mercie then by our owne accorde And as Paule saieth What i. Cor. iiii hast thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not receiued it And as out of that place the holy martire Cyprian Cypriā gathereth We must glorie in nothyng because wee haue nothyng Heresies of our owne Wee condemne therefore these who in suche sorte defende mennes merites that thei diminishe the grace of God ¶ Of the holie catholike churche of God of the one onely hedde of the Churche Chapi 17. SEyng that God from the beginnyng The churche euer was euer shal be would haue manne saued and come to the knoweledge of the truthe it muste nedes bee that euer there was and now is and to the ende of the worlde there shal bée what the churche is a Churche that is to saie a companie of the faithfull called and gathered out of the worlde a companie I saie of all the Sainctes to witte of them whiche doe truly knowe and rightly worship the true God in Christe their sauiour accordyng to his worde and by the aide of the holie Ghoste to bee shorte whiche are made partakers of al goodnes offered fréelie vnto them through Christe by faithe All these be citezens of one Citie liuyng vnder one Lorde vnder one kinde of lawes being alike partakers of all good thynges For so the Apostle calleth them fellowe citezeins with the Sainctes and of Gods housholde folke namyng them sainctes who abidyng in the yearth are faithfull sanctified by the blood of gods soonne Of whom this article of our Ephe. ii 1. Cor. vi beleife speaketh wherein it is saied I beleue the holie catholike church The Communion of Sainctes And seyng that there is alwaies one onely God one mediatour betwene God and mā Iesus our Messias and one shepherde There was neuer but one true churche of the whole flocke one hedde of this bodie to conclude one spirite one saluacion one faithe one Testamente or couenaunte it followeth necessarilie that there is one onely Churche also Whiche therefore we call Catholike Why it is called catholike because it is vniuersall is dispersed throughout all the partes of the world and extendeth it self to all tymes beyng limited and inclosed in no place or tyme. We condemne therefore the Donatistes who straightlie enclosed Heretikes tiyng the churche to certain places and times the churche in I knowe not what corners of Aphrike Neither dooe wee allowe the Romishe Clergie who bests that almoste the onely Romishe churche is the catholike Churche The Churche is distributed into tiuers Diuers partes of the churche partes not that it is seuered or torne in peeces in it self but rather by reasō of the diuersitie of the members that be therein For there is one churche The Militant churche called Militant an other Triumphant that is militante whiche being as yet on the yearth wageth battaile and fighteth with the fleshe the world and the Prince of this worlde the deuill also with synne and death Whē this Churche is discharged of attendaunce here it triumpheth in heauen for the victorie ouer all those her enemies reioysyng before the Lorde albeit these twoo Churches are still vnited or knitte together The militant Churche remainyng Particuler churches on the yearth hath alwaies had many particuler Churches yet all thei are referred to the vnitie of the catholike Churche This Churche was otherwise gouerned before the lawe emōg the Patriarkes otherwise vnder Moises by the laws otherwise of Christe by the gospell Cōmenly also there are compted twoo kinds of people the Israelites and the Gentiles or a people consistyng of the Iewes and Gētiles gathered together in the Churche There be twoo Testamentes also the old and the newe Yet of all these people there was and is one societie one saluacion by one Messias in whom as members of one bodie vnder one hedde all are knitte together in one faithe all are partakers of one spiritual meate and drinke Howbeit here we acknowledge that there were sundrie tymes diuers signes or Sacramentes of our Messias both promised giuen also to vs of his father that the ceremonies remoued a brighter light now shineth vnto vs that we receiue larger giftes inioy greater libertie thē our forefathers had before the commyng of Christe This holie Churche of God is called the house of the liuyng Lorde built The names of the church of liuing and spiritual stones and sect vpon an vnmoueable rocke vpō suche a foundaciō that there can none other foundaciō be laied then it And in that i. Timo. iii. respecte it is also called the piller and ground of truthe It erreth not as lōg when the church erreth as it testeth vpon Christe the Rocke and foundacion of the Prophettes and Apostles But no meruell if it erre as often as it forsaketh hym who onely is the truthe The Churche also is called the virgine and spouse of Christe and the onely and welbeloued spouse of Christe For the Apostle saieth I ii Cor. xi ioigned you to one housbande to presente you as a pure virgine to Christ It is also called the flocke of shepe vnder one shepherde Christe bothe in the xxxiiij Chap. of Ezech. and. x. of Ihon. And