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cause_n	great_a	place_n	see_v	2,893	5	3.1798	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17651	An epistle both of Godly consolacion and also of aduertisement written by Iohn Caluine the pastour & preacher of Geneua, to the right noble prince Edvvarde Duke of Somerset, before the tyme or knoweledge had of his trouble, but delyuered to the sayde Duke, in the time of his trouble, and so translated out of frenshe by the same Duke.	Calvin, Jean, 1509-1564.; Somerset, Edward Seymour, Duke of, 1506?-1552.	1550 (1550)	STC 4407; ESTC S118174	16,566	68

good and holye soeuer it bee vnlesse that euen at once with it the power and vertue of good preaching bee desplayed and sette foorthe togethers It is not without● cause that it is sayd that Iesus Christ shall strike the year●he by the Sceptre of hys mouthe and shall destroye the euyll by the Spirite of hys lyppes It is the meane by the whiche he will ouercome vs in destroyinge all that whiche is agaynste hym The gospel is in scripture called the kingdome of God ▪ And for that cause the gospel is also called the kingdome of GOD. Also albeit that thordinances statutes of princes bee good helpes to aduaunce and mayntaine the state of christianitie So likewyse god will declare hys souereygne vertue in the spirituall sweorde of hys woorde with it setting furth thesame by his pastours And to thintent I woulde not long trouble you my Lord I wil come to the seconde poynt which I haue purposed to shewe vnto you Abuses muste bee cleane taken away It is to abolyshe and clearely to take away the abuses corrupcions that Sathan hath mingled heretofore with the ordinaunces of god We knowe that vnder the pope there is a bastard christianitie whiche god shall dysalowe in the laste daye Vnder 〈◊〉 papacie is a bastarde christianitie forasmuche as at thys daye he hath condemned the same by hys woorde If wee desyre to retiere the worlde from suche perdicion there is nothyng better then to folow the exaumple of S. Paule who willynge to correcte the euyll that the Corinthians had ioyned to the supper of our Lorde sayde vnto them I haue receyued of the Lord that whiche I haue geuen vnto you We mu●… returne to the ryght commaundement of GOD. Of that we must gather one generall instruccion to returne to the right and natural commaundemēt of God if we wil haue a good and an approued reformacion of hym For so manye mynglynges as men haue set vp of theyr owne inuencions there be so many infecctons which turne vs from the holy vsage of that that God hath geuen vs for our healthe So to 〈◊〉 of halfe the braunches of such abuses It is not enough to cut of sum of the brāches of abuses it cannot bring again the thynges in perfecte and pure state beecause that wee then shall haue alwayes a Christianitie counterfette I say thys for that that some vnder the coulour of moderacion bee of opinion to suffre many abuses without taking them awaye and they thynke that it is inough to haue takē out the roote of the principal But contrary wise we se how muche the seede of lyes is fertile The seede of lyes is fertile and that one grayne of that is sufficiente for to fyll all the worlde within three dayes as menne bee enclined and geuen vnto Our Lorde teacheth vs otherwyse for whē Dauid speaketh of idols he sayeth that their name shal not passe by hys mouthe to thentente to declare vnto vs what horror and detestacion wee oughte to haue them in And if we considre well how much we haue offended God in the time of our ignoraunce we ought to be dowbly remēbred for to eschew the inuencions of Sathan The craft of Sathā who hathe prouoked vs to doe such euil thinges vsing thē as allurementes whiche serueth not but to seduce the poore simple folkes On the other syde we see that albeit menne be sufficiētly warned of their faultes and errours and be aduertised of them asmuch as is possible Yet neuertheles they be so hardened that no man can attayne to the perfecte ende Thā if there shal be left vnto thē some dregges to remaine it shal be a nouryshemente of muche more and greater obstinacye and a couerture to hyde all doctrine that may be propouned vnto them I confesse that it is conueniente to obserue some moderacyon Moderacion is necessarye and some ceremonies may be vsed and that to great extremitie is neither good ne profitable Lykewyse it is conuenient to vse the ceremonies according to the grosenes of the people but it maye not bee that that whiche is of Sathan and of the Antichriste