did set on Moses chair could haue deriued the petigree of their succession from them selues euen vnto Aaron but bicause their life and Doctrine did not agrée with the life and Doctrine of Aaron and other godlye Priestes their succession auailed nothing against Christ and his Apostles neyther were Christ and hys Apostles false Doctoures or disseuered from the true Churche bicause they were not able to proue theyr succession as the Pharisies coulde For the woorde of God and the institution of Christ was sufficient for them Wherefore sith euen wée also now haue on oure side the woorde of God and the institution of Christe there is no succession of Bishoppes that canne proue vs to be no Christians or to be oute of the true Churche The Histories of Popes and other like Prelates which are written yea euen by theyr beare frendes and defendoures doe sufficiently â—eâ—â—â—ie that almost al of them haue obtained this dignitie and place by moste â—iltâ—â—e meanes by Symonie wiâ—ked artes violence murthers and trayâ—erous conspiracies wherefore if it woulde pleâ—le them a little more narowly to consider héereof they shoulde â—â—nde by better aduise there were no iâ—lt cause to bragge of theyr succession but rather to burie the same in silence sith by it their euilles and horrible filthâ—â—esse is so clearly detected But God hathe â—one this to the ende the truthe might be reuealed and the goâ—ly warned to gather them selues together vnder our head Christe and into hys true Churche In times paste aboute a thousande yeares agone it was an vsuall kinde of speache amongste the Fathers to say The Apostolike seate the Sea of Antioche of Alexandria of Rome But by the name of sea or seat they did not vnderstande only the seate or place oute of the which the Bishoppes â—f those Cities did teache but rather the Doctrine which the Apostles and their Disciples preached first in those cities Wherfore the ancient Bishops which by lawfull election obtained any of those seats did preache defend publishe and preserue in the church the Apostolicall doctrine and that oute of the wrytings â–ª of the blessed Apostles But where is nowe I pray you the Apostolike seate Where are the bookes and preachings of the Apostles Where is theyr holy life What Doctrine teache they and in what sorte liue they now which boast of the Apostolike seate Teache they and gouerne they not contrarily to the Apostles Doctrine There is no néede to speake muche of it heere for all men sée it and knowe it yea they finde by experience that they are so shamefully wandered from the Apostles that if nowe the sayde Apostles and holy Bishoppes of the primitiue churche shoulde come amongste them and beholde the pride and pompe which these Prelates vse in their gouernemente they woulde not onely disalowe them for theyr successoures but also accuse them for their ennimies And Paule truely speaketh very well of this kinde of succession of Prelates in the. 20. of the Actes of the Apostles For I knovve sayth he that after my departure ther vvil come amongste you gredy vvolues not sparing the flocke Moreouer of your ovvne selues shall men arise speaking peruerse things to dravv disciples after them But when Paule spake these things where I pray you was there a more holye congregation than his disciples And yet notwithstanding he sayth Oute of you yea euen oute of your ovvne selues there shall come euill and wicked men which shall scatter and destroy the flocke of Christe Wherfore it is no wonder to hear that at Rome other places there were in times past holy Bishops in whose places now succéedeth most wicked men corrupte bothe of doctrine and lyfe And in that parte addeth that these things shall shortly come to passe after his departure or deathe we may easily perceiue that to be of no force which the Popish Prelates so often alleage saying It is impossible that errors should be of so long coÌ„tinuance in the Church neither that God woulde suffer errors so long to remayne And agayne that it is impossible that in those places wherein the Apostles haue preached and so many godly Bishoppes haue bin resident all corruption and abhomination should now altogither reigne But all men sée what the state and conditions of these things are yea and moreouer with greate gréefe and sorowe I speake it it is euident vnder what gouernement and in what miserable corruption the auncient and chiefest churches of the East partes are nowe in these dayes But of all these things the blessed Prophetes and Apostles haue spoken and forewarned vs to the ende we should not thereby be offended nor seduced by any The. vj. Question Whether they do beleeue that the christian Church is not only visible but also inuisible The Answere IT behoueth in this place to vse some distinction For the congregation of the saincts which are in heauen althogh we behold them with-the eies of our faith desire to be coupled with theÌ„ in the rest ioy which they possesse yet are they inuisible to the faithfull which liue here on the earth touching the bodily sight Furthermore â—ith God alone knoweth the harts that he only knoweth who are faythfull and who not and bicause many doo boste them selues to bée faythefull whiche notwithstanding are nothing so but are mere hipocrites which thing none séeth but God alone yea and bycause many tymes men iudge those to be wretched â—inners and abiectes from God which yet neuerthelesse are not separated froÌ„ him but are better affected in their heart towards God than we doo know and are also knowne to him only therfore in respect hereof also the church of Chryst is called inuisible Agayne bycause the vniuersall churche of Chryst can neuer be gathered togither that we may wholly see it before the laâ—â—e day and iudgemente of our Lorde Jesus Chryst it is also called inuisible But she is not called inuisible as though sâ—e were not at all for we doo willingly confesse that vpon this earth the church of Chryst is visible also For it is euident that the congregations of the Corinthians â–ª Ephesians Philippians c. are called of Paule the church and we know also that euery one of those faithfull in those churches were visible althogh yet neuerthelesse the spirit those spiritual gifts which they had were inuisible but when they shewed foorthe them selues by the exercises of sundry vertues But what needed this questioÌ„ Or what profite coÌ„meth thereby to the faythful Truly it tendeth â—o thâ—â— eâ—de the Popes and Prelates desire to bée accompted the visible Church and hereby would fayne haue all power and authoritie to bée conueyed ouer vnto them The. vij Question Whether they do beleeue the Church of Rome to be the true catholike Church The Answere SE héere I pray you their purpose for to this ende groweth the drifts of all their arguments namely to haue vs confesse the Churche of Rome which now is and the head therof
holy spirite whereas notwithstanding he accuseth them of gréeuous erroures and vices and exhorteth them to repentaunce and amendment of theyr liues Whereby it is euident that euen these most excellent churches of the Apostles haue erred But there is an other Obiection brought againste vs oute of the ballades of Salomon and out of the fifth Chapiter of S. Paules Epistle to the Ephesians where it is sayde that the church is beautiful and without spot or wrinkle which place S. Augustine interpreteth saying that this puritie and holinesse is begon in this life but in the life to come vvhen through deathe vve shall putte of this fleshe it shall be fully perfited so as vve shal haue neither spot nor blemishe but be moste perfectly pure Héereunto we adde the woordes of Christe who moste plainly expoundeth this matter in the Gospell saying He that is vvashed needeth not saue to vvash his fete but is cleane euery vvhit And againe he sayeth Euery braunche vvhich bringeth forth frute my father purgeth that it may bring forthe more frute Novve are you cleane throughe the vvorde vvhich I haue spoken vnto you He doeth not onely say that the Churche is pure but altogither pure yea that it may bring foorthe frute and yet neuerthelesse he speaketh of the washing of the féete and of the purging which his father shall doe Wherby we may easily gather and perceiue that the churche is cleane throughe the grace of God in Christ Iesu and yet by hir owne nature and through the manifold infirmities of the flesh which shée retaineth euen vntill this temporall deathe shée hathe néede to be washed and purged Wherfore shée daily prayeth Forgeue vs oure trespasses as vvee forgiue them that trespasse againste vs. And S. Iohn the Apostle sayth If vvee say vvee haue no sinne vvee deceiue oure selues and there is no truthe in vs â— Iohn â— wherefore being deliuered from this miserable fleshe we are made perfectly pure in the life to come and frée from al blemishe But so long as the Sainctes liue heere on this earthe clothed with theyr flesh they are subiecte to many infirmities And therfore héereby it appeareth that by this reason the Churche bothe may and dothe erre although it cannot be moued bicause shée is grounded vpon the true rocke and so long as shée heareth and foloweth the voice of her true pastor shée erreth not The fifth Question By what markes or tokens may the church of Christ be knowen The Answere CHefely the Churche of God may be known by the pure worde of God perfect faith charity innoceÌ„cy newnesse of life the coÌ„tinual calling vpoÌ„ god in al her necessities For Christe plainly sayeth He that is of God heareth gods vvord And againe My shepe heare my voice but the voice of a straunger vvill they not heare but vvill flee from it And againe In this shall all men knovve that you bee my Disciples if you loue one an other And S. Paule The sure fouÌ„dation of God abideth hauing thys token God knovveth vvho are his and lette euery one vvhiche calleth on the name of Christe departe from euyll And againe Euery one vvhich calleth on the name of the Lorde shal be saued And to this ende also appertayne the blessed Sacramentes whome Christe hathe ordeyned as outwarde signes of his churche and therfore oughte moste reuerently to be receiued of vs as they haue bene by the Sainctes before in true faithe as may appeare Matth. 28. Mar. 16. Luk. 24. Act. 2. 8. 10. c. 1. Cor. 10. 