it is named Christe his bodie because the faithfull are the liuyng mēbers of Christ vnder Christ their hed The hedde is that whiche hath preeminence and the higheste roume in the bodie geuyng life to it and ruling it so in all thynges with the vitall spirites comming from thence that it increaseth groweth thereby There is also but one hed of that bodie wherewith it doeth wel agree For the churche There is but one hedde of the churche Christe Iesus can not haue any other hedde then Christe and as the Churche is a spirituall bodie so it is meete that it haue a spirituall hedde agreablie Neither cā it be ruled by any other spirit then by Christe his spirite Paule writeth he is the hedde of the bodie of the churche He is the beginning first borne Col. 1. of the dedde that in all thynges he might haue the preeminence Againe Christ is the hedde of the churche and Ephe. v. Ephe. i. the same Christe is the sauiour of his bodie And again he saieth Which is the hedde of the churche whiche churche is his bodie euen the fulnesse of hym that filleth all in all Moreouer Ephe. iiij Let vs in all thinges growe vp into hym whiche is the hedde that is Christ by whom al the body beyng coupled and knitte together by euery ioynte receiueth increase We allowe not therfore that doctrine of the Romishe Clergie makyng their Romishe bisshoppe an vniuersall Shepeherde the The Pope chief hedde yea and Christes true vicare of his catholike militante churche in the yearth wherein he hath fulnesse of power and supreme dominion as thei saie For we teache that Christ is
their suppositiōs I doo not onely dissent from them but I doo vtterly abhorre them so in their proposition I cā not agrée vnto them For if we séeke The chiefe patterne of the Church is in Christe and his Apostles the most beautifull face of the Church most perfect patterne I suppose that is it which was not onely begonne as these men imagine or shadowed out with the firste pouncinge or paintinge draughtes by the Apostles thēselues which were the chiefe workemaisters the euer the Church hath had or shall haue hereafter but portered foorth moste beautifully most diligētly with most liuely colours from the which the farther that thou strayest so farre wide wanderest thou more more from the rule of thy worke And after what sort that forme was why I should thinke that we ought to séeke it no where els saue onely in the writings of the Apostles the Apostolical Historie writen by Luke whome I doo graunt to haue The cōtrarietie and lies of Antichristes Churche painted this foorth most excellētly not onely the contrarietie emonges themselues doth cōpel me vnto it but also to speake plainly the fonde vanitie of thē which haue either perticularly recited or wholly collected the Apostolical Traditions as they terme them suche as those foolishe most false descriptiōs of them attributed vnto Clement those that thei call the Canons of the Apostles whiche haue bene a greate while ago counted emonge the bookes the are to be reiected But if some will obiect that al thinges are not written by the Apostles and by Luke I praye you why doo they thinke so because there be but fewe Christ contented him selfe vvith fevv ceremonies and so did his Apostles thinges conteined in their writinges Nay would to God that they which boste thēselues to be the successors of the Apostles could haue contented thēselues with this smal nūber For God would neuer haue had the rites ceremonies of Moises abolished to the intēt that others shuld be put in their places if it were not lawful to imitate the Iewes Ievves nor Idolaters may neither be folovved much more vnlawful is it to folow the Gentiles the which thing if the Anciēt Bishops had remēbred Christian Religiō had neither swarued so soone nor so shamefully first into vaine ceremonies triflinge Liturgies after the into manifest superstition last of all euen degenerate into an Atheisme For Paule woorthely doth call thē Atheists Godlesse whiche doo not woorship the onely true God as he ought to be woorshipped But shal we say that the Apostles did not properly treate of this argument matter Nay certainely it were a certaine kinde of impietie to thinke that the holy Ghost had not so great regard of the Church as was cōueniēt and this dare I affirme that he which readeth diligētly the History of Luke and the Epistles of the Apostles shall therby very wel learne not only the chiefe pointes of the Ecclesiasticall Folowe the Scriptures and thou shalte not neede vnvvrittē traditions order but also almost euery part therof so that no place néede to be lefte at all to those vnwritten Traditions Notwithstādyng how so euer this be seinge we stāde néede of a most perfect distinction to discerne the diuersitie of those infinite Traditiōs by what rule By vvhat rule shall vve trie the diuersitie of Traditions and Ceremonies I praye you shall we trie them for we haue declared that there cā be no sufficient argument concluded neither by the Antiquitie nor Authoritie of the writers neither by the multitude of