blood not by the carnal companie of man but by the holy goost And that he was borne of the same virgin very man howbeit holy and pure without synne For all men elles are according to their owne nature bothe conceaued in synnes and borne the children of wrathe vnto deathe And in this behalfe I do playnly Original â—â—nne confesse original synne For inasmuche as all mankynde aswell the infauntes which haue not yet commytted actuall faultes as others of further age are originally poisoned Psal 51. with sinne and therfore subiecte vnto deathe as the wages of synne from Ro. 6. the which synne and deathe mankynde could not be in any wise delyuered and redemed but by Christ alone for that cause it was requisite that Christ which should put awaye the same poison shoulde he conceaued and borne holilie and purely without al spotte of synne to thinteÌ„t he might 1. Pâ— 1. Ephe. 5. Ro. 3. 5. offre a pure and a cleane sacrifice for all bothe olde and yong to make vs pure and free CoÌ„cerning the fourth Article I beleue and confesse that the same sonne The 4. Article of God and of Mary our Lord Iesus Christ in going about the busynesse and affaires of our saluacion did perfitly and fully declare the waye of saluacion here vpon earthe And that he to shewe vs more certainly that he is the only Lorde of life and deathe which is only hable to helpe and at whose haÌ„des al helpe must be sought cured all maner of diseases ceassed the rageing stormes of the wyndes and of the sea suppressed the power of satan troade downe all power of aduersaries forgaue synnes and raised vp the dead vnto life And after all this he gaue him self willingly and of his owne accorde vnto deathe And was shamefully and spitefully brought furthe and deliuered by the Iewes cruelly tormeÌ„ted of the gentiles and last of all giltlesly nailed vpon the crosse And here I confesse that this same our Lorde Iesus Christ very God very maÌ„ suffred not for him self but for vs and for our synnes sake most greuous paynes vndeserued stripes and bitter sorowes in his humayne nature which coulde dye he was vndoubtedly dead and buried in his soule he suffred most extremely the bitter sharpenesse of Goddes iudgemeÌ„t and the very paines of hel that he might deliuer vs ther from And I most faithfully and certainly beleue that this blessed passion and deathe of the innocent sonne of God Iustificaâ—ion is the only perfite and eternal righteousnesse and iustificacion of man before God and the true satisfaccion raunsome and payment for the synnes of all the hole worlde And therfore forasmuche as I am throughly instructed in this most certain and sure strong argumeÌ„t of this our true and vndoubted christen catholike faithe I plainly confesse that man can in no wise be iustified pourged of his synnes or fynde any shifte to satisfie or to be clensed of them either by any workes or merites of maÌ„ but only by the free grace of God that that is to saye by the most blessed passion and giltles deathe of the crucified sonne of God And that we are made partakers of the innocencie and merite of the deathe bloodshead of Christ at suche tyme as we doo constauntly and faithfully beleue that the soÌ„ne of God is our owne and that he suffred that bitter deathe for our synnes to make vs righteous and blessed For I will in no wise contemne or recken as of non effecte the most fauourable free grace of God which opened it self most expressely plainly in the passioÌ„ deathe of Iesus Christ But I thinke rather verily and surely beleue and coÌ„fesse that we should openly cast away and compt the deathe of Christ to be of noÌ„ effecte in case we should seke or thinke to be clensed saued iustified froÌ„ our synnes by any other meanes than through faithe by that only bloodshead deathe rauÌ„som of Iesus Christ in asmuche as we heare the holy Apostle S. Paule saye I despise not the grace of God for yf righteousnesse Gala 2. 