after their death for them bycause they can not then helpe them But if it chaunce any man to lye at the poynt of death then with the wordes of the Gospell wée sende hym to Chryste to pray for the remission of hys sinnes to truste to the grace and mercie of God and so with full consolation hope for eternall lyfe And this and none other was the doctrine of the primatiue Apostolyke Church like as Paule writeth of the dead 1. Thes. 4. And therfore by Gods grace wée will kéepe the same The. xxxvj Question What they say to the glory of Lazarus and his systers Martha and Marie who prayed vnto Chryste for their brother Lykewise of Eutiches whom Paule raysed from the deade whether this were done without prayers and whether that Saint Peter did not rayse Tabitha to life by prayers The Answere I Suppose that Mary Martha Peter Paule prayed vnto God but yet not as our aduersaries teache vs to pray for the dead that is that God would be merciful to their soules and delyuer them from the fire of purgatorie and receiue them into eternall life but they prayed that vnto the glory of god they might be restored to this life And do they thinke that Lazarus Eutiches and Tabitha were in the fire of purgatorie and after their death suffered prayers I suppose they dare not affirme it And therfore they bring vs such examples as serue not their purpose but are onely to blere the eyes of the simple But if they say they were in Purgatory then I pray you howe proue they the same But some of them affirme say If Lazarus were in hell then could he not be deliuered for in hell there is no redemption but if he were in heauen then had he wrong to be brought agayne to this earth of miserie And héere therfore they conclude that there muste néedes bée a thirde or midle place To these I answer first that hereby they haue not proued this midle place to be purgatorie but that it may be as wel some other place only knoweÌ„ vnto god Secondly I say that their whole argument is false vaine Lazarus as the scripture there techeth was Christes frende and therfore his soulo was receiued into the bosome of Abraham after his death like as we may sée in the other Lazarus of whome Luke speketh ca. â—6 Neither had he any iniury offred him when his soule to the setting forth of Gods glory was agayne coupled to his body for all creatures doo of right and dutie serue their creator The Lord said vnto the these hanging on the crosse This day shalt thou be with me in paradise yet the. 3. day he rose agayn dyd not thereby suffer any wrong c. Truely I thinke that if these men which are called the Spiritualtie were compelled tobestow so much money for the dead vpon the laypeople as they for thys matter doo receyue of them their fire of Purgatorie woulde not burns so hotte and their prayers would come downe to a lower pryce But if thys doctrine of Purgatorie bée so necessarie howe commeth it then to passe I beséeche you that the Caste Churches in Grecia dydde neuer receyue it nor knowe of it vntill the tyme of Eugenius the fourth at whiche tyme very shortely after Constantinople was taken by the Turke The. xxxvij Question What they say to this place of the Machabees It is therefore an holy and holesome thoughte to pray for the dead that they may bee delyuered from their sinnes The Answere SAint Hierome Ciprian and Gelasius shall vnto this place aunswere for vs that this secoÌ„d boke of Machabées is read in the Church but hath not like authority with other canonical scriptures of the Bible to take authoritie thence as froÌ„ other scriptures in the controuersies of religion Therfore bycause in al the bookes of the olde new testament there is not one word spokeÌ„ of the sacrifices for the dead we leaue this place as we found it as not béeing able to proue any thing Agayne all the actes of holy meÌ„ are not to be folowed neither are they acceptable to god Geâ—eon for a good inteÌ„t made an Ephod in â—phra which yet had bin better if it had not bin done In the. 14. Chapter of the historie of the Machabées Raazias is praised for killing himself that he might not al into the hands of his enimies yet his act as the whole scripture techeth 〈◊〉 the best of the fathers do iudge deserueth neither prayse nor is thought wel of for euery man touching death ought to abide till God doo call And as touching this Booke I could say more but this is sufficient The ninthe Common place Of Sacramentes The. xxxviij Question How many Sacraments there be also whether those be effectuall signes of Gods grace by the which we receiue the same The Answere THe Romish church hath seuen Sacraments of al the which we do account but two to bée true Sacramentes of Chrystes church and that is Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord and vnto these we attribute so muche as the holie Scripture willeth vs And as touching these two Confirmation Extreme vnction or