thē by whome thei haue bene allowed Therfore stāde we néede of the woorde of God onely euen of that woorde of God I say whiche is published by the Prophetes and the Apostles and as it were sette foorth in publike Tables wherby we may disseuer the holy from the vnholy the profitable from the vnprofitable and hurtfull the necessarie from the superfluous and to establishe those Traditions by good reason that are thus disseuered Now then if it be necessary the the light of Gods woorde Gods vvoorde is the touche stone of doctrine writen must be our guide to iudge the rites Ceremonies howe muche more necessarie is it vnto the knowledge of the doctrine it selfe that the same light muste be our guide in the whiche doctrine men are much more blinded and doo erre with farre more daunger For if nothing as we haue declared heretofore may be folowed of vs in doctrine but that either is expressed by playne woordes in the Scriptures of God or els is gathered necessarily by the conferringe together of places howe can I beware of the false Prophetes onles I doo compare the doctrine pronounced by thē with the woorde of God it selfe But thou wilt saye what if he brynge foorth the woorde of God also for so did An Obiection Arrius vrging this texte My father is greater then I and so was the disputation with Macedonius of the persone of the holy Ghost with Nestorius and Eutiches of the vnion of the two natures and with Pelagius of Grace and Nature So is the controuersie at this daye of the sacramentall Phrases and maners of speach whiles that one sort of the same woordes and those moste fewe in number that is to say this is my Bodie this is my Bloud doo finde out Transubstantiation others Consubstantiation others onely a Sacramentall Coniunction Finally saye these mediatours these halters in Religion that would séeme to appease the controuersies when the controuersie falleth not of the woorde but of the sence whether shall we runne rather then to the Churche to the writinges of the Catholike fathers that were of sounde iudgement finally to the true and lawfull Councels To the whiche I doo aunsweare as before that I doo The Ansvveare not thinke that the testimonies of the Church nor of the Fathers nor of the Councels are to be reiected but I suppose that in them men muste vse great warynesse First of all if any thinge be affirmed Bare names of mē vvith out Gods vvoorde cā not staye our faith without the woorde of God the bare names of the Churche of the Fathers of the Coūcels are pretēded in vaine seyng that in this pointe the very Angels are not to be harde For that sayinge of Paule stādeth still in force that if any Angel frō heauen should preach an other Gospell let him be accursed Neither is it the duetie of the Churche to speake in this but to here her husbande what he speaketh And the Godly learned Fathers would haue their writings none other waies to be redde neither with any other condition but that they should be examined by the rule of the woorde writen Finally this is not the office of the Councels to make any newe doctrine but to confirme by Gods woorde that which is already made and ordeined by him those Synodes that haue done otherwaies are the chaires of the wicked and the
we deteste we haue made mention of them almost in euery Chapiter briefly recitinge reiecting them Men shall easely gather this also that we doo not by any wicked Schisme seuer or cut of our selues from Christ his holie Churches of Germany France Englande and other Christian Nations but that we well agrée with all and euery one of them in the truthe of Christe whiche here we haue acknowledged For albeit there is some varietie in diuers Churches aboute the vtteringe and settinge foorthe of their doctrine and aboute rites or Ceremonies Varietie of Ceremonies and dissent in trifels whiche they receaue as a meane to edifie their Churches yet that varietie neuer seemed to minister cause of dissention and Schisme in the Church For in suche matters the Churches of Christe haue alwaies vsed their libertie as we may Reade in the Ecclesiasticall Historie The Godly in time past thought it sufficient if they agreed Agrement in the chiefe pointes of their faith in the true meaninge thereof and in brotherly loue wherefore we truste that Christes Churches when they shall perceaue and finde that we consente in all Articles of our holy and eternall Gods doctrine in the true vnderstandinge thereof in brotherly loue with theim and chiefely with the auncient Apostolike Churche will likewise willingly agree with vs in those matters for the chiefest cause whiche moued vs to publish this Cōfession was to séeke obtaine and once obtayned to keepe peace concorde and mutuall loue with the Churche of Germany and other foraigne Countries who be as we throughly perswade our selues so kind so sincere and perfect that if any of our doinges haue perhaps not bene well vnderstoode hetherto of diuers they will herafter hearing this our plaine Cōfession not count vs Heretikes nor condemne our Churches whiche are true