3. come by the lawe than Christ dyed in vayne And also If the enheritaunce come of the lawe than it is not of promyse But God gaue vnto AbrahaÌ„ by promise so that they which haue fayth are blessed with faythful AbrahaÌ„ As many therfore as in the olde lawe from our furst father Adames tyme vnto the coÌ„ming of Christ were blessed and iustified I beleue verely saye that they were made blessed holy and iustifyed through faithe of free pardon and grace by none other but by Iesus Christ the blessed sede alone Touching the fyfthe article I beleue and confesse that Iesus Christe The. 5. article very God and very man in the selfe same bodye that was hanged on the crosse and from thence taken downe and buried rose agayne froÌ„ the dead For althoughe our synnes be perfitly purged by the Lordes deathe and a most full satisfaction made therby for the same yet hope of lyfe is restored vnto vs and faythe in him is engendred in vs by his resurrection For yf he hade not rysen agayne we coulde not haue thought that deathe had ben ouercome And so we could not haue beleued that he hade satisfyed for our synnes For deathe is the hyre of synne And death remaynyng in his force synne must also be thought to remayne Moreouer Boddes spirite and faythe wherby Christes deathe and merites are applyed vnto vs be the gyftes of Christ raysed from the deade Of Christ I saye which hathe washed vs cleane from our synnes in his owne blood and so is become the propiciacion or mercy seate for our synnes and not for our sinnes only but for the synnes of all the hole worlde and nowe hauyng dyed for our synnes and being rysen agayne for our iustificacion he reygneth and trihumpheth ouer deathe Notwithstanding his very fleshe bones that is to saye his very humayne body with his reasonable and humaine soule was not deified that is to saye not chaunged turned in to his God-head but only clarified And the clarificacion dothe not consume waste nor take awaye the propreties of a very humaine body either the substaunce or facion therof but only despecheth deliuereth the body and the state of the body froÌ„ all diseases whether they be corrupcions or infirmities that is to saye from feare dreade sorowe heauynesse from all carke and care from hate from carnall loue couetous desires from false Ioyes and griefes froÌ„ affections troubles hoÌ„gre colde heate wearynesse and from al maner of infirmities saintnes smerte and specially from mortalitie and corruptioÌ„ And on the other parte it maketh the body and the facion of the body glorious cleare immortal and vncorruptible Suche a maner of body S. Paules wonted phrase is to call a glorious a spiritual body not that it is afterwarde no more fleshe nor that it is chauÌ„ged and turned in to the spirite 1.
Cor. 15. but bicause it is no more subiecte to any cares or griefes or to corrupcions vncleanesse or infirmities of the fleshe and bicause it is garnished and beautified with vncorrupcion immortalitie and many other spirituall giftes besides out of nombre And like as the body of Christ after it was risen vp froÌ„ deathe remayned still a very body notwithstaÌ„ding it was become after the resurrection immortal and glorious euen so shall the bodies of all faithfull folke at the general resurrection be made like vnto the body of Iesus Christ wherof I shall speake more largely in the eleuenth article of our faithe For Christ our Lorde by his glorious resurreccion from the dead dothe most euidently proue and declare that he hathe despeched synne quyte out of the waye that he hathe ouercome deathe which cometh by the occasion of synne that he hathe restored life that he hathe coÌ„quered hell for all them that are true faithfull beleuers and that he hathe mightily put sathan to flight CoÌ„cerning the sixthe Article I beleue and confesse that our Lorde Iesus The. 6. article Christ ascended in to heaueÌ„ with the very self same his humaine body that rose again from the dead and sithence exerciceth not his dominion and gouernement here vpon earthe corporally For according to the nature propretie of his very humayne body he is in no mo places but in only one in one self same moment And forasmuche as he hathe caried our fleshe in to heauen hathe placed it at the fathers right hande that is to saye in euerlasting ioye felicitie all faithfull beleuers knowe now for a certaintie that the waye to heaueÌ„ is vnshutte set wyde open that they also shall through Christ in whom they beleue be caried bothe body and soule in to euerlasting life For the Lorde him self with manifest Ioh. 17. and playne wordes hathe saide I wil father that wher I am ther shal my seruaunt be also Seing than that the body and fleshe of our Lorde and brother Christ is abyding and resteth now in heauen our fleshe hath this certaine assured hope that it shal be caried thider also ther according to Christes promise Ioh. 14. shal haue a perpetual dwelling place Further more Christ our Lorde sytteth on the heaueÌ„ly fathers right haÌ„de that is to saye euen he that is bothe very God very man