other accordyng to oure vnderstanding which wée haue already doone with meaning to bring them to light to the edification of the Church to the ende euery one may sée that the controuersy is not so greate as is giuen oute to the people who being bothe troubled and amazed with suche diuersities knoweth not what pathe to treade hearyng some preache that Christe is here and other saye hée is not there but here The Churche of Chryste is not suche one but oures is the right Churche wée are of Paule and they bée of Cephas and others of Apollo Alas are wee baptised eyther in the name of Paule Iohn or Martine Is not onely Iesus Chryst our Redéemer Is it not in hys name that wée are baptized and broughte into the Churche Is not hee the souerayne Doctoure graduated not at Paris but in Paradyse whome our Heauenly Father hath ordeyned for our chief schoolemaster with expresse commaundement to heare him Why then doo wée seeke so many maysters and forgers of Doctrine To conclude I desired the sayde Minister to absteyne from iniurious inuectiues and words of quarel in bookes with exhortation to his companions to modestie and séemely temperance in their prechyngs also to persuade the people to faith mortification and brotherly charitie whiche albeit they haue not obserued but rather in the contrary haue vsed words of slaunder in the very Pulpit teaching by that mean their audience to imitate their disorders And which woorse is you other my brethren euen of late haue caused to be imprinted certein Libels wherin you haue reuersed the names of persons ▪ and by conuersion and change of letters haue most iniuriously handled a certeyn minister of the Gospel calling him a brand of hell or such lyke name of reproch a subtiltie farre vnworthy your vocation 12 If these matters growe to continuance it is not to be douted good brethren that the iudgement of God wil not thunder vpon our heads when beléeue mée the liuing God will know how where to finde vs though we be vnder the protection of greate Princes for the Lorde will not leaue vnpunished suche insolencis and mistakings of his deare Church the whiche as hée hath boughte with his bloud and deliuered from the tirannie of Antechrist so now such people would eftsoones suppeditate and persecute hir vnder colour of pietie and instruction of certein persons whom the Lord hath stirred vp to minister and serue in his temple And to speake more cléerely in this matter knowe yée good brethren that touchyng Martine Luther Phillip Melancthon The authoriti◠of Luther and other Doctors of the gospell with other like men wée estéeme thē true seruants of god to whom as the holy spirit hath plentyfully imparted his giftes and graces so haue they laboured with an ernest care both to impugne the abuses crept into our christian religion and also to manifest the truth of the Gospell of Chryst albeit we must and do acknowledge them to be no more than mē and so by consequence subiect to be ignorant in many things for so God vseth to bestow his giftes and graces vpon men as the condition of their ignorant nature may shew that they bée not Gods vppon earth 13 Besides that it hapneth many tymes that the seruants of God do obserue a certein special wisdom as not willing to reueale all they do vnderstande fearyng theyr audience not to bée as yet capable of suche Doctryne the same happenyng The wisdome of S. Peter euen to Saincte Peter the Apostle of Chryste who albéeit hadde receyued visybly the holy Spirite yet hée estéemed the tyme not yet conuenyent to manyfest to the Iewes the abolition of the Lawe fearyng leaste by suche a meane the Preachynge of the Gospell shoulde be broughte in contempte and the publication of the same hyndered On the contrarie Saincte Paule was of opynion that in a matter of so greate The zeale of S. Paule importaunce oughte to bee no dreade of daunger but to make open and publyke manyfestation of the lybertie whiche Galath 2. the Lorde hadde broughte vnto hys Churche In lyke sorte wée haue reason to presume that these good seruants of GOD Luther and Melancthon séeyng the greate resystaunce of the worlde ageynst the preachyng of the pure doctryne and the abolition of the Papistes abuses iudged it an acte of wisedome to gyue a little place too suche furie of the tyme and to gayne the heartes of the people gently wythoute makynge them Straungers to the Doctrine of the Sacramentes wyth expectation from daye too daye of more proper and fytte Reade the Epistles of Melancthon to Luther but chiefly the second occasyon to restore and bryng in wholly the true exercyse and vnderstanding of the holy Ceremonyes wherein wée maye bee confyrmed by the procéedings and degrées of the Doctryne whych wée doe see in the Bookes of the sayde holye Reade the beginning of Sleidans historye men For who can denye that Martine Luther was ignoraunte in many thynges