11. But bicause many godly men which are the true and liuely members of Christ do ofteÌ„times want the sacraments not throughe contempte but by reason of necessitie being yet neuerthelesse knitte vnto Christe and his members by true faithe spirite loue and newnesse of life exercising themselues in all Godly studies I haue placed the firste order of signes as moste chéefe and necessarye whereby the Churche may be knowen yet not omitting these godly signes or Sacraments But nowe the Prelates of Rome thynke and say that the true and lawefull signe of Christes Churche is the orderly succession of Bishoppes in the Churche wyth theyr spirituall gouernement And bicause the Churche of Rome hathe suche succession therefore they say that it is the true and primitiue Churche and that they haue the true gouernemente of the same so that who soeuer is oute of that gouernment is out of the true Churche They call succession a contynued order wherein one Byshoppe hathe succéeded in the place of an other and hathe gouerned the Church euen from Sainct Peter the Apostles time vnto this Pope called Paule the fourthe But they greatly erre whiche thynke that any thing may be proued by succession whylest they leaue oute thaâ— â–ª which is of moste force therein That is that if like as they haue succéeded in the place of Peter and the other Godly Bishoppes which thyng we graunte them they haue also succéeded them in the spirite of Christe in Doctrine in faithe grauitie godlinesse humilitie and pacience Wherefore sithe they wante thys poynte being the chéefest as all menne knowe and finde by experyence so as it neadeth no further proofe theyr vaunte of succession is nothing els but an idle sounde to bleare the eyes of those which are simpie Saincte Paule the Apostle sayeth thus Bee yee folovvers of mee euen as I folovve Christe Whereby appeareth that Succession taketh his force and effecte onely in Christe wythoute whome it neyther proueth or auaâ—â—eth any thing Wherefore euen in theyr owne Canons it is thus wrytten Distâ—n 40. It is not an easie matter to stande in the place of Peter and Paule and to occupie the seate of those vvhiche raigne vvith Christe Bicause it is sayde they are not the children of holy menne vvhiche occupie the place of holy men but they vvhiche exercise the vvoorkes of them VVee therefore vvhich gouerne oughte to be knovvne not by the Noblenesse of birthe or of the place but by the excellencie of oure manners not by the famousnesse of Cities but by the puritie of Faithe The seat maketh not a priest but a priest maketh the seate the place sanctifieth not a man but the man the place Euery priest is not holy but euery one vvhich is holy is a prieste Hee that occupieth the seate vvell receiueth honoure of the same But he that vseth it euil dothe vvrong vnto the seate By these woordes it is manifestly taughte that the chaire or seate wherin holy Bishoppes haue sette or succession is nothing woorthe excepte he be also holy which succéedeth in the place of holy menne imitating the steppes of those which were before him but if he be wicked he then receyueth no honoure of the seate but dishonoureth the same Wherefore these Prelates may nowe consider what honoure they receiue by their succession whiche dayly to the ende they may bring vs into contempte they obiecte agaynste vs The highe Priests and Prelates who in the time of Christe
vvill of your heauenly father yea all the haires of your heade are numbred Bee not therfore afraide for you are more vvorth than many sparowes Euery one therefore that shall confesse me before men him also vvil I confesse before my father vvhich is in heauen and vvho so denieth mee before men him also vvill I denye before my father vvhich is in heauen And hee that loueth father or mother more than mee is not meete for me And hee that taketh not vppe his crosse and folovveth mee is not vvorthy of me VVho so vvill seeke to saue his life shall lose it and he that vvill lose his life for my sake shal finde it And vnto this doctrine that is so ful of consolation and comfort let vs earnestly sticke my brethren and so couple oure selues to the grace and power of Christe lette vs boldly confesse his name doctrine and refusing what so euer is contrary to the same Let vs call vpon him craue his grace and holy spirite to abide sted-fastly in his holy worde euen to deathe And so let vs ioyntly all pray vnto oure Lorde that he will haue mercy vppon al men and strengthen all those which suffer for his sake and lighten the harts of the persecuters that with S. Paule they may cleerely sée and vnderstande how hard a thing it is to kicke againste the pricke God oure heauenly father haue mercie on his poore afflicted Churche and comforte the same shortly with his comming through Jesus Christe our Lorde Amen FINIS Howe what we ought to beleue of the holye Trinitie There is but one Catholike Church The Church is holy Why the church is called Apostolicall Hovve the Churche is beleeued Wee muste not beleue in the Church What the Church is The Communion of saincts Sainctes 1. Cor. 12. Ephesi 4. Howe the vniuersal Churche is deuided Hipocriâ—s in the Church 1. Iohn 2. God gouerneth hys churche by his holy spirite Math. 28. 18 Iohn 14 The ende of this Question Howe the Church eyther erreth or doth not erre 2. Cori. 1. 6. Galat. 1. 1. Iohn 13. Iohn 15. The cheefe tokens of the Church The SacrameÌ„ts are signes of the Church The succession of Bishoppes Successâ—oÌ„ proueth nothing Succession of Bishops against Christ and hys Apostles Succession degenerated Of the Apostolicke seate What Paul teacheth touching the succession of Byshoppes Whether the Church of Rome be the catholick Churche What vve ought to thinke of the auncient Churche of Rome The new or late Church of Rome is not the Catholicke Churche 1 â–ª Cor. 5. 6. Ephesi 4. 5. To tye the Churche of Christ to onâ— place only The â—â—spell tooke not hyâ— beginning froÌ„ Rome There are many countryes that dothe not acknovvledge the Pope Out of the christian Churche there is no saluation There maye be saluation without the Churche of Rome Of the faythe and saluatioÌ„ of our forefathers 3. Reg 19. What is to breede Scismes or Heresies Deut. 4. 1â— Where in the vnitie of Christes Churche doth consist An example of the breach of vnitie in the Churche and faythe The first Heretickes Scismaticks in the Churche whither they be Heretycks which in our age doe peache the Gospell In what sort we must beleue the decrees of the Church Iere. 22. Esay 29. Math. 15. Tit. 1. Gala. 1. The purpose of this question How far the decrees of the fathers are to be beleued In what sorte general councels are to be beleued Constantinâ— Whether Counsels haue erred Psal. 1â— Rom. 3. â—acob â— Whether the articles vvhiche are decided coÌ„firmed may be disputed on agayne Whether it be lavvfull to dispute againste popish doctrin Augustines iudgement touching the counsels and the fathers The Papistes will be bothe accusers and Iudges Whether the Apostles admitted Hereticks into the Counsel The some of Paules doctrine and of his aduersaries Whither Heretikes ought to be admitted into a counsell Whether the Apostles admitted laye meÌ„ Heretiks into the CouÌ„sell It was not lawful for the Apostles to haue any agreement with their aduersaries Galat. 2. Why Paule vvent to Hierusalem Paul had the chefest place in the counsell The doctrine of free vvill is an arrogante doctrine Ioan. 15. 2. Corin. 3. 1. Corin. 4. Philip. 1. â— Fayth Hope Charitie Eche of these vertues haue their peculiar properties These three vertues are so coupled togither that the one springeth of the other Fayth is one but not all one Faythe iustifieth To be iustified before God. why god chose vs to be his sonnes heirs By what meanes rightuousnesse is impuâ—ed to vs. Why vvoorkeâ— do not iustifie Iob. 9. Psal. 14â— The summe of this doctrine Iohn 5. Iohn 8. Act. 8. How works are called righteousneâ— Fayth bringeth foorthe good works Of the discerâ—ing of workes Whether our mericeâ—â— are made meritorious by the merites of Christ The revvard of woorkes Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Luke 7. Marie therfore loued bicause hir sinnes were remitted Fayth to work miracles Why Christe wil iudge not according to fayth but according to works Math. 25. Christ is the onely intercessor with the father Heb. 9. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Iohn 2. The Scriptures maketh no mention of the intercession of Sainctes or Aungels Howe wee praye in Christes name when wee saye the Lordes praier Whether the Saincts in heauen do pray fos vs bicause they haue charitie Whether the sainctes bycause they prayed here on earth doe the same for vs nowe in heauen The glorie of the saincts which are in heauen Whether the rich maÌ„ in the 16. of Luke did praye for his brethren Of the worshipping of sainctes What wee ought to think of the blissed virgin Mary What we ought to think of the Apostles and other Sainctes How the saynctes are to be worshipped Rom. 10. We haue neede of an aduocate for vs to God. The Angels and saynctes send vs from themselues to Christ. Iohn 2. Act. 3. Of the reliques of sainctes 2. Pet. 1. Of Teâ—ples dedicated to sainctes The vse of candels in the churches Lactan. inst li. 6. cap. 1. Math. 5. Rom. 22. Lightes before the sacrament Of Images God nor hys sainctes can by Images be represented The making of holivvateâ— holy fire Eyther men dy in faythe or in infidilitie We are not counted pure for our own works sake Of praiers such lyke things done for the dead Thei are but filthy marchandise vvherevvyth they vvoulde haue vs redeemâ— souls We may not for purgatories sake truste in any thing Iohn 1â— Act. â—0 Hovve and vvherfore the apostles did pray Where Lazarus vvas that time he vvas dead Of the seconde booke of the Machebes Hovve many Sacramentes there be Of the vertue and power of the Sainctes Whether the sacramentes receiued do giue vs grace Of the Anabaptistes Baptisme of infantes Actes 10. Anabaptism Diners opinions touching Christes presence in the Sacramente The true and auncient doctrine of the sacrameÌ„t against transubstantiation The faythefull doe not receiue bread only in the Supper Howe the true bodie of christ must be receiued How ech man oughte to behaue himselfe in the controuersie of the sacrament The presence of Christ. Whether the Priests make bred wine the verie body and bloud of Christ. The true ordering or making of ministers Whether Christ be wholi vnder one kind The papistes wil eate vp al Christ and no more Whether the Lordes supper were giuen to the Apostles only Both the kinds in the sacrameÌ„t are due to al men The supper of Christ vvyth his tvvo disciples at Emaus The Corrinthians dydde not offend bycause they vsed the cup of our Lord. The councel of Constance touchyug bothe the kyndes of the decrees and sclanders that happe in the vse of both kindes Christes body is offered no more Of the sacrifices of Christians Christ is the onely sacrifice that taketh avvay sinne In the Lordes supper ther is onely a remeÌ„brance of his only sacrifice The sacrifice of praise thanks giuing What repentance is True repentance What confeâ—sion is good necessariâ— â–ª We must confesse vs vnto God. The confession to our neyghboure Against confession made to the priest Of popishe satisfaction The exercise of the faythfull Iohn â— Romish indulgences â—â—remi 7. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 21. Power is an office The kayes of the kingdome of heauen Of binding and loosing 1. Corin. 3. The office of priestes and ministers Of excoÌ„munication and the abuse thereof Not to heare the churche Mariage is frâ—â— for al 〈…〉 The vowes which are made in our daies are onely idle woordes without effect or workes Al vowes are not acceptable to god neyther yet to be perfourmed We must kepe promis Whither god giueth chastitie to euery man bicause he caÌ„ giue it An exhortation agaynst persecution The mariage of Priestes is lavvefull Whether 〈…〉 age vvhich is coÌ„tracted afterâ— vovv be lavvâ—â—â— â–ª Cyprians iudgement Against those vvhich sclander and forbid mariage What the holy Scripture teacheth of enoyling Actes 8. 10. 19. The spiritual Magistrates 1. Thessa. 5 Hebr. 13. Luke 10. The ciuill Magistrate The magistrate can coÌ„maunde nothing contrarie to the churche of Chryst. The godlyâ— Magistrate may make lawes and decrees against the false church â–ª Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for George Bishop ANNO. 1572.