shoulde passe vnder that coloure It is for that cause that holye scripture praising the kinges which did destroy the idolatries The kynges that destroyed Idolatrie not hauīg plucked away altogether neuertheles gaue vnto them a marke for that they had not destroyed the chappelles and places of foolyshe deuocion Wherfore my lord seing that god hath brought you so farre foorth I praye you continue without any excepcion to the intente that he maye approue you the setter foorthe of hys temple in suche wyse as the tyme of the kynge youre Nephieu maye bee compared to the time of Iosias and that you maye sette al thynges in suche state as there shall reste nothyng to hym but to maintayne the good ordre whiche god shal haue prepared vnto hym by your meane I wil allege vnto you an exaumple of suche dregges whiche peraduenture may rest to bee a litle leuen the which in th end will make the paste sowre Agaynste prayinge for the dead at receiuing of the cōmunion They dooe in your countreye some kynde of prayer for the dead when the communion is receyued I know wel it is not for to aduowe the purgatory of the Pope I know also that it maye be alleged by aunciente custome to dooe some remembraunce for the dead to the intente to ioyne together all the membres of the bodye But there is a peremptorye argumente to the contrarye that the supper of Iesus Christ is so holye a thynge that it ought not to bee defyled with no inuencions of men Moreouer that in praying vnto god we ought not lette slippe the brydle of our fantasticall deuocion but to kepe the rule that Saincte Paule did geue vnto vs that is that we take our foundacion of the woord of god Wherfore such remēbraunce of recommendacion is not conuenient to the ordre of the good and due prayer and it is an euyll addicyon to the holy supper of our Lorde There is other thynges whiche peraduenture should be lesse blamed whiche neuertheles is not to bee excused As the ceremony of the Chreame and vnccion The ceremonie of chreame vnccion The chreame hath bene inuented of a foolyshe fantasye by them that contented not thēselues with the administracion of Iesus Christe and that they would counterfet the holy spirite by a new doctrine as though the water were not sufficiente enough for that And the whiche is called the extreme vnccion hath bene retayned by a foolyshe affeccyon of them that haue will to folow the Apostles hauing not the same gift that they hadde For when the Apostles dyd vse the oyle vpon the syck The oile vsed vpon the sycke by the Apostles it was for to heale them by miracle when the miracle ceassed the figure ought no more to be vsed Superfluous cerem●nies are to be pared of

time chasteneth vs by the euil persoues and to knowe that god chasteneth oure faultes by them which otherwise cannot serue but to Sathan It hath bene an auncient complaynte that the Ghospell was the cause of all euilles and calamities Some lay the faulte of sedicion to the gospell whiche happened vnto men In deede we see by the histories that not longe after the christianitie was spredde in all places there was not almost a corner in the worlde whiche was not horriblye afflycted The mocyon of the warres was as an vniuersal fyer lyghtened in all countreyes The floudes in th one syde the Pestilence and famyne in the other an horrible confusyon of ordre and pollicye in manner that it was lykelye that the worlde shoulde bee clearelye ouerturned We haue also seene in oure tyme sythe the gospel hathe begonne to be abroade manye myseryes So that euerye manne complayneth that we bee in an vnhappye worlde and there is verye fewe that feeleth not the wayghte of the burden Nowe in feelynge suche blowes wee oughte to regarde the hande of hym that stryketh vs and we oughte also to thinke wherfore The cause why we fele gods scourge The cause whiche moueth hym to make vs so to feele hys scourge is not very darke or hard to vnderstande We know that his woorde by the which he will kepe vs in health is an inestimable treasure and in what maner of recompence is it receaued of vs. Wherfore then seeyng we esteme not muche that whiche is so precious to speake of it is reason that he take vengeance of our ingratitude We also heare that Iesus Christe sayde that the seruaunte knowyng the will of hys maister and dooyng it not is worthy of double chastisemente for because that we bee so slothfull to obey the wil of oure God whiche hath bene declared vnto vs more than an hundred tymes heretofore we ought not to think it straūge if