at hys begynning to preache which the Lorde reuealed vnto hym after affyrmynge in the woordes of his owne mouth that GOD hadde sent hym not so muche to edifie and reestablyshe the Churche of Christe as to ruinate and batter the kingdom of Antechrist wherin he found dayly such chaunge of abuses vnworthy to be supported in the christiā Religion that in the ende hée protested that the Masse deserued to be abolished whiche Melancthon in the ende of the confession of Auspurge mainteyned contrarily professing the Masse to be yet reteyned in their Churches All this notwithstanding you my brethren of this time will not as farre as I fynde agrée that the Masse is yet reteyned in youre churches no not in the sort that the confession of Auspurge propoundeth it The words of Melancthon be these Falsò accusantur ecclesiae nostrae quòd Missam aboleant Retinetur enim Missa apud nos summa Reuerentia celebratur seruantur et vsitatae Ceremoniae ferè omnes praeterquam quod latinis cancionibus admiscentur alicubi Germanicae quae additae sunt ad docendū populum that is to say Our churches be falsly accused in that they abolishe the Masse for the Masse is reteined with vs and is celebrated with greate reuerence with an vse and obseruation of almost al What Supper the Protestants had in the beginning the accustomed ceremonies sauing that in some places there be certen Canticles in the Dutche entermedled with those that are soong in the Latine and that to teache the people 14 Sée brethren how you wold now aduow so goodly a reformation of Masse being assured that such institution is the true heape of vanities inuented by men and tending to the prophanation and abolition of the holy Supper of the Lord but if others in the very time of Luther and Melancthon haue bin moued wyth the spirite of God and with a zeale of S. Paule haue resisted such simulation wel affected notwithstanding to the glorie of God proueth
it were better that such a one had fastned to his necke a great Mylnstone and cast into the bottom of the sea than to be suffered to offende and put dissention in the church which the Lord begins to norish in this towne and who now being in hir cradle is in more necessitie to be fed with the true woord of god releued in hir afflictions and comforted in hir persecutiōs than to be disquieted with subtil and curious questions diuisions and debates vpon the matter of our confession wherin as we both féele and sée the wonderful benefits which the Lord hath layde both vpon you and vs hauing drawne vs out of the miserable quagmier and marish of superstition and idolatrie amongest the Papists so let vs wish that as true Ministers of God we may employ our selues with one accord to set foorth the glorie A mean to accorde questiōs cōcernyng the doctrine of him who of prisoners of darknesse hathe made vs happie members of his moste cléere lyght If there be any thing which you iudge not well vnderstanded of vs were it not better to come to conference with vs or vse brotherly admonition than to exclaime in the Pulpit and fill the Bookebinders shoppes with Inuectiues and Apologies of spite were it not better with inuocatiō of the name of the Lord to entertaine quietly the affaires of the aduauncement of his glorie than to leuie warre against oure selues with the shot of the pen whose wounds are farre more daungerous and incurable than the smitings eyther of the bow or crosbowe bicause the one offends but Warre of learned men most slaunderous the body and flesh and the other pierceth both depely and bloudily the renoume of the person whiche euery one holdeth in value more deare and precious than eyther golde or siluer with all the riches in the worlde 5 Alas miserable and wretched that we are what cōdemnation what iudgement do we heape vpon our heads when we preach to the Souldiers to lay away their armes and forbeare to offend common wealths and wée euen we our selues doo carie in our Inkhorns weapons most sharpe with arrowes of poyson to thunder vpon such as doo not offer themselues wholly to our aduise and opiniōs and refuse to hazarde theyr Faythe in the interpretations whiche wee make of Gods woorde 6 Thys arrogante ouerwéenyng is Whereof it cōmeth that the audience in the reformed church bee deformed in lyuing the cause why the Lorde suffereth that the frute of oure preachyngs is eyther none at all or at least of so little effect that oure Audience in theyr lyfe and conuersation doo declare what slender knowledge and feare of GOD they learne by oure Exhortations God suffereth also to fall vppon vs Inquisitours and Persecutoures in the verye same sorte that wée presume to bee the Censors of the Faythe of others And bycause wée wyll rule all the worlde by the touche of the Sentence and aduise of this or that man the Lorde incenseth the very Children them selues to calle vs Parciall Sectatoures