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
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
the name of sectes and these woords sectes and sectaries are vsually receyued in common spéeche But bycause they are deriued from the Latine tong many simple people doe not perfectly vnderstande them These woords sectes and sectaries are deriued from the woorde which signifieth to cut as when an whole péece of wood is hewen or cut into diuers partes or when those which were first of one minde doe nowe disagrée and are deuided into sundry opinions so as almost euery one hath a seuerall opinion with him selfe and so these partes being thus separated are called sectes euen as amongste the Philosophers were sundry sectes as of the Epicures Stoickes and Peripatetickes amongst whome eche secte had his peculiar or proper opinion Yet notwithstāding the fathers doe make some difference betwéene these words heresie and schisme of which difference there is no néede héer to speake sauing only to note that euery schisme is not heresie For when the Apostles begā first to preach and builde the churche that is to say to bring a peculiare people bothe of the Jewes and Gentiles vnto Christe and that they might seeke al things in him their Doctrine was called heresie as plainly appeareth Acts. 24. And bicause the Doctrine of the Apostles did differ much frō the doctrine which héeretofore had bene taught amongste the Jewes they called it heresie supposing it to be a defection or separation from that which they iudged to be the true faith Wherfore whersoeuer any discord schisme or heresie is begonne it muste néedes followe that there was first an vnitie which is nowe deuided by the Heretickes wherupon wée must perfectly know what that vnitie is which the Heretickes so deuyde by meanes whereof they take thys theyr name true church of Christ which putteth hir trust only in god the father through our lord Jesus Christ his son by the power of the holy ghost Yea also the sacramēts of ▪ Christ Baptisme the Supper of the Lord serue to this purpose by which the godly binde them selues to God mutually knit thē selues together in loue And this therfore is that whole summe or vnitie which being separated maketh heretickes And we haue exāples héereof in the auncient people of God to whō God gaue in cōmaundement that they should loue him with al their hart with all their soule with all their strength and therfore he included them into one churche gaue them one lawe made one couenaunt with them instituted amongste them one Tabernacle or Temple one arke of couenaunt one altare Sacrifice and Priesthoode Yea their sacramentes that is to say Circūcision and the Passeouer serue also to this vnitie teaching them that they were all one people vnder one God in one faithe And therefore he forbad them to worship or serue strāge gods that is to say to haue in steade of God or of a sauior any thing whatsoeuer besides him selfe who is the true and liuing god He also forbad them to hearken after strange religions or to worship him or offer Sacrifices vnto him in any other place but in that only yea and after that sort which himself had ordained But Jeroboam king of Israel did first manifestly cōtrary to the ordinances of god For first he separated the vnitie of the church into diuers parts and brought x. tribes frō the only temple altars priesthoode sacrifice brue them frō the appoynted written seruice of God built two tēples after his owne minde in which he placed idols built altars chose priests after his own wil wherof we mai read in the first of Kings in chap. 12. 13. And this was the chefest heretike or deuider of gods church ▪ for the which oftētimes he was moste sharpely reproued by the word of god Then after this mā came King Achab who besides this added héerunto the worshipping of Baal and so ledde the people yet further from the true right way wherfore God rooted out bothe them and all their posteritie Againe after that the blessed Apostles had preached Christe and all saluation of man to be contained in him and on this foundation haue builded the churche in this worlde lefte their wrytings and the bookes of the Prophetes wherin is contained the fulnesse of all good doctrine vnto the same they foreshewed in their wrytings that there should come suche which would deuide or tear their doctrine faith and church And in shorte space after suche entred into the churche and haue daily encreased Of whome some denyed the Trinitie some the deuine and some the humane nature of Christe Other some of them did extenuate or take away the corruption of manne or as some call it Originall sinne and some did attribute righteousnesse and saluation of man to mannes owne power and frée wil to the workes of the lawe and merites of men and that cleane contrary to the frée grace of god And eache of these most lamentably haue torne and rent the holy scriptures and the church to the ende they might establishe some peculiar opinions and by those crooked sleightes to seduce the foolish and leade them from the onely way and Apostolike churche to their vtter destruction which sleightes and péeuishe opinions they either haue deuised of their owne braynes or else receiued them frō other traditions without the warrant of the holy Scriptures and hauing thus receiued them they moste obstinately defende and teach them And therfore the auncient fathers haue righte worthely counted and estéemed them for Schismatikes and Heretikes Wherfore if any nowe in these our dayes doo rayse vppe or renue any of the aforenamed Heresies of sedicious opinions or deuise any thing of them selues contrary to the Scriptures or doo otherwyse rent and deuide asunder the scriptures and the holy christian Church and attribute that vnto them selues whereof they haue spoyled Chryst and béeyng neuerthelesse better instructed oute of the worde of God wil not reuoke their foresayde errours but preache vnto them selues an other God an other Gospell an other Chryst renting the hearts of the faythfull teaching them not to loue one god with al their harts but other Gods also not to pray vnto God onely but to other creatures to serue them worship them pray vnto them Agayn they teach not al saluatiō and health to be in Chryst alone but to be in other creatures also that christ is not in the holy scriptures so called a pastor head chéefe bishop aduocate and intercessor sacrifice for sinnes the righteousnesse redemption of the faithful as thoughe these were so proper vnto him that to this end none other things might be ioyned to him Furthermore if they vse the Sacraments for any other purpose than for the conseruation and increase of the vnitie of the Church If I say either euen wée our selues or any other doo the things wherof I haue spoken they are vndoubtedly to be suspected of Heresie as the authors of sectes and discordes in faythe and the true Churche of Chryste
Wherefore â—ithe wée giue our whole diligence labour and studie that the Auncient and Primatiue puritie and vnitie of the fayth and christian Apostolike Church may be restored and that Chryst may obteine that reuerence in the heartes of the faythfull which is due vnto him and wée in this lyfe may lyue holily and in the lyfe to come eternally in him I hope that no good and godly man can then slaunder or condemne vs for Heretikes bycause we haue forsaken not the aunciente Churche of Rome in those things whiche shée had common with the vniuersall Apostolike Church but this latter Romishe Churche yea and that onely in those thinges whiche to moste shamefull abuse and offence shee hathe deuysed and ordayned not by the authoritie of Goddes woorde but of hir owne brayne yea and moreouer bycause shee is fraughte with all horrible filthinesse and that our Lorde commaundeth vs to go out of hir Rom. 16. 2. Cor 6 Apoc. 18. c. The thirde Common place Of the Decrees and Counsels of the Churche The. x. Question Whether they do stedfastly and without all doubt teach and beleeue that which the holy Catholike church of Rome doth commaunde and teache to be beleeued The Answere TOuching the holy Catholike Churche wée haue already wrytten that the Gospel teacheth vs shée only heareth the voyce of hir only pastor and not of any straunger Wherby we may easily conclude that she commandeth nothing to be beléeued which shée hathe not heard from the mouth of our Lorde and that chiefly bicause Paule sayth that fayth commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of God or of Chryst Wherfore when the faythfull doo stedfastly beléeue the word of God then doo they also beléeue all that the holy Churche commaundeth and teacheth to be beléeued for she commaundeth nothing to bée beléeued but that which is conteined in the word of god And whatsoeuer is contrary to Gods worde oughte not to bée beléeued although it were colored with the name of the Churche or any other tytle And as touching the churche of Rome it is manyfest that vnder hir name many things were commaunded to be beléeued and kepte whiche were bothe vnknowen to the primatiue Churche and cleane contrary to the worde of God And all suche things God forbiddeth to beléeue or to receiue saying by his prophet Jeremie Do yee not hearken to the words of the Prophets which speak the imaginations of their owne hearts and not out of the worde of the Lorde And our Lorde out of the prophet Csai sayth in the Gospell â–ª They worshippe me in vayne teaching for doctrynes the preccptes of men And Paule affirmeth there is no truthe in the decrées of men and curseth euery doctrine that is contrarie to the Gospell By this Question it may easily appeare that these men desire or couete nothing else but that the Churche of Rome that is to say themselues might be accounted the only and true church and that whatsoeuer they commaunde to bée kepte and beléeued myght without further question bée receyued But why coÌ„maunde they not all men without all question to beléeue the holy Scripture or woorde of GOD and to acknowledge that all which is néedefull to saluation is fullie conteyned faughte and written therein lyke as Paule sayth in his seconde Epistle to Timothe the thirde Chapter Truely bycause they seeke not the honour of God and the encrease of hys woorde but theyr owne honoure the authoritie confirmation of their owne lawes and customes The. xj Question Whether they doo beleeue that the Decrees and Preceptes of the Churche the Canones and Ordinaunces of the Fathers be of the holy Ghost and not contrary to Christ or the Scriptures The Answere TOuching the decrées of the Churche wée haue answered in the former question But concerning the Canones and ordinances which the fathers haue ordeyned thus muche of them God our moste saythfull father gaue vnto his Churche his holy worde conteyned in both the Testamentes to be as a certayn direction or touchstone by the which all that in stéede of golde that is to say for the ordinaunce of god vndoubted truth was offered vnto vs mighte be tried proued whether they were pure or corrupted Now the Canons and ordinances of the fathers are offered vnto vs for Golde and as the true Oracles of god But sithe them selues were men and might erre and did also commaunde their ordinaunces and decrées to be no further beléeued but as they were proued and allowed by the touchestone of the holy Scriptures they ought therefore to be tryed and proued by the same as Paule teacheth 1. Thessa. 