beleue they were true or to acknowlage that the faultes wherof they spitefulli slauÌ„dre vs were in vs in dede The scripture also by the euaÌ„gelistes and apostles commaundeth and bindeth vs to defende the truthe to refute lyes to beare recorde vnto the truthe and to acquyte the faythfull christianes in theyr innocencye and ryght But what can a man doo in so furyons a rageing rable of aduersaryes and Iniuryous entreatyng of men Or how shold a man begynne to defende the churche seyng such a sorte of cruell and maddebrayned enemies obiecte so many and so haynous crymes agaynst vs and dyng on as it were wyth quartre strokes on euery syde Whan S. Paule the preacher of the Gentyles and moste chosen vessell of Chryst was accused him selfe of the Iewes in a singular good cause euen the cause of the gospel furst before Antonius Felix and eftesones before Portius Festus lieutenauntes of Iewrye of many maters and was more than ouerlayde wyth the power eloquence autoritie and reputacion of hys aduersaries could obteyne nother place nor space to answere vnto euery point throughly he thought he should defende hym selfe and hys cause wel ynough yf he myght shewe by some euident most playne homely shorte reasons that he neuer taught contrarye to the scriptures nor agaynst the hope of Israel but that he was iniuriously enuyed pressed of hys enemyes for constantlye preachyng and defendyng of the hope of the Resurrection whych the Israelites holde And now folowyng his moste godly and singular good exaÌ„ple and vsyng the helpe ordre and almoste the very wordes of a certayn notable profouÌ„de learned Pastour who hath done the same in latine in defence and purgation of the christen gospellike flocke churche committed to hys spiritual charge seyng I am barred out of place and tyme as an abiecte out of my natural countrey so that I can not possibly answere to all theyr odious obiections in ordre one by one singularly by them selues I shal yet by the helpe of God do myn endeauour to declare and set before all mennes eyes by the waye of translation rather myne owne edicion that whyche is moste chief and generall mater in thys cause wyth the moste cleare and playne argumentes that I can that is to wete that the Churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the .vi. was no heretical schismatical nor sedicious Church and that all other Churches embraceyng the Gospel in assemblable wyse are no heretical nor schismatical Churches but the vndenyable churche of Iesus Christ bothe true faythfull and catholike Wherfore I beseche you ryght honourable lordes ryght worshipfull gentilmen and the rest of my charytable chrysten countreymen for the loue and loyaltye the you bare and owed to your most christen and moste louyng souerayne liege lorde and maister Kyng Edwarde the .vi. reade or heare thys simple shorte treatyse paciently and gentlye inasmuche as I shal do my diligence as euidentlye and in as fewe wordes as I possibly can to speake not of all thynges that myght be alleged in thys behalfe but suche reasons onely as chiefly and principally concerne thys present cause The fyrst Chaptre FYrst where Christ our Lorde sayeth â—he Gosâ—llerschur â—e receaâ—eth the â—ole Scriâ—tuâ—e my shepe heare my voyce the churche of Christe whyche to be knowne from the churche of Papistes is called the gospellers church as the churche of Englande in Kyng Edwardes tyme was dothe acknowlege and receaue the Canonical bokes bothe of the olde TestameÌ„t and newe as those that were proclaymed and spoken out of Boddes owne mouthe Ther is none of them that it denyeth or refuseth but receaueth and reteyneth theÌ„ al holly and perfytly Nother doth it capciously reason about the receauyng of those bokes who hath receaued them or who hath refused them nor whether is of greater force the autorite of the churche receauyng the scriptures or of the scriptures them selues receaued For albeit we read that S. Austen wrote thus Non crederem EuaÌ„ gelio nisi ecclesiae catholicae autoritas me coÌ„moue ret I wold geue no credeÌ„ce sayth he vnto the gospell if the autorytye of the catholike churche dyd not inoue me yet Berson the chauncellour of Parise Gerson a ryght excellent famous man in hys tyme dothe in hys seconde boke De vita spirituali like a