of all estates and degrees as they bee â—aught in Gods word that all ages and all kindes of people may here learne to know their dutie both toward God hys neighbour Neyther is any thyng taught in thys treatise that is not sufficiently fortressed with the authorities of the holy scriptures so that I doubt not but the godly learned which loue to heare the voyce of their shepheard Christ wil not disallow this my diligence Let other intreate of hie misteries clime vp to the hiest heauen I shall be content to write of thinges according to my knowledge and your capacitie to creepe vpon the ground Let other talke of the vnknowen secretes of the blessed trinitie of predestination of the state of the soules departed c. I will speake of the Articles of the Christian â—ayth of the Lordes prayer of the x. CoÌ„maundementes of the SacrameÌ„ts of Christes church c. Let other be counted y â— flowers of learning for opening I know not how secrete mysteries I force not to be called vnlearned so y â— I may know Christ crucified and in teaching him eyther by my writinges or sermons winne some vnto God But to end embrace vertue loue learning garnish your brest with the fruites of Gods spirite be not idle flie vaine and too much childishe pastimes spend your tyme fruitfully exercise your self in reading gods worde so shall God blesse you multiplie your yeares on earth and geue you ioyfull dayes vnto the great comfort of your self and the singular ioy of your honourable parentes whoÌ„ with you I wishe alway prosperously to do Fare ye well The Principles of Christian Religion Of Fayth What fayth is FAith is a sure perswasion and an vndoubted beliefe of y e hart in the mercifull promises of God made to all faythfull penitent sinners in Christes bloud and frely performed of God the father for Christes sake What benefites we receaue of God through fayth By fayth we which afore by nature were the children of wrath are made the sonnes and children of God ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures As many as receaued hym to theÌ„ gaue he power to be made y â— soÌ„nes of God euen theÌ„ y â— beleued on hys name which were borne not of bloud nor of the will of y â— flesh nor yet of the will of maÌ„ but of God All ye are y â— soÌ„nes of God because ye haue beleued on Christ Iesu. By fayth we which afore were sinners are iustified and counted righteous in the sight of God for Christes sake ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures We plainly affirme that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the law We being iustified by fayth haue peace toward God through our Lord Iesu Christ. We know that a man is not iustified by the deedes of the law but by the fayth of Iesus Christ we haue beleued on Iesu Christ that we might be â—ustified by the fayth of Christ not by the dedes of the lawe because by the deedes of the law no flesh shall be iustified As many of you as are iustified by the law are fallen from grace We looke and hope for in the spirite to bee iustified through fayth For in Iesâ— Christ neither is circumcision any thyng worth neyther yet vncircumcision but fayth which worketh by loue By fayth we are maryed vnto Christ. ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures I will mary thee vnto my self in fayth thou shalt know the Lord. Fayth is the wedding garment wherewith wee bee maried vnto Christ according to the parable which we read in the Gospell By fayth our prayers are accepted and heard of God ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures All thinges whatsoeuer ye aske in prayer if ye beleue ye shall receaue them Let him that prayeth aske in fayth and doubt not For hee that doubteth is like a waue of the sea which is tost with the windes and caried with violence Neyther let that man thinke that hee shall receaue any thing of the Lord. By fayth Christes fulfilling of the lawe is counted our fulfilling ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Christ is the fulfilling of the law to iustifie all that beleue Christ hath deliuered vs hee speaketh of the faythfull from the curse of the law in as much as hee was made accursed for our sakes Be it knowen vnto you ye men and brethren y t through thys man Christ is preached vnto you the forgeuenes of sinnes and that by hym all that beleue are iustified from all thinges from the which ye could not be iustified by the law of Moyses By fayth our workes are allowed before God for Christes sake ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin Thine eyes O Lord loke vpon â—ayth Abells sacrifice was allowed of God because it was done in faith And so likewise were all the sacrifices which the holy Patriarkes and other godly men offered in the olde lawe By fayth euerlasting life is geuen vnto vs for Christes sake ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures As Moyses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernes so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that euery one that beleueth on hym may not perisâ—e but haue euerlasting life For God hath so loued the world that hee gaue hys onely begotten sonne that euery one that beleueth in hym may not perishe but haue euerlasting life He that beleueth on the sonne hath euerlasting life But he y t beleueth not on y â— sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abydeth on hym He that heareth my worde and beleueth on hym that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into damnation but is scaped froÌ„ death vnto life This is the will of hym that sent me that euery one which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him hath euerlasting life ¶ The xij Articles of the Christian faythâ— with confirmations of the same out of the holy scripture ¶ The fyrst Article I Beleue in one God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth ☜ The confirmations I beleue Without faith it can not be that any man should please God For he that commeth to God must beleue that God is and that hee is a rewarder of them that seeke hym In one God Heare O Israell the Lord our God is the Lord onely I am God there is none but I. I am y â— Lord there is els none I am the Lorde besides whom there is none other God A true God and such as saueth there is none but I alone I am he before whom there was neuer any God neither shall there be any after me I am yea I am Lorde alone and besides me there is no Sauiour I am the first and last besides me there is no God We are sure that there is none other
God but one The Father Thou O Lord art our father and redemer Thy name is from euerlasting Haue not we all one father Hath not one God created vs Why then doth euery one of vs despise hys owne brother so breake the couenaunt of our fathers Call no maÌ„ your father vpon the earth for one is your father which is in heauen We haue but one God euen the father of whom all thinges are One Lorde one fayth one baptisme one God and one father of all which is aboue al and through all and in you all Almightie I am the almightie God walke before me and be thou perfecte Thou O Lorde art the great and mightie God whose name is the Lord of Hostes great in counsell and excellent in worke Beholde I am the Lorde God of all fleshe is there any thyng to hard for me Shall any thyng be vnpossible in my sight saith y â— Lord of Hostes With God al things are possible O Lorde God almightie true and righteous are thy iudgementes Maker of heauen and earth In the beginning God made heauen and earth The heaueÌ„s O Lord are thâ—â—â— the earth also is thine thou hast layde the foundation of the round worlde and all that therin is The Lorde made the heauens and spread them abroad and set forth the earth with her increase which geueth breath vnto the people that is in it and spirite to them that dwell therin O Lord God it is thou that hast made hauen and earth with thy great power and hie arme â–ª there is nothing hid from thee O Lorde thou art God which hast made heauen and earth the sea and all that in them is God made all thinges thorowe Iesu Christ. ¶ The second Article ANd in Iesus Christ hys onely begotteâ— Sonne our Lord. ☜ The confirmations And in Iesus Christ. He that beleueth on the sonne hath euerlasting life But hee that beleueth not on the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abydeth vpon hym Thys is the worke of God y â— ye beleue on him whom he hath sent If ye beleue not that I am hee ye shall die in your sinnes Christ said to y â— blind man whom he had made to see doost thou beleâ—â—a on the Soone of God He answered and soyd who is it Lord that I might beleue on him Iesus sayd vnto hym Thou hast seene hym and he it is that talketh with thee And he sayd Lord I beleue and he worshipped hym Christ sayd vnto Martha Hee that beleueth on me yea though he were dead yet shall hee liue And whosoeuer liueth and beleueth on me shall neuer die Beleuest thou this She sayd vnto him yea Lord I beleue that thou art Christ the â—onne of God which shoulde come into the world Ye beleue in God beleue also in me This is God the fathers commaundemeÌ„t that we beleue on the name of hys sonne Iesus Christ. He that beleveth on the sonne of God hath the witnes in hym selfe He y â— beleueth not God hath made hym a lier because hee beleued not the recorde that God gaue of hys sonne And this is that record how that God hath gaueÌ„ vnto vs eternall life this life is in his sonne He that hath the sonne hath life and he that hath not y â— sonne hath not life His onely begotten Sonne The Lord said vnto me y â— art myn soÌ„ne this day haue I begotteÌ„ thee This is my