Christian Churches as impious But in especiall we professe that we are alwaies readie if any man require it more at large to declare all and eche particular thinge that here we haue proposed yea and to yeelde and giue them most hartie thankes and to obey them in the Lorde which can teach vs better doctrine by the woorde of God to whome be prayse and Glorie The firste of Marche 1566. All the Ministers of all Christe his Churches in Heluetia subscribed their names whiche be at Tygur Bern. Scaphonse Sangall the Court of Grisons and they whiche be ioigned in leage with them on this side and beyonde the Alpes Milhous and Bienne To whome the Ministers of the Churche of Geneua haue associated them selues also A briefe and plaine confession and declaration of true Christian Religion c. ¶ Of the holy Scripture and of the true woorde of God Cap. 1. WE beleue and confesse The Canonical Scripture is the vvoorde of God that the Canonical Scriptures set foorth in the olde new Testament by holie Prophetes and Apostles is the verse true woorde of God and that thei haue sufficient authoritie not of men but of them selues For God himselfe spake to our forefathers the Prophets and Apostles and speaketh yet to vs The Scripture is sufficiēt to instructe vs in al godlines by his holy Scriptures wherin the catholike Churche of Christe hath at full set foorth what so euer may truely instructe vs bothe how we should beleue to be saued and what life we shoulde leade to please God for the which cause he hath expresly commaunded that nothinge be added to his woorde or diminished from the same We thinke therfore that in these Scriptures we ought to séeke true wisedome and godlines reformatiō and gouernment of Churches instruction to gouerne our selues in all godlines to be shorte the proufe of doctrine reproufe or confutation of al errours with good admonitions accordinge to that sayinge of the Apostle The holy Scripture is geuen by the inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue c. 2. Timoth. 3. And againe these thinges I wryte to thée sayeth he 1. Timoth. 3. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God and 1. Thes 2 when you receaued of vs the woorde of the preachinge of God ye receaued it not as the woorde of mē but as it is in déede the woorde of God The Lord himselfe saide in the Gospell you are not they which speake but the spirite Mat. 10. Luc. 10. Ioan. 13. of my father speaketh in you therfore he that heareth you heareth me but he that dispiseth you dispiseth me Wherfore when this woorde of God The preach ynge of Goddes voorde is the vvorde of God is preached in the Church by preachers lawfully therto called we beleue that the very true woorde of God is taught and receaued of the faithfull and that we ought not to imagine or to looke for frō heauē for any other woorde of God nor consider the preacher so muche as the woorde it selfe whiche is preached For albeit the preacher be euell sinfull The preachers sinne maketh not Gods vvorde the vvorse The invvard vvorkinge of the holye ghost disanulleth not the outvvarde preachyng Ier. 31. 1. Cor. 3. Ioan. 6. yet the woorde of God remayneth still true and good Neither doo we thinke that the outwarde preachinge is therefore to be compted vnprofitable because the true Religion dependeth of the inwarde lightninge of the holy Ghost or bicause it is written no man shall teache his neighbour for all men shall knowe me he is nothinge whiche watereth or planteth but God which geueth the sucrease For albeit no man come to Christe excepte he be drawen of his heauenly father and illuminated with the holy Ghoste yet we know that God wil haue his woord preached by some outwarde meanes also For he could haue faught Cornelius by his holy spirite or by an Angel without Peters ministerie yet not withstanding he sent him to Peter of whome the Angell speakinge sayeth He shall tell thée what thou muste doo For he whiche inwardly illuminateth by geuinge his holy spirite to men cōmaundeth also his Disciples sayinge Goe ye into all the world and preache the Gospel to euery creature as Paule preached the outward woorde to Lydia a sellar of purple at Philipie but inwardly the Lorde opened the womans harte And the saide Paule speakinge elegantly by degreese as it were Rom. 10. at the length inferreth Then faith is by hearinge hearinge by the woorde of God Howbeit we acknowledge that God can illuminate whom when he will euen without the outwarde ministerie suche is his omnipotent power but we speake of the ordinary waye showed to vs by Gods commaundement and declared by examples We detest therefore the Heresies of Artemon of the Maniches of Heresies the Valentinians of Cerdo and the Marcyonites who eyther denied the Scriptures to be of the holy Ghoste or els disalowed some part therof or māgled and corrupted them Not withstanding we plainely affirme that certaine bookes of the old Testament are called of some anncient writers
