his Disciples that is 2. Cor. 12. to witte they that folowe his Apostolike steps doo walke all in one waye and doo all thinges together with one spirite The Iewes had in time paste traditiōs of the Elders but they were confuted by Christe sayinge that the Mat. 15. Marc. 7. kepinge of them was an hinderance to Gods lawe and that God was woorshipped in vaine by them ¶ Of God of his Vnitie and of the Trinitie Cap. 3. WE beleue and teach that there There is but one God is one God in essence or nature subsistinge by himselfe sufficient in all pointes of himselfe inuisible without a body infinite eternall maker of all thinges both visible vnuisible the soueraigne good euer liuinge geuinge life and preseruinge all thinges omnipotente of perfecte wisedome gentle mercifull iuste and true but we detest their Heresies that would haue more Gods then one For it is plainely written the Lorde thy God is one I am the Lorde thy God thou shalte haue none other Gods before Deut. 6. Exod. 20. me I am the Lorde and there is none other ther is no God besides me Am not I the Lord and there is none Esay 45. other but I alone a iuste and sauinge God there is none but I I am Iehouath Iehouah a merciful and gracious Exod. 34. God of longe sufferinge aboundinge in goodnes and truthe We beleue notwithstandinge and teache that the same God of infinite The Trinitie power beynge one God indiuisible is distinguished inseparably and vnconfusely into the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost so that the father begat the sonne from the beginnyng the sonne was begotten by vnspeakeable generation the holy Ghost procedeth from them both and that from the beginning and is to be adored with them bothe so that they be not thrée Gods but thrée persons consubstantiall co-eternall and coequall distincte touching their Substance the one goinge before the other in order but yet without any maner of inequalitie for by nature or essence thei be so vnited that they be one God and haue one diuine essence common to the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost For the Scriptures hath taught vs a manifest distinction of persons by the woordes whiche emonge all other thinges the Angel spake to the blessed Virgin The holy Ghost shal come vppon thée the Luc. 1. power of the most high shall ouer shadow thée that holy thinge whiche shal be borne of thée shal be called the Sonne of God In the baptisme also of Christ a voice was heard frō heauē speakinge of him This is my beloued Sonne Mat. ● The holy Ghoste appéered in the likenesse Ioh. 1. of a Dooue when the Lord himself bidde his Disciples Baptise he cōmaunded them to Baptise in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Mat. 28. Ghost Also in another place of the Gospell he saide My father shal sende you Ioh. 14. the holy Ghost in my name Againe he affirmeth the same sayinge When the comforter shall

Purgatory then arise the whiche yet was not generally receyued in the Church as the writings of Augustine doo manifestly declare Wherefore to returns to the matter whom of so great a multitude shall we especially choose for iudges if we will heare that Apostata of whome I haue spoken we muste chouse them that liued about the time of Theodosias the great And surely I graunt that there was at that time very learned Bishoppes but yet dare I affirme this thinge the whiche I doo protest that I doo not speake for the reproche of any that scarcely any of them cā be named which doth not bothe dissent from him The Doctors dissēt one from another selfe from others in many thinges and those of no small importance And if peraduenture that Apostata that I did speake of shall denie it then let me be counted a lier onles I doo plainely proue it But here I knowe what exception he will make at the leaste by these wryters saith he it shal appeare what was the forme outwarde face of the Catholike Churche As though VVhat neede vve seeke for formalitie this were the chiefe pointe of our controuersie not rather of the doctrine it selfe or as though at all times al rites Ceremonies are to be receiued without exception whiche the Apostolike Church it selfe hath vsed either as profitable or necessarie for their times and as though they were not playne Buylde thy house before thou paynte it fooles which when the foundations of the houses were al fallē downe would be so carefull for building vp the roofe And what néede many woordes I suppose that many of you most excellent noble Lordes haue in your remembrance how when we did treate of this matter at Poissy where we had rather a triflynge skirmishe alteration then a serious and earnest disputation we did thus cōclude in fewe woordes that the waie and meane to finish the troubles and controuersies whiche some froward Newtrals and