welbeloued sonne in whom I am well pleased Thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God God hath so loued y â— worlde that he gaue hys onely begotten sonne that euery one y â— beleueth on him may not perishe but haue euerlasting life For God sent not hys sonne into the world to condemne the world but that y â— world should be saued by hym He that beleueth on hym is not condemned but hee that beleueth not is already coÌ„demned because hee hath not beleued on the name of the onely begotteÌ„ sonne of God In this appeareth y â— loue of God toward vs because y â— God sent hys onely begotten sonne into y â— world that we might liue through hym Our Lord. I am the Lord and thys is my name My glory will I geue to none other neyther myne honour to grauen Images God is faythfull by whom ye are called vnto the fellowship of hys sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. There is but one Lord eueÌ„ Iesus Christ by whoÌ„ are all thynges and we by hym Ye call me Master and Lorde ye say well for so am I in deede ¶ The thyrd Article WHich was conceaued by the holy ghost borne of the Virgin Mary ☜ The confirmations Which was conceaued by the holy Ghost Ioseph y â— sonne of Dauid feare not to take vnto thee Mary thy wife For that which is conceaued in her commeth of the holy ghost The holy ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of y â— â—iert shalt ouershadow thee Therfore that holy thyng which shall bee borne shall be called the sonne of God Borne of the Virgin Mary Beholde a Uirgin shall coÌ„ceaue and 〈◊〉 are a some and thou shalt call hys name Emanuell Unto vs is a childe borne and vnto vs a sonne is geuen There shall come a rod forth of the kinred of I say and a blossome shall florishe out of hys roote Iacob beg at Ioseph y â— husband of Mary of whom Iesus was borne which is called Christ. She shal bring forth a sonne and y â— shalt call hys name Iesus For he shall saue his people froÌ„ their sins Beholde thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe and beare a sonne and shalt call hys name Iesus When the tyme was full come God sent hys sonne made of a woman made bonde vnto the lawe ¶ The fourth Article HE suffered vnder Ponce Pilate was cruciâ—â—ed dead buried He descended into hell ☜ The confirmations He suffered vnder Ponce Pilate The kinges of the earth stoode vp and the rulers toke counsell together agaynst the Lorde and agaynst hys annoynted Of a truth O Lord agaynst thy holy childe Iesus whom thou hast annoynted both Herode and also Ponce Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israell gathered them selues together in thys citie for to do whatsoeuer thy hand and thy counsell determined before to bee done I geue thee the charge in y â— sight of God which quickneth all thinges and before Iesu Christ which vnder Ponce Pilate witnessed a good witnessing that thou keepe the commauÌ„dement and be without spot c. Was crucified They pearsed my handes and my feete He was wounded for our offences smitten for our wickednes They shall loke vpon me whom they haue pearsed As Moyses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernes so must the
entised of his owne concupiscence Then when lust hath conceaued she bringeth forth sinne and sinne when it is done in deede bringeth forth death ¶ The seuenth Peticion Bvt deliuer vs from euill ☞ The confirmations Sathan hath desired after you y â— he might sift you euen as wheat But I haue prayed for thee O Simon y t thy faith may not faile And when thou arte conuerted strength thy brethren God is faithfull which will not suffer you to be teÌ„pted aboue your strength but shall in the middest of the temptation make a way to come out that ye may bee able to beare it Be sober and watch for your aduersary the deuill walketh about like a roaring Lion seeking whoÌ„ he may deuour Whome resist stedfast in the fayth The Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of the temptation We knowe that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not but hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked toucheth him not ¶ The conclusion of the Lordes Prayer FOr thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for euer and euer ☞ The confirmations Blessed be thou Lorde God of Israel our father for euer and euer Thine O Lord is might power glory victory and prayse for all that is in heauen and in earth is thine thine is the kingdome O Lord and thou excellest aboue all euen as the head of all Thine are the riches treasures honour dominion ouer all and in thy handes is the vertue might power excellencie empire and rule vppon and aboue all thinges Wherfore now O our God we geue laude prayse and glory to thy most noble name Of hym and through hym and in hym are all thinges To hym be prayse for euer To God