anoynting as they be now vsed in the church of Rome we do not acknowledge them for any Sacraments of Chryste neither suppose wée that they haue their original from gods word The other thrée that is penance Imposition of hands or Orders Matrimonie although we recken theÌ„ not amongst the Sacramentes of Chrystes church as we do baptisme the supper of the Lorde yet we acknowledge them to be profitable necessarie institutions of God and very holsome for the faythfull if they vse them in such sort and to the end for which they were ordeined and as the Saincts haue vsed them in times paste Neither doo wée allowe or thinke wel of al those things which the church of Rome doth vse in these thrée but we allow that only which is agreable with the worde of god But where we allow baptisme the Lords supper onely for true Sacraments I haue else where more largely taughte shewing that it onely belongeth to God and not to man to institute or ordeine Sacraments the signes of Gods verity and grace but also howe the promisses of God are in the Sacramentes and outwarde signes of his benefites Touching the efficacie and vertue of the Sacraments we answere that all those things which God hath ordeined haue power and vertue to bring to passe and performe al that for the which they were ordeined of God and so haue the Sacraments their power to whome therfore we ought not to attribute any other thing than that the Scriptures do attribute vnto them and for which causes they were ordeined Wherefore if we finde the Sacraments ineffectuall vnto vs that is not to be attributed to them as though the institution of God were of no sorce but it is to be attributed vnto meÌ„ which vse them
¶ Questions of Religion cast abroad in HELVETIA by the Aduersaries of the same and aunswered by M. H. Bullinger of ZVRICK reduced into 17. Common places Translated into Englishe by Iohn Coxe 1572. ¶ Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for George Byshop To the right Reuerend father in God and my very good Lorde William by Gods prouideÌ„ce Bishop of Excester Iohn Cox Wisheth all grace and peace of conscience from God our heauenly father through Chryste Iesus our Lord nowe and for euer WHEN I HAD finished the translation of thys Booke right Reuerende father and being persvvaded by some of my godly freends to publishe the same in Printe for that it vvas a Booke not onely conteyning the vvhole summe of our Christian Religion but also ansvveres to all the obiections vvhich our aduersaries the Papistes may or can obiecte agaynst vs bearing any similitude or likelyhode of truthe and agayne also considering vvith my selfe that in these our dayes beeing the laste and therefore the moste perillous and daungerous dayes for so our sauiour Christ him selfe teacheth vs vvherin vve haue great neede to be furnished against the assaultes of the enimies of true Religion and vvaying vvith my selfe the godly minde of the author D. Henry Bullinger vvho vvrote the same in hys ovvne naturall tongue for the profite of his Countreymen as more largely appeareth in his ovvne preface vvhere he declareth vvhy he tooke this matter in hande a man of moste singular learning and vertuous liuing for vvhom all christendome is bound to magnifie the maiestie of god declaring his loue tovvards vs in sending such an excellent member to his Church vvho paynfully traueled not only in Lectures and Sermons euen in his olde and feble age but also vvrote many Bookes so that it can not vvell be discerned in vvhich of these tvvo exercises he did most excede in labor thought I could do God no better seruice and no greater pleasure to my Countreymen than to make them partakers of suche a precious perle as this For that it is a sure shield and strong furnished fortresse agaynst the carping tongs and clapping clacks of Moâ—â—â— his race For such is the gret frovvardnesse obstinacie of some men that althoughe God of his mercy and clemencie hath repressed and beateÌ„ dovvne the frosen frostie and darke mountayns of Popish Cimmeria vvherby the clearenesse of his Gospell vvas kepte from vs and hath caused the most comfortable bright beames of his Gospell to shyne foorthe ouer vs yet they most vvickedly blyndfield them selues vvyth the thicke and foggie mystes of mans imaginations and so rebelling agaynst God their Creator chose rather stubbornely to abyde in their olde horrible darkenesse than vvillingly to embrace the comfortable lyghte of so mercyfull a god VVherefore I mused vvith my selfe to vvhome cheefly I might dedicate this treatise amongst many graue and vvise personages I fouÌ„d none so meete as your fatherhoode and that for tvvo causes The one for that it hath pleased god of his mercy to take avvay hence vnto him selfe that moste precious levvel and excellent ornament of his Church D. Jewell late Byshop of Sarisburie for vvhose death vvhat sighes and teares are