were wyse ynough of her self in godly matters to what ende then shulde God haue sent Christe the Apostles What nede shuld we haue of the holy scriptures Naye whosoeuer wyll neyther fayle nor erre must nedes loke on Goddes worde euen there no where elles shall he fynde the right truthe and the ryght waye We reade that Christ is the lyght Iohn ◠to illumyne the worlde wherof it must nedes followe that she is darke ignoraūt in godly matters And Iohn .xiiij. Ioh. 14. sayth Christ I am the waye the truthe and the lyfe no man cometh vnto the father but by me But what maner of light waye he is and howe a mā may obtayne hym for his owne must be learned onely out of the gospell And Paule saith .ij. 2. Tim. 3 Tim. iij. That the scripture is able to instructe vs vnto saluation Is not this cleare plain ynough that whosoeuer wil knowe the truthe how he shal be saued must learne it out of the scrypture He saith not that he shall folowe hys owne mynde and good intencion Moreouer Moises writeth Deu. xij Deu. 12. that nomā shall do what semeth hī good whiche is as much to say he that will do well be good righteous serue God must learne it of God in his worde and not of his owne wysdome or of menne And Christ sayth Mat. 15 that God is worshypped in vayne wyth mennes preceptes this is spoken playne ynough Yf ye will serue God truely than do it not wyth mennes tradicions for it is in vayne But do it accordinge to the worde of God and than can ye not erre nor do amysse For asmuche nowe as no man by his owne inuented wayes mannes institutions can truely serue God be delyuered from his synnes and be made righteous but muste before all thinges haue Christe to the same We wyll shewe and declare howe and after what sorte the same is done whereby euerye man shal easely perceiue what an Erronious doctryne hath ben preached a great whyle in the Christianitie Therfore note that a man maye be made good and ryghteous after two sortes Marke well First before the worlde euē as a scole-maister kepeth a boye in awe and constrayneth hym weth the rodde and feare of correction to walke regularely and to hurte noman or euen as a magistrate correcteth the euyll doers so strayghtly that the many mē outwardely leade an honeste lyfe for feare of punisshemēt they steale not they kyll nomē they paye theyr debtes they are not ouerous to their neyghbours neyther concernynge his body wyfe nor chylde so that it may be saide they are good honest men suche behaueour and honest conuersacion is good and God doth also require it Therfore hath he in the worlde ordeyned the sworde to the temporall powers Sapi. 6. Rom. 13. 1. Petr. 2 Titu 3. Pro. 20. and. 24. and chastysement of children to thintent that the people maye leade an honest good and stil lyfe not after their owne lustes but that they maye be compelled so to walke that the neighbour maye perceyue it that good peace and outwardely and honest conuersacion maye continue amonge men But yet this is nothynge elles but worke holynes cyuyle policye and wordely ryghteousnes whiche also may be founde well ynough amonge the infydelles which through the lawe of nature in their opinion iudge it good righteous that a man leade an honenest lyfe and conuersacion committe none adultery do no murther steale not lye not and deceaue no man c. to saye for there is no thefe hanged for his thoughtes because he mindeth or intendeth to steale as longe as he doth not accomplysshe the dede But all this is not suffycient before God for he seeth in the harte and wyll that men shall behaue them selues godly in truthe and from the botome of the harte so that the harte mouth and hāde be good ryghteous When is that done Whan ye haue a luste in youre harte to be honeste sober chaste frendlye towardes all men And whan ye haue a lothsomnes and prkesomnes to euil as dronkenes vnclenlynes thefte maliciousnes murther and suche lyke But this is nature not able to do of her selfe Iob. 4.15.25 Psa 14.53 143 Rom. 3. Psal 51. because that the lust of euyll cleaueth so fast vnto vs frō our original natiuite powred into our nature through the fyrste synne in so moch that the scripture doth openly call vs euill peruerse euen from our mothers wōbe Therfore must the harte fyrst be clensed from such vnclenlynes gette pure thoughtes lustes and affections afterwardes may a mā do right good workes than is a man made right good righteous both