euerlasting Also Math. xviij It is not my fathers will that any of these little ones should perishe Lette Christ therefore be our glasse wherein wee maie beholde our predestinacion wée shall haue a testimonie plaine and sure inough that wée are writtē in the booke of life if wee take parte with Christe and if he be ours and we his knit together with the bondes of true faith when we be tempted about predestinacion Temptatiōs about Predestination then the whiche temptacion there is scase any more daungerous let it be our comforte that Gods promises are generall to the faithfull saiyng Aske and ye shal receiue euery man that asketh receiueth And to cōclude Luke xi lette vs reioyce that with the whole churche of God wee praie Our father whiche art in heauen c. That we are also by Baptisme ingraffed in Christes bodie and fedde in the church oftimes with his flesh and blood to the obtainyng of life euerlastyng With these comfortes we being strēgthened are willed by Paule to worke our saluacion with feare and tremblyng ¶ Of Iesus Christ true God and perfecte man the onely sauiour of the worlde Chap. 11. WE beleue and teache that the sonne of God our lorde Iesus Christ is true God Christe from the beginnyng was predestinate of his father to bee the sauiour of the worlde and that he was begotte not onely when he tooke fleshe of the virgine Marie and before the foundaciō of the worlde was laied but euen before all eternitie and that of his Father after an vnspeakeable sort For Esay saith xxxv What man shall declare his generaciō And Mich. v. His goyng forthe hath been frō the beginnyng and frō euerlastyng And Ihon in the Gospell Cha. j. In the beginnyng was the worde the worde was with God and that woorde was GOD. c. Therefore the Sonne touchyng his diuinitie is coequall and of one substaunce with the Father true God not by name or adoption or any dignitie onely but in substaunce and nature as Ihon the Apostle saieth 1. Ioh. 5. This is the true God and life euerlasting and Paule Heb. j. He hath made his sonne heire of all thynges by whō he made the worlde beyng the brightnesse of the glorie and the ingraued forme of his persone and bearyng vp all thynges by his mightie worde for in the Gospell the Lorde hymself hath said Glorifie thou me O father with thine owne self with the glorie which Ihon. xvii I had with thee before the world was It is written Ihō v. That the Iewes sought to kill Christ bicause he called God his father making himself equal with God we deteste therefore the impious doctrine of Arrius and al the Arians Heresies againste the soonne of God but chieflie the blasphemies of Michaell Seruetus a Spaniarde and all that take his parte whiche blasphemies against the sonne of God Satan by thē hath as it were brought from helle and moste impudentlie and impiously doeth sowe abrode in the worlde Wee beleue also teache that the self same Christ being true man had fleshe also eternall soonne of the eternall God was made the soonne of manne also of the sede of Abraham and Dauid not by carnall copulation as Hebion said but conceiued moste purely of the holy ghoste and borne of Marie who notwithstandyng continued a virgine as The virgin Marie Math. i. Ihon. i. Hebre ii the storie of the Gospell diligently setteth out vnto vs and Paule saieth he chose not Angels but the seede of Abraham Ihon the Apostle likewise saith He that beleueth not that Iesus Christ came in the flesh is not of God The fleshe therfore of Christ was neither fantasticall nor broughte downe from heauen as Valentine and Martion dreamed Furthermore our lorde Iesus Christe had a soule not voide of sēce reasō as Appollinaris thought Iesus Christ had a soule indued with reason neither had he fleshe without a soule as Eunomius taughte but a soule indeed with reason and fleshe with all her senses by the whiche senses he felt and suffered true vnfained tormentes griefes at the time of his passion Mat. xxvi as he hymself saied My soule is verie heauie euen to the death and in Ihon the .xij. Now my soule is troubled c. Wee acknowledge therefore twoo Twoo natures in Christ natures a diuine and humane in our one Lorde Iesus Christe and further saie that thei bee ioyned or knitte together not confounded or mixte but rather that the propertie of their natures remain safe in one persone vnited or ioyned together for that wee worshippe one Christe our Lorde and not twoo I saie one true GOD and true man as touchyng his diuine nature of like substaunce with his father as Heb. 4. touchyng his humanitie of like substaunce with vs menne and like in all poinctes exceptyng synne For as wée doe abhorre from the Nestorians opinion Heresies makyng twoo of one Christ and breakyng the vnitie of his persone so we willynglie deteste the madnesse of Eutiches and Molothelites or Monophistices who deny the propertie of his humain nature Neither doe we teach that Christe his diuine nature did suffer Christ his diuine nature suffred not neither is his humaine nature euery where or that he as touchyng his humain nature remaineth to this daie on the yearth or that his humanitie is euery where neither do