amongest the godly I ceasse to declare partly for that I vvyll not augmente and renue your Fatherhoods conceiued sorrovves vvhich you haue planted vvithin your breste such vvas the great amitie loue and faythfull frendship betvveene you and for that partly the aboundaunce of mine ovvne teares forceth the same such are the vehement affections of mans nature to vvhome this Booke vvas dedicated by one Iosias Simlerus one of the chefe Ministers in the Church of Zuricke vvho turned the same out of Dutche into Latin vvherin the author vvrote it as I sayd before that as the Booke vvas a defence and fortresse to many so he lykevvyse mighte be a sheelde and defence vnto the same agaynst the brauling tongues of the barking enimyes the Papistes vvho are euer ready to spit foorthe the pestiferous humors of their malitious and vngodly stomacks as their tyrannous practises from tyme to tyme haue and doo moste manyfestly declare VVherfore righte reuerende father and my singular good Lorde sithe it hathe pleased God as I sayde before to take avvay from vs such an ornament and Ievvel for some good cause vnto him knovven I offer this his defence into your hands beeing no lesse vvorthy to take so good a matter in hande The other is your good Lordshyps accustomable fauour and good vvill continually bestovved on the cheefe of my freends vvhich forceth me to dedicate this vnto you therby to signifie that althoughe there vvanteth povver and habilitie bothe in them and me to requite any parte thereof yet suche is our bounden dueties tovvards your Lordshippe that neither blinde obliuion nor tyme vvith his crooked sithe shall be able to cut that reuerende affection and loue from our brestes vvhich vvee haue duetifully conceiued tovvards you VVherefore I moste humbly beseeche you to accepte this my trauell in good parte and as the onely token of him vvho prayeth dayly vnto the almightie God that he may encrese you vvith honor and so gouerne you vvith his holy spirite that as you haue begun so you may continue a most vigilant and paynfull pastor in Chrystes Churche to the comforte and encrease thereof the quiet and discharge of your ovvn conscience the defacing and ouerthrovving of the aduersaries of the same and the incoraging and prouoking of your godly Ministers and Preachers to folovv your steppes in paynfulnesse diligence loue humilitie and other moste excelleÌ„t vertues for the vvhich amongst all the godly you are moste vvorthely commended and that so finishing your lyfe vvith a long and an honorable age you may vvith Chryst Iesus our head and onely cheefe pastor possesse the crovvne of eternall glory for euer and euer Amen Your Lorpships moste humble at commaundement IOHN COXE To the right reuerend Father in God Iohn Iuel Bishop of Sarisburie Iosias Simlerus vvisheth health I Haue heard oftentimes many godly men greatly desire some wryting in the which ther might bréefely be confuted all the chéefe argumentes of the Popishe prelates For saide they there is muche written very copiously and learnedly against them but all meÌ„ haue not leisure to reade ouer so great and large woorkes And furthermore to those which trauell and by crueltie of the persecuters of oure religion are forced to read them priuily these great volumes are to them very incommodious bicause they cannot easily be caried about with them nor thrust or hidde in their bosome And remembring that a fewe yéeres agone the reuerend father in God Iohn Parkhurst did often times desire me that like as D. Bullinger my father in lawe whome for reuerence sake I name had bréefely set foorthe the chéefe poyntes of our religion and confirmed the same by testimonie of holy scripture intituling it the Summe of Christian Religion so I in like maner shuld gather togither al the arguments which the papists
beléeued than the worde of God it selfe But if it be otherwyse then is there no aucthoritie of any Councell to bée accepted agaynst the truthe of the holy Scriptures Constantinus the Emperoure in the firste generall Counsell holden at Nâ—câ— offered vnto the fathers there béeing lawfully assembled the Bookes of the olde and newe Testamente commaunding them thereby so iudge and determyne all controuersies The seconde Question is VVhether that Counsels haue erred But their Question is so demaunded as thoughe they mighte neuer erre But bycause all the Councelles that haue béene héeretofore as also those whiche are now were gathered from men and and that men doo and may erre like as in times past they haue often erred for Dauid sayth God is true but euery man is a lyar and saint James sayth In many things we sinne all It foloweth therfore that couÌ„cels may erre On the other side if they folow god his word they caÌ„ not erre as we before haue sufficiently declared That councels haue erred and therby often haue bene quite coÌ„trary one to an other coÌ„demning