inwardely and outwardely Nowe teacheth the scrypture that our hart is purifyed by none other thynge but by the true faith in Christe Actu xv Faith commeth by the workinge and illuminatiō of the holy goost Actu 15. by the hearynge of the gospell Rom. x. Rom. 10 Wherfor he that wyll truely be made righteous must purely and syncerely heare and receyue the gospell of Christe or elles he cōtinueth a natural man without grace What is the gospell Marke well It is a predication of Christe what he is and what he doth Math. 9 and .15 Luc. 19. Ioh. 3.12 Roma 5 1. tim 1.2 1. Ioh. 4 Gene. 2. Rom. 6. and .5 as that he was sent from the father of mere loue and fauoure to helpe the synner But howe doth he helpe The synner stycketh faste in synne which he can not amende or put out him selfe he stycketh in death for death is the rewarde of synne Whosoeuer committeth sinne hath after the righteous iudgement of God deserued to dye both temporally and perpetually and to be the deuils owne vnto damnaciō out of which captiuitie noman is able to escape by hys owne power or strēght Man is in such myserable and pyteous case because of his fyrst birth of Adam 1 Co. 15. that he is a synner borne condemned to death and damnation captiue vnder the power of the deuyll in the kingdome of darkenes with body and soule to euerlastinge payne Nowe yf there shulde come a man and paye for the sinne which is deathes stinge and make vs cleane ryghteous destroye the fearfull death make that we myght lyue for euer in body and soule ouercome the deuill make vs fre from his power so that neyther synne deuyll nor death might hurte vs animore were not this well holpen Nowe are not we able to do the same neyther any angell but onely God can do it wyll also do it wherfore he hath sent his onely begotten sonne to become man euen as we a very man in all pointes onely synne excepte which dyed for oure synnes and hath by the onely sacryfyce of his body vpon the crosse and the shedinge of his bloude made amendes for oure sinnes made a perfect satisfaction reconsiled vs to
A lytle treatise after the maner of an Epystle Wryten by the famous clerk Doctor vrbanus Regius vnto a specyall frynde of hys wherin he declareth the cause of the great coÌ„trouersy that hath bene is yet at this day in the chrysten relygyon and also the dyuersyte betwene the ryght worshyppyng seruice of God and the ceremonis inuented by mannis institucion very fruteful and profytable Iohn .x. Ezech .xxxiiij. Mich .v. I am the good shepehearde A good shepehearde geueth his lyfe for the shype HANS HOLBEIN The hyred seruaunt flyeth because he is an hered seruaunt and careth not for the shepe The Epistell of doctor Vrbanus Regius IT is no maruaile that many good vertuous personnes at this tyme are troubled wythin them selues not knowinge howe to order them selues for to come to goodnes because that there are so fewe faythfull shepeheardes and Preachers that can teache the ryght waye to ryghteousnes and saluacion and in the meane whyle men crye on both sydes that men do erre greuously By the reason wherof the poore symple man knoweth not whiche syde he may take and which he ought to forsake wherfore I wyll here exhybyte my poore seruice vnto youre wysdome by the grace of God geue you a shorte instructioÌ„ howe the matter of the Christen relygyon at this tyme standeth Fyrst is to be noted that in the churche from the Apostles tyme vnto thys daye it stode neuer so well in the church that there was no parcyalyte and controuersie for the doctrynes sake Therfore nowe to be brefe all varyaunce and controuersie ryseth vpon this question howe men shall be made righteous and which is the ryght waye to God Secondely here hath been alwayes controuersye and variaunce yea euen in the Apostles dayes Actu 15. as ye maye reade The one wyll be made ryghteous and quite from synne and obtayne a mercyfull God by this maner the other by that maner wherfore it can not be denyed but that the one must nedes erre here ryseth then variaunce and controuersye for the wicked enemie is an enemy to the true doctryne and to the catolyke fayth because that men through the true doctryne fayth are made ryghteous and by the same escape from the power of the wicked enemy and are saued Therfore doth he rayse styrre vp errours for to streÌ„ghten his kingedome Thyrdely here haue alwayes ben two partes the one parte hath sought to