reigneth hathe dominion in like power like glorie with God the father so as al thinges are in subiectioÌ„ vnder his power he with the father the holy goost vpholdeth ê‘serueth al thinges is also wourshipped serued the vndoubted true eternal almightie God The chief bishop most high king of al faithfull people sitteth on the right haÌ„de of God Christ Iesus is the only eternal faithful true bishop priest of al true beleuers It is he that dothe most trustily pleade al that matters causes of his faithfull people before God his heaueÌ„ly father It is he the offreth vp all our good wishes and faithfull folkes prayers to God the father It is he that appeareth coÌ„tinually in the sight of God prayeng and making intercession for them geueth them his blessing And so those that be of the true faithful belief in dede wil nother seke allowe nor receaue any other mediatour intercessour spokes-man attournaye or entreatour but Christ alone He is that only and eternall sacrifice and oblacion which being ones offred for all endureth for euer clenseth and saÌ„ctifieth al them that are true beleuers And euen he this selfe same high Bishop and priest of ours dothe daily with his spirite worde instructe teache his churche and congregacion geueth them trusty and syncere vpright men to be their teachers and ministers whom he also garnisheth and decketh with his grace and most excellent giftes and defeÌ„deth from al euil Vpon Goddes right hande sitteth Christ our most roial king the king of kinges the iudge mightie Lorde of heaueÌ„ earth He it is that informeth and ordreth his churche and people with holsome and good lawes according whervnto they frame and addresse all their matters to the loue of God and of their neighbour This king of ours beholdeth vs faithfully and layeth vp all our griefes and sorowes trustily in his harte He is content with good will to heare the complaintes sutes and desyres of all his faithfull flocke and is neuer wearied nor grieued with the tediousnesse of them He also is that most pleynteous fountayne which alwaies geueth liberally and yet neuer waÌ„teth which only filleth and yet is neuer the lesse nor any whitte decreaceth FroÌ„ him ther can nothing at all no not so muche as meÌ„nes inwarde thoughtes be hidden or kept secrete He is the righteous true iudge iudgeing after thintent and purpose of the harte and rendreth aswell to the good as to the badde all that they doo without all respecte of persones Those that be oppressed he relieueth with his ioyfull and comfortable succour But as for theÌ„ that are stowte arrogauÌ„t prowde braggers of their owne powers whan he seeth his iust tyme he is on the bones of theÌ„ strayght waies and hurleth them downe and the necke before Ther is no maner of thing but he hathe a respecte and a consideracion vnto it His infinite wisdome in euery thing and euery where vseth iuste and right deserued meanes He by his exceding great grace sendeth faithfull trusty and good meÌ„ to be gouernours and rulers And theÌ„ he directeth and maynteneth in his churche And contrary wise he dothe somtymes take awaye good gouernours as he did lately our most christen king Edwarde the sixte and setteth vp naughti and wicked persones in autoritie now and than as bloody bishoppes proude popishe pestileÌ„t priestes vnnatural merciles forayners to reigne rule the rost to punyshe hipocrites couÌ„trefaicte gospellers and worldlinges withall To be shorte Christ dothe at all tymes defende and kepe those that his be from their enemies and foes bothe visible and inuisible After this sorte Christ sitteth on the right haÌ„de of God and thus is he the only head of his faithfull beleuing people the only most high bishop the most roial euerlasting kyng and prince of them that be his He is neuer out of their coÌ„gregacion and company he is alwaies occupied in the myddes of them so that he nedeth nother the seruice aide nor assistence of any vicegerent or helpe felowe For he is the only and euerlasting suÌ„ne of righteousnesse whiche altough as concerning his humayne corporal presence he be in one only place in heaueÌ„ yet he doth worke seÌ„siblie frutefully with his vertue light glorie nourishement and power in al them that be faithfull In coÌ„sideracioÌ„ hereof I admonishe in Goddes behalfe require you as I haue accordiÌ„g to mi litel taleÌ„t alwaies taught my parisheners and in other places wher I haue occupied the rowme of a preacher aswell to pray and without ceassing