one an other dothe manyfestly appeare by Hystories For it is not néedefull at large héere to discourse them all sithe I haue onely determined to aunswere the Questions aforesayde briefly The thirde Question is VVhether those thinges whiche are well and sufficiently decreed vppon once in some generall Councell oughte to bee called into question and to bee disputed on agayne To this question I aunswere thus Those thinges whereon the Counselles haue rightely and truely decréed by the woorde of GOD to those muste wée submitte our selues neyther are they to be called into question As the firste generall Counsels holden at Nice Constantinople and Ephesus dyd well and rightely decrée touching the holy Trinitie the Deuine and Humane nature of Chryste the holy Ghoste and of suche thinges whiche dydde héerevnto appertayne They nowe therefore offende not agaynst GOD whiche dispute and set them selues agaynst those that call these thinges agayne into question and make doubte of them but they whych are the causers and authors of these Disputations offende as namely Seruetus the Spaniarde in our age and diuerse others whiche haue done the lyke by their open workes and wrytings We also confesse that the lawes of the godly Emperours and Kinges were and are ryghte profitable and necessarie wherein blasphemouse and wycked disputations are forbydden But the Popishe Prelates can not by this tytle defende or shielde them selues as that nothing ought to bée written or disputed agaynst their late newe holden Counselles whiche thyng in déede they greately desire bycause they knowe them selues giltie of infidelitie For it is tootoo manyfeste and can by no manner of meanes bée denyed that in their Counsels they haue ordeined and decréed many thinges contrary to the custome of the Primatiue Churche and the manyfeste testimonies of the holy Scriptures which by their leaue wée may not leaue vntouched Wherevppon within these fewe hundred yeares many holy learned faythfull valyaunte and sincere Ministers of GOD haue cried out saying that the church of Rome is fraught and full stuffed with all abuses errors sinnes wicked and horrible factes and offences and therefore hathe néede of greate and earneste reformation But these men woulde that all these thinges shoulde bee couered and smered ouer and therefore they say It is not lawefull agayne to speake of or dispute agaynst those things which were once decreed and establyshed by generall Councels But whether this bée righte and iuste before God and men the wyse may easily perceiue Touching this matter Saincte Augustine dothe very well instruct vs for he commaundeth vs without all doubt to beléeue the Scriptures of the holy Bible and to beléeue the writinges of the fathers so farrefoorthe as they bee confirmed and proued by the witnesse of the holy Scripture Epistle 19. 111. 48. agaynst Cresconius Lib. 2. Capitu. 32. ni his Booke De peccatorum meritis remis cont Pelag. Li. 3. Ca. 7. De vera regione Cap. 10. Contra Epist. Pelag. ad Bonifac. Lib. 4. Cap. 8. And in his third Booke agaynst Maximinus he saythe But nowe neyther oughte I to bryng the Councell of Nice nor thou the councell of Arimineus as to be preiudiciall one to an other but let vs dispute by the authoritie of the Scriptures And in his seconde Booke agaynst the Donatistes and thirde Chapter he submitteth Councelles to the authoritie of the Scriptures and saythe that it often commeth to passe that the former Councelles may bée amended by those whiche are holden after Agayne De Vâ—itate Ecclesiae in hys sixetéenthe Chapter he sayth That the Scripture is the foundation and Pyller of the Churche and of all that is therein The. xiij Question Whether that Paule Peter James and the rest of the Apostles in the first Counsell holden at Jerusalem did take into theÌ„ the Heretikes which vrged Circumcision and the obseruing of Moyses lawe vpon the godly or the lay men which were of that secte The Answere THe whole scope and drift of this question is this that if there chance a frée conference or disputation in any counsel wherin they are required to render a reason of their fayth and Religion and so may not refuse the same that then they may haue at the leaste some kinde of prerogatiue to the ende that nothing may bee decréed agaynst theÌ„ that they may not be drawen froÌ„ their sinnes errors other abuses to a vertuous acceptable life before god Therfore séeke they by al meanes that them selues onely may be placed in thâ— councels and that they may not be constrained to admit any lay man or suche as are not of their stampe amongste them but that they alone may haue ful power and aucthoritie to accuse to be witnesses to determine and to iudge and that by this meanes nothing may be done but as it listeth them And eueÌ„ in this sorte haue some of their forefathers nowe a great while holden councels being the readye