be iustyfyed and saued by certayne meanes which coulde not helpe them to ryghteousnes as the Iewes which wolde be saued and delyuered from their sinnes by the corporall circuncision The Saracenes which now are the Turkes trust to be saued and iustifyed by the kepinge of their Alkaron and doynge of outwarde workes And alwayes who soeuer ordereth hym selfe in this matter after the iudgement of his wyttes taketh some workes before hym by the which he thinketh to amende his sinnes to make satisfaction vnto God for his synnes to obtaine grace to be short to be iustyfyed and saued as all they do nowe also that wyll meryte and deserue heauen at the handes of God by mans institucioÌ„s their owne workes For they thinke whan the lawe is declared vnto them what they must do leaue vndone that it is suffycient and that as than theyr wyttes maye knowledge the same for a good and perfect doctrine for they knowe that men must be ryghteous that then the wyll of men maye yelde hym selfe there in and consente to fulfyll the same wyth the dedes And whan a maÌ„ nowe throug his wyttes and vnderstandinge knoweth that which is good and the wylle geuet him selfe ouer therin to perfourme the same that than he obtaineth grace and fauour before God and is conuerted and made ryghteous But this opynyon is wicked and false and this is the princypall cause of the stryfe and controuersye in these dayes and they that haue the holy goost haue euer resysted the same and confuted this errour for this is not the ryght waye to ryghteousnes and saluacion The true ryghteousnes is farre otherwyse then that she so easely shoulde be executed onely by a synful mannes witte For yf she shoulde after that sorte be obtayned then shuld man neede no more iustificatioÌ„ but a good ordinaunce for yf he hadde the same he myght be able of his owne strenght to be obedient to the same Truly then hadde it ben suffycyent that God had sent Moses vpon earth to teache vs what we shoulde do or leaue vndone and than we myght haâ—e done it and so we shoulde haue ben â—â—â—â—stifyed and saued But where shoulde Christe become then Nowe myghte a Christen man thinke ones wherfore did God him selfe become man Why was Christe sent downe from heauen wherfore dyed he Rom. 6. why are we baptised in his death and named after him that we are Christen men after Christe our Lorde Sure it is that such a great thinge is not done in vayne God truely had no nede of vs he coulde haue forborne oure manhode well ynough our manhode verely made hym not God nor added any perfection vnto hym which he had not before why are we not called Mosini after Moyses Is it not to be lamented that we are so blinde and negligent in his godly matters that we haue not at the least ones thought wherfore God caused his sonne to become man to suffre to dye to ryse agayne from death why he suffered such a vylanous death vpon the crosse rose againe ascended into heauen Is all this theÌ„ in vaine But if it be some great matter let any man tell me wherfore it was done and what Christe did meane and execute by the same Many symple persons thinke that this present controuersie coÌ„cerninge our beleue the Christen relygion is onely a wylfull presumption and that men might contente theÌ„ selues well ynough and leaue the churche in relte and that there is no nede of suche controuersye and that the churche is in case good ynough They suppose also that this stryfe and varyaunce is onely rysen because of the cerymonyes and that there is no faute nor errour in any other pointes wherfore meÌ„ myght contente theÌ„ selues wel ynough To this do I answere that they are foull deceyued and erre greuously For there is another maner of matter in the waye and there be farre greater occasions of this controuersye than onely the ceremonies We woulde not ones take a penne in hande or make one sermon onely forsome seremonies sake Alas o God thys stryfe is for Chrystes sake Hym will not the worlde yet knowe She wyll come vnto God without hym not wythstandinge that there is none other waye to God Ioh. 14. but by Christe Iohn 1. The worlde nameth Christe but she knoweth hym not for she despyseth the Gospel which teatcheth Christe the true saluacion Men stryfe for it which is the ryghtwaye to God and we teache that it is Christe And that no mannes wysedome nor vnderstaÌ„dinge can of
