it with the tradicions of men And albeit mennes spirites are not hable to accorde with some bokes textes of the scriptures the mater is not much to be passed vpoÌ„ For we know that mennes iudgementes ought to be applied and obeye vnto the scriptures and not the scriptures vnto meÌ„nes iudgementes And touching the interpretacion of the holy canonical scripture this haue I thought and after the examples of other christen ministers I haue taught and yet stil I thinke and confesse vnto the worlde that it ought 1. Pe. 1. not nor must be interpreted or expouÌ„ded after any mannes opinion or thought much lesse after euery mannes pleasure and phantasie but by it self and of it selfe aswell according to the propreties of the tongues wherin it was furst written and by diligent wayeng and consideracion of the sayenges that goo before and those that be ioyned together and folowe with all the circumstaunces as also according to the meanyng of other places that seme either more playne or like ther vnto or elles contrary by the lyne and rule of faithe and charitie And wher the fathers the doctours of the holy churche haue interpreted Doctours and expounded the scriptures after this maner and haue in no wise blenched nor swarued froÌ„ this lawe and rule now before mencioned them we doo with harte and good will acknowlage and take for faithfull and diligeÌ„t interpretours of the scripture and honourable instrumentes of the holy goost whose paynefull labours and industries our Lorde God hathe vsed in the churche to the glorie of his owne name and to the profite of his faithfull flocke And therfore we not only reuerence theÌ„ but also thiÌ„ke not well of suche men as haue them in contempt But as for all other doctrines and tradicions of men how glorious how gaye how highe autoritie title or auÌ„cientie so euer they be commended or bragged to be of if they be not founded grouÌ„ded vpon some testimonies of the scriptutes and also if they pull vs from God from the scripture and from the true faithe or be hinderous vnto vs in the same I thinke them altogether vayne vnprofitable and of non effecte yea rather pernicious and noysom as Christ him self openly reporteth of them Matth. 15. Moreouer the only intent scope ende of the canonical scripture is this that al men of all naciones couÌ„treyes and places might be by it instructed taught coÌ„cernyng the grace of God concerning the redempcion bounteous liberalitie and saluacion that is pleyntifully bestowed geuen in Iesus Christ vnto this most wretched most corrupte synfull worlde also coÌ„cerning charitie and faithe namely that the people being now regenerate might be partakers of this saluacioÌ„ by true faithe the holy childreÌ„ of God the father and heires of al his heaueÌ„ly substaunce And touching the faithe of Christ I and suche other poore slaundred Ministres haue nother taught nor doo beleue any other thing than that is deliuered vnto be from the holy apostles and that we haue receaued of our christian elders and faithfull forefathers And that same I for my parte sithence it pleased God to translate me from the Antichristian darkenesse of popery in to the kingdome of his sonne haue constauntly and faith fully kept hitherto pure in euery condicion And the same I purpose by the helpe of Christes gracious fauour to kepe still and confesse with the true catholike churche of Christ while the breathe is in my body that is eueÌ„ thus I Beleue in God the father almigh tye maker of heauen and earthe And in Iesus Christ his only sonne our Lorde Whiche was conceaued by the holy goost borne of the virgin Mary Suffred vnder Ponce Pilate was crucified dead and buried Be descended in to hell The thrid daye he rose again from the dead Be ascended in to heaueÌ„ sitteth on the right haÌ„de of God the father almightie From thence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead I beleue in the holy goost The holy catholike churche the coÌ„munion of Sainctes The forgeuenesse of synnes The resurrection of the body And the life euerlasting Amen Now forasmuche as God hathe geueÌ„ me grace thaÌ„kes be to his mercifull goodnesse therfore to pitch my staffe in the fouÌ„dacion of this most holy most asicient true catholike faith And to thinkeÌ„t you shal plaiÌ„ly knowe how I vnderstaÌ„de the said articles of my Crede I do truly saye playnly confesse touching the furst article that ther The furst Article is but one only blessed eternal and almightie Lorde and God in the holy sacrâ—o inseperable and vnconfused Trinitie God the Father the Sonne and the holy Goost