waye as they thought to prouide for them selues But whether this were acceptable before God vpright before men or profitable to the church the time it selfe the oppressing of the truthe the slaughters of moste godly men and the miserable gouernement of the thurche dothe euidently declare yea and all faithfull and wise men may easely iudge Of this question there is two partes The first is vvhether the Apostles in the firste councell at Ierusalem did take into the same those heretickes which wente about to thrust vpon the godly circumcision and the lawe of Moses Now héere they suppose we must néedes denie the same whereuppon they will conclude that bicause we are Heretickes we neither oughte to be heard nor be admitted into the councel But althoughe there were no place nor licence giuen to the heretickes in the councell at Jerusalem to speake yet it foloweth not that we ought not to be heard or ought not to be admitted into
did set on Moses chair could haue deriued the petigree of their succession from them selues euen vnto Aaron but bicause their life and Doctrine did not agrée with the life and Doctrine of Aaron and other godlye Priestes their succession auailed nothing against Christ and his Apostles neyther were Christ and hys Apostles false Doctoures or disseuered from the true Churche bicause they were not able to proue theyr succession as the Pharisies coulde For the woorde of God and the institution of Christ was sufficient for them Wherefore sith euen wée also now haue on oure side the woorde of God and the institution of Christe there is no succession of Bishoppes that canne proue vs to be no Christians or to be oute of the true Churche The Histories of Popes and other like Prelates which are written yea euen by theyr beare frendes and defendoures doe sufficiently â—eâ—â—â—ie that almost al of them haue obtained this dignitie and place by moste â—iltâ—â—e meanes by Symonie wiâ—ked artes violence murthers and trayâ—erous conspiracies wherefore if it woulde pleâ—le them a little more narowly to consider héereof they shoulde â—â—nde by better aduise there were no iâ—lt cause to bragge of theyr succession but rather to burie the same in silence sith by it their euilles and horrible filthâ—â—esse is so clearly detected But God hathe â—one this to the ende the truthe might be reuealed and the goâ—ly warned to gather them selues together vnder our head Christe and into hys true Churche In times paste aboute a thousande yeares agone it was an vsuall kinde of speache amongste the Fathers to say The Apostolike seate the Sea of Antioche of Alexandria of Rome But by the name of sea or seat they did not vnderstande only the seate or place oute of the which the Bishoppes â—f those Cities did teache but rather the Doctrine which the Apostles and their Disciples preached first in those cities Wherfore the ancient Bishops which by lawfull election obtained any of those seats did preache defend publishe and preserue in the church the Apostolicall doctrine and that oute of the wrytings â–ª of the blessed Apostles But where is nowe I pray you the Apostolike seate Where are the bookes and preachings of the Apostles Where is theyr holy life What Doctrine teache they and in what sorte liue they now which boast of the Apostolike seate Teache they and gouerne they not contrarily to the Apostles Doctrine There is no néede to speake muche of it heere for all men sée it and knowe it yea they finde by experience that they are so shamefully wandered from the Apostles that if nowe the sayde Apostles and holy Bishoppes of the primitiue churche shoulde come amongste them and beholde the pride and pompe which these Prelates vse in their gouernemente they woulde not onely disalowe them for theyr successoures but also accuse them for their ennimies And Paule truely speaketh very well of this kinde of succession of Prelates in the. 20. of the Actes of the Apostles For I knovve sayth he that after my departure ther vvil come amongste you gredy vvolues not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your ovvne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to dravv disciples after them But when Paule spake these things where I pray you was there a more holye congregation than his disciples And yet notwithstanding he sayth Oute of you yea euen oute of your ovvne selues there shall come euill and wicked men which shall scatter and destroy the flocke of Christe Wherfore it is no wonder to hear that at Rome other places there were in times past holy Bishops in whose places now succéedeth most wicked men corrupte bothe of doctrine and lyfe And in that parte addeth that these things shall shortly come to passe after his departure or deathe we may easily perceiue that to be of no force which the Popish Prelates so often alleage saying It is impossible that errors should be of so long coÌ„tinuance in