he be more sharply angrye with vs seing that we be more inexcusable Whē we cause not the good seede to increase and profite it is reason that the thystles and thornes of Sathan groweth to prycke and tormēt vs. Because that we geue not to our creatour the obedience that is due vnto hym it is no meruayle that men aryse agaynst vs. As I vnderstād my lord you haue had two kyndes of mutenies whiche bee risen against the king the state of the Realme Two kindes of mutenies at once Thone be fantasticall men which vnder the colour of the gospell would put all to confusyon The other bee obstynate people in the Supersticyons of the Antichriste of Rome Altogether deserueth wel to be punyshed by the sweorde that is commytted vnto you Seeynge that they quarell not onelye agaynste the kynge but also agaynste God whiche hathe placed hym in the seate Royall and hath committed vnto you the proteccion aswell of hys person as of hys maiestie and regall estate How gods word must be receued But the principal meane is to doe as much as is possible to cause that they which sauor the doctrine of the gospel to thintent to stycke and cleaue vnto it shoulde receyue it with suche humblenesse and feare that they may forsake themselues for the seruice of god For they ought to thinke that god wil reuele all to thentente that they shall profit more without fe●ning in his woorde then they haue done before These mad folkes that would the worlde should returne into a confuse disordinate libertie be suborned by Sathan for to slaūdre the gospel As that it should not engendre but rebellion a gaynste prynces and all dysordre emonges the people Wherfore al faythfull ought to be sorowful The Papistes willīg to maintain the filthy abhominaciōs of their Romain Idole shew themselues open enemyes of the grace of Iesus Christe and of all hys ordynaunces the same also ought to greeue the heartes of al them whiche haue good zeale wherfore they ought to thynke altogether that these be scourges of god which he sendeth to them And wherefore But onely because that they make none accoumpte of the doctrine of healthe as they ought to doe The principall remedie to appeace sedicion Wherfore the principall remedye for to appeace such sediciōs is that they which professeth the gospell doe truely repayre to the Image of God for to shewe that our christianitie causeth not dissipacion in the humain lyfe and geue good proofe tryall by theyr sobrenes and temperaunce that we gouerned by the woord of God bee not mē vnruled and without a brydle And by theyr good holy lyfe stop the mouthes of all euyll speakers For by thys meanes god beeing appeaced shal retiere hys hand and in the place that thys day he punisheth the slaunderers for the contemning of his word he shall blesse theyr obedience in all prosperitie Lawe es Iustices oughte to bee vncorrupt Lykewyse that al the nobilitie and lawiers gouerne them selues ryghtlye and in all humilitie to thobediēce of this great kyng Iesus Christ Makyng holy homage vnto him without feining of soule and body and all that they haue To thintente that he correct and abate that to gancie and folly of them that woulde tyse agaynst them Loe thys is the meane howe Princes of the earth ought to reygne in seruing Iesus Christ to th ende that he may haue Soueraine auctoritie emonges all bothe great and small Wherefore my Lorde in asmuche as you haue the regall estate of the king your Nephieu deare vnto you and in greate recommendacion as you shewe very wel I pray you in the name of god to employe your principall care vigilancye that the doctrine of God may bee preached with strengthe and vertue for to brynge furthe hys fruite and not to leaue for any respecte to pursue a ful and an entiere reformacion of the Churche And the better to declare vnto you my mynde and intencion I will deuyde the whole into three poyntes The fyrst shal be the meane to instructe the people well The remedies againste all sedicion in a common weale The seconde shal be the taking away of the abuse that hath bene of longe tyme. The third with diligēce to correct vyces and to kepe so good ordre that the slaundres disordres may not haue such place as the the name of God shoulde bee blasphemed As to the fyrste I mynde not to declare vnto you what doctrine ought to haue place But rather I geue thankes to almighty god that besides that he hathe geuen vnto you the light of his pure knowledge he hath also geuen vnto you good counsell and discrecion to cause hys pure veritie to be preached So that God be thanked you be not to teache what is the true faith of christen mē and the doctrine that they ought to receiue Seing that by youre meane the true puretie of the faythe is restored That is that we belieue and take God for the onelye gouerner of oure soules that we