5. and John. 1. Epist. 4. Wherfore if they agrée with the scriptures then are they of the holy Ghost and not contrary to Chryste and hys worde but if they agrée not with them then are they not of the holy ghost but contrary to Chryst and his worde and therefore ought not to be beléeued nor kepte But howe many Decrées of the fathers do apparantly shew themselues contrary to the Scriptures it would be too tedious to recite and therefore as muche as is néedefull to be knowen may easily by these questions be perceiued For almoste all that these men striue for are nothing else but the ordinances and decrées of the fathers or of other men And to say the truthe the decrées of the fathers are many tymes cleane contrary one to an other For some of their decrées forbidde the mariage of the Ministers of the Churche and on the contrarie parte it is euident what the Counsell of Gangraâ—â— dyd teache concerning the same excommunicating all those whiche forsake or despise those Priestes that hée maried And many suche like shal yée finde yea euen in the very Popes decrées But why I beséech you doo not they sée men striue as earnestly for the Lawes and ordinances of God to commende them as the holsome knowledge of our saluation vnto the worlde But truely in all their Questions there is not one word spoken hereof Doo they not therfore moste liuely represente vnto vs the Scribes and Pharisies who were at continuall debate with Chryste and hys Disciples and that onely aboute the decrées of the fathers neglecting the lawe of God and as Chryste often did â—ast in their téeth preferred them to the â—awe of God Math. 15. Mark. 7. The xij Question Whether those generall Councelles whiche are lawefully kepte oughte to bee beleeued and obeyed and whether they may bee called into question as though they had erred and so be disputed vpon The Answere THis Question conteyneth thrée others First whether those generall Councelles whiche are lawfully made ought to be obeyed and beléeued To this we answere that all councels both vniuersall and prouincial as they terme them oughte to take their authoritie from the worde of god Wherfore if the lawes decrées of Councels be deriued from the worde of God and confirmed by the same then ought they no lesse to be
a lawfull councell for as touching other Councelles which are vnlawfull and fosterers of their factions we doe not passe bicause we are not Heretickes as they were which contended againste Paule but we defende preserue and purely teache the Apostolicke doctrine which Paule proponed in that councel whereas our aduersaries defend the doctrine of Pauls enemies and by all violence and force thrust the same vpon men The summe of Paules doctrine was this That sinners vvere iustified before God by faith in Christ not by circumcision or the deedes of the lavv Against this doctrine did the enemies of Paul who notwithstanding were reckened amongste the faithful and taught the faith in Christ but yet not sincerely set them selues saying that they ought to be circūcised to keepe the law and to be saued by the workes thereof And that this was the doctrine and iudgemente of bothe the partes dothe euidently appeare by the xv chapter of the Actes and the Epistle to the Galathians Wherefore sith yée teache the merite of woorkes and dare to say that iustification is not of faithe only in Christe but by good woorkes consider whether we or yée with your doctrine come most neare to the iudgement and opinion of Paules aduersaries And althoughe they were suche yet neuerthelesse they proponed theyr opinion in the Councell at Jerusalem were heard for in the. xv of the Actes it is written that there was great disputation betwéene Paule and Barnabas Wherfore if we were Heretickes as we are not yet ought we by right to be hard in the councel as they were And bicause the example of the Apostles which yée doe vse sheweth that they condemned those which taught contrary to Paule and we haue already proued that yée teach the same it foloweth that yée also are condemned in them But if as you suppose the aduersaryes of Paule had no place in the councell then yée which agrée with them in opinion shall haue no place by your owne iudgement in a lawfull councell But if they which consented to Paules doctrine were admitted into the councell and gaue sentence against Paules enimies then oughte we by good righte to set in the councell and to giue sentence against you For we teach like doctrine with Paule touching Christe fayth in Christe and of iustification to wit that we be iustified by faith in Christe and not by workes And héereby it appeareth that this question maketh directly against your selues The second parte of this Question is whether the Apostles did take into the councel lay or vnlearned mē which folowed the foresayde heresie But yet these men do rather in this place séeke whether that lay men which followe herestes are to be admitted into councels Héere first is diligently to be considered who they are which folowe herestes and then to consider to what end this Question is directed and who they are which they go about to exclude frō councels To this second parte we aunswer that those godly Princes and magistrates and honest lay men which beléeue the gospel that we do preache doe not folowe heresies and therefore they may be admitted into Christian councels and assemblies We are not ignorante of your custome and tyrannous gouernement whereby sometimes yée doe admit lay men into your councels but yet to learne as yée terme it but when any waightie matter is to be cōcluded then yée exclude them and place them only in your councell which will geue sentence as you liste and those be your Bishoppes onely But in the same place of the Actes which yée alledge for your selues it is thus written Then it pleased the Apostles and elders vvith the vvhole churche c. In the which place lay and vnlearned men are numbred bicause they haue the grace and spirite of Christ And therfore they neither may nor ought to be excluded from councels which are ordained to the reformation of religion Neither oughte the Princes and Magistrates to suffer these spirituall nien as they call them selues to haue the whole authoritie of these matters to them selues The fourtenth Question Why did not Paule and Barnabas make an ende of this sector heresie at Antioche but came to Peter at Hierusalem and intreated him to giue sentence vpon it The Answere THE Apostles coulde not make an ende with their aduersaries excepte they would reuoke some part of their doctrine and bring it more neare to the doctrine of their aduersaries and that their aduersaries woulde gladly haue had them done But there can be no similitude of agréement betwéene these two sentences Faith in Christ iustifieth men vvithoute the vvoorkes of the lavve And this The lavv or vvorks dothe iustifie men before God and not faithe in Christe Neither was it méete that the Apostles shoulde retracte any part of their Doctrine and yéelde vnto their aduersaries For Paule speaketh héereof saying To vvhome vvee gaue not place by subiection for an houre that the truth of the gospel might continue vvith you Knovving that a man is not iustified by the vvorks of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ. If then vvhile vve seeke to bee made righteous by Christe vve oureselues are founde sinners is Christe therfore the minister of sinne ▪ god forbid For if I build again the things vvhich I haue destroyed I make myselfe a trespasser Héereby it euidently appeareth that the Apostles could not agree with their aduersaries neither at Antioch neither at Jerusalem nor yéelde to any part of their doctrine neither yet would they Neither came they to Ierusalem to the ende they would make agréement and ioyne with their aduersaries much lesse then to intreate Peter that he woulde pacifie the matter betwéene them But the chéefest cause of their going was for that the Heretickes did bragge them selues to be sent from the Apostles that were at Ierusalem and that they agréed in their doctrine and that the doctrine of Paule and Barnabas touching the gospell did not agrée with the doctrine of the other Apostles Wherfore to the ende it mighte euidently appeare that this their bragge was false they went to Ierusalem and thereuppon the Apostles and the whole churche of Ierusalem writte to the churches of the Gentiles amongst whom the hereticks had scattered these things vntruely against Paul so among others they vse these words Bicause vve haue heard that certaine are come from vs and haue troubled you vvith their vvords to vvhome vvee haue giuen no commaundement c. Read the fiftéenth of the Actes and the second to the Galathians The fiftienth Question Whether that Paule did not speake his minde firste in that Councel Also whether the holy ghost were not there present Wherfore if these be true whie do they with their sectes spoile the Churche of Peter of her honor and how dare they call in dout those things which the holy ghost doth inspire The Answere NOw it may plainly appeare by this question to what end the former Questions were written by their
authoure namely that all menne should come to the Sée of Rome to finishe all controuersies of religion and that they should take al interpretations from the Popes holinesse But if the church of Rome were now as frée from errors as was the church in that time when Paule and Barnabas came thither we would not be ashamed to require and take answeres from hir But bicause the doctrine church which Peter planted in Judea is in this our age neither to be founde in Rome or at Jerusalem and they of Rome are rather founde like vnto those of whom Peter prophesied in the seconde chapter of his seconde Epistle we therefore by good right ought to depart from that church And yet doe we not spoile eyther the churche of Peter or the aunciente doctrine of their due honoure for we doe followe the true and aunciente Doctrine and churche of Peter and séeke to haue all controuersies of Religion iudged by the doctrine of Peter and the other Apostles Wherefore lette these Romishe harlottes looke rather vppon their owne wallet and diligently consider what greate honoures they giue to S. Peter and his seate and Churche which haue chaunged the same into a market of marchaundise and sincke of al horrible sinnes as al the world may sée and eache godly man dothe greatly lament In dede Paul spake his minde first in the councell at Jerusalem but what would yée therewith Knowe yée not that he accused his aduersaries and therfore it behoued him to speake first But yet I maruell muche that yée attribute not the cheefest place in thys councell to S. Peter For your contention is onely for the cheefest place the greatest pompe and glory For these men haue quite forgotten that doctrine of Christe saying Hee that vvill bee greatest amongst yee lette him be your seruaunte and submitte himselfe vnder all if he vvill enter into the kingdom of heauen And therfore me thinketh they are like to the Pharisies of whoÌ„ Christ speaketh in the gospel saying that