the and thou shalt prayse me this is the thyrde commaundement Where soeuer this fayth is there is the holy goost which powreth loue in the harte loue is the fullfyllynge of the lawe Roma .xiij. 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 13. For loue honoureth father mother and she is obedient to the hyer powers This is the fourth commaundement Loue kepeth her selfe from anger she is meke and gentyll towardes all men kylleth not neyther can beare any malyce in the harte In the .v. commaundement Loue hath not in her harte to put her neyghbour to dishonestie or wronge concerning wyfe and children 1. Co. 13. in the .vi. commaundement Loue stealeth not but she geueth and helpeth wher soeuer she can and maye in the .vii. commaundement Loue bereth no false witnes but assysteth the truthe she helpeth to saue her neyghbours honestye to couer and defende his faultes in the .viij. commaundement Loue coueteth not her neyghbours goodes wyfe nor chylde but rather helpeth him to kepe the same in the .ix. and .x. commaundement Thus do we see that faith which worketh by loue is the fountayne of al good workes Yf the worke shal be good than must it flowe out of such a faith endued with loue Faith must be there before the workes that it may make the person faith full and good Nowe when the personne hath faith and loue then doth he fyrst good workes and no rather Do what soeuer ye wyll yf ye haue not this faith your harte is not cleane youre workes are not good But this faith kepeth the ten cōmaundementes for it can setman to behaue him selfe vpryghtly towardes God and his neighbour Nowe whan we prayse and magnyfye this faith as the onely true ryghteousnes before God that is the worlde angry and supposeth that we do it of contempt and contumacye can not vnderstāde that we there with fyrst of all do teache and set vp the true good workes Whan we teache this faith because there is no worke good without this faith thē do we fyrst plante the tree 1. Cor. 7. after that do we plante the frute that is the true naturall ordinaunce For so hath Christe done lykewyse and the Apostles Marke well Nowe are there many thinges in the Christianite for a longe tyme season vsed and taken for good for goddes seruice whiche are cleane contrarye to this wholsome doctrine to this faith wherfore the same are iustely reiected and condemned And therfore rageth the worlde and can not vnderstande that it is done of a good zeale by the commaundement of God For the worlde can not vnderstāde the righteousnes of God the true faith in Christe the frutes therof She vnderstādeth onely the righteousnes of workes worshippinges of god or goddes seruices inuēted by mans owne brayne Out of this doth cheifely ryse al the cōtrouersie in the worlde Forasmuch nowe as out of the gospell of S Iohn 1. Rom. 4. Gala. 3. Ioh. S. Paules epistles to the Romaines Galathiās out of the true groūde of the lawe the Prophetes it is cleare euidently concluded that there is none other righteousnes of valour before god than the faith of the Gospell in Christe And forasmuche as there is none other waye to obtaine pardon remissiō of sinnes to be made good and righteous to be saued than the same faith in Christ whiche Christe was geuen vs of the father to thyntent that he onely by hys owne workes shoulde make vs good be him selfe our euerlastinge ryghteousnes lyfe and saluacion yf we beleue in him It followeth then without any contradiction of the same that in many poyntes from certaine hondreth yeres vnto this daye we haue grossely erred and that all other meanes and wayes which haue ben set vp for to obtayne by them remyssyon of synnes and grace or to be made good and ryghteous and to obtayne saluacion are nothing elles but Erronious by pathes and not the true Goddes seruice Nowe wyll I in a summe recyte the pryncypall Artycles and pointes of the false worshyppynge of God and false Goddes seruyce To thintēt that ye mayse that the controuersye of these dayes is not without great and vrgent causes Marke well Rom. 5. i. Pet. 3. He. 9.10 1. Ioh. 2. Thys faith in Christe doth surely affyrme and establyshe that Christe alone by hys onely oblacion vpon the crosse ones made for all hath made perfect satisfaction for all the synnes of the vnyuersall worlde so that nowe there is no newe sacryfyce or oblacion more for our synnes in the Christianite nor can be But onely an offeringe of geuinge ouer of oure selues a cōtryte