we thinke or teach that Christe had no true bodie after it was glorified or that then it was deified and so deified that it kept not the properties of a bodie and soule or that it was chaunged all together into a diuine nature and begā to be onely one substaunce Wherefore we allowe not the fonde foolishe quirkes of Schuenkfeldius Heresies and suche like subtile disputers nor their intricate obscure reasonyng of this matter wherein thei agree not emong them selues Further more we beleue that our Lorde Iesus Christe suffered and died in deede for vs in the fleshe as Peter saieth Wee 1. Pet. 4. Christe touching his humanitie suffred in deede deteste therefore the Iacobits and the Turkes moste impious madnes who abhorre the passion of Christe In the meane while wee denye not but that the Lorde of glorie according to Paules woordes was crucified for vs. For 1. Cor. 2. deuoutlie and reuerentlie wee reade and vse the cōmon propertie of speach drawen out of the scriptures and vsed of all the olde writers in expoundyng and recōcilyng the places of the scriptures whiche seme to disagree Wee beleue and teache that the same our Lorde Iesus Christe did rise from the dedde in the self same true fleshe in the whiche he was crucified and died and Christe his resurrection that he raised not vp an other bodie in steede of that whiche was buried nor that he became a spirite whereas before he was fleshe but that he kept stil his true bodie Therfore when his disciples thought that thei sawe the spirite of the
a name The preaching of the gospell is called The spirite and the letter ii Cor. iii. also by the apostle the Spirit the seruice of the Spirit because that it is made of great efficacy liuely by faith in the eares or rather in the hartes of beleuers by the holy ghost illuminating thē For the letter whiche is contrary to the spirit doeth surely signifie euery outward thyng but chiefly the doctrin of the lawe whiche causeth wrathe to vnbeleuers and prouoketh to synne without the aide of the spirit and faith woorkyng in their mindes For the whiche cause the Apostle calleth it also the ministerie of death For here vnto belōgeth that saiyng of his the letter killeth but the spirite quicekneth The false Prophetes preached the gospell corruptly mingelyng the Lawe therewith as though Christ could not The heresies saue vs without the lawe Suche as the Hebionites are said to be who sprang of the heretike Hebeō Suche wer the Nazareans whiche were in olde tyme called Minei whom euery one we cōdemne Preachyng the Gospell purely teachyng that by the spirite alone and not by the lawe beleuers are iustified But of this matter we will intreate hereafter more at large in the title of Iustificacion And albeeit the Preachyng of the Gospell compared with the Pharises The doctrine of the Gospel is not newe but a moste auncient doctrine doctrine of the Lawe séemed when it was firste preached by Christe to bée a newe doctrine whiche Hieremie also prophesied of the new Testament yet in verie déede it was not onely then and now is olde doctrine as now adayes Papistes call it newe comparyng it with their longe receiued doctrine but also is the moste auncient doctrine in the worlde For God from the beginnyng predestinated she worlde to be saued by Christe Whiche predestinacion and eternall counsaile of his he hath opened to the worlde by the Gospell whereby it is manifeste that the Religion and doctrine of the Gospell is the eldest of all that euer was is or shal be Wherefore we saie that all thei are fouly deceiued and speake vnsemelie of Gods euerlastyng counsaile whiche affirme that the Gospell and this religion is sprong vp of late and is a faithe scase thirtie yeres olde In whō that saiyng of Esay the Prophete Esaie v. is fulfilled Wo be to them that speake good of euill and euill of good whiche put darkenesse from light and light from darkenesse and that putte bitter for swéete and swéete for sowre ¶ Of repentaunce and the conuersion of man Chap. 14. THe Gospell hath ioigned vnto what repentaunce is Luke xxiiii it the doctrine of Repentaūce For so saied the Lorde Repēpentaunce and remission of synnes muste bée preached in my name to all nacions By repentaunce we vnderstande the amendement of the mynde in the sinfull man prouoked therevnto by the preaching of the Gospell and inward woorkyng of the holie ghoste and receiued with true saithe wherby the synner doeth straite waie acknowledge his naturall corrupcion and all his synnes reproued by the woorde of God and beeyng hariely sorie for the same doeth not onely bewaile his iniquities but beeyng ashamed thereof confesse theim but also with disdaine deteste them mindyng earnestlie to amende and alwaies indeuouryng to leade an innocent and vertuous life as long as he liueth And this assuredly Repentaunce is a true conuersion from satan to God is vnfained repentaunce to wit a true conuersion to God and all goodnesse with a spedie departure from satan and all euill We also plainly affirme that this repentaūce is the mere gifte of