discrete profouÌ„de learned clerke saye S. Austen in that place taketh the churche for the primityue congregacion of those faythful christeÌ„ men that harde and sawe Christ were his recorde bearours For whan ther crepte out dyuerse soÌ„dry Bospelles in the churche while the apostles disciples of Christ were yet lyuing they that hade sene Christ him selfe hade harde hys apostles could testifye whych were ryght and true and whych were not Ireneus also in the .xi. chapter of his .3 boke Contra haereses sheweth by many manyfest proues that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles and yet he maketh no mencion of the churche that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles bycause the churche hathe receaued no moo but only 4. but bycause the Lord hath so appointed For ther was neuer man that in any Conuocacion or Synode assembled al for that purpose from the begynnyng coÌ„firmed the Canonical bokes of the scriptures or decreed which were canonical which were not but the thurche as it receaued them of the writours autours the holy Prophetes and Apestles theÌ„ selues eueÌ„ so dyd it delyuer them as it were by hande vnto her posteritie It was late ere it begoÌ„ne to be decreed in counsailes vpon canonical and not canonical bokes of scripture not that ther was no diuersitye of them before that tyme or that the bokes of holy scripture had none autoritye before that tyme as they hade and must haue dyuine autoritye in dede although ther hade neuer ben counsayl holden but that the holy men of God were disposed to shewe their iudgemeÌ„t also agaynst suche as bare to vnfrenly a minde agaynst the canonical bokes of scripture And we confesse al that the churche is buylded and set vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and apostles so if the doctrine of the apostles and prophetes be the foundaceon of the churche thaÌ„ it foloweth of necessytye that the autoritye of the doctrine must nedes be of greater force and importaunce than the autoritie of the churche We therfore in Englande dyd receaue as the Gospellers church elles where doth stil receaue al and singular Canonical bokes both of the olde Testament and newe and namelye those that the Greke wrytours Melito Origene and Eusebius Caesariensis and of the Latines Cipriane and Ierome haue affirmed by theyr owne haÌ„de wrytynges to be taken and reputed of the auncient fathers yea euen from the begynnyng for the vndoubted true Canonical scriptures ¶ The seconde Chapter AS touching the truthe and perfyte integritye of these bokes Of the truth and perfection of the canennical scriptures we doubt nothyng therof at al in such places
thus Custodite vos ab Idolus non iaÌ„ ab idolatria quasi ab officio sed ab idolis id est ab ipsa eorum effige Indignum enim vt ima go Dei viui imago idolis mortui fiat That is kepe your selues from ydoles not now from ydolatrie as from the seruice doyng but from the ydoles that is from the very ymages of them For it were wrong that the ymage of the lyuing God should be the ymage of an ydole and of a deade thyng Therfore our churches are by these wordes acquieted from the cryme of heresie whych a great meignye of bishoppes preachers and Papistes wyth stampyng and staryng scolding and roaryng charge vs wythal and for none other cause but that the ymages of God and hys sayntes be throwen out of all Christes temples and were in no wyse receaued any more in Kyng Edwardes dayes but the scriptures of the lyuyng God set in their places Ther is no doubt sayeth LactaÌ„cius Li. 2. ca 19. ConstaÌ„tinus scholemaister but ther is no religion whersoeuer an ymage is And S. Austen in hys Cataloge wherin he rehearceth al the heresies of hys tyme reckoneth amoÌ„g them one Marcella a woman of Carpocratia whych worshipped the ymages of Iesus Christ of Paule of Pythagoras and of Homere wyth makyng addracion and incensing to them For the holy martir S. Ireneus in the 24. chap. of hys fyrst boke Contra haereses reporteth that the heretikes called Gnostici dyd worship the expresse lyuely painted ymage of our saueour Christ the paterne wherof they sent vnto Pilate the lieutenaunt of Iewrie who fouÌ„de the meanes to haue Christ set furthe as an heathen man by ymage lyke vnto hym selfe whan he was alyue by singular connyng