and Admiratours of the opynions of men namyng some Martinistes some Caluinistes some Ozeandrines some Melancthonystes and some Brentiens wyth diuers other like names and that with good ryghte bycause wée haue not oure eyes fixed on the onely aduauncemente of the glorie of Iesus Chryste and his Churche whyche is Catholike and vniuersall But euery one wyll deale aparte euery one entice and drawe hys audience aparte euery one maynteyne the renoume of his institutour and that which woorse is euery one as supreame Iudge giues sentence of condemnation without appeale ageynst others 7 Of thys myserable cause it commeth to passe that this Churche béeing at this day deliuered from the insupportable inquisition and tyranny of the Papistes and that by the grace of GOD and goodnesse of oure Kyng and Soueraigne Magistrate wée haue notwithstanding amongest oure selues supreme inquisitors who with an arrogancie aboue the Pharisies call the other doggs and worldlings not considering belike such is their arrogancie that this word worldlyng or of the worlde carryeth wyth it an vnreuerent spyte to the body of Christe according to that he hymself doth say that the world is his enimie and that he wil not pray for it Al which condemnation is founded vpon that that the worldlings as they call them will not accommodate themselues to the administration of the Sacraments in their fashion nor florish in imaginations and questions of subtiltie but are contented in the simplicitie of the woorde of God with direction of the holy Spirite to instruct their consciences 8 Other there be who of their confessions Catechismes Commentaries and traditiōs make as it were a fifth gospel giuing no lesse authoritie to their particular interpretations than if they were of the Articles of Faith not refusyng to call all them heretikes who poynte by poynt doo not folow their imaginations whiche although were good and substanciall to edifie yet are they none other thā the breath of men and therefore vnwoorthy of cōparison with the eternall woord 9 These things Brethren with the consideration of them mouyng no small sorow in my mind foreseing as it were the breach whiche Sathan myght make in the house and troupe of God by such a mean procured me to attempt familiarly one of your brethren and companions in the woork of God who as he séemed of some superintendence and authoritie amongst you so I imparted with him the M. Yllyryc great slaunder growyng to the neighbor churches thereabout by suche differences and dissentions manifestly published not only by bookes of infamie but also in iniurious inuectiues in open assemblies whome I requested in the name of the Lorde to exhorte his companions to forbeare their further procéedings in suche sort with discontinuance of their slaunderous order of dooings altogether vnworthy of the ministerie of Chryst 10 His answer hereuntoo argued his sufficient forwardnesse complaining albeit ageynst others and saying that the best meane for accorde were to bryng in disputation and to hādle chiefly the question vpon the Lordes Supper vpon the diuers and sundry construction whereof sprong bothe the disorder and dissention I sayd there was slender hope of present accorde this way if bothe the one and other would not disclaime their stout and straunge order in proponing their opinions and interpretations For sayde I if they obserue no more modestie in their woordes than they haue vsed temperance in their bookes and wrytyngs neyther can the cause bée determined nor the erroure reduced for whiche respecte I accoūt it not out of purpose to take a Confession of Fayth and imparte with the people those Articles wherein wée all agrée leauing the reste that maye bring likelyhood of dissention or slaunder to the Church 11 Herein hée séemed to aprpoue my aduise with persuasion that to take the Confession of Auspurge were most necessarye to enforce thys accorde subsignyng suche Articles as with good conscience wée myghte receyue and interprete the
bée in more lybertie of conscience and the worshippers of one onely God and not of mortall men ignoraunt and blynde who makyng them selues as Idolls doe desire to bée followed and holden in greate admyration I would in God that euery one would say with Sainct Iohn the Baptist it is méete that Iesus Christe be exalted and magnified and that I be diminished and vnknown it is to Iesus Chryst to whom we ought to send the poore soules desirous to fynde knowledge and iustice and not to youre confessions institutions catechismes or commentaries 57 For the reste brethren you séeme to complaine of the greate diuersitie of interpretation that many haue pronounced vpon the words of the Supper which partely I can not denie bycause many desirous to make their church apart doe raise a value or estimation of them selues among their audience with pretence to celebrate