wil some saye God is merciful It is true His mercie is on thē that feare him throughout al generacions But wittingly and willingly to heape synne vpō synne in hope of goddes mercy is most shamelesly to abuse the goodnes of God and stampe vnder foote the graces of his spirite according to the hardnesse of the hart that can not repent to laye wrathe together in stoare against the daye of wrathe at the open declaracion of the iust iudgement of God which shall rendre to euery one according to this dedes Neuertheles I say not this to dryue myne olde neighbours and countrey men in to desperacion for setting vp or hearing of that wicked Masse but to moue them vnto earnest repētaūce to powre out their continual hūble hartie praiers greuous gronynges before the throne of Goddes grace aswel for pardon of their deserued euil as for the repulse of this massing mischief out of the realme to thintent thei may also haue a good hope of god des mercie that he for his sonne Christes sake will defende and deliuer his persecuted flocke by sō doughty Daniel as he did Susanna according to his promise by the prophet Dauid Now for the comfortles troubles safe of the Psal 12. nedy and bicause of the depe sighing of the poore I will vp saithe the Lorde Alas whā was ther more comfortles trouble Whā was ther more nede Whā was ther more cause of depe sighing than now Repēt therfore for Goddes sake repent and praye And forasmuche as we nother knowe nor acknowlage any other Purgatory purgacion or purgatorie clensing awaye of synnes but only the blood of Iesus Christ I haue euer taught and still doo affirme that the soules of thē which be departed this life are pourged or scowred no where elles nother in any purgatory fire nor popes scalding house but I saye that the powches of them that be alyue are rather emptied and scowred by purgatorie purgacion through these false lyeng lickepeny dreames A faithfull mannes soule as sone as it departeth from the body go the straight to heauen and the vnfaithfull mannes soule straight to hell as it shall anon be declared more plainly In like maner the religious life of cloystre men and women is not to be compted meritorious for the remission Cloistre religion of synne nor among the states of an holy life as it is vsed vnder the papacie but rather an idle supersticious and an Antichristian life a very enemye to the religiō and doctrine of Christ and his apostles and good for no honest vse in the common weale as their filthy dedes foūde in the kinges visitacion are not yet out of remembraunce Concerning the eleuenth Ariticle Th◠11. Article I beleue and confesse that these our bodies wherin we doo worke in this worlde either good or euil shal ryse agayne from the deade and non other for them nor in their stede that is to saye that this same fleshe of ours being raysed vp at the later daye shal by the power of God risepfitly in dede and that dead folkes soules being returned thā to their raised bodies shal-be ioyned and coupled to them again that all maner of folkes be the good and badde shall ryse and appeare accordig to S. Paules sayeng We must 2. Cor. 5. nedes be all presented before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery one may receaue the workes of his body according to that he hathe done in the body whether it be good or badde Neuerthelesse the righteous shall after thexample of their head Christ be gloriously clarified in their bodies vnto vncorrupcion eternal lyfe and euerlasting ioye that no tongue can expresse Than shal the righteous shyne lyke the sūne in the kingdome of the father where cōtrary wyse the vnfaithfull folkes shall not be clarified but shal be made immortal vncorruptible that they may endure eternal sorowes paines heauynesse tormentes worlde without ende But this resurrecciō of the dead shal be in the last daye whan our Lord shal come as we said before to iudge bothe the quicke the deade Finally as to the .xii. Article I beleue confesse that after this our transitorie The. 12. Article lyfe ther shal an eternal euerlasting lyfe folowe which God of his owne mere grace fauour prepared for mankynde before the beginning of the worlde hathe promised it in Christ to al them that be faithful and wil bothe truly faythfully performe bestowe it vpō thē So that whā a faithful persone departeth his soule goeth nother into any iudgemēt nor into any fire ne into the slaughterhouse of any maner of payne nother doth it fall on siepe for it can not slepe nor dyeth t the bodie