payntours and caruers And yet that bishop and martir inueyed to the vttermost of his power agaynst that ymage whyche the Gnostici set so muche price by A and yf it were now to be had it should be reputed among the most holy reliques But thys Bishop was not a seuere earnest persecutour and enemye of ymages and ymage seruice alone for it is knowen to all men what Epiphanius the Bishop of Salamine Cyprus dyd 〈…〉 as he wryteth of him selfe in hys greke Epistle that S. Ierome translated into latine whych doubtles he wolde not haue done yf he had thought Epyphanius facte to haue beÌ„ sacrilege Epiphanius also sawe a vaile hanging in a certain churche dore stained and paynted and hauyng an ymage as it hade ben of Christ orsom saynt But he plucked it by the ende In tomo Hiero. 3. fo 73. b and reÌ„t it downe thinking it vnworthy that the image of a man should heng in the churche of Christ coÌ„trary as he saithe playnly to the autoritie of the scriptures And he exhorteth Iohn bishop of Ierusalem to charge the elders ministers of that place the they should heng vp no such vailes whych come against the religion of Christ For he sayd it was more besemyng the duetie of a bishop to see that such scrupulositie for so he termeth the vse of images in temples should be taken out of the waye whych is not worthy of the churche of Christ Now ther is no good grounde for the papistes to obiecte vnto vs the sentences and decrees of Gregorie B. of Rome Damascene the greke wrytour Bardiners great clearke and of the seuenth Synode whych they call the Synode of Nice agaynst these so cleare and so substauÌ„cial authorities For these that I haue alleged are of muche more auncientie certayntie thaÌ„ theyrs be Therfore who so euer reporteth vs to be he retikes bycause we lacke ymages let them fyrst proue the lawe of god heresie let them prone the testimonies iudgemeÌ„tes of the Prophetes and Apostles heresie and let theÌ„ proue the sayenges and doynges of Ireneus Tertullian LactaÌ„tius Epiphanius AusteÌ„ and Ierome to be heresie and whan they haue done so let them com and condemne vs of heresie also And so they wyl do one day whan they caÌ„ But yf they spare them let them be good to vs also Now wil we returne to our purpose Our churche called the gospellers churche dothe religiously holde and confesse that most excellent and most true godly belief called SymboluÌ„ apostolicum or the apostles Crede 〈◊〉 apostâ— Crede Whyche though it be purported in no place of the scriptures in the very same forme of wordes that we rehearse it in yet it is all holly and euery title of it fette out of the apostles writinges Thys Crede comprehendeth the most plenteous full forme of belief so that our elders did by it as a most tryed and certain sure rule alwayes proue and trye who were true ryght catholike beleuers who were false beleuers and heretikes Symâ—n is S. Cipriane in the exposicion of thys apostles Crede saythe that this greke worde Simbolum is a declaracioÌ„ a collacion or a gatheryng of sondry maters together into one forme And for thys cause thys same declaracion is set and compacte together by conference of the apostles doctrine that therby it myght be knowne who coÌ„fessed Christ truly according to the rules of the apostles The holy Martir Ireneus after the rehearsal of the apostles Crede saythe Li. conâ— haereses Ca. 3. Forasmuche as the church dispersed throughout the hole vniuersal worlde hathe receaued thys confession and Crede it obserueth it diligently as though the hole churche were dwellyng all in one house and preacheth and confesseth it after all one consonaunt sort as if al the churche had but one mouthe For albeit the speches in the worlde be vnlike yet the vertue and power of the declaring therof is but all one the self same one And nother the laÌ„guage that is in Spayne nor the speche that is in Fraunce ne the languages that are in the east couÌ„treyes ne yet the Egipcians tongue nor the Lybianes speche nother the languages that are vsed in the mydle partes of the world but as the sunne of goddes makyng is but one and the selfe same one in all the hole vniuersall worlde so dothe the light preaching of the truthe shyne euery wher lighteneth all folkes that are willing to com to the knowlage of the truthe And nother