the Church neither that God woulde suffer errors so long to remayne And agayne that it is impossible that in those places wherein the Apostles haue preached and so many godly Bishoppes haue bin resident all corruption and abhomination should now altogither reigne But all men sée what the state and conditions of these things are yea and moreouer with greate gréefe and sorowe I speake it it is euident vnder what gouernement and in what miserable corruption the auncient and chiefest churches of the East partes are nowe in these dayes But of all these things the blessed Prophetes and Apostles haue spoken and forewarned vs to the ende we should not thereby be offended nor seduced by any The. vj. Question Whether they do beleeue that the christian Church is not only visible but also inuisible The Answere IT behoueth in this place to vse some distinction For the congregation of the saincts which are in heauen althogh we behold them with-the eies of our faith desire to be coupled with theÌ„ in the rest ioy which they possesse yet are they inuisible to the faithfull which liue here on the earth touching the bodily sight Furthermore â—ith God alone knoweth the harts that he only knoweth who are faythfull and who not and bicause many doo boste them selues to bée faythefull whiche notwithstanding are nothing so but are mere hipocrites which thing none séeth but God alone yea and bycause many tymes men iudge those to be wretched â—inners and abiectes from God which yet neuerthelesse are not separated froÌ„ him but are better affected in their heart towards God than we doo know and are also knowne to him only therfore in respect hereof also the church of Chryst is called inuisible Agayne bycause the vniuersall churche of Chryst can neuer be gathered togither that we may wholly see it before the laâ—â—e day and iudgemente of our Lorde Jesus Chryst it is also called inuisible But she is not called inuisible as though sâ—e were not at all for we doo willingly confesse that vpon this earth the church of Chryst is visible also For it is euident that the congregations of the Corinthians â–ª Ephesians Philippians c. are called of Paule the church and we know also that euery one of those faithfull in those churches were visible althogh yet neuerthelesse the spirit those spiritual gifts which they had were inuisible but when they shewed foorthe them selues by the exercises of sundry vertues But what needed this questioÌ„ Or what profite coÌ„meth thereby to the faythful Truly it tendeth â—o thâ—â— eâ—de the Popes and Prelates desire to bée accompted the visible Church and hereby would fayne haue all power and authoritie to bée conueyed ouer vnto them The. vij Question Whether they do beleeue the Church of Rome to be the true catholike Church The Answere SE héere I pray you their purpose for to this ende groweth the drifts of all their arguments namely to haue vs confesse the Churche of Rome which now is and the head therof
the name of sectes and these woords sectes and sectaries are vsually receyued in common spéeche But bycause they are deriued from the Latine tong many simple people doe not perfectly vnderstande them These woords sectes and sectaries are deriued from the woorde which signifieth to cut as when an whole péece of wood is hewen or cut into diuers partes or when those which were first of one minde doe nowe disagrée and are deuided into sundry opinions so as almost euery one hath a seuerall opinion with him selfe and so these partes being thus separated are called sectes euen as amongste the Philosophers were sundry sectes as of the Epicures Stoickes and Peripatetickes amongst whome eche secte had his peculiar or proper opinion Yet notwithstāding the fathers doe make some difference betwéene these words heresie and schisme of which difference there is no néede héer to speake sauing only to note that euery schisme is not heresie For when the Apostles begā first to preach and builde the churche that is to say to bring a peculiare people bothe of the Jewes and Gentiles vnto Christe and that they might seeke al things in him their Doctrine was called heresie as plainly appeareth Acts. 24. And bicause the Doctrine of the Apostles did differ much frō the doctrine which héeretofore had bene taught amongste the Jewes they called it heresie supposing it to be a defection or separation from that which they iudged to be the true faith Wherfore whersoeuer any discord schisme or heresie is begonne it muste néedes followe that there was first an vnitie which is nowe deuided by the Heretickes wherupon wée must perfectly know what that vnitie is which the Heretickes so deuyde by meanes whereof they take thys theyr name true church of Christ which putteth hir trust only in god the father through our lord Jesus Christ his son by the power of the holy ghost Yea also the sacramēts of ▪ Christ Baptisme the