they loue the vppermost â—eates and to be reueâ—enced of men But that they maye see me will denye them nothing that may iustly appertaine vnto them lette them endeuoure firste to be made like vnto Paule and Peter and then will we gladly giue them the cheefest place But if they be not suche then is there no cause why they should brag vnto vs of their holynesse and great titles for we may knowe them euen as the rotten trée is knowne by his frutes Further more the holy Ghoste was in that councell at Jerusalem for so it is written in the fiftienth of the Actes But what maketh that for you Or what doth it further your cause For it foloweth not that the holy Ghoste is in al your councels as we haue sufficiently proued already And againe we doe not call in Question the things which are inspired giuen by the holy Ghost but those things onely which you and your forefathers haue fayned oute of your owne braines and so thruste vpon the church contrary to the word of god But if you estéeme the holy Ghoste so much as you beare the world in hande yée do why then obey yée not the things which by his inspiration he hath deliuered For in the councell of Jerusalem in which the holy Ghost was present thus is it decreed It seemeth good to the holy ghost and to vs that vve lay no more burthen vppon you And why I pray yée haue not you and your forefathers obserued this Why haue yée laid so intollerable burthens on the backes of the poore Christians Why call yée vs heretickes for that we goe about to restore the churche to her former libertie and deliuer the same from these intollerable burthens But if those your ordinaÌ„ces are so necessary to saluation why theÌ„ do not you your selues obserue the same Truely you manifestly declare your selues to be of the number of those of whome our Lord said They lay heauie burthens vpon the shoulders of other men but they vvill not touche one of them vvith their little finger Matth. 23. The sixtienth Question Whether the church of Christe haue decreed any thing against or contrary to god and that theÌ„ they shewe the same in what pointes it consisteth The Answere WE haue already sufficiently spoken concerning the holy christian churche which dependeth only vpon the word of God and therefore we haue not either to charge or accuse the same But as coÌ„cerning the late vpstarte church of Rome we not only accuse it of diuers crimes but also haue already shewed that euidently what shée wanteth and wherfore we forsake and accuse hir The fourth Common place Of Free will. The seuententh Question Whether men haue not fre wil to doe good and euil The Answere THis Question touching the frée wil of man is the very ground foundation of that proude and arrogant doctrine concerning the merites of man as though there were any good in vs of our owne selues or as thoughe we were able to doe good fréely by our owne power for the which God muste néedes let vs haue eternall life But yet the holy scripture teacheth vs an other lesson how that man caÌ„ not do any good thing as of him selfe neither by all his power accoÌ„plish any good For his vnderstanding and frée will not being regenerated is so fowly blotted and defaced in him by his first traÌ„sgression and so wrapped in sinne and wickednesse that euen by nature he is caried hedloÌ„g vnto al manner of euil so as he is made very vnfit and vnapte to goodnesse And then what libertie or free wil can be attributed to such a man S. Paule saith The wisdome of the fleshe is an enemie to God neither is it subject to the lavve of God neither can it be Read the third Chapter also of his Epistle to the Romanes But who so euer is borne a newe by grace throughe the operation of the holy Ghoste of him is this saying of Christe to bee vnderstanded He vvhich dothe sinne is the seruaunte of sinne But if the same haue made you free then are you free in dede That is you are made frée from sinne the diuel death and damnation that fréely and with good will by the operation of the holy ghost and not by coÌ„pulsion you might do the good thing which you do And they whiche are so redéemed and indewed with Christian libertie they attribute not the good which they doe vnto their owne power and frée will but to the grace of Christe and to the holy ghost which worketh the same in them For Christe saythe in the fiftienth of Jhon He that abideth in me and in vvhome I abide he bringeth forthe muche frute for vvithout me you can doe nothing And S. Pauls saith in the second Epistle to the Corint and third chapter we are not able to do any good thing of our selues as of our selues but all our habilitie thereunto commeth of God. And in an other
after their death for them bycause they can not then helpe them But if it chaunce any man to lye at the poynt of death then with the wordes of the Gospell wée sende hym to Chryste to pray for the remission of hys sinnes to truste to the grace and mercie of God and so with full consolation hope for eternall lyfe And this and none other was the doctrine of the primatiue Apostolyke Church like as Paule writeth of the dead 1. Thes. 4. And therfore by Gods grace wée will kéepe the same The. xxxvj Question What they say to the glory of Lazarus and his systers Martha and Marie who prayed vnto Chryste for their brother Lykewise of Eutiches whom Paule raysed from the deade whether this were done without prayers and whether that Saint Peter did not rayse Tabitha to life by prayers The Answere I Suppose that Mary Martha Peter Paule prayed vnto God but yet not as our aduersaries teache vs to pray for the dead that is that God would be merciful to their soules and delyuer them from the fire of purgatorie and receiue them into eternall life but they prayed that vnto the glory of god they might be restored to this life And do they thinke that Lazarus Eutiches and Tabitha were in the fire of purgatorie and after their death suffered prayers I suppose they dare not affirme it And therfore they bring vs such examples as serue not their purpose but are onely to blere the eyes of the simple But if they say they were in Purgatory then I pray you howe proue they the same But some of them affirme say If Lazarus were in hell then could he not be deliuered for in hell there is no redemption but if he were in heauen then had he wrong to be brought agayne to this earth of miserie And héere therfore they conclude that there muste néedes bée a thirde or midle place To these I answer first that hereby they haue not proued this midle place to be purgatorie but that it may be as wel some other place only knoweÌ„ vnto god Secondly I say that their whole argument is false vaine Lazarus as the scripture there techeth was Christes frende and therfore his soulo was receiued into the bosome of Abraham after his death like as we may sée in the other Lazarus of whome Luke speketh ca. â—6 Neither had he any iniury offred him when his soule to the setting forth of Gods glory was agayne coupled to his body for all creatures doo of right and dutie serue their creator The Lord said vnto the these hanging on the crosse This day shalt thou be with me in paradise yet the. 3. day he rose agayn dyd not thereby suffer any wrong c. Truely I thinke that if these men which are called the Spiritualtie were compelled tobestow so much money for the dead vpon the laypeople as they for thys matter doo receyue of them their fire of Purgatorie woulde not burns so hotte and their prayers would come downe to a lower pryce But if thys doctrine of Purgatorie bée so necessarie howe commeth it then to passe I beséeche you that the Caste Churches in Grecia dydde neuer receyue it nor knowe of it vntill the tyme of Eugenius the fourth at whiche tyme very shortely after Constantinople was taken by the Turke The. xxxvij Question What they say to this place of the Machabees It is therefore an holy and holesome thoughte to pray for the dead that they may bee delyuered from their sinnes The Answere SAint Hierome Ciprian and Gelasius shall vnto this place aunswere for vs that this secoÌ„d boke of Machabées is read in the Church but hath not like authority with other canonical scriptures of the Bible to take authoritie thence as froÌ„ other scriptures in the controuersies of religion Therfore bycause in al the bookes of the olde new testament there is not one word spokeÌ„ of the sacrifices for the dead we leaue this place as we found it as not béeing able to proue any thing Agayne all the actes of holy meÌ„ are not to be folowed neither are they acceptable to god Geâ—eon for a good inteÌ„t made an Ephod in â—phra which yet had bin better if it had not bin done In the. 14. Chapter of the historie of the Machabées Raazias is praised for killing himself that he might not al into the hands of his enimies yet his act as the whole scripture techeth 〈◊〉 the best of the fathers do iudge deserueth neither prayse nor is thought wel of for euery man touching death ought to abide till God doo call And as touching this Booke I could say more but this is sufficient The ninthe Common place Of Sacramentes The. xxxviij Question How many Sacraments there be also whether those be effectuall signes of Gods grace by the which we receiue the same The Answere THe Romish church hath seuen Sacraments of al the which we do account but two to bée true Sacramentes of Chrystes church and that is Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord and vnto these we attribute so muche as the holie Scripture willeth vs And as touching these two Confirmation Extreme vnction or anoynting as they be now vsed in the church of Rome we do not acknowledge them for any Sacraments of Chryste neither suppose wée that they haue their original from gods word The other thrée that is penance Imposition of hands or Orders Matrimonie although we recken theÌ„ not amongst the Sacramentes of Chrystes church as we do baptisme the supper of the Lorde yet we acknowledge them to be profitable necessarie institutions of God and very holsome for the faythfull if they vse them in such sort and to the end for which they were ordeined and as the Saincts haue vsed them in times paste Neither doo wée allowe or thinke wel of al those things which the church of Rome doth vse in these thrée but we allow that only which is agreable with the worde of god But where we allow baptisme the Lords supper onely for true Sacraments I haue else where more largely taughte shewing that it onely belongeth to God and not to man to institute or ordeine Sacraments the signes of Gods verity and grace but also howe the promisses of God are in the Sacramentes and outwarde signes of his benefites Touching the efficacie and vertue of the Sacraments we answere that all those things which God hath ordeined haue power and vertue to bring to passe and performe al that for the which they were ordeined of God and so haue the Sacraments their power to whome therfore we ought not to attribute any other thing than that the Scriptures do attribute vnto them and for which causes they were ordeined Wherefore if we finde the Sacraments ineffectuall vnto vs that is not to be attributed to them as though the institution of God were of no sorce but it is to be attributed vnto meÌ„ which vse them
