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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19362	An epistle or godlie admonition, of a learned minister of the Gospel of our sauiour Christ sent to the pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp, (who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge,) exhorting them to concord with the other ministers of the Gospell. Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton. Here may the christian reader lerne to know what is the true participatio[n] of the body of Christ, & what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper.	Corro, Antonio del, 1527-1591.; Fenton, Geoffrey, Sir, 1539?-1608.	1569 (1569)	STC 5787; ESTC S108710	46,646	132

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

AN EPISTLE or godlie admonition of a learned Minister of the Gospel of our Sauiour CHRIST Sent to the Pastoures of the Flemish Church in Antwerp who name themselues of the Confession of Auspurge exhorting them to concord with the other Ministers of the Gospell Translated out of French by Geffray Fenton Here may the christian Reader lerne to know what is the true participatiō of the body of CHRIST what is the lauful vse of the holy Supper PRINTED AT LONdon by Henry Bynneman ANNO. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO To the right worshipfull Iohn Byron Esquier Geffray Fenton wisheth a happy new yeare with a gladsome continuance of many IN obseruing sir this last yere your order condition of doing I founde the custome and course of your vertues nothing inferiour to the cōmon opinion of the same Wherof as I proued peculiarly in my self by many means times but most by a ciuile cōuersation of your companie during the best part of the sommer so I accōpt my selfe no lesse vnworthy of such benefite passed than vnmete eftsoones to vse or participate with the like if such det be not discharged by some thankefull argument of good will compounded with matter of myne own indeuor according to the qualitie of my talēt And albeit I haue at tymes heretofore protested vnto you simply my seruiceable vnfained zeale wherof I hope you doubt not yet me thinkes with the nature of a barren soyle yelding no fruite the same might seeme no lesse vnprofitable vnto you than imperfecte in my selfe if it be not approued with some absolute and vnfayned shewe and that in the publyke eye of the worlde in whiche respect I haue presumed to lay afore you this little Translation a worke neyther improper for the purpose of good doctrine nor impertinent to the profession of a true Christian and for the mater it discouereth a a most perfect Methode or plot to discerne the principall pointes of our Religion with certein speciall places of Scripture toward the ende to induce the church to vnitie and the people to imbrace the league of charitie left vs by Christ as well in the example of himselfe enduryng sundry sortes of villanous reproches as in the president of his Apostles and Prophetes who suffered with greate pacience the barbarous disposition of the enimies to their religion This as I culled out amongst other as a worke resembling your owne vertues so in the often reading it I doute not you shall finde a happie confirmation of iudgement in good things the same as the Apostle sayeth being one chiefe and principall frute of knowledge and therfore moste necessarie that we acquaint our myndes with godly exercises and meditations of Religion praying you lastly to let it receyue youre protection to the ende our countrey and Christian neighboures by youre meane the rather may plentifully participate in the benefite of the same wherin also I accompt my trauaile sufficiently aunswered if this become thankfull to you in sort of an earnest peny or first offer of my good will reseruing notwithstanding to giue a better shewe hereafter as tyme with quiet leysure shall assist me And so God giue you a good new yeare and confirme vs all in his holy feare At my lodging the tenth of Decembre 1569. Your sure frende Geffray Fenton A prayer of the Author for the concorde of doctrine and vnitie in wils in diuine things apperteyning to the aduauncement of the Gospell of CHRIST O Eternall and mercifull Lord who as thou art God of peace loue and concord so dissētions quarels and debates are hatefull vnto thée We sée how with good right thou chastisest oure malice and rebellion ageinst thée by the diuersitie of opinions and strange iudgements raigning at this day amongst men specially in the cause of religion In the beginning Lord thou hast created man to thyne own image and likenesse to the ende that he and his posteritie mighte be one thing with thée hauing one only opinion led according to thy holy worde and manifestation and one wil affected to embrace that which thou deman dest whereupon might folow workes conformable to thy diuine and holy lawe But the serpent enemie of all peace and on the cōtrarie a louer of dissention and discord taught oure first Fathers the lesson of infidelitie distrust presumption and arrogant curiositie Alas our good God and creator that we feele and make dayly experience of miserable effects of that lesson printed by Sathan in our harts for euery one of vs striues to be a god vppon