the bishop of the churche hym self that hath the best vtterauÌ„ce speaketh any thyng elles but these articles nother doth he that is of slenderer vtteraunce speake any lesse For seyng ther is but one and the selfe same one faythe nother dothe he that is hable to vttre it at large speake any more nor he that can not vttre the mater so plenteously speake any lesse Thus muche hath Ireneus Therfore it is most certainly out of peraueÌ„ture that the ful forme of belefe is most fully comprehended in the Apostles Crede and he that constauÌ„tly and purely continueth therin to the ende shall doubtles obteyne euerlastyng lyfe as Athanasius sayeth who so euer wylbe saued before al thinges it is necessary that
The acquital or purgation of the moost catholyke Christen Prince EDwarde the VI. Kyng of Englande Fraunce and Irelande c. and of the Churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned vnder hym agaynst al suche as blasphemously and traitorously infame hym or the sayd Church of heresie or sedicion They are gone to Baal Peor and runne awaye from the Lorde to that shamefull Idole and are become as abominable as theyr louers Ephraim flyeth lyke a birde so shall theyr glorye also Ose 9. ¶ To the nobilitie and to the reste of the charitable christen laytie of Englande Iohn Olde wisheth grace and mercy from god the father and from Iesus Christ the common and only saueour of the worlde with the gifte of perfite faithe earnest repentaunce FOrasmuche as the preachers in Englande now promoted and set vp in throne by the Quenes highnesse aswell at Paules crosse as commonly in open pulpittes in place of Christes syncere gospel spewe out with scolding roaring and railing the abominable poison of Antichrists tradiciones as holsō medicine for the soul infamyng therwith the order forme and vse of preaching prayer administracion of the holy sacramentes set furthe and exerciced by common autoritie in the churche of Englande refourmed vnder the gouernemēt of the most christen King and mayntenour of Chrystes catholyke faythe King Edwarde the .vi. and most vilie slaundering his famous father King Henry the .viii. for banyshing the violent vsurped power and supremacie of the Romyshe auncient Antichrist for being dyuorced from his brothers knowne wyfe and for takyng iustly vpon him the title estate of supremacy incident and aperteynyng by the vndoubted ordinaunce of God to his Regal office emperiall crowne So that euery indifferent harte enlumyned eyther with the spirite of God by the instruction of his holy worde and gospel or with any common vnderstanding of natural loue and ciuile duetie of obedience to his souerayne liege lordes Goddes lieutenauntes vnder Christ vpon earthe perceaueth those false prophetes and prowde paūched praters to be therin not only horrible blasphemers of the holy goost enemies of christes crosse tearours of his seameles coate defylers of his blessed ordinaunces comp trollers of his holy Apostles and primatyue true catholike churche and moste bloody furious rauening wolnes among his sely shepe but also most harde harted heretikes moste haynous traitours against the crowne and their countrey most sedicious rebelles against the vnitie of peace and tranquillitie of the realme most periured pestilent papistes and most wauering wethercockes like as in their further frutes they are notoryously knowne to be holowe harted hooremongers most sawcye shamelesse sodomites the manciples of myschief and very slaues of Satan and if they repent not the more spedily the most fitte fyre brandes of the perpetual flamyng fornace of hell Albeit no fewe in Englande haue most faithfully resisted the babling blasphemye false forged fables of the mytred maskers and shauen swarme of shameles sodomites not only in suffring hōger tolde pouertie vnquietnesse and paynfull prysone but also in pacient bearing of the crosse of fyre galowes sweorde euen vnto the deathe to the comforte and streynghtenyng of Christes weake flocke to the conuertyng of many that were wofully wrapped in popishe errours and to the cōfusion of the lusty railing reprobates them selues and all their trayne Yet considering it the bounden duetie of euery true harted subiecte to defend with all his possible power the innocencie and truthe of his