not rightly but without fayth The worde of God abideth euermore true and is left vnto vs for our instruction but in that all men doo not acknowledge it to bée the truthe and suffer them selues to be instructed therby they yea their lacks of fayth is the cause thereof Simon Magus was baptised but not purged not for bycause baptisme is without effect or is not the true signe of our clensing but bycause he beléeued not In lyke manner Judas at the supper of our lord receiued not the body of Christe vnto eternall life not bicause the sacrament did not represente and offer the same meat of eternall life but bicause he receiued it without faithe Againe the vse of the sacraments do not therefore obtaine the grace of God vnto vs bicause it is our worke but we receiue the Sacraments bicause through grace we are reconciled vnto God in Christe by faithe and now be in his fauoure therfore by this meanes shewe our selues thankefull and obedient towardes him Againe we know that the grace and giftes of God doe oftentimes increase and growe in the faythfull S. Paule to the Romanes the fourth asketh whether Abraham were iustified through Circumcision and whether he was iustified before or after he was circumcised he answereth not in circumcision but before he vvas circumcised and yet was not circumcision vnprositable or a vaine signe for he receyued the same as the seale of the righteousnesse of faithe that is to say to confirme and testifie that his righteousnesse came by faithe and that therby we be iustified So may we say of our sacramentes for baptisme is come in the stead of circumcision and the fathers also did eate of one spiritual meat with vs as Paule testifieth Coloss. 2. and. 1. Cor. 10. The tenth Common place Of Baptisme The. xxxix Question Whether they beleeue that infants ought to be baptized and whether they thinke the firste baptisme sufficient or that men oughte to be baptized againe when they come to haue the vse of reason The Answere IT appeareth by this Question they minde to make some proofe of vs what we do thinke of the Anabaptists Wherfore we answere that euen you which are the vpholders maintainers of the Popish kingdom the hinderers of the preaching of the gospel doe most wickedly offende and that the faulte is cheefely in you why that many are first seduced by the Anabaptistes and then secondly for lacke of teaching do perish in that erroure For if yée would suffer the pure preaching of the Gospell to haue his frée passage then coulde not this heresie nor any other so mightely preuaile and take place to the deceiuing of simple and vnlearned menne which thinke what so euer is taughte them is straight wayes the doctrine of the gospel Neither go we about to defende the Anabaptist from whom we discent very muche as in all oure bookes we doe plainely declare But many of them are very simple menne and otherwyse of an honest nature who haue skarce heard any thing of the gospell or if they haue yet bicause they sée so little amēdment of life among those that professe the same are called Gospellers yéelding to the subtile persuasiōs of the Anabaptists thinke they shuld greatly offend if they baptise their infants take an othe or come vnto those churches in which as they say sinners do yet remain Yea that no minister which receiueth any stipende for his ministerie or dothe not him selfe all those things which he teacheth others to doe can teache the true doctrine and that there is no congregation a true churche in which the order of Prophesying and excommunication is not according to that forme which S. Paule hathe prescribed 1. Corrin 14. Therfore as these their errors are not to be suffred so yet must they be frendly instructed by the woorde of God and so broughte home againe as S. Paule teacheth Rom. 14. But if they be contentious and stubberne they muste not yet therfore straight wayes be cast off but hope better of them taking héede in the meane time least they infecte any other with these their obscure opinions whilest we looke for their amendment And if they be not conuerted yet must we alwayes deale soberly vertuoussy and holily with them hauing a consideration of the matter and person in correcting and punishing of them Other some of them are not of a simple and honest nature but malitious troublesome enuious couetous which all their life time haue bene vnquiet and obstinate euer louing contention and so falling into that error doe amongste themselues raise vp broiles stirre mē against their Magistrates and Preachers against othes against iudgement and punishment against taxes rentes and tiches and many other things furthermore they stirre vp contention betwene man and wife and yet notwithstanding they cloke and smoothe themselues with a certaine glorious hipocritical kinde of spéeche to the end they might séeme to be farre honester men than they are in very déede For what they would doe if they might haue frée libertie we haue good experience in the Monkishe Anabaptistes If therefore these menne which are so malitious might be fréely suffred no punishmēt done vnto them the common wealthe would quite be ouerthrowne as experience dothe teache vs And these men being the heades of this faction abusing the simple sort do in like manner stirre them vp to be contentious and raise tumultes Wherupon being thus instructed although they be manifestly ouerthrowne by the truthe yet leaue they not their erroure nor will receiue any godly instruction but despise the gentlenesse and mercy of the Magistrate neuer kéeping touche though they promisse and sweare neuer so muche hauing no regard to honestie neuer cease to molest and trouble the congregatiōs with their rash and seditious dealings And touching these menne what bothe Gods lawe and mannes dothe decrée of them it is manifestly knowne wherefore we doe not goe about to excuse any suche neither haue we any felowship with them or with their teachers nor yet by Gods grace minde we to haue Touching the baptisme of infantes it hathe his aucthoritie from the scripture For bicause we all confesse that Baptisme is a signe of the couenaunte and people of God and that it cannot be denyed that infants are in the couenaunt of God and are numbred with his people therfore baptisme which is the signe heereof cannot be denyed vnto them Againe S. Peter in the Actes teacheth that they oughte to be baptized which haue the holy Ghost But if the infants of the faithfull had not the holy Ghost then should they not belong vnto God neither should they be holy nor haue the kingdome of God But they are belonging to god Rom. 8. they are holy 1. Corinth 7. and to them belongeth the kingdome of heauen Mar. 10. Therfore they ought to be baptized But there is no néede we should be baptized againe when we come to the vse of reason being once in
our infancie baptized in the name of the father the sonne and of the holy ghost For if we should be baptized againe yet could we haue no more than we had before only this wold remain that heereby we should deface our former baptisme to the great displeasing of God the breache of lawes and the incurring into the daunger and punishment thereof The .xj. Common place Of the sacrament of the body and bloud of our Lorde and of the receyuing vnder bothe kindes The .lx. Question Whether they beleeue that the liuing body and the very bloude of Christe be substantially in the Sacramente so that after the words of coÌ„secration the bread is transubstantiated into the body of Christ so as there then remaineth no more bread but the true naturall body of Christe The Answere CErtayne of the later Doctors of the Romish church do euidently and fréely confesse that before the councel of Lateran whych was celebrated at Rome Innocentius the third theÌ„ Pope in the yéere of our Lord. 121 in the which Synode the doctrine of transubstantiaon was first decréed confirmed there were diuers and sundry opinions in the churche touching the presence and substance of Christe in the Sacramente So that if any man did not beleue that the substance of bread was turned into the substance of Christes body yet was he not reckened for an hereticke But in this councell it is decreed that all those which will auoide the suspition of hereâ—ie muste beléeue that the very body of Christ is naturally in the Sacrament and it is greatly to be wondred at wherfore this councell would coÌ„demne the faithfull as hereticks for that which hither vnto for the space of 1200 yeeres was neuer done nor ment Whereby lette any wise man thinke whether the councell had authoritie now after 1â—00 yéeres to Decrée these things For if those menne which liued from Christe 1200. yéeres were not couÌ„ted heretikes and yet did not beleue that the substaÌ„ce of breade was chaunged into the substaunce of Christes body whye then shoulde they now be called Heretickes which beleeue not those things whiche the Churche neuer beléeued in all that space of yéeres before said But if those things which that councell now holden 1200. yéeres after Christ were true and necessary to be beléeued then all those which liued before this time and beléeued not these things did not beléeue a righte but if their faithe were true as vndoutedly it was then is it not necessary for vs to beléeue that which after were deuised and imagined And truely the auncient fathers did thus beléeue and teache concerning this holy Sacrament to witte that there is two things chéefely to be considered the signes that is the bread and the wine the things signified that is the body bloud of Christe But if it be true which the churche of Rome teacheth that the substaunce of bread is not in the sacrament but only the body of Christ then surely the Sacrament is no more a sacrament but onely the thing signified And is not this their definition of a sacrament A Sacrament is the signe of an holy thing If therefore the breade be no breade neither kéepeth hys substance but in the place therof commeth the substaunce of Christes body I pray yée then what is that they doe breake in the sacrament Is it the body of Christ or what other thing else For it is no breade for they say there is no breade in the Sacrament Therefore if the body of Christe be present onely then is the same broken which thing cannot â—e Neyther is it any more a Sacramente for it is not the signe of an holy thing but the very holy thing it selfe Then was there no nede that the Lord should haue giuen breade and wine in â—ys laste Supper But if it be as they were woonte to say that the fourme and accidentes of the breade as the â—hytenesse coloure roundenesse and â—aste be the signes the things that are â—roken then doe we demaunde of them 〈◊〉 what substaunce the whitenesse â—oundnesse and taste doth abide They â—â—nne not say I trow that they are the accidentes of Christes bodye or that they rest in his substaunce and therefore it necessarily followeth that they remaine in the breade And therefore the substaunce of the breade in this Sacramente is not chaunged but remayneth and so theyr Doctrine hathe no good foundation Yea these woordes also Substance Accident forme and accident vvithout substaunce dothe sufficiently declare that this their doctrine was forged from the deuises of subtilâ— Sophisters and their craft whereof the Apostles were altogither