earth euery one pretends to be able by the touche of his owne iudgement to discerne whiche is good or euill what is agreable or inconuenient to thy diuine Maiestie yea euery one thinkes to be the maister that ought to instruct his neighbour Take pitie of vs O Lorde and deface in oure hartes this peruerse lesson full of ambition pride make vs vnderstand in good earnest that thou art hée only to whom belongeth to discerne betwene the good and euill and betwene the truthe and dreames and that it is thou lord who by thy eternall worde Iesus Christe giuest lighte manifestation knowledge of thy secretes to those that feare thée thou art he alone who by thy holy spirit doest direct teach thy disciples which make them of thy schole and worde Withoute thée Lorde wée are lost and confounded without thy truthe wée are liers without thy doctrine we bée falsefiers without thy instruction we bée presumptuous proud Alas wée euen wée miserable creatures to giue oure selues an estimation in the world forsake thy eternall worde whiche is the trée of euerlasting life and go deuouring the frute of knowledge gyuen by Sathan From thence Lorde it comes that our knowledge and wisdome is accompanied with pride and arrogant contention not giuing place one to an other whereby wée shewe that oure wisdome and knowledge is not from aboue for by the same wée faine to searche thy glorie and to blisse and prayse thée as our GOD and Father and in the meane while to mainteyne our opinions wée accurse men fashioned to thyne owne Image and likenesse in suche sorte that out of one only mouth procéedes bothe cursse and blissing a thing whiche might séeme both impossible and incredible if dayly experience did not discouer theyr manifest and absolute effectes For howe is it possible that a fountayne should caste out of one vent or spoute water that is pleasaunt and withall bitter and salte Who can beléeue that a Figge trée can bring forth Olyues or a Vine yeld Figs Truly Lorde such contrarieties are not so contrarie in naturall things as is manifested in things spiritual wherin we deale For how should men beléeue our wordes saying we loue God when by our workes we discouer a certeyne hate ▪ to our neyghbours We saye we search no other thing than the aduauncement of the kingdome of Christ and yet wée afflict and persecute the very members of Christ We crie with open throate

I could wel haue pardoned you the obmyssyon of the subtill questions you vse therin searching curiously the house wherin Chryst dwelleth Item what make we of ascension or the signification of this woord heauen or the right hande of God so that you woulde teach vs the true meane to receiue Iesus Chryste into oure selues séeing it pleaseth him in respect of his goodnesse too make his dwellyng in the hearts of the faithful and regenerate Otherways of what vse is Iesus Chryst to vs being so farre from the hart of man as you make hym B. 4. 42 Touching youre place of iustifying faith I vnderstande not your language where you say that only fayth by meane whereof wée take as of a hande the benefite of Iesus Chryste too obteine iustification regeneration and health and immediatly after you saye that by the Sacramentes are imputed and applied too vs the Iustyce and merite of Iesus Chryste B. 4. 43 In the doctrine of iustification you say it is a moste harde question to knowe what is that true iustice whiche makes vs iuste and agréeable to God with atteinement of eternall lyfe but I had rather that without so many argumentes confutations and subtilties you hadde shewed to the poore and ignorant people what is the christian iustice and by what meane she is giuen to vs. B. 5. 44 Touching the point of good works you say that the works which mē ought to cal good are those which God demaūds in his word and that those which be regenerat and guided by the spirit of God are they which shew the frutes of a good Trée I beléeue it well and conclude vpon youre saying that who hath not zeale loue charitie who suffereth not all thyngs with pacience taketh euery thing in the beste parte couereth the faultes of his neighbour and laboureth not to put peace in place of dissentiō can not haue regeneration And touchyng the rest of your questions whether good woorks concurre in iustification as a cause formall or efficient the simple people hath not to do contenting themselues with this beléef that regeneration faith without good works is a mere hipocrisie and thing dead and that it is necessary that our newe obedience serue as witnesse of oure reconciliation and iustification 45 Nowe deare brethren as I am voyde of intent herein eyther to examin or exaggerate the newnesse of your confession and much lesse to confute it by argumentes so I will leaue to the consideration of the Reader your excuse in cutting off the cōmaundement of the liuing God vnder pretext of certeine gloses and distinctions vnworthy to be vttered for here we do not dispute whether the commaundement not too make any images of veneration be a commandement particular or an appendix of an other whether it be ceremoniall or morall but we will here maynteine that it is an audacitie most cursed to cut off from the law of oure God any one woord séeing specially that that summe and