And what so euer is in the nature of thinges aswel visible as inuisible it is well and rightly created and made of God to the be hoote and profite of man and by him it is also preserued bestowed and administred And therfore God is the father of mankind not for his creating of maÌ„kynde only but also for his daily conseruacion eternal goodnesse mercie prouidence comforting and helping of mankynde Concerning the seconde Article I beleue confesse that God the father The. 2. Article became a father not only after he had made maÌ„kiÌ„de but that the same God was also a very father from euerlastiÌ„g so that he hathe also one onely eternal sone eternally begotteÌ„ of God the father after a diuine vnspeakeable maner This sonne of God I beleue and coÌ„fesse is of the fathers owne substaunce and of all one being of like equalitie and consubstaunciall with the father of all one substaunce I saye nature power and vertue and very natural Lorde and God aboue all in al and through al thinges Notwithstanding we confesse the sonne to be our Lorde most chiefly for that he hathe deliuered and made vs free from the lordeship power and tyrannye of the deuil and hauing payde our raunsom with his owne precious blood which he sheadde for vs he hathe made vs his owne peculiar people wherof I shall speake afterwarde at more large Touching the thirde Article I beleue and confesse that the same sonne The. 3. Article of God which eternally hathe ben and is with the father hathe also in this worlde taken vpon him the very nature of man of the fleshe and blood of the blessed virgin Mary which was Abrahams daughter and borne of the stocke of Dauid according to the promise of God declared by his ministers and seruauntes the Patriarkes and prophetes and being borne of her she remayning and contynuing stil a chaste and a pure maide very God and very man in one inseperable persone without confusion of the natures of his godhead and manhead together he became like vnto men his brethreÌ„ touching his reasonable and immortal soule and his mortal body in al thinges sinne only except And after this maner I confesse that he was conceaued very natural man in the wombe of that chaste and most pure virgin and of her blessed
A confession of the most auncient and true christeÌ„ catholike olde belefe accordyng to the ordre of the xii articles of our coÌ„mon Crede set furthe in Englishe to the glory of almightye God and to the confirmacion of Christes people in Christes catholike olde faith By I. D. Psal 116. I beleue and therfore haue I spoken Roma 10. The belefe of the hearte iustifieth and the mouthe confesseth to saluacion ☞ Imprinted in Sothewarke by Christophor Truthal Cum priuilegio Regalj In April 1556. To the vnfayned fauourours louers of the pure worde and Gospell of Iesus Christ enhabiting within the cities and diocese of Couentrie and Lichfelde and in all other places where it hathe chaunced me to haue occupied the rowme of a Preacher Grace mercye and peace ioyned with earnest repentauÌ„ce and constaunt faithe in the doctrine of the Gospell froÌ„ God the father and his sonne Iesus Christ the coÌ„mon only saueour of the worlde MY most sounng frendes and brethreÌ„ concerning our coÌ„mon faith in Christ our Lorde where of late dayes I am contemptuously and slaunderously reported and named among some to be an erroneous felowe one of the new learning an heretike one of Latimers secte I wotte not what Be it knowen to the worlde that I am none other thaÌ„ a true christian man regenerate instructed nowe in my middle age in the blessed schole of Goddes most holy Bible and Testament thankes be to his fatherly bounteous mercy therfore sythence I haue not folowed the secte of any earthy man nether grounded myne opinion faithe or doctrine vpoÌ„ any newe learning or heresie but vpon the most certaine pure vnfailing true worde and learning of almightie God sent downe reuealed taught from the seate of his Maiestie preached at his coÌ„mauÌ„dement by the fathers and prophetes by Christ his sonne and his holy Apostles and also regestred and specified in the rolles euideÌ„ces of the holy sacred scriptures to be the fouÌ„dacion rule and lawe for the true catholike churche of God to be builded vpon and ruled by from the begynning of the worlde vnto the laste daye of iudgement And here vpon only haue I set the building of my faythe Iesus Christ hym self beyng the head corner stone Ephe. 2. and according thervnto I haue diligently and faythfully taught and instructed my parisheners and neighbours as vnto my vocacion I consydered