Supper of the Lord serue to this purpose by which the godly binde them selues to God mutually knit thē selues together in loue And this therfore is that whole summe or vnitie which being separated maketh heretickes And we haue exāples héereof in the auncient people of God to whō God gaue in cōmaundement that they should loue him with al their hart with all their soule with all their strength and therfore he included them into one churche gaue them one lawe made one couenaunt with them instituted amongste them one Tabernacle or Temple one arke of couenaunt one altare Sacrifice and Priesthoode Yea their sacramentes that is to say Circūcision and the Passeouer serue also to this vnitie teaching them that they were all one people vnder one God in one faithe And therefore he forbad them to worship or serue strāge gods that is to say to haue in steade of God or of a sauior any thing whatsoeuer besides him selfe who is the true and liuing god He also forbad them to hearken after strange religions or to worship him or offer Sacrifices vnto him in any other place but in that only yea and after that sort which himself had ordained But Jeroboam king of Israel did first manifestly cōtrary to the ordinances of god For first he separated the vnitie of the church into diuers parts and brought x. tribes frō the only temple altars priesthoode sacrifice brue them frō the appoynted written seruice of God built two tēples after his owne minde in which he placed idols built altars chose priests after his own wil wherof we mai read in the first of Kings in chap. 12. 13. And this was the chefest heretike or deuider of gods church ▪ for the which oftētimes he was moste sharpely reproued by the word of god Then after this mā came King Achab who besides this added héerunto the worshipping of Baal and so ledde the people yet further from the true right way wherfore God rooted out bothe them and all their posteritie Againe after that the blessed Apostles had preached Christe and all saluation of man to be contained in him and on this foundation haue builded the churche in this worlde lefte their wrytings and the bookes of the Prophetes wherin is contained the fulnesse of all good doctrine vnto the same they foreshewed in their wrytings that there should come suche which would deuide or tear their doctrine faith and church And in shorte space after suche entred into the churche and haue daily encreased Of whome some denyed the Trinitie some the deuine and some the humane nature of Christe Other some of them did extenuate or take away the corruption of manne or as some call it Originall sinne and some did attribute righteousnesse and saluation of man to mannes owne power and frée wil to the workes of the lawe and merites of men and that cleane contrary to the frée grace of god And eache of these most lamentably haue torne and rent the holy scriptures and the church to the ende they might establishe some peculiar opinions and by those crooked sleightes to seduce the foolish and leade them from the onely way and Apostolike churche to their vtter destruction which sleightes and péeuishe opinions they either haue deuised of their owne braynes or else receiued them frō other traditions without the warrant of the holy Scriptures and hauing thus receiued them they moste obstinately defende and teach them And therfore the auncient fathers haue righte worthely counted and estéemed them for Schismatikes and Heretikes Wherfore if any nowe in these our dayes doo rayse vppe or renue any of the aforenamed Heresies of sedicious opinions or deuise any thing of them selues contrary to the Scriptures or doo otherwyse rent and deuide asunder the scriptures and the holy christian Church and attribute that vnto them selues whereof they haue spoyled Chryst and béeyng neuerthelesse better instructed oute of the worde of God wil not reuoke their foresayde errours but preache vnto them selues an other God an other Gospell an other Chryst renting the hearts of the faythfull teaching them not to loue one god with al their harts but other Gods also not to pray vnto God onely but to other creatures to serue them worship them pray vnto them Agayn they teach not al saluatiō and health to be in Chryst alone but to be in other creatures also that christ is not in the holy scriptures so called a pastor head chéefe bishop aduocate and intercessor sacrifice for sinnes the righteousnesse redemption of the faithful as thoughe these were so proper vnto him that to this end none other things might be ioyned to him Furthermore if they vse the Sacraments for any other purpose than for the conseruation and increase of the vnitie of the Church If I say either euen wée our selues or any other doo the things wherof I haue spoken they are vndoubtedly to be suspected of Heresie as the authors of sectes and discordes in faythe and the true Churche of Chryste