theyr owne names from whence it procéeds that hauing but one truth and one simple intelligence in the words of Chryst all such as digresse from the same to vse some strange and new order do euery one bring into the churche his innouation 58 But I besech you consider whether amongst those that receiue the tenth article of the confession of Auspurge there be any diuersitie of interpretatiō to the end that if you will haue all the worlde for the eschuing of the condemnation of your sentence to followe your confession you first labour to establish an accord amongest your selues and then euery one will deliberate vppon that he hath to doe For you being deuided amongst youre selues and of diuers opinions we are ignorant in the part we ought to follow to escape your condemnation They of the Confession of Auspurge agree not amongst themselues vpō the words of the Supper Reade the boke named Antithese of the true and false exposition of the tenth Article of the Confession of Auspurge the Author of the same is Sybran Andreas 59 First you know well that Mathias Yllyricus whom I thinke to be the author of your confession is not of opinion with those that haue composed and presented the confession of Auspurge and you and he are not ignorant of the contentions debates and discentions which be euen till this day betwéene him others All which I will not here repete bicause my intente is not to kindle the coales of dissention but rather to quenche them I will not bryng to lyght the faultes of others but rather couer and hyde them albéeit it is easye for euery man to sée bothe howe thyngs haue passed and how they are nowe vsed and that by Bookes that are printed Touchyng the dissention of M. Yllyricus with Ph. Melancthon and those of the Confession of Auspurge reade the Epistles of Melancthon in many places but chiefly the page 452. Also the Actes Synodals imprinted in the yeare 1559. Also the answeres giuen to the Legate of Saxon by Ph. Melancthon 60 Touching the breaking brusing of breade you sée I am sure that in thys towne of Antwerpe the Ministers be not of accorde I leaue aparte the truthe of the Question which you call indifferent notwithstandyng that the institution of the Lorde beareth by manyfest wordes the breaking of the bread S. Paule calleth the holy Supper the breking of bread which also all the auncient church do approue And for my part I am of opinion that in the ceremonie of the holie Supper the breaking of breade oughte to bée obserued as signifying and assuring to vs that Iesus Chryste was offered broken for vs for the rest as when Christ celebrated the supper whether the bread he had then betwene his hāds was great Seeke the confession K. 10. 11. or little I leaue the decision of that question to Monsieur Mathias Yllyricus who sayth that Iesus Christe in the Supper brake the bread bycause the cakes were too great and hée had not made prouision of litle waffernes as we vse so that necessitie forced him to breake the breade without hauing intent to teach vs any thing by the breaking of the bread 61 The Churches of the moste noble prince elector and Countie Palatyne receiue the confession of Auspurge and yet in youre Catechisme you teache that the vnfaithful and vnworthy do not eate the body of Chryste in the Sacrament the which is ageinst youre article and consequētly ageinst the confession of Auspurge 62 The diuins of the renoumed prince of Hesse haue receiued the confession of Auspurge and yet Andreas Hyperius doctour of the vniuersitie of Marpurge belongyng to the sayde Prince receyued the Confession presented by the Straungers out of the towne of Weasell against which cōfession Heshussius his companions and yours haue raised many debates to banish from the countrey such as folowed the sayd confession the same arguing manifestly that you and your companions be not of accorde with the churches of the sayd prince 63 Iohannes Pincerus a man lerned no lesse deuoute as you knowe albeit he receiued the confession of Auspurge writ notwithstanding a boke against the sayd Heshussius refuting the opinions of the Supper and other thyngs the whiche Heshussius nameth him selfe to be of the confession of Auspurge and youre adherent and confederate to maynteyne this dissention 64 In the yeare 1565. The right noble prince elect of Saxon presented to the vniuersitie of Wittemberge the writings of Brentius Iames Andreas as vpon meaning to examin them touching their opinion of the Supper wherevnto the vniuersitie answered that the sayd Brentius and Andreas vsed in this matter diuers and sundry orders of speche bothe newe daungerous and altogither vnknowne to the auncient Churche that is to say that the humanitie of Christ was dispersed into euery place that the humaniti-of Christe was Creatour of all things that Iames Andreas confounded the communication of languages or