it iustlye to apperteyne NotwithstaÌ„dyng like as S. paule reporteth that Apollo he were ministers 1. Cor. 3. by whom the CorinthiaÌ„s beleued as God distributed vnto euery one euen so doo I acknowlage from the botome of my harte vnfeynedly confesse that the reuerende father of blessed memorie Hugh Latimer was to the Hugh Latymer very death a right worthy instrumeÌ„t minister of God by whose most holsome doctrine syncere exaÌ„ple of godly lyfe and constauÌ„t frendship towardes me it hathe pleased thalmighty Lord to open vnto me among many other the most vnworthy the true christian faithe to cal me out of the damnable darkenesse of Antichristes iniquirie in to the true light of Christes gospelles veritie And like as the people of Berrhoe by diligent reading and examining Act. 17. of the scriptures fouÌ„de that Paules doctrine was bothe right true and certainly good euen so do I vndoubtedly credite plainly testifye the doctrine aswel of the glorious martir of Iesus Christ Hugh Latimer concernyng Iustificacion other articles of the christen faithe as also of the most reuerende father in God and right constaunt confessour of Christ Iesus Thomas Cranmere Archebishop of Cantorbury concerning the blessed sacrament Thomas Cranmer of Christes precious body bloud most catholikely and syncerely set furthe in print not being sedde by any carnall affeccion towardes their persones nether for worldly promocion but bicause I haue perfitly proued their doctrine to be conteyned in the holy sacred scriptures by testimonie and waraunt wherof they and other ministers of Christes gospell haue taught and set furthe the true catholike doctrine worde of maÌ„nes saluacion accordingly And forasmuche as I esteme them men which without sure holde of the scriptures might both haue deceaued and ben deceaued therfore I and all other that be knytte together in one true vntoÌ„ and knotte of Christes spirite laye our foundacion grounde worke not vpoÌ„ fleshe bloud that is to saye vpoÌ„ no mannes worde of what power vertue wisdome learning autoritie estate or coÌ„dicioÌ„ so euer he be but vpoÌ„ the vnfailing true worde of the almightie euerlyuing Lorde God In the meane while yf any man can teache me better more truly by the holy canonical scripture I am coÌ„tent as reason is gladly hartily to folowe him willingly geue him place with coÌ„digne praise great gramercies But as for any other doctrine of faith besides the scriptures or contraryr to the autoritie of the scriptures either elles by violent wrasting and wrythyng of the scriptures out of of their owne seÌ„se or right meanyng I shall by the assistence of goddes merciful helpe neuer suffre my selfe to be plucked awaye froÌ„ the simple plaine apostolike true faithe bicause man is frely iustified by this saith and euery fayth contrary to this is a dead fruteles faithe euery doctrine not fouÌ„ded vpon or coÌ„trarie to Goddes holy boke Ro. 3. 4. Iac. 2. Gal. 1. the Bible is to be holde accursed yea although it were preached set furthe or coÌ„mauÌ„ded by an Angel of heauen muche more by any mortall creature thoughe it be neuer so great a Kyng Quene gouernour or potentate And coÌ„cerning the holy canonicall The holy canonical Scriptures scripture I among other poore ministers of the Gospel hauing charge of soule folowing the exaÌ„ples of other christiaÌ„ churches teachers haue beleued taught my parisheners and neyghbours so stil beleue and testifie on this maner of waye folowing The canonical scripture I meane the holy Bible which is the true vnfailing declaracion of the eternal wil of God deliuered by the holy Goost preached diligently declared vnto the worlde vnto maÌ„kinde I meane by the holy prophetes chosen apostles is of al other the most auÌ„cient most perfite most excelleÌ„t doctrine coÌ„preheÌ„ding teaching absolutly fully al that is necessarely required to the holsome know lage of God to true faithe the true worship of God to true christian righteousnesse and to the framyng ordring of honest blessed holy lyfe And forasmuche as the Canonical scripture the Bible I saye is the selfe same worde that the eternal God him selfe hath spoken and taught and therfore endureth permanent to be a lanterne vnto the fete a light vnto meÌ„nes fotesteppes ê“cedinges for euermore it hath fidelitie autoritie certaitie truthe estimacioÌ„ perfectioÌ„ pleinteously ynough in it self so as it ought not to be made authentike again by the churche or by autoritie of the wytnesse of men either yet to be piceâ—â—… and patched
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