for it cā not dye but only it departeth frō the body is by the power of Christ takē vp receaued into euerlasting ioye blisse And cōtrarywise almightie god of his iustice hath p̄pared ordained after this lyfe eternal death also that is to saye eternal euerlasting payne eternal tormētes sorowes euerlasting dānacion for al them that are vnfaithfull and can not repent so that whan an vnfaithfull person dieth out of the fauour of Christ and perisheth in his sinnes his soule also as sone as it is out of the bodie is straight caried to hell and put in to euerlasting sorowes and tormentes And albeit the vnfaithfull mannes soule shall at the resurreccion of the dead returne to his bodye and be ioyned again vnto it yet it shal be dryuen away with the body and with the deuil him self frō the sight and presence of God in to euerlasting paynes euē as the faithfull people shall at the last daye be receaued bothe bodye soule in to euerlasting ioye Amen Lo my good brothren and louing frendes This is my belief this is my faithe this is the pith and sūme of the chief most maters that I euer taught among my parisheners and neighbours during the tyme of my ministerie And I am sure that this is no new fangled nor erroneous doctrine neither any kīde of heresie but the most vndoubted true the very catholike christen faithe and the most aunciēt and substauntical learning and doctrine beleued and preached by the prophetes and apostles as they receaued learned it of the Lorde God him selfe And although tyrānes and papistes with other phantastical spirites of errour do conspire conuent murther emprison racke rage neuer so craftily neuer so maliciously neuer so slaunderously and neuer so furiously against the preachers and ministers of this faithe yet the deuil him self and the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against it Therfore seing it hathe pleased our most mercifull God to geue vnto me most vnworthy wretche his gracious light of this faithe and particular charge in this ministerie Considering also that Iesus Christ wolde not that the candelles appointed to serue his householde with their light shoulde be shoued vnder a bushell but
waye to turne theÌ„ Let them runne on their rageing race vntil they bring them selues out of breathe And on the other parte Fyre fagottes hempe galowes stockes fetters prison make vs like to the ymage of the sonne of God and the suffring of deathe for the gospelles sake is the fulfilling Col. 1. of that is behinde of the passiones of Christ in our bodies to beare witnesse against tyrannes and wicked papistes and to be an example and encourageing of the hole congregacion The deathe of suche as suffre for the gospell is so precious in the sight of God that it is the ende of al troubles and sorowes and the begynnyng and entraunce of suche ioye and treasures as no eye hathe sene no eare hath â—o 5. 1. Cor. 2. hearde nor any harte is hable to perceaue This is most certainly true which as it is easily spoken or writteÌ„ but very harde for the cowardly fleshe to beleue it or to thinke on it whan the very pynce of trouble and persecucion cometh as I knowe by myne owne fearful experience ynough and to muche euen so I beseche God to lighten our hartes and remembrauÌ„ces with his holy spirite that whan the howre and fytte of sorowe and veracion cometh we maye coÌ„stauntly willingly ioyously laye the crosse on our sholders marche forewarde lustyly to the batail that is pitched against vs folowing the same trace that our captain and saueour Iesus Christ hathe ledde vs the waye so as by many tribulations and the straite Math. 7. waye which fewe fynde we maye entre in to the kingdom of heauen and receaue the crowne of eternal glorie that neuer shall fade awaye And be not deceaued my brethren with the doublefaced doinges and toyeng trades of those politike subtil sleightye wise men and nyggardly nyppe crustes which lyke as they fauour and haue set vp the Masse with al diligence some not only for auncient custome and opinatyue deuociones sake as draffe is good ynoughe for swyne but also for pretensed obedience and nien pleasing regarden the masse which is the deuilles inueÌ„cion and the workemanship of Antichrist more than they doo the syncere worde and sacramentes of God ministred according to Christes owne institucion so doo they loue and care more for their faire Abbeyes riche wealthe of ecclesiastical possessiones than they doo either for the masse or for any other religion as