ignorante But nowe when they are at a soppâ— game then say they these things aâ—â— altogyther done miraculously by the omnipotent diuine power of God bâ—â— yet they cannot proue that and there 〈…〉 no cause so false but that it may be defended by this kinde of reason In thâ— gospell and wrytings of the Apostles oftentimes this Sacrament is plaineâ— called breade and wine that without dout is in respecte of the signes that might thereby manifestly appeare that the substaunce of bread and wine dothâ— remaine in the sacrament which thiâ— also we perceiue and fast when we receiue the same although the Papists go about to persuade vs the contrary Neither by this dothe it folowe that be acknowledge and receiue in this sacrament nothing else but bread wine only as in other bankettes where oure body is fed For our Lord wheÌ„ he gaue 〈…〉 his supper the bread and the cup vnâ—â— his disciples commaunding them to â—ate and to drinke he added This is my body this is my bloude And it is to be â—oted that it is an vsuall thing to geue â—â—to the sacrameÌ„tall signes the names 〈…〉 those things which they doe signifie â–ª 〈…〉 s in this sacrament the bread wine 〈…〉 e the signes of the body and bloude of Christ and therfore Christ nameth theÌ„ is body bloud The like is to be said Baptisme Circumcision the Passeoer and other Sacrifices And they are â—us called to the ende we shoulde not â—pende vpon the signes that is on the â—reade or on the Wine but being by â—ese visible things putte in mynde of â—ings inuisible we might lifte vp our â—es vnto heauen to the things signified and that is to the bodye of Christ which was geuen for vs to his bloâ—â— which was shed for vs and so study 〈…〉 receiue these But howe or in what manner dâ—â— we receiue the body and blud of Christ Truely spiritually by Faithe so 〈…〉 outwardly with oure bodely mouthâ—â— we eate and drinke the Lordes breadeâ— and the Lordes wine the holy signeâ—â— and inwardly with the mouthe of ouâ— soule that is to say by faith we receyâ—â— the bodye and bloude of Christe Fâ—â— like as with oure mouthe we receiâ—â— meats to sustaine our body so likewisâ— by Faithe in Christe is his bodye and bloud which he offered on the Crosse made meate vnto
vs to eternall life â–ª For the body of Christe which was 〈…〉 uen for vs and his bloud that was shâ—â— for vs is our lyfe or lyfe is therby purchased to vs and these do we receiue bâ— faithe so as thereby Christe dothe liâ—â— in vs and we in him Wherfore in thâ— holy supper of our Lord Jesus Christe â–ª we do not eate bread and drinke winâ— onely but his body and bloude also buâ— yet in suche sorte as before I haue said spiritually by faithe so as the presence of Christe in this supper is spirituall is the eating therof also is For the body of Christe which is and remaineth 〈…〉 heauen euen vnto the laste day is a â—aturall body subiecte to a place and â—s therefore in heauen ouer vs and can â—n no wise bodely or fleshly be in diâ—ers places at once vppon this earthe â—r be carnally eaten And therefore in the celebrating of this Supper they haue alwayes sayd Lift vp your harts and therefore the aunciente wryters haue alwayes in interpreatyng the â—oordes of Christe touching the eating and drinking of his body and bloud exâ—ounded the same to be done spiritually by faithe bicause the fleshe profiteth not as in the sixth Chapter of John and therefore they haue interpreated these â—oords of Christ This is my body This is my bloud thus It so signifieth or it is the signe or Sacrament or token of my body and bloud For euen immediatly after the forsaid words our Lord himself â—aith Do this in the remembraÌ„ce of me And Paule saith shevv you the Lordes death vntill he come to witte to iudgement Wherefore to this Question we Answere that the naturall body and true bloude of Christe is in heauen as touching the substance and that in the supper or in the bread and wine which two retaine their propre substaunces they are Sacramentally or spiritually present not substancially or bodily For the bread and wine are the true Sacraments or signes of the bodye and bloud of Christe which being once offered on the Crosse â–ª are now abiding in heauen and are spiritullay by faithe receiued of vs vnto eternall life But some not being concente with this plaine exposition obiecte that in oure dayes there is great strife aboute the sacrament some teaching that Christ must be eaten spiritually other some saying that it ought to be carnally c. And these men we hartely beseeche that they woulde diligently marke those which thus so earnestly holde that the breade it selfe or that vnder the breade or formes thereof the very body of Christe is presente and corporally to be eaten for after they haue contentiously tossed themselues and others herein yet at the last they come to this poynt that they confesse this not to be done so grosly or carnally bicause the whole matter is heauenly Sacramentall and Spirituall Wherefore if this be true why then yéeide they not here vnto and ceasse hencefoorth to bée contentiouse and to perswade this thing to bée carnally spirituall and that the substaunce of bread no longer remayneth c. Wherby neither them selues nor yet others can tell what they meane Let the auncient doctrine of Chrystes Churche remayne which alwayes beléeued that Chryste had a true naturall body and that glorified in hys resurrection yet still remayning a true naturall body euen suche as our bodies shall bée at the last day and that with this body he ascended into heauen there remayneth and shall from thence come to iudge bothe the quicke and the dead And that yet neuerthelesse he is present spiritually in the Sacramente of the supper and so receiued of the faythfull spiritually and not carnally vnto eternall life This is the auncient playne Apostolical truth to whiche not onely thou mayest yeelde thy selfe but also know what thou beléeuest Wherfore if thou goo foorth any further to séeke to contende or to quarel then must we let thee alone that euen through thine own default thou maiest al thy life long remayne and continue a most miserable man c. The. xlj Question Whether they do beleeue that Christ being present in the Sacrament is to be worshipped wheÌ„ the same is eleuated or lift vp by the priest giueÌ„ vnto other caried to the sicke or is otherwise shewed or caried about The Answere TOuching the presence of Chryst we haue answered in the former question but if any man bée not sufficiently answered therwith let him heare the answere of S. Augustine vpon the words of Chryst Tracâ— in â—oan 50 The poore shall you haue alwayes with you but me shall ye not haue alwayes Thus he wryteth Accordyng to that substance after which he was borne of the Virgin taken of the Iewes nayled on the Crosse and appeared manyfestly in the resurrection according to that substance you shal not haue me alwaies with you VVherefore he was conuersaunt bodily fortie dayes with hys disciples and after ascended into heauen and is not nowe héere on earth For there he sitteth on the righte hande of his father yet is here also for the presence of his Maiestie did not depart Therfore according to the presence of his maiesty we haue Chryst always present but as touching the preseÌ„ce of his humane body we haue it not For the Church had him present but a few dais yet faith appreheÌ„deth him though our eyes see him not And this is S. Augustines doctrine Touching the worshipping of Chryste we beléeue he oughte to be worshipped in what place so euer he bee in bodie For whylest he was héere on earth the Apostles and others dyd worship him here and after he ascended into heaueÌ„ they worshipped him there Luk. 24. Wherfore sithe we haue already sufficiently declared that Chryst is not bodily presente in the earthe vnder the fourme of bread but is in heauen therfore is he to be worshipped in heauen sitting on the right hande of God and not vnder the fourme of breade Furthermore touching the worshipping of the Sacrament we haue neither commaundement from God nor example of the Apostles For the Lorde sayth Take yée eate yee and not shew it and worship it Neither dyd the Apostles kéepe this Sacrament and shut it in a Boxe carrie it to the sicke or in procession or dedicate any festiuall day vnto it no more than they did to Baptisme which notwithstanding is an holy Sacrament giuen in the name of the blessed Trinitie the father the sonne and the holy ghost And wée truely do worship rightly the holy Trinitie and yet not in Baptisme Laste of all it is euident by Histories that 1200. yeres and somewhat more after Chryste the inuention and buylding of Chappels to the Sacraments and feastes and carying of the same aboute on procession was inuented and ordeyned onely by men cleane contrary to the worde of god Dan. 11. and Math. 24. The. xlij Question Whether those Priests which are not consecrated suche as a greate many bee amongest the gospellers haue power to make of bread and wine the
then followeth that the whole supper of the Lorde as well the cuppe as the bread is frée for all men But if the Sacramentes appertayne not vnto them then haue they no parte of the body and bloud of Chryst. But the Lorde playnely and distinctly saythe Drinke you all of this and Marke addeth saying and they al drâ—nk Furthermore Paule sayth That which he receiued of the Lorde he gaue to the Church or congregation and this not to the Priestes or Ministers onely but to all the Corinthians And it may bée proued by seuen sufficient testimonies out of the tenth and eleuenth Chapters of his first Epistle to the Corinthians that he gaue bothe kindes that is to say bread and wyne to all the faythefull as well women as men laymen as Priestes And therefore it can not bée denyed but that he receyued thys from the Lorde to delyuer the Sacrament to the faythfull Therefore it followeth that in Chrystes laste supper the Apostles were not onely an example of the Priestes but also of all other faythfull And the Lorde gaue not a peculiar or proper Sacrament to the Priestes and an other to the lay men but he instituted one holy Sacrament to be giuen as wel to the lay men as to the Priests For neither dothe the Priest receiue or doo more than the lay man sauing onely that when he ministreth the Sacrament he executeth the office of a minister and deliuereth the same vnto others And herein dothe the Romish churche greatly offende that the Sacrament which is instituted of our Lorde to bee a Sacramente of vnitie by whiche the faythfull might bée coupled into one body they applye the same to defende their separation power and pryde whereby they séeke to excell others and to bée taken for gods whome aboue all others wée ought to preferre with worship and honor Of these matters hath Gabriell Biell vpon the Canon of the Masse Lect. 4. written very straunge wonderful things extolling the Priestes aboue the virgin Mary the mother of Chryst aboue all the Angels and Sainctes and aboue things both in heauen and in earth The. xlv Question Whether they do beleeue that Chryste wyth the two Disciples in Emaus and the Apostles Act. ij and Paule Act. xx and. j. Cor. xj vsed but one kinde onely and gaue the bread onely to the lay people The Answere THat Chryste sitting at