propreties in the person of Christ and that they feared that the vniuersitie of Tubinga and the church of Wittenburgh were troubled with these innouations of doctrin exhorting them to ceasse from suche disputations with contentment onely to beléeue that the words of Chryste be true when he sayeth this is my body Nowe my brethren what part I pray you should wee followe seing both the one and the other be of the confession of Auspurge 65 Paule Eberus denyeth expresly that the vnworthy eate the fleshe of Christe who being of the confession of Auspurge doth neither agrée with you nor yet with Brentius who mainteyneth that Iudas in the Supper did as well receiue the body of Chryst as S. Iohn or S. Peter 66 The eight article of the confession of Auspurge doth teach that the vnfaithfull are not members of the churche and therefore receiue not but the outeward signes of the Supper So that when you say that the vnworthie receyue the body of Christ you are there contrary to your owne proper confession I pray you what coniunction is there betwene lighte and darknesse What aquaintance betwene Iesus Chryste and Belyal No
contrarie are but superfluous And therefore in place to make you answer and fal into the fault which I sée in many who do nothing in all the tyme of their lyfe but dispute and debate I will praye to that good God to giue vs all a grace of participation with his light whiche chaseth away all darknesse of errour ignorance 78 I pray you what frute can proceede in writing a new booke of the questions and differences that these .xxx. yeares haue bin so sharply argued and yet without profite Would it be any other thing than in causing to bée reprinted sundrye repetitions to fil the faires of Frankefort and set the bookeprinters on work A vanitie moste greate and yet followed of many men of knowledge who desirous by these meanes too borrowe themselues an estimation wish that the world knew that they haue such a facilitie to compose bookes that in one euening after supper they can write as many quaires as may suffise a spedie Printer too imprint in a wéeke Considering alas not at all that the deuotion of a christian consists not in wordes nor in the multitude of papers bookes but in the true feare of God accompanied with liuely faith and carefull mortification with study by all our possible meanes to preserue the league of charitie one to an other giuing the worlde to knowe by our lyfe and example that our confession is the better 79 I coulde haue wished deare brethren that where in your confession you haue disgorged so many iniuries at your pleasure ageynst suche as desire youre wealth and honour at the least that you had giuen a shew of a christian modestie But it séemeth that in this vncharitable shewe you had a desire to declare an euident witnesse of the hate and euill will you beare ageinst your neighbours and that without any iust occasion in them calling them aduersaries and enimies profanors of the Supper of the Lord and darkening with corruption the words of S. Paule You call them sacramentors people that know not what meaneth the ascention of Chryste what is his ryghte hand nor what is glorification of the humanitie of the Lorde with other lyke things 80 Let vs leaue let vs leaue good brethren such maner of disputation and let vs forget to mainteine oure owne interpretation yea let vs search the edification of the churche of Chryste and not our owne glorie Let vs studie to leade men by our preachings to Iesus Christe our Soueraine Doctour and not to followe neither the coÌ„fession of Auspurge the Catechisme of Martine nor the interpretations of Iohn nor Peter Let vs make it knowne to al the princes and potentates of Germanie that all those questions bée banished wée in desire to liue in reconciliation and friendship And let not the weake haue occasion to say that we serue most as matches bellows to kindle the hearts of such personages to make them shew theÌ„selues enimies of those who coÌ„fesse one self Gospell of Chryst with theÌ„ 81 Truly the doctors pastors and ministers of the Gospell ought to be suche now as by word and writing to become suters to the Princes Protestantes to take into their protectioÌ„ and vnder their wings the churches which the Lord hath stirred vp in these lowe Countreys and that they may become humble intercessoures to the king of Spayne oure soueraine Magistrate for pitie ouer his poore and most loyall subiectes who withoute any offence vnto the maiestie of theyr Prince bée persecuted murdered afflicted as seditious and rebells and handeled with more crueltie than may bée beléeued but of suche as haue seene it 82 In the meane whyle wee triumph in the chaire with bestowyng here and there captious Inuectyues callynge some Caluinistes some Sacramentors some seditious and rebelles breakers of Images with other lyke Wee sende oure