Articles I haue here breefly set folowing in order The Common places which are handled in these Questions 1 OF the holy Trinitie Fol. 1. 2 Of the holy Christian Church and of the Churche of Rome eodem 3 Of Counsels and decrees of the church Fol. 30. 4 Of Free will. Fol. 43. 5 Of fayth and good workes Fol. 46. 6 Of the intercession inuocation and worshipping of Saincts Fol. 58. 7 Of Relikes Images and suche lyke Fol. 70. 8 Of purgatory and prayers for the dead Fol. 75 9 Of Sacraments Fol. 83. 10 Of Baptisme of children and of the Anabaptistes Fol. 85. 11 Of the Lords supper and receyuing thereof Fol. 88. 12 Of the sacrifice of the Masse Fol. 103. 13 Of repentaunce and Confession Fol. 108. 14 Of the authoritie of Priestes Fol. 116. 15 Of Mariage vowes and Chastitie Fol. 120. 16 Of Enoyling Fol. 139. 17 Of the Magistrate and lawefull obedience Fol. 141. The fyrst Common place Of the holy Trinitie The first question What they doe thinke of the holy Trinitie The Answere TOuching the holy Trinitie I doe beléeue all that which the true and sacred woorde of God dothe teache to acknoweledge beléeue To witte that there is one only true and liuing God in Trinitie one I say vndeuided in substaÌ„ce and thrée distinct parsons God the father God the sonne and God the ho y ghost being of like power and equally to be worshipped So are we taught Deut. 6. Exod. 20. Matth. 18. Luke 1. Iohn 1. 3. 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. 14. 15. 16. and 17. Rom. 1. and. 9. 1. Corinth 8. 1. Iohn 5. Likewise we confesse the true faithe of the Trinitie contained in the twelue Articles of our Christian faithe where we say I beleeue in God the father in his only begotten sonne and in the holy ghoste And therefore what so euer in times past hath bene written or taught againste this Doctrine by Praxeas Arius Macedoniâ— and suche like yea and whatsoeuer the Jewes Turkes Michael Seruetus that Spaniard with their adherentes haue written we abhorre and detest assenting only to the olde holy Apostolike Church The second Common place Of the holy christiaÌ„ church of the church of Rome The seconde Question Whether they beleue in one holy Catholike and Apostolical church The Answere LIke as there is coÌ„tained and expressed â–ª in the. xij Articles of our christian faith so do I beléeue that ther is one holy and Catholike church and that the same or the Sainctes which are therin be partakers of all the grace and giftes of Christe I call the same one and Catholicke bicause there is but one only true Churche biside the which there is none other And the same is the congregation and felowship of all the faithfull throughout the whole worlde which at any time haue liued on this earthe in what time or place so euer they haue bin or that now are or héereafter shall be And as there is one God and Lorde neither any moe Gods or Lordes â–ª as appeareth â— Corinth 8. and Ephes. 4. so also it is of necessitie that there be but one only churche Wherfore althoughe this churche be dispersed diuers times into diuers sundry members through out the face of the whole earth yet hath it but one spirite one faith beléeueth in one God the father in one sauior our Lord Jesus Christ in the holy ghost And therfore is knit in one charitie and in one mind with all faithfull where and in what place so euer they be And this church is holy that is to say sanctified purged from sinnes beutified endued with holinesse and righteousnes and that through the grace of God the father in the blud of his only sonne by the power effectuall working of the holy ghoste It is called the christian Apostolical church bicause it is grounded built by the blissed Apostles vpoÌ„ the true rock that only euerlasting foundation Jesus Christ in the which foundation also it is preserued réedified and increased by the doctrine of thapostles as we may lerne by S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. Eph. 2. 4. 1. Pet. 2. And here is to be noted that as the Israelites did beléeue Moses that is to say did beleue the doctrin commaundements which he brought to theÌ„ froÌ„ God euen so the christiaÌ„s beléeue the true church Paule also calleth it the piller and fouÌ„dation of truth bicause shée heareth the voice only of hir pastor Jesus Christ not the voice of any stranger Nether is it beleued bicause it is the church only that is to say the congregation or felowship of meÌ„ but bicause it is the church of Christ heareth only his eternal truth preserueth confesseth teacheth the same and for this cause shée is called the piller fouÌ„datioÌ„ of truth Wherfore we beleue the church for Christes sake and for his truthe and doctrines sake which by his faithfull ministers is taught in the same Neither ought any maÌ„ to beléeue in the church bicause she is collected of men therfore is of the order of things created And it is manifest that God abhorreth all those which trust in men Ierem. 