content of cōmaundement is so short and compendious that it conteineth but ten commaundements the which if God woulde haue abridged he knew better how to do it than we and therfore such as vndertake to correct his stile and accuse him of prolixitie giue sufficient proofe of their abhominable temeritie 46 But let vs now come to the principall poynt of your debate and auncient question the which vpon a brauery you séeme to renue vppon euery purpose and place without hauing respect to the gret slaunder of those that bée weake First you vtter the summe of your confession of the Supper in these words The opinion of Mathias Yllyricus and his companions touching the Supper Credimus igitur Christo affirmanti quòd corpus sanguis eius verè ac realiter in sacra Coena adsit deturque externo modo accipiendum cum pane vino non fide tantùm aut spiritualiter idque tam ab indignis quám à dignis sumatur contraria docentes cum Augustana confessione consentiendo damnamus That is to say Wée beléeue in Chryste who assureth vs that his body and bloud be truly and really in the sacred supper and that it is giuen vs in taking it outwardly with the bread and wyne not only with faith and spiritually the which body is eaten as wel of the vnworthy as of those that be woorthy And those that shall teache the contrary wée stickyng to the Confession of Auspurge do condemne them 47 Sée here my brethren your goodly entrie of the article of your Supper which we may not improperly liken to that of the newe inquisitors who condemne anathematize excommunicate and call Heretikes and confounders of the church all those whiche receiue not their confession which me thinke you do also as of purpose to maynteyne youres of Auspurge as though it were a fyfth Gospel or newe Symbole of the Crede What shall wée saye brethren too these matters haue you no shame that men of good iudgement and vnderstandyng shoulde reade suche haultie and rashe woordes Who are they that haue set the authour of the Confession of Auspurge or that of yours in suche authoritie or degrée of the Churche tht they may pronounce Sentence of damnation ageynste suche as wyll not admit theyr interpretation vppon a place or Text of the Scripture What is hée of any iudgement at all who wyll not feare to forsake the tyrannie of the Papistes to enter into an other almost of lyke condition Wée call the Pope Antechryst tyraunt and butcher of mens consciences bycause that without libertie to heare men speake he condemneth and excommunicates them and yet your doings are nothing inferior to his crueltie in pronouncing condemnation not onely ageinst your enimies but also ageinst suche as you receiue for youre brethren and companions in the woorke of the Lorde and who no lesse for the duetie of Christians than to take away the slaunder from the Churche of Chryste do searche by all theyr possible meanes too lyue in loue and friendship with you 48 I could willingly say to the author of your confession as the Apostle sayth my brother my frend what art thou that Rom. 14. condemnes the seruāts of an other Who hath giuen thée such power Art thou his redemer Art thou his iudge Art thou he in the name of whome he hath bin baptised Hath he not a maister who if he fall wil raise him agein and hath the power to do it But of what purpose are these words when we finde our harts so hardned that wée féele not at al the very chastisements which God lets fal vpon our heades 49 Let vs marke and consider what miserable issues our prechings confessions wrytings and commentaries bring forth Let vs also behold what frutes are brought to oure audience by oure words what reformatiō of life in our churches wherin raign still wātōnesse lubricities gluttonies dronkennesse vsurie deceits with a thousād such like vices which we let passe making our selues many tymes by winking companions to

those that commit them swallowing as oure Sauiour Chryst sayth the Camels and after passing by the cloutes the litle gnats which meaneth that we pronounce condemnation ageinst such who pierce not the subtilties of oure interpretations in Chrystes Supper making small reckening of the crimes and dissolutiōs which are committed dayly afore oure eyes I pray you what may meane so many sorts of cōmunications of Christ the one physicall Yllyricus in the text of his admonition maketh 4. sorts of communications of Chryst and an other mystical an other spirituall and an other sacramentall togyther also with those whyche you put in your confession the one common both to the good to the euil when they say this is my body and the other when they say Do this in remembraunce of me Those with such like cōmunications of Christe wée neuer learned in the woorde of God but of the contrary wée knowe for truth that there is but one mean to receiue Iesus Chryste and haue communication with him that is to say liuely faith and that accompanied with repentaunce and Meane to receiue Chryst by only faith penance of our sinnes passed newnesse of life to come I would to God we were wel taught and exercised in this manner of communicatiō of Chryst for touching the rest what assuraunce may wée take of the doctrine of youre article whiche is not drayned out of the word of God but rather of the interpretations