the Table with his two Disciples at Emaus brake breade doth not proue that the lay men oughte onely to be partakers but of the one halfe of the Sacrament Neither yet can they proue that this supper was a commemoration of that mysticall supper which he celebrated with his Disciples a lyttle before hys death But yet if it were neuerthelesse it coulde proue nothing bycause it is an Historie of one singular facte contrary to a manyfest commaundement For in the Gospell it is playnely set foorth howe the Lordes supper oughte to b 〈…〉 administred to wytte with breade a 〈…〉 wyne Wherfore sith this déede wherof Luke speaketh Chap. 24. agréeth noâ— with the institution of our Lords supper it maketh nothing agaynst the first institution thereof Yea it may be also that one kinde is named and the other vnderstanded by the figure Sinecdochâ— Agayne they can not proue that Cleophas and his coÌ„panion were lay men Wherefore if they were Disciples â–ª Priests or Ministers and chosen of our Lorde to preach the word as it séemest moste lyke to bée then this example can proue nothing In the Actes of the Apostles the Lordes Supper is calleâ— the breaking of bread as spoken in the respecte of one parte and yet thereby can they not conclude that they had noâ— the vse of the cuppe sithe our Lorde did institute the same The. xlvj Question Whether the CorinthiaÌ„s which vsed both kindes did not greatly offende when they vsed the Wine and that Paule therfore wryteth vnto them saying that when he commeth he will better instructe them The Answere THe woords of S. Paul manifestly teach that the Corinthians did amisse in other matters not in that they receiued the Sacrament in bothe the kindes For the Apostle plainly sayth that he receiued both kindes of the Lord that he might so deliuer the same vnto them and therfore he willeth them to receiue it and the woords of S. Paule 1. Corin. 11. chapter geue testimonie héereunto to the which place I remit those that wil read them I pray you then howe coulde he wryte that when he came he would better instructe them that is to say teache them otherwise than he had done before out of the woords of Christ And truely it is to be wondred at that they dare bring forthe this Question as in the name of Paule which is in deede so plaine against Paul. Wherfore I might in this place more sharply dispute against theÌ„ but that my purpose is rather to lay the plaine truth euidently to the eyes of the godly and faithfull than rigorously according to their desertes to answere or reproue our aduersaries And therfore I leaue this vnto others as I haue begon so will I procéede answer their questions hoping hereafter to haue occasion to speake more hereof and therefore I wil not nowe saye all reseruing something to a more conuenient tyme. The xlvij Question Whether they beleue that in the Councels holden at ConstaÌ„tinople at Basil for the auoyding of many daÌ„gers striues it was godly and wel decreed that according to the doctrine of the Christian Churche the lay men should haue onely the one kinde of the sacrament The Answere YT plainly appeareth by the thirtéenthe Session of the Councell holden at Constance that the fathers then confessed that Christe did ordayne the Sacramentes vnder bothe kindes and so gaue it vnto his Disciples and so likewise did the primitiue churche also vse the same Wherfore if this be true as it can not otherwise be then I leaue it to the iudgement of any good Christian whether that the councell of Constance which was holden 1400. yéeres after Christe or the councell of Basill which was celebrated since or any other councell what so euer the same be of name or authoritie haue power to abrogate that which Christ did ordaine and the primitiue church did vse or coÌ„demne the same for heresie Surely no man no not the Angels haue this power and therefore if they goe forward to condemne that for heresie which Christ did institute and was receiued of the first Apostolical church it may then easily appeare to all men that Christe him selfe and his churche is had in suspition by those Councels And truely I had rather be counted an hereticke with Christ and his churche than to beare the name of a Christian with these late councels But yet héere haue they an other shift to wit to auoide slander and other daungers least the lay men shuld shed any of the wine and so by this meanes bring the sacrament into contempt As thoughe
those Magistrates as Eusebius and Orosius doo testifie in their Histories And wée haue a manifest and an excellent example of this matter in the seconde thirde and sixte Chapters of Daniell And in the Historie of the Machabées and the Actes of the Apostles Furthermore the Churche which is called Chrystes Churche and is not so in déede hathe in it none of those things whiche it oughte for to haue for they neither truste in God nor in Chryste nor in his woorde but put their confidence in other matters and make diuerse Lawes and Customes of Religion and the seruice of GOD contrary to Gods woorde and hauing among themselues insimte Sectes yet wyll they bée called the Catholyke Churche And in thys Churche the godly Magistrate hathe power and authoritie to make and ordeyne Lawes and Statutes for the abolyshing and taking away of those thinges whiche are ordeyned contrary to the wyll and woorde of almightie god For Dauid Salomon Josaphat Ezechias Josias Constantinus and other godly Princes are euident examples héereof Therfore when the Magistrate for the profite and reformation of the Church dothe ordeyne Statutes and Lawes agreable to the woorde of GOD they ought moste diligently to bée obeyed of al men yea and if nede require the magistrate must bée assisted in them and those which will not so doo but resiste their Magistrates shall bée most sharply punished of god But the Popes and Prelates of the Romish Church to the ende they may defend and maintayne their honours pryde ryches pleasures and horrible wyckednesse haue hither vnto persuaded with Princes Noble men and Magistrates yea and by force haue héerevnto constrayned them that they shoulde beléeue that the lawes and reformations whiche touched their Pontificall state were cleane contrary to the holy churche God himselfe and all equitie and Justice And by this meanes they dyd not onely mayntayne their pompe and pryde but dyd also dayly encrease the same when as yet rather it had béene their partes to haue called them selues to accountes and to haue considered diligently the state of the Churche and of the afflicted Christendome and so to prouyde for the same and not onely to exhorte the Magistrates but also to helpe them and further them in the reformation hereof and for the spéedier redresse to beginne euen wyth themselues For these are the laste tymes and the indgemente of the Lorde in the whiche they â— all render a moste sharpe accounte is not farre off And blessed are those whome the corruptible trashe of thys lyfe dothe not lette but that they may readily prepare them selues agaynst his comming when he shal iudge bothe the quicke and the deade The Conclusion THus farre by the helpe of God to whom I render most hartie thanks haue I answered to 〈◊〉 Questions and taughte those to whom they shal be obiected how to answere them yea I haue taught what is to be thought of eche of these howe to confesse the true doctrine of Chryst and to take héede of the false And therefore nowe euen for Chrystes sake I hartily beséeche al you which sticke vnto the truth of the Gospell and minde not to returne to filthynesse of Rome that you answere soberly and without fcare and constantly abide in the truth béeing nothing amased with the dayly torments and afflictions which are euer at hande For the Religion my brethren for whiche you suffer persecutions disple asures and other gréefes is not of aâ—eight hundred yeres standing but hath ben euer from the birthe of Chryste yea and from the beginning of the worlde grounded vppon the Scriptures and is in déede the very true and auucient fayth On the other side wée are taughte that the doctrine and Religion of the Churche of Rome that now is is not onely a new doctrine but also deuised by men and ratified by the Counsels and Decrées of men with whom Chryst sayth that he is worshipped in vayne Our doctrine and religion giueth all glory to God and séeketh saluation in Chryste onely And bycause we haue all fulnesse in him wée haue no respecte vnto the creatures And him wée serue not with outwarde pompe and shewes but in spirite and truth in prayer and thanks giuing in righteousnesse charitie puritie fayth and mercy And euen common sense teacheth all men that the true seruice of God consisteth in these things whereas on the other parte all men crye out agaynst the vncertayne doctrine of the Romish Clergie béeing confirmed by no good authority yet they cry out agaynst their filthy lyfe their intollerable oppressions pride and tyrannie Wherfore although they haue great power glory and dignitie fauor and help of great and mightie men and that the poore menne which beléeue in Christ and embrace his woorde and despise the Romish church doe suffer persecutions imprisonment banishment yea and many times death that there appéereth no helpe many times from God but that it séemeth he doth rather fauor the other yet was al this foretold by the Prophetes Apostles yea and by our sauioure Christ him selfe who suffered for vs leauing vs an example to folow his steps And therfore we ought not to take any thought for our goodes frends body or life For we haue great promisses of grace helpe and rewarde from God if we abide stedfast vnto the ende On the other part our aduersaries are dreadfully threatned and shall in time fele the same that without dout Againe touching the things of this world we knowe they are vnconstant brittle and corrupt and therefore we caÌ„not long enioy them neither can the power or riches of our frends any thing profit vs For we shal all die and stand before the iudgement seate of Christe vnto whonte all our sinnes and secrete thoughts shall be made most manifest Therfore let no maÌ„ be gréeued though he suffer affliction in this life for the gospels sake For at that general day both the innocenciè and offences of all men shall appeare And hearken I beséeche you how louingly Christ speaketh vnto vs and comforteth vs Blossed sayth he are those vvhich suffer persecution for righteoufnesse sake for theirs is the kingdome of heauen Blessed are you vvhen they shall speake ouil of you and perfecute you and speake all manner of euill saying making lies vppon you for my sake Reioyce and be glad for great is your revvarde in heauen for euen so did they persecute the Prophets vvhich vvere before you The scholler is not aboue his maister nor the seruaunt greater than his lord If they haue called the good man of the house Belâ—cbub hovv much more vvill they call his seruaunts so you shall not therefore be a fraide of them for thereis nothing so hidden but it shall be knovvne Neither be you afraide of those vvhiche can but kill the body but feare you him rather that is able to destroy bothe body and soule in hell fire Are not tvvo sparovves solde for a farthing and yet one of them falleth not vnto the grounde vvithout the