17. wherfore this preposition â—n is ioyned in the. xij Articles of our faith only to the thrée persones of the holy Trinitie For vve confesse that vve beleeue in God the father in his only begotten sonne and in the holy ghost Furthermore Cyprian and other holy fathers do excellently teach in their interpretations of the Créede that we must beleeue there is an holy church but not to beleue in the church And therfore do we not teache any new thing but that which the fathers before vs haue themselues most plainly diligeÌ„tly taught The third Question What they vnderstande by the name of the church The Answere WE vnderstande thereby the congregation or coÌ„pany of those which beléeue in christ For the church in the Germain tong is called Kirch as though it were deriued from the Grecians which call our Lord Jesus Christe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say lord Wherefore all those which are coupled or knitte to Christ the true head and fruteful vine as his proper members and braunches springing and growing in him are the true Christian churche And this interpretation of the name of the church we haue also in the Articles of our faith for to the confession of the catholike church we adde that we beleue in the Communion or felowship of Sainctes as though we should say the church is none other thing but the congregation of Sainctes And euen in this sort do the blessed Fathers interprete these thyngs The church is called the Communion or felowshippe of Sainctes for these causes First bicause all the faithfull there are partakers of all the giftes and graces which Christe hath purchased that is to say chéefely the remission of sinnes like as it is said in the Créede next after this Article I
and the remission of sinnes are the cheefest And for that the churche of Rome cannot cléere hir selfe of this fault therfore the faithfull séeke not saluation or remissions of sinnes in her but flée from her vnto Christe our Lorde and of him by true faithe they craue saluation and remission of their sinnes But the defenders and preachers of this pontifical church do obiect against all these as by the same to bring vs into an infamie amongste the people and say if saluation and remission of sinnes be not obtained in the church of Rome onlye then should none of oure forefathers be saued sith they acknowledged none other but the Churche of Rome Truely we haue a good hope of oure forefathers touchyng their saluation but yet not for that they liued in the Romishe churche and were subiect vnto the tirannie thereof but bicause they kept and helde truely and sincerely the chéefe summe and argument of the doctrine of Christes churche to witte the xij Articles of our Christian faithe the x. Commaundementes of God and that holy Prayer geuen vs by Christe commonly called the Lordes Prayer which Principles of Doctrine togither with Baptisme are not found or inuēted by the Romish church but procéede from the holy Apostolike doctrine and haue remained cōtinually in the church euen vnto this time God by his mercifull prouidence so gouerning the matter that amongst so many lawes Decrées and Ceremonies of the church of Rome yet these chefe principles might be preserued pure and vntouched Yea also God so gaue hys grace vnto the godly that in most extréeme necessitie and in the very houre of death they for the moste parte haue despised and contemned all the superstitions of the Romishe bishops and haue wholely committed them selues to the grace of god and to the death of Christe and haue so remained euen vnto deathe in the confession of the Articles of the Faithe and making their petitions onely by the Lords prayer For although in al ages men haue bene oppressed with the errors and superstitions of the Bishops yet hath God euen in the very houre of deathe moste mercifully vouchsafed to bestowe his grace as we may sée by the théefe on the crosse and therefore he did not reiect them bicause of the vnhappie state of the papacie Furthermore in al ages there hathe euer bene some godly men which neuer liked wel of the citie of Rome the Pope their Priestes nor manner of life but haue maruellously complained from time to time of theyr greuous burthens Yea furthermore in euery age and chefely in the extréemest tyrannie and most pride of the Romish churche God hath euer stirred vp learned mē which haue instructed the godly and preached oute of the woorde of God the true saluation in Christe and haue reuealed the Hipocrisie of those which were called the spiritualtie And althoughe the moste parte of those godly menne were put to deathe euen as Christe the Prophetes and Apostles did foreshewe yet their Doctrine hathe continued to the comforte of the electe so as thereby God hathe in all times yea euen in the middest of moste wicked Papistrie had his electe So euen then as likewise nowe it happened as it did in the time of Elyas For when he thoughte him selfe onely to be lefte alone of all the faithfull and that the churche was quite ouerthrowne God answered vnto him saying I haue seuen thousand men vvhich neuer bovved their knees vnto Baal It is therefore withoute all doubte that Christe hathe his electe at all times who neuer bowed their knées vnto papistrie neither yet heereafter will