natural soue rayne against the traitorous talke enuious iniurie of railing reporters and specially in Christes cause whose ministers and officers all Princes Kinges ar whose worde and lawe al chrystianes are most straytly dette bounden not only to embrace with the belefe of the harre but also to confesse it openly with mouthe a mydde mōg the aduouterous synfull generacion of rule and power of this worlde and spirituall wyckednesse in heauenly thinges I haue thought it no lesse thā my duetie being a naturall englishe man and sworne to the loyaltie and obedyence of those worthy famous christen kinges against the sodomitical Syre of Rome and all forayn powers as all those periured wetherrockes the shauen sorcerers were to answerre the forsworne swarme and rable of railing rutterkines in defense and purgacion of christes catholike flocke Priestes the locustes of Englande called the gospellers churche specially respecting the christen euangelical churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned by the ordinaunce rule and practice of Christes most holy sacred euangelical law vnder our forsaide most christen catholyke souerayne King Edwarde the vi who according to the principall poynt of his regal office and charge and according to the fotesteppes and examples of Moses Iosua Dauid Salomö Ezechias Iosias Iosaphat and other most godly gouernours kinges whiche haue their perpetuall cōmendacion in the regestre of goddes voke for their hartie diligence trauailes in the aduaunceing of hys pure religiō sought chiefly the glorie of God the honour of christ crucified his owne edifyeng and discharge of conscience and the instruction gouernemēt of his subiectes in the true knowlage faythe feare and loue of God and his glorious gospel and to buylde the churche of Englande committed of God to his Regall charge only vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and apostles and to scowre the same from the cursed customes and traunting tradiciōes of Satans synfull sinagoge Albeit I could make a docket of remembraunce how you of the nobilitie that were put in autoritie and trust vnder the king might ought haue answered and vsed those lecherous lieng locustes according to the ordre of iustice bi examples bothe of diuine and prophane histories and by the substaūcial godly lauful lawes of the realme for their traitorous slādring railing vpō the lordes anointed their owne naturall liege lorde for their recaryeng of their infernall father the abiured antichrist of Rome in to Englande agayn for their procuring of forayn powers in to the realme for their false foxelye forgeing of fables among the busye headed vulgare commones againste theyr natural nobilitie for theyr others to deuelishe demerites besydes yet now seing you haue allready runne to farre against your owne consciences so that it semeth almost to late for any admonicion or remēbraūceing to synke in to your hartes being afrayde of euerye barking blaste of Antichristes bawdye beagles contentig your selues to be ledde like an oxe by horne and eare as it pleaseth thē to appoynt til they haue brought you to blocklaye faire in to the slaughter house as they haue done a greate sorte of your best fedde felowes I shal spare my pēne with my continual prayers for your preseruacion frō theyr clouthes leaue you to God your selues In the meane while hauing occasiō oportunitie I shal shape those wicked wormes a reasonable answer leaste in kepyng silence and wynkyng at their licencious libertie wickednesse we seme to be afrayde of theyr obiectiones so make folkes
quae illis debetur hominibus aliquid in eorum scriptis improbare atque respuere si forte inuenerimus que aliter senserint quaÌ„ veritas habet diuino adiuto rio vel ab alijs intellecta uel à nobis Qualis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tales volo esse intellectores meorum That is we ought not to repute any mennes reasons and sayenges though they be catholyke and prayse worthye men as we ought to do the canonical scriptures as thoughe we myght not sauyng the reuerence due vnto those men improue and reiecte any thyng in theyr wrytynges yf we chaunce to fynde that they meane otherwyse than the truthe hathe whether it be vnderstanden by the helpe of God of vs or of others As I am in