penitēt harte and the prayse of God these are no synne offerynges but thanke offeringes This teacheth Paule throught out the whole Epystle to the hebreues But Christe hath left ordeined vnto his churche a dayly memoryal or remēbraunce of the same onely sacrifice Marke well The supper of the Lorde which is his supper wherin he fedeth and nourissheth the Christians spyrytually with his very body and bloude vnto euerlasting lyfe and the Chrystians receyue the Sacrament of the body and bloude of Christe with thankes and praise for this benefyte that Christe offered his bodye for vs and shed his bloude for the remission of our synnes and geue them selues ouer wyllyngly to dye concerninge synne to mortyfye the olde man and offer sacryfyces of thankesgeuinge and sacryfyces of prayse for al the mercys which God so wonderfully hath shewed vs through his sonne and one Christian loueth another in dede and trueth this is the true worshippinge seruice of God Wherfore it followeth of this Of the Masse that it is an errour and a false goddes seruice that men yet wyll vndertake to make a dayly newe massyng sacryfyce or oblacion for the synnes of the quicke and deade For this perfect satisfaction and reconcylyacyon cometh by the onely sacrifyce and oblacion made vpō the crosse where as Christe gaue ouer his body bare our sinnes shed his owne bloude for the remyssyon of our synnes Wherfore the masse can in no wyse be such a sacryfyce For it is an horrible errour that men wyll obtayne and purchace the satisfaction for synnes and the reconciliation of God any other waye than by the death of Iesus Chryste Yf synnes be releassed by offerynge of masses than died Christe in vayne There is more abhominacion hydden vnder this errour than can be thought expressed Forasmuche as the death and passyon of Christe is our cōforte by the which by nothing elles we be deliuered frō synne death let euery good christian iudge in his harte what a doctrine this is which so lytell regardeth the death of Christe that she maketh oure workes equall with the death of Christe yea obscureth and denyeth in a maner all the frutes of the bytter death and passyon of Christe The great holy appearaūce of the masse and the outwarde syghte pompe blyndeth
those thinges which we haue to do before God in whose name we must call and praye to God and than God hath promised to heare vs. Hebr. 5.6.7.8.9 All this teacheth vs the Epistle to the Hebrewes and other scriptures and they do not shewe vs any other mediatour nor aduocate before God Of this it followeth that it is an vnsure false and erronious doctryne which the pope and his adherentes teache namely that they make Christ fearfull as though we must haue other mediatours in heauen to bringe vs fyrst to Christ Where is here the truste and confydence in Christ Nowe iudge your selues I pray you Do ye thinke yet that we striue for nought with the Papacye Is not the matter waighty ynough It toucheth our saluacion which is god him selfe what thing is there greater Yf we suffre oure selues to be brought to this beleue that we must and maye by oure owne workes satisfaction put out synnes deserue the grace of God be iustifyed and saued then haue we therby denyed the power of the death of Christe and his precious bloude Tell me then nowe where to wyll ye vse the death bloude of Christ yf it shoulde not wasshe awaye synnes puryfye and yustyfye vs Therfore let euery man pondre wyth hym selfe in his conscience and waye the whole matter for it is not so lyght as men thinke Yf we fall from our doctrine of faith then fall we from Christe then haue we no redemer then haue we no sacryfyce for our synnes than lyeth synne death and perpetuall damnation styll vpon vs than is God yet angry and not appeased there is no grace but mere wrath indignacion Hebr. x. and a fearfull lokynge for the iudgement Hebr. x. For noman nedeth to loke for any grace at Goddes hāde without Christ our onely mercy seate Thus is Christe with his merites obscured and darkened yea taken awaye from vs by the popystycall doctryne and oure trust and confydence tourned to oure owne workes Howe can we abyde this Yea saye they but the hier powers wyll not suffer this doctrine Answere I can not tell Marke well I suppose that they woulde suffre it well ynough yf it were exactely opened and declared vnto them And although they woulde not abyde it yet may here