yea and that bicause in the Reuelation of Jesus Christe vnto John it was shewed that after manye and gréeuous daungers whiche shoulde happen to the Churche there was sealed many thousandes yea an infinite number of menne to whome these troubles should be nothing hurtfull But althoughe many of oure forefathers did more earnestly cleane vnto the Papisticall Doctrine than was méete for their saluation to be done as I haue saide alreadie bycause there was Prophesied a greate myserable departure from the Faithe yet héereby it followeth not that the Churche of Rome shoulde be the onely Catholicke Churche no more than it shoulde followe that the Churche of Jeroboam shoulde be the true Churche of God bicause the greatest number of the Israelites did a long time cleaue vnto it Yea euen in this time there were a greate number in Israell which were not foorth with condemned bicause the kingdome was wickedly gouerned by Jeroboam For God hath his electe in all ages for whose sakes chéefely he sendeth his Prophettes to detecte the erroures and teache the truthe Furthermore we thinke they may lawfully be counted for Schismatikes and Heretikes which with a sette purpose followe their owne minde and separate them selues wickedly and peruersly from the holy catholike churche of Christe To separate him selfe or to be a Schismatike or to holde an Heresie we take to be all one thing For in the Germane tong an Heretike is called Kaetzer deriued from the Hebrew woorde Kazar ▪ which signifieth to cutte or to separate And therfore in the Germane tong we call a torne clothe or fleshe that is cutte into péeces Zerkaetzeret that is seperate cutte or torne Wherefore this woorde Schismatike which is also an Heretike signifieth an author of Schismes factions and discordes and not one that defileth hym selfe with lust contrary to nature and is to be punished with fire And althoughe the Germanes doe name him that defileth him selfe with luste contrary to nature Katzer ▪ bicause he hath violated and broken the league and order instituted by god wherof the scripture testifieth that whē all liuing creatures wer brought before Adam there was not one found like vnto him with whom he might haue companie and be coupled wherfore God framed the woman out of the side of man and ordained that they shuld be ioyned together in marriage and so to be made one bodie But the Latines deriue these words heresie and Heretickes from this word Election or chusing For God hathe moste diligently and plainly prescribed by his Prophetes and Apostles in hys holy woorde what we ought to beléeue and to doe and therfore sayth yee shall do vvhat so euer I commaund yee neither shalt thou adde any thing thereunto nor take any thing therefrom Neyther shall ye do euery man vvhatsoeuer seemeth good in your ovvne eyes but vvhat I command you that shal ye doe Whosoeuer therefore is disobedient deuiseth and chuseth such things which God by his word hath not cōmaunded and héereby separateth himselfe frō the word of God the true folowers therof applieth vnto him selfe a peculiare way and order alluring also others to folowe the same and is arrogant obstinate contentious and disobedient and thoughe he be diuers and sundry times admonished doth yet neuerthelesse perseuere and abide therin such a one doth the fathers call an hereticke For the Latines interprete this woorde heresie by
are woÌ„t to bring out of the scriptures against vs our doctrin And he encoraged me héerunto saying that this labor wold not be so tedious harde vnto me as profitable and grateful vnto many good men And it would be the lesse laboure for that many of oure countrymen hadde wrytten very largely in the same matter so as there remained nothing else vnto me but to bring them into some bréefe order And as touching the profite héereof he sayde it mighte well be perceiued for that héeretofore there was sette foorthe an Enchiridion of common places by Iohn Eckius a very stoute champion on the Popes behalfe which being studiously and earnestly read of many Papistes confirmed them in their erroures and therefore he had no doubte but if some like booke were set foorthe by vs many would willingly reade the same and thereby also take greate profite which thing he sayd mighte well be gathered bicause that little Bookes of all those chéefe poyntes mighte very easily be spredde abrode by the Printers and so be studiously read of all men Wherefore these many other things which he was wonte moste grauely and learnedly according to his custome to rehearse vnto me did easily persuade me that suche a booke would be very profitable and acceptable to many but that I shoulde attempte or enterprise to begin such a worke I cannot yet persuade my self not for that there wanteth good will bothe to gratifie my friend priuely as also openly to pleasure others but bicause I stoode in doubt how to finishe the same But when the yere last past there was put into Printe a little boke by the Reuerende father Doctor Henrie Bullinger in whiche he Aunswereth to certaine Articles or Questions wherewith the Inquisitors