Confessyons stuffed wyth Iniurious matters debates and quarrells to the Princes of Almâ—yn to the end they may see what valiant champions we are on this syde And howe at the least the Confession of Auspurge triumpheth in the towne of Antwerpe by oure meanes In the whych meane whyle the glorie of Iesus Christ is buried or altogither forgotten and wée haue so hardened our harts that the afflictions of our brethren and neighbours doe not touche vs at all but we heare them reckened and recken them our selues with scoffes and mockerie thinking to escape better cheape bycause we are couered with the confession of Auspurge 83 No no brethren it can not be so for God knoweth how and where to find vs though it be in the bottom of the sea he hath his armes so long that he is able to drawe vs from the lappe of the greatest Monarchs of the earth And therfore lette vs not put our trust in the strength of the flesh but rather let vs march with all feare afore GOD and searche only his glorie And in place to make factions and separations of the churche let vs go with one courage and heart to batter the kyngdome of Sathan wyth the superstitions and idolatries brought into oure christian religion by him and his suppostes Let vs make warre ageynst vices and not ageynst men which bée the creatures We ought so to preach and write ageinst the abuse of the papists with a christian modesty of God bée they Papists or other discouering so the abuses as neyther the abusers nor they that be abused thynke that we crie out ageynst them rather by iniurious malice than for a zeale wée haue to drawe them to one estate 84 Of what purpose is it to vs to fill oure books and writings with iniuries ageinst the Pope Cardinalls Bishops Préestes and Moonkes and to studie for exquisite words and infamous epithetes to breath vppon them in the pulpit Are wée so forgetfull that wée remember not what we haue bin our selues Lette vs beare in mynde that there haue not passed many yeares since wée were in the same pitte and quagmier plunged vp to the chinne yea euen to the top of our heades from whence if the Lord of his goodnesse haue drawne vs displaying the tresors of his mercy vppon vs followeth it therefore that we shoulde either exclame or cry out ageinst those as vnhappily remaine yet in the place from whence we are come Were it not better to offer theÌ„ oure hand to helpe to pull them out of the pitte and to exhorte them gently to acknowledge the myserable estate wherin they are for it is impossible euer to gain their hearts by the way we take bycause man will be in libertie touchyng his beléefe and religion and the more he shall be resisted the more eiger will he be fouÌ„d in the pursute of that that is defâ—ded vntoo him employing his bodye and goods with lyfe and all if neede be to preserue his liberty in these poynts and lastly wil estéeme those as his sworne enemies who by any other meanes than gentlenesse will séeke to spoyle him of this libertie 85 Too this brethren you may
be of the Romish religion or reformed church praying always to the Lorde that he willighten vs in oure ignoraunces whiche wee ought to shew to euery one with all modestie and gentlenesse according too the example of oure maister and Redéemer Iesus who hath not disdained to receyue gently and teache myldely his very Iohn 3. enemies persecutyng him dayly and makyng coniurations to take from hym Luke 7. his life Let vs remember that being euē vpon the crosse pinched with the extreme pangs of death not mynding his owne paines he had remembraunce of his enimies with prayer to his heauenly Father to pardon their offences let vs imitate the Lorde our creator whose mercy and goodnesse are so plentiful that he maketh his sunne shine bothe vpon the good and the euill Let vs not vse regarde that this man hath suche an ignoraunce nor that man will receiue any article of our confession Let vs loue all helpe all embrace al and support the ignorances and infirmities of al. For better were it that we failed in this point if it be a fault at all than to make vs iudges of the conscience of an other and giue out sentence of condemnation ageinst those that agrée not with vs. 90 For ende deare brethren I besech you take in good parte this my epistle or letter mouing no otherwyse than of an affectioned hart towards you wherof the Lorde is my witnesse and I assure it in myne owne conscience and let it not I pray you be an occasion to you to write bookes nor Pamphlets séeing I haue no meaning too enter into armes or warre with the pen neither doth the time serue for it but rather of neede to vs all to apply oure selues to better things and let vs labour to encrease oure knowledge in that which we want to be doctors of the gospel for the acknowledging of our ignoraūce oughte rather to incense vs to a wil to learn than to make our selues inquisitours and