by their fyne frutes if they were forced to make restritucioÌ„ it wold most euideÌ„tly appeare for al their deuout masse hearing But aboue al other abhorre blisse you froÌ„ the participacioÌ„ coÌ„pany of the Diuorced priestes kynde of daÌ„nable dryuelles the priestes which in king Edwardes tyme coupled them selues in mariage som to auoide suspicioÌ„ of popery som to hyde the shame of their filthy doinges som for men pleasyng som to do as other did som for one respect som for an other And nowe whaÌ„ the doctrine of deuils is set vp againe the popishe powers of the world fauour not that chaste coÌ„dition of lyfe these dryuelles not only exâ—sse their faithlesse heartes in breaking the inseperable knotte boÌ„de of lawful mariage forsaking casting of their wyues wherby it is euident that their intent was only to couer their fleshely hoorishe lustes with the clooke of mariage without any inwarde coÌ„science to lyue in a chaste maried lyfe but also to shewe them selues the right Nu. 21. 2. Pe. 2. successours of Balaam the sonne of Bosor and to make their blasphemy and damnacion more notorious they renouÌ„ce recant and abiure their mariage at Antichristes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t and lyke damned dogges whom the eternal burning galowes of hell grone for they are returned to their vomite of massing and other Romishe religion crucifyeng afreshe and making Hebre. 6. Matth. 12 a mocke of the sonne of God most shamelesly blaspheme the holy goost wherof they shal be forgeueÌ„ nother in this worlde nor in the worlde to come Let them take their tyme whyle it lasteth for seyng they haue forsaken to be the membres of Christ and seyng they are made the membres of the harlot of Rome and become the temples of sathan to beare hell about with them and to glorifie the deuil in their bodies and in their bodily doinges Their finall damnacion is surely at hande At that tyme they shall knowe that it had ben better for theÌ„ to haue ben made lyke vnto the ymage of Christ in suffring the losses and reproches of the worlde for a littell whyle and shortlye after to be made partakers of his glorious resurrectioÌ„ eternal blisse than for a litel beastly bely cheare that shal sone haue an ende to suffre afterwarde perpetual paines and tormeÌ„tes with their predecessour Iudas Iscarioth world wtout ende Neuertheles I wishe them repentaunce euen from the very botom of my hearte Nether doo I speake this vpon any displeature or vncharitable affeccion conceaued agaynst any maÌ„nes person or worldly quietnes but only that it greueth the very harte roote of me to see the institucion of God so horribly dishonoured the honourable state of mariage so shamefully slaundred the congregacion of Christ so greuously offended the abominacioÌ„ of Antichrist so beastly obeyed and the holy goost so desperately blasphemed Alas why doo they not considre how haynons a synne it is to geue such an occasioÌ„ of slauÌ„dre ruine to the church of God how smal a gayne it is to wynne a smal pelting ê“mocioÌ„ of worldy liuing for a shorte space to cast awaie the price of Christes precious blood in vtterly daÌ„nyng their owne soules bequeathing theÌ„selues to the deuil for euer more For if Baalams mortal blynde asse rebuked that blynde ê“phetes folye muche more shal the immortal worme of these Asses nay Iudases consciences rebuke accuse theÌ„ of their blasphemie shameful slydig from the truthe at suche tyme as being past repentauÌ„ce they shall curse the daye that they were borne in the very howre wherin they were begotten These men be of that company vnto whom the holy goost biddeth vs not to saye so muche as God spede nether to eate nor drinke with them Finally good brethren be not partakers Masse hearing goss pellers of the example and faynt carnal excuse of those that saye although they goo to the churche and be present at the Masse yet they worship none but the lyuing God in their hartes hate the Masse as muche as we do Which sayeng is muche vnlike to be true but semeth rather a vayne pretensed fantasie and preposterous wrasting of some textes of scripture wherwith the Deuil deludeth the senses soules of many tendre carpet gospellers at this present tyme of tryall to bring them past repeÌ„taunce For Christ our saueour saithe No man can serue two maisters So it foloweth that forasmuche as the body which is the one parte of a man serueth the deuil the soule which is the other parte and ioyned with the body caÌ„not possibly