of Bâ—â—â—ria as they say examine those whiche are suspected in Religion I thought with my selfe that the same would not only satisfie the minds of diuers godly men but also the speciall requeste of ourâ— Parkhurst and therefore haue I turned the same into Latine that all menne might reade it For in this booke are all the chéefe argumentes of the Papistes and especially those with whome they are wont to pose and trouble the minds of the simple and vnlearned bréefely confuted and answered And whereas Phillip Melancthon of moste woorthy memorie father of all the learned men that hither vnto haue liued in Germanie wrote a Boke answering these Articles of Bauaria as the title of his boke doth testifie yet of 61. questions he only answered but. 18. peraduenture supposing that by the Answeres made vnto those the rest also might easily be confuted But D. Bullinger hauing regarde to profite the simple and vnlearned maketh answere orderly to eche one of these questions and therfore though he tooke this matter in hand after that great learned man D. Melancthon yet is it profitable bicause not only Melancthon did not answer to them all but also bicause in that his aunswere are some suche things which are not altogither alowed of the godly and chéefely those things which are written in the 22. Article touching Free vvill Of the which matter I wil nowe say nothing but he that readeth both the bookes and wayeth the argumentes may easily iudge This Booke doe I sende vnto thée most learned Jewel first bicause of the great friendship betwéene thée and oure Parkhurst that so by you I may satisfie his desire and request or else that at the least he may héerewith contente hym selfe vntil some better learned than I may take this his desired work in haÌ„d Furthermore my desire was that by this a publicke testimonie might be extant not onely of my duetie towardes you but also of your loue towardes me which I not onely perceiued when we were togither but also do perfectly vnderstand by your letters since sent vnto me And although the Popishe doctrine be throughe Goddes great mercy quite chased away from youre Countrey of Englande for the which all godly doe greatly reioyce yet I truste this my work shal not be vnprofitable to wéede out of the minds of the simple the dregs of that Doctrine so as thereby the pure doctrine of Christe may be the faster and better engrafted And in the exercise héereof you haue not onely many helpers to me vnknown but also those whome I right well know men of excellent learning and vertue true Bishops in Christ D. Iohn Parkhurst D. Eduin Sandes D. Robert Horne The reuerend father Iohn Bale D. Iohn Pilkinton D. Thomas Leuer D. Iohn Fox and D. Laurence Humfrey all whome I beséeche Christ to preserue From Zurich Idib August 1560. Henrie Bullinger to the Christian Reader THere are almost euery where throughe Germanie scattred abrode certayne Questions written or Printed and that to the ende the professoures of the gospel and especially such as amongst theÌ„ are vnlerned might by them be troubled broughte into doute and as it were quite driuen from the gospel as from a newe doubtfull false and corrupt doctrine For some of these Questions are so coloured with scriptures that at the first sight they seme to haue some shew of truth But they all shute to this marke that they may thruste in and plant not the true church of Christ and his doctrine but the churche of Rome her doctrine manners statutes and other abuses Whereby it comes to passe by the infirmitie of man and by reason of persecutions that many coÌ„ceiue an euil opinion and lothsomnesse of the gospel and that chiefely when they see there is no man to instructe them strengthen and comforte them Wherfore when by some I was requested to make some breefe and plaine answere to the said Questions and somewhat to open the matter that bothe they might perceiue how to vnderstande those places of scriptures as also see that oure relion grounded on the Gospell is not suche as they slaunder it to be I toke that matter in hande And applied my diligence to defend the true religion as indede it is the duetie of euerye good Christian to comfort the godly and suche as were afflicted and according to the talent giuen me of God for without his helpe all mans doing is but vayne I answered the .lxi. questions for so many came vnto my hands therfore whether there be more or lesse in other places I know not Wherfore I beseeche thee good Christian Reader to take this my trauell in good parte and follow the Counsell of S. Paule who byddeth thee to proue all thinges and to keepe that which is good And thus much more I say for their sakes that shall eyther reade or heare this Treatise that if they bee weeried wyth the contentions and strifes in Religion and the sharpe tauntes that oftentimes fall out in that cause I haue in this Booke cheefelye laboured to teache the matter moste briefly and playnly and that without all heate of contention to Gods glory and the profitable â—difying of the godly The Artycles or Common places which are touched in these lxj