God and not the worke of our Repentaunce is the gifte of God ii Cor. ii strengthe For the Apostle biddeth a faithfull minister diligētly to instruct theim whiche resiste the truthe assaiyng if God at any tyme will giue thē repentaunce that thei maie knowe the truthe Moreouer the synfull woman mencioned in the Gospell who wasshed Christes fete with her teares and Peter who wept bitterly be wailyng Luke vii and. xxii his deniall of Christe doe plainly declare vnto vs what maner of minde the penitent should haue when he earnestly lamenteth his sinnes which he hath committed The prodigall sonne also and the Publicane mencioned in the Gospell and compared with the Pharisie are fitte examples for vs to imitate in confessing our sinnes The prodigall sonne saied Father I haue synned against heauen in thy sight nowe I am not worthie to bee called thy soonne make me as one of thy hiered seruauntes The Publicane not beyng so bolde as to lifte vp his yies to heauen knockyng his breast cried O God bee mercifull to me a synner These penitent offendours we doubt not but that God receiued againe to his mercie and fauour For Ihon the Apostle saith If we acknowledge our i. Ihon. i. synnes he is faithfull and iuste to forgiue vs our synnes and to clense vs from all vnrightuousnes If wee saie we haue not synned wée make hym a lier and his woorde is not in vs. Wée beleue that this plain and frée confessiō which is made onely to God either priuately betwixte God and the offendour or openly in the Churche when the generall confession of synne is recited dooeth suffice and that it is not necessarie to obtaine remission of synnes by confessyng our offences Popishe confession with whisperyng in a Priestes eare or by hearing his absolucion while he laieth his handes vpō our heddes For of suche maner of repentaunce there is founde in the holie scriptures neither any commaundement ne yet example Dauid protested saiyng I acknowledged Psal xxxii my synne vnto thée neither hid I myne iniquitie from thée I thought I would confesse against my self my wickednesse vnto the Lorde and thou diddeste remitte the punishmente of my synne The Lorde also teachyng vs to praie and eke to confesse our iniquities saied Thus shall ye praie Our father which art in heauen c. Math. vi Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue theim that trespas against vs. It is therefore necessary that wée confesse our faultes and that wee reconcile Note our selues to our brother if we haue offēded hym Of the whiche kind of confession Iames the Apostle speaketh saiyng Acknowledge your synnes Iames. v. one to another How bee it if any what priuate Confession is allowed man beyng oppressed with the burthē and temptacion of doubtfull synne would aske counsaile and seeke comfort priuately either of the minister of the church or any other learned in the Laws of God wée disalowe it not In like maner we greatly commēde that Publike confession generall and publike confession of sinnes whiche is accustomed to be rehersed as we saied before in the Churche and holy assemblies Many babble maruelous thynges of the Keies of the kyngdome of God The forged keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and forge thereby swoordes speares scepters crounes and absolute auctoritie ouer the greateste kingdomes to
flesh that is corporallie eaten profiteth nothing It is the spirit that quickeneth and the wordes whiche I speake vnto you are spirite and life Now as wée muste in eatyng swallowe doune the meate into our stomackes that it may inwardlie worke shewe his strength in vs wheras beyng put without our bodies it doeth vs no good Euen so is it necessarie that we receiue Christ by faithe that he maie be made ours and he liue in vs and wee in hym For he saieth I am the breade of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleueth in me shall neuer thirste And againe he that shall eate me he shall also liue through me and abide in me and I in hym By this it is manifeste that we vnderstande not by spiritual meate I knowe not what maner of imagined meate but the self The receiuing of christ his bodie same bodie of the Lorde whiche was crucified for vs whiche notwithstandyng is receiued of the faithefull not bodilie but spiritually by faithe And in this matter wée followe in all pointes the doctrine of our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche he taught This eating Ihon. vi what eating of Christe is necessarie to saluation of the fleshe and drinkyng of the bloud of the Lorde is so necessarie to saluacion that without it no manne can be saued Wée maie also eate and drinke A spirituall eatynge of Christ with out the Samentes spirituallie the bodie and bloode of Christe although wee receiue not the supper of the Lorde as ofte as wée beleue in Christe To this ende parhaps belongeth that saiyng of Augustine Note Aug. Why preparest thou thy tethe bealie Beleue and thou haste eaten Beside the former spirituall eating A sacramentall eatinge of Christe there is also a Sacramental eating of the