of men I praye you shewe mée where it is that Chryste affirmeth that his bodye and bloud be truely and really in the bread vnder the bread or within the breade of the Supper and that he giueth hymselfe to bée eaten exteriorly with the breade and wine the same being not doone not onely by Fayth or spiritually but that he is eaten as well of the vnworthy as those that be worthy 50 Me thinks deare brethren that seing you wil be estéemed so diligent in the obseruatiō of the words of the scripture as preferring nothing which is not drawen out of the same it is necessary you know that in al your article there is not one word of the words of Christ but we What cōiunction betwene Christ and Behall knowe that both he himselfe and his apostle teacheth vs the contrary saying that the vnbeléeuing and vnwoorthy can not 2. Cor. 6. possesse Christe nor be membres of him seing they haue not a mouth of fayth to receiue him 51 Besides I sée that your very confession doth not accorde at all with that of Auspurge wherof you make so greate a buckler no lesse to maynteyne you in the good opynion of the worlde than to bryng your selues in vnder the protection of princes and potentates who at the beginning vsed very wisely and christianlye the presentation of this Confession For the woordes of the Authour bée these Article 10. De Coena Domina docent quòd cum pane vino verè exhibeantur corpus et sanguis Christi vescentibus in coena domini that is to say Touching the Supper of the Lorde they teache that with the bread and wine be exhibited the body and bloud of Chryste to those that eate the Supper of the Lorde 52 In these woordes the Confession of Auspurge make no mention to receyue the body of Christe really and exteriorly as you say in youres neither make they mention at all that the worthie and vnworthie do receiue it 53 But herevnto you say that we haue not the true and incorrupte confession of Auspurge but that you haue certein Copies and exemplaries thereof best corrected whiche you follow in your doctrine is it possible brethren you shoulde be so negligent in the correction of your confession wherof you make so great value I am not of opiniō that the princes Protestāts wold suffer to be printed in their townes articles of their confession contaminated and imperfect truly you trouble greatly the world for if those which folow not your confession be condemned by your sentence and you onely haue the true copie of this confession wée muste thē necessarily come to you as to a spring or fountain of truth and helth some may say as in derision of those things that wée must come on pilgrimage to searche your registers and bookeshops as in tymes past they went to Ierusale Rome or S. Iames Oh good God what mockerie what presumption of people But to preuent you of cause of complainte ageynst vs and that your incōsideration be more manyfestly discouered we will recite the article of your incorrupt cōfession which as you say to be reserued with you so you shall fynde it beareth not a worde of that which you haue vttered 54 Youre wordes be these Sequimur igitur in hac controuersia sententiam decimi articuli Augustanae confessionis porrò articulus See the confession H. 2. ille decimus ita habet in incorrupta confessione quam sequimur De coena Domini docent quod corpus sanguis Christi verè adsint distribuantur vescentibus in Coena domini improbant secus docentes That is to say Wée followe in this question and debate the aduise and sentence of the tenth Article of the Confession of Auspurge which tenth article is writen in this sorte in the confession whiche we followe whiche is not corrupted It is taught touching the supper of the Lorde that the body and bloud of Chryst be truly present and bée distributed to suche as eate in the Supper of the Lorde neyther are they approued whiche teache other wayes 55 Nowe brethren I pray you shew mée where it is that you finde here your realities and vbiquities or that the vnworthy do eate the body of Chryst with other sorts of doctrines whiche you haue preferred and wold authorise them with the confession of Auspurge whyche notwithstanding wée wyll not receiue as a rule of our Christianitie and muche lesse the Confession of any other man that is vppon earth 56 We wil be christians and so be called we wil follow the confession of faith whiche oure GOD the father and Iesus Chryste his Sonne haue lefte vntoo vs that is too saye the dyuyne woorde in the olde and new Testament as the summe of oure Religion Wée receiue the simbols of fayth receiued of olde time in the Churche we haue not bin baptized in the names of Martine Zwinglius or Caluyn but in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste by whiche meanes wée deteste and abhorre all those names and surnames of Partialities that is to saye Martinistes Zwinglians and Caluinists with other like knowing very well that GOD is greately displeased with suche separations and partialities in the doctrine of religion And I wish with al my hart that the doctours whiche haue taught here before and suche as at this day doe preache the Gospell were of more modestie and wisdom and purely consecrated to search the glorie of the Lorde and not theyr owne proper prayse then should the people