halfefaced mē Agree of the doctrine then talke of the comely Ceremonies to name them no worse doo so importunately craue was first of al that we should dispute and agrée by the woorde of God of the doctrine it selfe and of Faith the whiche beyng once established then should we agrée much more easely about the Ceremonial matters of the whiche we would reiect some as vaine and foolishe some as superstitious either by them selues or by circūstances some as altogether wicked and some finally we would willingly admit whiche coulde be proued either profitable or necessarie What then doo these men require any more assuredly most noble Prince they séeke this one thinge that they may bringe into hatred Many that seeme qualifiers of these controuersies seeke to spoyle the flocke still vvithout checke the faithfull Ministers of God as men seditious ambitious and louers of changes suche as woulde haue all thinges new that they thēselues may still spoyle and destroy the poore flocke of Christe without controlment For they are like those without doubte of whome the Lorde speaketh that they neither will enter into the Kingdome of Heauen thē selues nor suffer others to enter in Thei are the most perilous men vndoubtedly that are suffered VVho are the moste perilous enemies to liue this day vnder the Sūne more daungerous by muche then the open enemies of the Gospell and therefore ought you principally that are the patrones and defenders of the Churches of God by the most Christian Kinges decrée to auoyde such men and beware of them who partely for their bellies sake partly for lucre partly for enuie and malice partely for fauour of them whom they flatter lie in waite to trap you But I sée that I haue bene somwhat longe in confutinge this opiniō therefore I doo returne to the matter For what shall we say or doo to those which imagine that the publike errour Publike errour cā not be the rule of Religiō muste be folowed for the rule of Religion whiche set the bare names of fathers and custome against all reasons and proufes whiche finally doo sticke onely to that one Churche whiche no The Papists calling one church Vniuersall ioygne together cōtraries lesse foolishly then falsely they call the Catholike Romish Churche that is to say an Vniuersall particular Church surely I doo thinke that we muste let them alone least we shoulde séeme to labour to cure madnesse with reason But now if none of these that we haue God is the Iudge spoken of may sitte as Iudges in this cause but rather muste be iudged of others in what courte then shall this great controuersie be pleaded Verely before the iudgemēt seate of God onely Then will they say let him be called VVhere shall vvee finde him downe from his Heauenly palace Nay why doo they not draw him foorth of these their Chancels and holy corners forsooth because we stande in no néede of a dumbe God that can doo nothinge but kéepe silence suche one as their crusted God is in the wafer cake but of that good God that speaketh clearely and plainely vnto vs. And I praye you where shall we finde him no Not in the Boxe But in the Scriptures where doubtles saue in the writinges of those mē of God who as Peter witnesseth haue bene stirred vp by the holy Ghost to speake vnto vs of those I saye vpon whose doctrine as vpon the foundation the Apostle crieth that the Churche is builded euen vppon the bookes of the Apostles the Prophetes whiche are conteined vnder the name of the Olde and new Testament But say they the doubt standeth of the interpretation Obiection of this woorde whiche we say must be sought at the Church But first of all we must agrée whiche is the Ansvveare Churche for the Synagoge of Satan also doth abuse that fayre and beutiful name of the Churche And howe canst thou iudge this same thinge but by the kinde of the doctrine And how canst The worde is iudge of the Church thou put a difference betwixt the true doctrine and the false but by the holy Scriptures As for that succession wherein some sette all their succour it hath ceased lōge ago to haue any force or valure seyng this is most certaine that the most ignorant and wicked mē haue bene the successours for many yeares vnto the good and learned Bishops Successiō of doctrine not of persons requisite and that there doth appeare no steppe or token of any lawfull vocatiō in the Churches now for a longe ceason Furthermore we doo require a succession of doctrine not of the persons euen of the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine so that of necessitie we must runne againe to the bookes of the Prophetes the Apostles for the proofe of the true succession As for the name of Traditions the The bare visar of Traditions serueth not whiche some also that feare nothinge more then the triall of the Scripture doo holde