the wrytynges of other suche wolde I haue to be vnderstanders of myne The same S. Austen dothe more largely expounde thys hys iudgement in his epistle to S. Ierome in the 5. chap. of his 11. boke Contra Faustum and in hys 48. epistle Ad Vincentium and in the. 3. chap. of hys 2. boke De Baptismo coÌ„ tra Donatistas Furthermore he reasoneth vpon generall Counsailles wyth Maximinus bishop of the Arianes in hys 3. boke and among other thinges sayeth Sed nunc non ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tanque praeiudicaturus proferre consilium nec ego huius au thoritate nec tu illius detineris scripturarum authoritatibus non quorumque propriis sed vtrisque coÌ„munibus testibus res cum re caussa cum caussa ratio cuÌ„ ratione concertet But now ought not I sayeth s Austen to allege the CouÌ„sail of Nice nor thou the counsail of Arimine as though to haue that vpperhaÌ„de ther by but by the autorities of the scriptures not by euery mannes owne authoritie but both sydes hauyng common witnesses let mater pleade wyth mater cause wyth cause reasoÌ„ with reasoÌ„ Here you see S. Austen calleth vs from counsailles yea euen from the moste sacred couunsail of Nice vnto the autoritie of the scriptures Panormitanus therfore a writour of late dayes semeth not to speake fondly nor falsly wher he sayeth Panormitanus Plus credeÌ„duÌ„ est vni laico afferentiscripturas quam genera li concilio vniuersalem representanti Ecclesiam si scripturas non afferat There is more credence sayeth he to be geueÌ„ to one laye man that bringeth furth scriptures than to a general CouÌ„sail whych representeth the hole vniuersal churche yf they bring not furth scriptures Therfore yf the sayenges or iudgementes of fathers or expositions of the scriptures varye from the canonical scripture the rule of fayth ther is no cause why any man should laye agaynst vs that the fathers were ryght famous learned men singular holy men and men of reuerend antiquitie For the prophetes and apostles of Christ were greater learned more holy of more auncient antiquitie than they Nother is ther any cause why any man should charge vs with the multitude of churches that haue agreed in thys or that meanyng or in thys or that exposition For the coÌ„sent of Christes prophetes Apostles and Patriarkes is worthy muche hygher reputacion in syncere religion and godly vnderstaÌ„ding of religion manifestly reuealed vnto vs by the scriptures And yf a man wolde recken vs vp thus many and thus many great realmes and hole countreyes that are of thys iudgemeÌ„t or that we wyl cheoke hym wyth the trauailes of one maÌ„ eueÌ„ poore Paule whych filled all places full wyth the playne sense and simple vnderstandyng of the Gospel from Ierusalem and the coastes lyeng rounde about vnto Illiricum The .vi. Chaptre NOtwythstandyng in thys behalfe I maye not saye naye Of the catholike vâ—derstanding of the scripture but the holy fathers the olde interpretours of scriptures do many times make mencion of some certayne vndeniable most catholyke meanyng of the scriptures But yet we may not vnderstande that of theyr owne peculiar expositions seyng they varye very often in theyr interpretacions and disagree wyth them selues and accorde not wyth other interpretours of most excellent iudgement yea and wonderous many tymes one reprehendeth an others exposition As we nede to seke no further examples but of S. Ierome in hys CoÌ„mentaries vpon the Prophetes And the catholyke churche of God hathe alwayes had and hath yet at thys daye a certain catholike and assured true exposicion of the scriptures grounded of the concordaunce of faithe and set forthe for Christes people to folowe it in all poyntes wherin al godly men albeit they dissent in other maters yet they agree in it as wher we read in scripture that God made heauen and earth that he spake vnto the fathers and that he hathe and dothe stil rewarde the good and punishe the euil the catholike vnderstanding of faithe biddeth vs vnderstande those sayenges of the true euer lyuing merciful God not of a fearce cruel God that were a maker of euil as Cerdon Mercion and Manicheus in their fonde fables flirted out the mater Also wher we reade that God worketh al in al thinges the catholike sence of faith chargeth vs that we take not God to