euery Christē man thinke that it is expedient for him to take holde on God and the trueth without contēpt of the hyer powers and in this case not to follow the wordly cōmaundemēt Act. 4.5 This doth also the spirituall or ecclesiastical law admytte for it is written .x. Distinc x. non lycet It becōmeth not the Emperour to pretende any thynge contrary to the lawe of God nor to do any thinge that is contrary to the rulers of the Euangelycall Prophetical or Apostolical truth Item agayne .xi. q. iii. Si dominus Yf it be euyll which the Emperour cōmaundeth than answere Act. 4.5 we must obeye God rather then men but in suche thinges as are not contrary to the commaundemēt of God we must obeye More ouer .x. q. iij. Qui resistit Whan the Emperour commaundeth oun thinge God another What doth the christen mā iudge There is God whiche is of greater power O Emperour pardon vs here ye treathen captiuitie god treateneth hel Ephe. 6. 2 Cor. 10 Sapi. 5. Here must ye take youre faith as a shelde by the whiche ye maye quenche all the fyery dartes of your enemies Marke well Yet saye they further The popisshe doctrin is olde yf she were not true thā must the churche erre Answere Yf ye be a christen man then beleue ye Christe stedfastely in his wordes of the gospell and ye do al so take the same worde for the very true doctryne of God Nowe if she be ryght and true then must it nedes be false and erronious whatsoeuer is contrary to the same what nede men to care much for the lenght of tyme The lēght of tyme cānot make a false thinge true Yf the scripture therfore be the true waye then must he nedes erre that forsaketh the same waye and walketh an other way whether he be great or small many or fewe holy or synners Yet saye they moreouer That these are the last dayes in the whiche we ought to beware of false Prophetes What yf the luterians for so do they call vs were the same false Prophetes Answer Serche the scripture Iohn 5. and iudge hardely whō ye hitte let him be hitted The scripture sayth 1. Tim. 4 2. Tim. 3 2. Pet. 3 Iudi. 1. 2. Tess 2 that the false Prophetes of the later dayes shall forbydde matrymonye and meates whyche God hath created they shall denye Christe that bought them that is they shall denye the same beinge they shall haue a shyne or a colloer of godlynes but they shall denye the power therof Marke well Yf ye fynde these tokens in the Lutherians as ye call thē then take them for false Propetes But if ye fynde them not by them than loke aboute you and ye shall soone perceyue who erreth Wherfore do the Lutheriās as ye call them suffre so muche sclaunderinge and persecution Euen for this cause 1. Cor. 7. Hebr. 13. that they wil haue matrimony fre and at lybertie euen as it is fre for euery man in the worde of God They wyll that for meates sake no mans conscience shall be burdened so that they geue the honoure onely to Christ that he through his passion hath bought vs out of euerlastinge death and that he puryfyeth vs all frō synne by his bloude Therfore do they reiecte the massynge sacrifyce whatsoeuer is done to that intent that therby mē wyll be deliuered from sinne and death They are also reuyled because they leade a commune simple lyfe in the state of wedloke as an honest laye man without any shyne of a pryuate holines with out shauen crounes graye amyses surplices stoles and such lyke abillemētes for the whiche thinges sake the estate of priesthode hither to in the worlde hath bē counted as holy contrary wyse the common state of layemen as vnholye and prophane For the spirituall fathers haue drawē to them selues appropriated to them selues the Christian offyces wherby their estate hath ben counted the State of perfection and holynes and the State of the laytie hath ben counted heathen and prophane for they woulde offer alone to God as the priestes in the olde testamēt offered for the people They haue estemed their prayer of greater valoure a great deale then the prayer of the leaye men And yet it is but bought solde and compelled gere which for the moost parte is done wythout faith and earnest zeale without spirite and trueth for moneys and legacyes sake For yf there were neyther money nor substaunce the monasteryes chauntryes and churches shoulde sone be styll without prayenge syngynge and massynge They haue kept the whole sacrament to them selues and geuen vs the one halfe And of these their manyfolde