are geuen to lyes And forasmuche as there be so many cyrcumstances which in these dayes empeache the course of the same and aboue all that the supersticions of the antechriste hauyng taken roote of so long tyme may not easely bee taken awaye from theyr heartes Me thynketh you haue great nede to be confyrmed by holye exhortacyons And I doubt not but that experience teacheth you to feele the same whiche shall bee the cause to make me to procede the more frankelye beecause that my purpose as I belieue shal be conformable to youre desyre And albeit that my exhortacions shall bee superfluous yet I am sure that you wil beare with the good zeale and affeccion that stirreth me to doe it Wherfore according to reason I belieue that the necessitie which ye feele shall cause that the same shal bee a greate deale the better receyued Howesoeuer it shal bee I beseche you my lorde that it may please you to geue me the hearynge in some aduertisementes which I entend brieflye to declare vnto you hopyng that when ye shall haue hearde it at the least you shal fynde some sauor for to bee reconforted and to take a great deale the better courage to continue the holye and noble enterprise in the whiche god hath appointed you to be employed vnto this present I doubte not but the greate troubles whyche happened vnto you not long agoe haue beene vnto you verye harde and annoyouse and moste of all for that manye myghte haue taken occasion of slaundre for asmuche as they were moued in some parte vnder the shadowe of chaungyng the Religyon Wherefore it cannot bee but that it hathe beene vnto you a verye harde assaulte aswell for the cares whiche myghte come vnto you as also for the mutenies of the malygners and Ignorauntes and also for the feare and trouble of the good Truelye the brute that I haue heard a farre of hath caused me to haue great grief in my hearte vnto suche time that I dyd knowe that God had begonne to put some remedy Neuertheles for that that they be not yet al pacifyed and that the deuill may renewe them agayne you shall call to remembraunce that that the holy story recyteth of the good king Ezechias that is to saye at suche tyme as he hadde abolyshed the Supersticyons in Iewerye Ezechias at his fir●… reforinyng of the church was fore oppressed of enemies and reformed the state of the church according to the law of god that thē he was so oppressed of his enemies that he was very lykelye to be a loste and desperate manne It is not withoute cause that the holye Spiryte notablye expresseth that suche afflyccyons happened vnto hym immediatelye after he had established the true religion in hys persit ordre For it was verye lykelye Whoso goeth aboute to set furth the glorye of GOD shall haue persecuciō that as soone as he went about to set foorthe the glorye of God he shoulde not haue hys realme peaceable So all faythefull Princes and Gouernours of Countreyes be aduertised by thys exaumple that the more they shall employe theyr labour to put out all Idolatrye and procure that god be truely wurshypped as he ought the more theyr fayth shall bee proued Why God suffereth godly Princes to bee tempted by dyuers temptacions God suffereth it and so will haue it to declare the constancie of hys and to exercyse them that they shoulde haue regarde to an hygher thyng then thys worlde The deuil laboureth priuely to destroy al godly doctrine In the meane tyme the deuil also doth hys offyce entending by al couert and hidden meanes to destroye the good doctrine because he cannot openlye attayne to hys desyre But folowing the admonicion of saint Iames who sayeth vnto vs that in consideryng the pacience of Iob we muste take hede to th ende we must also caste oure eyes vpon the end whiche was geuen to the sayde good kynge The good ende that GOD geueth to the godly As god succoured hym in all hys aduersities so in th ende he remayned victorious Consideryng that and for asmuch as hys hād is not now any shorter than it was than and that he hath at this day in so gret recommendacion the defence of his people truth and veritie as euer he had Doubte ye not but that he wil helpe you and not onelye for one tyme but in as many temptacions as he shall send vnto you If the moste parte of the worlde resiste