which alone is wife be glory through Iesus Christ for euer Unto hym that is able to do exceding aboundantly aboue all that we aske or thinke according to the power y t worketh in vs bee praise in the congregation by Christ Iesus throughout all ages worlde without end Unto God king euerlasting immortall inuisible alone wyse bee honour and glory for euer euer Thou art worthy O Lorde to receaue glory and honour power for thou hast created all things and for thy wills sake they were and are created Blessing honour glory power be vnto hym that sitteth vppon the seate and vnto the Lambe for euer more Amen ¶ All these Peticions I vndoubtedly beleue that I shall inioye when soeuer I aske them in fayth of God my heauenly father through Iesus Christ our Lord. ¶ Of the Lawe ¶ What the Lawe is THe Law of God is a doctrine prescribing vnto vs what we ought to doe and what to eschue both toward God and our neighbour ☞ The confirmations Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy hart Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord God in vaine Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale ¶ To what vse the lawe was geuen Fyrst that it should declare vnto vs the will of God how we ought to liue and what workes we ought to do that we may please the Lord our God ☞ The confirmations The law of the Lorde is an vndefiled law coÌ„uerting soules The testimony of the Lord is sure and geueth wisedome to y e simple The statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the hart The commaundemeÌ„t of the Lord is pure and geueth light to the eyes Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete a light to my pathwaies He sheweth hys word vnto Iacob hys statutes and ordinaunces vnto Israell He hath not dealt so with any nation neyther haue the heathen knowledge of hys lawes Secondly that it shoulde reueale and open vnto vs our sinne and wickednes while we consider how vnable we be of our selues to doe that which the holy righteous good law of God requireth of vs to be done ☞ The confirmations By the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne The lawe entred in that sinne should increase What shall we say is the lawe sinne God forbid Nay I knewe not what sinne ment but by the lawe for I had not knowen what lust had ment except the lawe had said Thou shalt not lust But sinne tooke an occasion by the meanes of the commaundement wrought in me all maner of concupiscence For without the lawe sinne was dead I once liued without y e lawe but when the commaundement came sinne 〈◊〉 I was dead And y e very same coÌ„maundement which was ordayned vnto lyfe was found to be vnto me an occasion of death For sinne tooke occasion by y â— meanes of the coÌ„maundement so deceaued me by the same commaundement sâ—ue me The stiâ—ge of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law The letter that is to say the law killeth The lawe is the ministring of condemnation Moyses sayth Christ gaue you a lawe and yet none of you fulfilleth the lawe in deede Thirdly after we haue learned our weaknes our wretchednes our sinne our wickednes by comparing our strength and life with the lawe of God which proueth vs all sinners and worthy of eternall damnation least we shoulde fall into desperation and so be damned the lawe was geuen of God to bee a Scholemaister vnto vs to lead vs vnto Christ the alone end and perfect fulfiller of all the lawes of God that we through fayth takyng vppon vs hys righteousnes and hys fulfilling of the lawe myght bee found blameles through hym in the sight of God and to bee made inheritours of euerlasting glory ☞ The confirmations The law was our Scholemaister vnto Christ that we shoulde bee iustified by fayth But after that fayth is come we are no longer vnder the Scholemaister For ye are all the children of God because ye beleue in Christ Iesu. The lawe brought nothyug to perfection but was an introduction to a better hope by the which we drawnie vnto God Be it knowen vnto you ye men and brethren that through thys man Christ is preached vnto you the forgeuenes of sinnes that by hym all that beleue are iustified froÌ„ all thinges froÌ„ the which ye coulde not hee iustified by the lawe of Moyses Why tempt ye God to put on the Disciples neckes y e yoke which neyther our fathers nor we were able to beare But we beleue that thorow the grace of the Lord Iesu Christ we shall be saued Christ is the fulfilling of the law to iustifie all that beleue Christ hath deliuered vs from the curse of the law in as much as he was made accursed for vs. ¶ The x. Commaundementes of God with confirmations of euery CoÌ„maundement out of the holy scripture ¶ The first Table of the Law contayning foure CoÌ„maundementes wherin is declared our dutie to God ¶ The first Commaundement I Am the Lord thy God