censors of the Faythe of others with employing the time to fill bookes and papers with questions altogither impertinent to edification 91 I humbly beséech the soueraine maiestie of our good God heauenly father that it will please him too furnishe youre iudgements and vnderstādings with the knowledge of his holy woord to the ende that by the meane of youre preachings youre audience may learne a true faithe an assured hope in Iesus Chryste and a carefull mortification of the olde Adam and that the same Lorde so renue youre harts enflame your wills in the affection of charitie towards your neibors that from hence forth wée being ioyned with you and you with vs may liue in peace and tranquilitie of body and spirite in the assembly of oure Lorde Iesus soueraigne pastor of our soules who hauing bought vs by the inestimable price of his obedience and bloude moste precious it may also please hym too garde vs ageynst all dissentions make vs liue in the vnitie of himselfe vntill that béeing spoyled of this corruption wée may perfectely reioyce in the coniunction of him and the eternal glorie promised vs by his meane of the which in his own person the rather to make vs inheritors therof he hath alredy takē possession sitting on the right hād of God with all power in Heauen and earth To whome bée all glorie and empire for euer Amen In the towne of Antwerp ij of Ianua 1567. Your affectioned brother in Iesus Christ and humble companion in the work of GOD Anthonie de Corro called Belle Riue To the Churche of Antwerpe THis only deare brethren was intended by this Epistle or Sermon to imparte it by conference with the prechers of the church naming themselues of the confession of Auspurge without meaning to communicate it by publication albeit bycause diuers written copies are comen into the hāds of sundry and seuerall persons I thought it to better purpose to spread abroad and deliuer it in print than to suffer it to be argued in secrete leaste the same mighte moue cause of sinister iudgement ageinst the simple and sincere integritie of my meanyng wherein as the labour was peculiar in my selfe without the enteruiew or counsell of any so if it include any matter to edifie or confirme your cōsciences it may please you to be thankfull to the Lorde as author of al goodnesse And for the errors I beséech you let them be layde wholly vpon me as vpon a man who liuing yet in the peregrination to our heauenly countrey where wée shall haue perfect knowleage may erre and faile in many things For wée know that we are 2. Cor. 5. trauailers and iorneymen in this body we are absente from the Lorde and walke by Faith and not by view For ende I wipe my hands afore God and you all of any intent eyther to redarguate or confute the articles presented by those that call themselues of the Confession of Auspurge but rather to let them sée vpon what small causes they haue formed greate quarels maynteinyng dissention for a thing of small importaunce and forbeare too deale in matters more necessary SEing also good brethren that vppon the impression there remained certeine leaues voyde and vnfurnyshed of matter I thought it not oute of purpose to fyll them wyth certeine places of Holie Scripture persuading the Faythefull to actes of Charitie wyth brotherly vnitie one to an other yea not to forbeare to loue oure proper enemies and suche as pursue vs with persecution a vertue at this day moste importaunt and necessary the rather for that Sathan employeth a wonderfull diligence to sowe séedes of dissention and quarrell with speciall endeuour and strange meanes too corrupt the league of charitie lefte vnto vs by Chryste of suche commendation and all thys vnder a pretence of diuersitie in religion wherein as wée oughte to stand vppon our garde ageinst the subtilties and policies of the Diuel so assuredly God hath not lefte vs eyther lycence or lybertie once to thinke that it is lawfull for vs to hate any man in respect to maynteine our religion séeing wée are expresly enioyned by the wordes of the same to loue suche as despise vs and pray for those that persecute oure bodies and doings But alas wée are slipte into a time so miserable and infected with such corruption and blindnesse that in the maynteyning of the integritie of oure faith we become preiuditiall to the league of charitie with a negligent care of the vertue of the same For my part I allow iustly such diligence as is vsed in the purgation of abuses and errors to the end our holy faith and Religion may the rather be purifyed and remayne without spot albéeit I wishe a precyse obseruation of Christian charitie least in making warre ageynst the Heretikes of oure fayth wée become not heretikes ageynst charitie For which cause and to the ende that euery one be priuie to the bond and obligation which God in this purpose demaundes at our handes I haue heere