the Gospell and lykewyse enforceth themselues with all rage and violence to empeache and hyndre the settyng furth therof The ingratytude of men doeth euer more resist God approchīg vnto them We ought not to thynke it straunge For it is the vnthankefulnesse of menne which euer haue bene and shal be to recoyle when GOD approcheth to them and also to stumble agaynste hym when he will charge them with hys yoke Moreouer for that of theyr nature they bee geuen to hipocrisie they maye not endure to bee brought to the light of the woord of GOD whiche discouereth their infamye and shame nor to be drawen out of the supersticiōs which serueth vnto thē as hyding places for to geue them shadowe It is then no new thing if there bee greate contradiccion whē one goeth aboute to brynge them to the pure obedyence of GOD. Iesus brigeth the swerd with the gospel And also we haue aduertisemente of oure Lorde Iesus the whiche sayeth to vs that he hathe brought the sweorde with his euangelye But this muste not astonyshe vs nor make vs wurse willynge or fearefull for in th ende when men shall haue well mutined and put furth all theyr malices they shal be confounded in a momente and shal ouerthrow themselues with theyr owne violences It is true as it is sayde in the seconde psalme that god shall not but laughe at theyr styrrynges Howe god laugheth at the malicious stirring of persecutours that is to say that in dissimulyng he shall leaue them tormented as the thyng touched hym not But for all that in th ende they shal be alwayes drieuen backe by hys power of the whiche if we be armed we haue a good perfite and inuincible municion againste all conspiracies whatsoeuer the Deuilles maye procure agaynst vs. And in th ende we shall knowe by experyence The Gospell that maketh a reconciliacion betwene god and vs can also a pease men that as the gospel is the messenger of peace of the reconciliacyon betwene God and vs So can he aswel for vs pacifye men And by thys meane we shall feele that Esai hath not sayd in vayne that when Iesu Christe shall reygne emonges vs by hys doctrine the sweordes shall be conuerted into plough shares and the speares into Sythes In the meane tyme albeit that the malice and Rebellion of men are the occasion of sedicion and mewtenies which ryseth agaynste the Gospell Yet neuerthelesse it behoueth vs to take hede to our selues God some

kepe hys lawe for the onely rule and spiritual gouernmente of oure conscience and not to serue him after the foolish inuencyon of man Also that accordyng to hys nature he wil be serued in spirite and in puritie of heart Of the other parte knowyng that there is not but al euil in vs and that we bee corrupted in all oure knowledge and affeccyons on that sorte that our soules being despayred in our selfes be lyke a bottomles pytte or worlde of iniquitie And hauing taken away al presumpcion of our wisedome dygnitie or power to dooe well we may haue recourse to the foūtayne of al goodnes which is Iesus Christ receiuyng that which he geueth vs that is to saye the merite of hys deathe and passion To thintout that by that meane we may bee reconciled to God that beeyng washed with hys bloude we shoulde not feare that oure faultes shoulde empeache or hyndre vs to fynde grace before hys celestiall throne That beyng certain that ou● synnes be frely pardoned vs by vertue of hys sacrifice we shal put therin our trust assurance for to be asserteyned of our healthe and that we bee sanctifyed by his sprite in geuinge our selues to the obedience of the iustice of GOD that beeynge fortifyed by hys grace we shal be vanquishers of Sathan the worlde and the fleshe Finally that being membres of hys bodye we feare it not but GOD will take vs for hys children and that wee maye haue confydence to call vnto hym as oure father That we be aduertysed to brynge to thys ende al that is sayd and done in the church it is that beyng retiered from the worlde wee maye bee lyfte vp to heauen with our head and Sauior Wherefore seeyng than that god hath geuē you the grace to restore the knowledge of hys doctrine whiche hathe beene so longe buryed by the Antichriste I leaue to kepe you with longer purpose And that whiche I haue towched of the manner of teaching is onely for that the people maye bee ryghtlye instructed and for to feele that which thapostle sayd The word of God is a two edged sword that is that the woorde of God is a sweorde cutting with two edges pearsyng the thoughtes and affeccions vnto the mary of the bone Few godlye