be the autor of synne For we bring and commytte synne as it were by enheritaunce euen of our owne original vicious poisoned nature And the holy people while they lyue in this worlde are endaungered to synne are saued by the mere mercy free ê‘done of God not by theyr owne merites Furthermore where the scripture speaketh of God and calleth hym the Father the sonne the holy goost the catholyke sense of faith of the church byddeth vs vnderstaÌ„d that God is one in substaunce three in persones And wher the scripture affirmeth Christ to be very perfite God very perfite man the catholike sense of the church byddeth vs vnderstande Christ to be abyde in diuerse natures but not confused in them selues yet in one inseperable persone Praxeas and Sabellius confounde iomble the persones together Arius denyeth the sonne to be very God consubstancial wyth the father Valentinus denyeth the sonne to be very man of al one substauÌ„ce wyth vs. Nestorius disseuereth hys persone Eutyches Timotheus make the natures of hys Godhead maÌ„heade al one But the catholike churche alwayes reteyneth her owne true ryght vnderstandyng of the scripture whych for all that the holy fathers in theyr written workes disputacions against heresies haue declared coÌ„firmed by that scriptures For that cause the holy fathers haue euer obiected the catholyke mynde of the churche to heritikes howbeit they dyd strayght wayes confirme and declare the same by the scriptures and deduced it religiously out of the chief principles of our fayth As I shal anone speake of these maters more at large And thys selfe same catholyke sense vnderstandyng of the scriptures the gospellers churche kepeth diligently perfite sounde euen at thys daye as Kyng Edward the .vi. and the churche of Englande dyd in hys
Christ powred in to our hartes and done after the rule of Goddes worde christiaÌ„ charitie are good workes in dede and we affirme that excepte those that be iustifyed practise those workes diligentlye it is but lost labour of them to beast of theyr faythe as Petre the Apostle teacheth vs and sayeth Geue all diligence in youre fayeth ministre vertue in vertue knowlage Iacob 2. 2. Pet. 1. in knowlage temperaunce in temperauÌ„ce pacience in pacience god lynesse in godlynesse brotherly kyndnesse in brotherly kindnesse loue For yf these thynges be amoÌ„ge you and be pleynteous they wyll make you that ye nother shal be idle nor vnfrutefull in the knowlage of our Lorde Iesus Christ But he that lacketh these thinges is blinde gropeth for the waye with hys hande hath forgotten that he was purged from hys olde synnes Thys doctrine of grace and merites of fayth and workes hath no smel of heresie And so it eftesones clearely appeareth that the gospellers churche is the true churche of Christ And if they laye to our charge that our doctrine is iustlye condemned bicause we constauntly affirme that man is iustifyed by only faythe thys is to answer them that we haue feyned no newe kynde of speakyng in thys behalfe nother doo we alone affirme that faythfull beleuers are iustifyed by only faythe For we borowed that maner of speakyng of the very scriptures of the apostles and euangelistes and of certain doctours of the churche that are no heretikes but true catholikes For I haue allready shewed playnly ynough that we contende not by thys our sayeng that faythe is alone that is to saye vnfruteful If righteousnesse come of the lawe than Christ died in vayne but that faithe is the only cause of our saluacion For it is certain that we are iustified not for our owne workes sake but frely for Chrites sake and so our synnes are not imputed vnto vs and that iustified folke doo the workes of iustice and yet seing the faythfull knowe that they are iustified frely they ascribe not iustificacion vnto workes albeit they doubt not but God alloweth the workes of faythe If it wold lyke our aduersaries to condemne of heresie the doctrine of the Euangelistes and Apostles with Origene Chrisostome and Ambrose whych saye most many festly that the faythful are iustified by only faythe In dede we had rather be heretikes wyth them than ryght felowes and catholykes wyth our aduersaries The .xii. Chapter THe same poore Gospellers churche denyeth not absolucion to such as haue fallen The woundes