Lordes bodie whereby the faythfull is not onelye spiritually and inwardly made partaker of the true bodie and bloode of the Lorde but outwardly also by comming to the Lords table receaueth the visible Sacramēt of the bodie and bloud of the Lorde When the faithful beleued he receaceaued quicknyng nourishmēt before whiche he still enioyeth therefore when nowe he receaueth the Sacrament he receaueth therwith muche norishment to his soule For he continueth in continuall receauinge of the Lorde his bodie bloud In so much Faithfull receauers receaue not the sacramentes onelye but Christ also that his faith is more and more kindled increased and with spirituall fode refreshed For while we liue fayth continually increaseth in vs. And he that outwardlie receaueth the Sacramentes with a true faith euen he receiueth not the signe onely but enioyeth the thynge it self also ment by the Sacramēt as we haue declared Furthermore he obeieth the Lorde his institucion and commaundemente and with a cherefull harte giueth thankes for his and all mankindes redēption remembryng faithefullie the Lordes death and witnessyng the same before the churche of whose bodie he is a mēber It is confirmed or sealed also to theim that receiue the Sacramentes that the bodie of Christ was betraied and his bloud shedde not onely generally for men but also particulerly for euery faithfull receiuer whose meate Note and drinke it is to life euerlastyng But he that without faithe cometh to the holie Table of the Lorde receiueth Vnfaithfull receauers receaue but the bare signes the Sacramente onely and not the thyng mente by the Sacramente whereby commeth life and saluacion and suche eate vnworthely of the lorde his table Now thei that eate vnworthely Vnworthie receauers of the Lordes breade and drinke of his Cuppe vnworthely are giltie of the bodie and bloude of the Lorde eatyng and drinkyng their owne damnacion For when thei come not with a true faithe thei doe slaūder and like vilaines despise the death of Christe and therefore eate and drincke their owne damnacion Wherefore wée dooe not so knitte Christe his presence in his Supper and ioigne together the Lords his bodie and blood with the bread and wine that we affirme the bread to be the bodie of Christe but after a Sacramentall maner Neither saie wee that the bodie of Christe lieth hidden corporally Heresies vnder the breade or that it oughte vnder the forme of breade to bee worshipped or that who soeuer receiueth the signe he also receiueth the thyng it self The bodie of Christ is in heauen on the right hande of his father Wee must therefore lifte vp our hartes and not fire set our mindes on the bread Neither ought wee to worshippe the Lorde in the breade and yet the Lords is not absent from his churche when it celebrateth his supper The soonne beyng absente from vs and runnyng Note this similitude his race in the firmament is notwithstandyng present emong vs by his vertue How muche more Christe the soonne of rightuousnesse beyng absent from vs touchyng his bodie whiche is in heauen is present with vs not bodily but spirituallie by his liuely working in vs And as he hath declared that he would be presente with vs in his laste supper Ihon. xiiij xv xvj Whereby it foloweth that we haue no supper with out Christe yet that we haue a misticall Supper without bloudshed euen as our aunciēt fathers haue termed it We are also admonished in the celebracion Other endes of the Lords Supper of the Lordes supper to bee mindfull of whose bodie we are made mēbers in cōsideracion thereof to agree with all our brethren to liue an holie life and not to defile our selues with wickednesse and straunge religions but to continue in true faithe to the ende of our life to indeuer to excel in holinesse of liuyng It is mete therfore A preparyng of our selues before we come to receauinge of the lords supper that mindyng to come to the supper we first trie our selues accordyng to the Apostles commaūdement chiefly of what faithe we are whether wée beleue that Christ is come to saue sinners and to call them to repentaunce and whether eche man beleue that he is one of that nomber who beyng deliuered by Christe is saued throughe him and whether he haue determined to amende his synfull life and to liue godlie to continue by Gods helpe in true Religion in concorde with their The beste kinde of celebrating christ his Supper brethren and to giue God hartie thākes for their deliueraunce c. Wee iudge that to be the plainest and beste maner or waie of celebratyng the lord his Supper whiche cometh nereste to Christ his institucion and the doctrine of the Apostles that is to witte which consisteth in declaryng or preachyng God his woorde in Godlie praiers in imitatyng Christe his doynges in eatyng the bodie and drinkyng the blood of the Lorde also in the fruictfull remembraunce of his death in saithfull The supper of the Lorde should be celebrated in both kindes thankes giuyng ioinyng them selues in Godlie felowship to the vnitie of the bodie of the Churche Wee disalowe