preachinges in the realm I saye thys my Lord for that I thynke there is veraye fewe lyuelye preachynges within the realme But that the most parte recyteth as by lecture I well perceyue the necessytye that constrayneth you thereunto For fyrste you haue not as I think your pastours so good and apt as you desire wishe wherfore it is nedeful for you to supply that lack Secondly there myght chaunce to bee manye lighte spirites whiche woulde peraduenture leape beyond theyr bondes sowing some foolyshe fantasyes as many tymes they doe in newe thynges But all these consideracyons empeacheth not The ordinaunce of Iesus Christo oughte in al causes to haue course but that thordinaunce of Iesus Christe ought to haue his course as in preachynge the gospel Nowe ths preachyng oughte not to bee dead but alyue Prechyng oughte to be liuely for to teache exhorte and reprehende as Saint Paule sayth to Timoth yea in such sorte as if an infidele entre he may bee wounded ouercome and taken as the same Paul sayeth in another place for to geue glory vnto god You knowe also my Lorde howe as he speaketh of the lyuelines that oughte to bee in the mouthes of them which will approue them selues good and faythfull ministers of the gospell that they ought not to haue or vse woordes of rethorike entending thereby to be in greater estimacyon but that the spirite of God ought to sounde in theyr voyces for to woorke in dertue All the daungers that are to bee feared ought not to impeache the spirite of God to haue hys libertie and his course in them in the which he hath distributed of hys grace for to edifye the churche It is true that in the meane time it is good and expedient to stop the lightnes of fantastical spirites that taketh to muche lycence Also to shut the gate of al curiosities and newe fangled doctrines But the best and most conuenient meanes suche as God hath shewed vnto vs is There ought to be a resolute sūme of doctrin that should bee preached that first there bee a sūme resolute of the doctrine that al ought to preache the which al prelates and curates should sweare to folowe And that none bee receyued to anye ecclesiasticall charge All preachers oughte to preache vniformly but he promyse to obserue the same concorde and vnpon cathechismes for the youth oughte to be had in a christen realme After that to haue a formall and commen instruccyon for to enstructe the younge chyldren and ignoraunte people whyche should make them acquaynted with the true doctrine in such wyse that they may discerne it from lyes and corrupcions whiche elles myght be broughte in To the contrarye belieue my lorde that the churche of god shal neuer be conserued without Cathechisme for it is as the seede to bee kept that the good grayne peryshe not but that it may encrease from age to age Wherfore if you desire to builde a worke of continuaunce to endure long which shoulde not shortly fall in decay cause that the children in theyr yong age be enstructed with a good Cathechisme that may learne them briefly and according to theyr small capacities to knowe wherein consysteth the true christianitie The profitablenesse of a good cathechisme Thys ▪ Cathechisme shall serue for two purposes that is to say for an introduccyon to al the people for to profite wel in that which shal be preached vnto them and also to discerne in case any presumptuously would attempt to set furth straunge doctrines In the meane time I say not It is necessarye to bynde the Pastour● to a certain forme of doctrine written and also necessary to bynde and restrayn the pastoures and Curates to a certain forme written for to supplye the ignorauncies and symplenes of some of thē and also the better to shewe the conformitie and concorde of all churches Thyrdelye for to brydle all curiosityes and newe inuencions suche as desyres nothynge but to runne ryot the sayde Cathechisme as I haue before rehearsed shall serue and bees good brydle for suche folkes And also in such sorte ordre is to be geuen in the ministring of the Sacramentes and in the publike prayers But in the meane tyme The vertue of prechinge the Ghospell may not be destroyed you must take heede that suche pollicie destroy not the strength and vertue that oughte to be in preaching of the gospel And that you employe youre labour● asmuche as ye possiblye can that there bee good trumpets whiche maye enter into the depenes of the hertes for ther● is daunger that ye shall not see greate profite of suche reform●cion Good prechīg must be ioyned with a reformacion how