of synne are healed by Penaunce but we coÌ„fesse that pure penaunce is a holsome medicine to heale synners in the churche yf whan they be accused by the worde of God and enlumined wyth the holy Goost they acknowlege and confesse theyr faultes and synnes to God and be hartely sory for theyr offenses trust to be forgeuen through Christes merites then leade a newe lyfe Now it appeareth agayne in thys place that we ymagine no newe doctrine of penaunce in the churche of God It is newe fangled stuffe that is feyned of synnes to be confessed except a man wil be damned not only to God but also to hys owne prieste by all circumstaunces euen to the vttermost smal thoughte It is newe fouÌ„de marchaundise that is feyned of cases Papal and episcopal reserued Act 16. of satisfaccions and indulgences Whan the keper of the pryson at Philippos fell to the Apostles fete and besought them sayeng Sirres what must I doo that I may be saued they tolde hym Beleue in the Lorde Iesus thou shalt be saued and al thy hole house Saint Petre gaue none other couÌ„sail to the citizines of IerusaleÌ„ Act. 2. that were pearced in theyr consciences sayd what shal we doo you men and brethren Petre answered Repent and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Itsus Christ to the remission of synnes c. And on this facion we reade that the Apostles vsed the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen The Key whan they receaued them of Christ after thys sorte they opened the kyngdome of heauen to faithful beleuers And on this wyse the gospellers church vseth yet stil the keyes that Christ hath geuen them So that we haue Christes olde keyes and not the Popes newe monstrous polling pikepurse crosse keyes Lactantius whych was neuer noted of errour in treating vpoÌ„ penaÌ„ce Li. 4. c. 20. after that he hade sayd ther is no saluacion founde but wythin the catholike churche he addeth by and by But for a smuch as heretikes thinke theirs to be also the catholike churche it is to vnderstaÌ„de that it is the true churche wherin is religion confession penaunce that holsomly cureth synnes and sores wherunto the fraile fleshe is subiecte Therfore seyng thys holsome medecine is not wanting in the gospellers churche wherin desperacion is also singularly beaten downe sure hope faste fixed and confirmed who can doubt that the gospellers churche is the true churche of Christ The .xiii. Chapter FVrthermore ther is in oure church brotherly admonicioÌ„ â—dmoniciâ—n and â—rotherly â—â—rrection correction and some reformacion of mennes faultes offenses For though all be not yet fully well herein as godly men could wyshe it yet ther is some ChristiaÌ„ discipline practiced in the gospellers churche Ther is two maner of disciplines the one of the clergie and the other of the laitie The gospellers churche by keping of conuocacions and other coÌ„uenient meanes in Germany kepeth the cleargie in ordre to do theyr dutie And so Kyng Edwardes wyl and coÌ„maundement was to haue hys cleargie as for the discipline of the laytie it confisteth in good lawes and diligent execucion of them And how that is vsed among the Germanes let other men reporte As for me I knowe nothyng but heare that it is godlye handled And though al is not so perfite as it should be that theyr sharpe roughe censure dothe not thwyte awaye all offenses at once yet euery good man knoweth that many thinges are reserued to be plucked vp by the rootes in that iudgemet to come euery godly persone acknowlageth his fault and is sory for it as often as he dothe lesse than he perceaueth the Lorde requyreth hym to do I could demaunde of the Papistes to shewe theyr discipline whyche they haue in theyr churche but bycause I knowe them as shameles as wylde coltes wythout discipline I hade rather defende the innocencie of the gospellers churche wherof I am an vnworthye membre than at thys tyme to cast other men in the tethe with theyr faultes I leaue that to the discussyng of better learned and fyner wytted men than I am Thus farre I trust the chief markes 〈…〉 fouÌ„de in the poore gospellers churche and therfore we haue nothyng a doo wyth the churches of heretikes schismatikes The .xiiii. Chaptre Prayer and inuocacion of God by Christ THer is also reteyned kept in the gospellers churche as