righteousnesse house and lande or punyshe the shamefull blasphemers ydolaters and persecuters of the holy fayth and not suffre them to haue all their malycious wyll Neuertheles thys must be done by them to whome god hath committed the swerde For thus sayeth the Lorde Who so taketh the swerde shall perishe thorow the swerde Matthe .xxvi. But specially in the battayls of gods people and of the vnfaytfull it commeth to pas and is expresly set before our eyes that god sayde to the serpent at the begynnyng Genesi iii. I wyll put enemyte betwene thy sede and the womans sede For the righteous are the sede of Christe the vnrighteous and vnfaytfull are the sede of the deuell Betwene these now se we greate discorde but specially thys that the faythfull do alwaye treade the serpente on the headde though they them selues also be bytten in the hele For the right faythfull beleuers afore the birth of christe in the tyme of the promes had no lesse trouble and persecution not onely because of synne but also for righteousnes and faythes sake then the faythfull after Chrystes byrth in the tyme of grace and perfectnes Therfore haue they small knowlege of the doinges of the faythful which saye that the people of olde were a victoryous people and gouerued corporally but that the people after Christes comminge are borne to suffre and to no victory or gouernaunce Neuertheles in these wonderfull tymes in the whiche gods people hadde now victory and anone were subdued and oppressed the true fayth continued vpright and vnblemished from Josue forth thorowe out all the iudges vntyll the tyme and raigne of Dauid Dauid also was a man that suffred moch thorow dyuerse and long trouble thorow miserable distresse and vexacion and thorow sore persecution without ceâ—ssynge beynge proued tryed and prouoked afore he was kynge Wherof the bokes of Samuel and the more parte of the Psalmes beareth recorde But after that he was promoted vnto the kyngdome by God whiche sayde I haue founde a man after myne owne hert he auaunced set forth and magnified the true fayth righte delygently Here also to the honoure of oure Lorde Jesu Christe wyll I shortly and by the waye declare what knowlege and faith thys noble kynge and prophete had of our Lord Jesu Thys wyll I do with the declaracion of the .c. xi Psalme whose wordes are these The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde Syt thou at my ryght hande tyll I make thyn enemyes thy foote stole In the fyrste verse Dauid knowlegeth the personnes in the holy Trinite the godheade also and the eternall kyngdome of Christe Thus lykewyse dyd our Lorde Jesus Christ vnderstonde and alledge thys verse in the Gospell Mathe .xxii. knowledgynge two of the personnes in the one onely godhead For he sayeth The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde Now is it certayne and vndenyable that he which speaketh he to whomought is spoken are not one but two personnes Yet is ther but one Lorde and god and they both the father that speaketh and the sonne to whome is spoken are the Lord therfore are they one of one substaunce and beynge they very true god Nether is the sonne lesse then the father There can also none be a father except he haue a sonne or a chylde Now is the euer lastyng father God therfore is the sonne also euerlastynge There is also but one onely euerlastinge without begynnynge Both the father and the sonne are eternal without begynnynge therfore are they one onely true God with the holy gooste Lyke as Johan also sayeth In the begynnynge that is to saye from euerlastinge was the worde and the worde was with God and the worde was god And immediatly therafter sayeth he that the worde is Jesus Christe our Lorde For it foloweth The worde became fleshe Therfore doth Dauid also call the sonne of god specially hys Lorde sayenge The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde And therfore calleth he Christe hys Lorde because he confesseth and beleueth that he is hys very naturall Lorde and god as Thomas also dyd knowlege My lord and my god Joh. xx Afterwarde calleth he hym hys Lorde because that after the nature of man he shulde be borne out of hys loynes For thorow out all the scripture is our Lorde Jesus called the soÌ„ne of Dauid And thus bothe Dauid knowlege two natures in Christ the nature of God and the nature of man That the kyngdome of Christ shall last for euer and that the kynde and nature of man shalbe exalted aboue all heauens aâ— Paul saieth hâ—b ii Dauid testifieth witâ— these wordes Syt thou at my ryghte haÌ„de tyl I make thyne enemies thy foâ—e stole For Marke sayeth in the .xvi. Chapter The Lorde was taken vp in to heaueÌ„ anâ— sytteth at the ryght hand of God â–ª Of thiâ— also fynde we i. Cor. xv Now he must â—â— des be very God in dede whyche reyâ—nethe for euer and to whome all enemâ—es muste be subdued yâ—a cast vtterly vnder hys fete Nowe foloweth the secondâ— verse The Lorde shall sende thy myghtye staf out of Syon thou shalâ— be Lord eueâ— in the myddes amonge thyne enemyes Here speketh he of the preaching of the holy Gospell and how the worlde shulde be conuerted vnto Christe and Chryste to reygne in the myddes of the worlde In the fyrste verse is spoken of the eternall kyngdome that he is very God lyuynge and reignynge for euer not onely in thys tyme but also after thys tyme eternally Bu here speaketh he specially of the kyngdome where as he reygneth here benethe thorow the Gospell For the staf the scepter the rodde of Chryste is the holy Gospell euen the power of god whych saueth all that beleue Roma i. Whyche maketh Christes enemies frendes and smyteth them downe that wyll not coÌ„uerte so that Chryste hath dominion and victory euen in the myddes amonge hys enemies It is he that wyth the spirite of hys mouthe slayeth the Antichristes Thys hys worde also and preachynges of the Gospell came forth fyrst from Syon or Hierusalem as Esaye Micheas Luke doth testifye Now foloweth the thyrd verse In the day of thy battayll or armye shall thy pâ—ople be well wyllynge the dew of thy byrth is vnto the in an holy maiestye oute of the wombe of the cleare mornynge Here with doth Dauid describe the glorious and victorious fayth of the christeÌ„ For whan the Gospell is preached there aryseth a conflicte betwene faith and infidelite betwene the sede of Christ and the serpent betwene ydolatrye and true godlynesse And the vnbeleuers persecute the Lorde Christe in hys membres that is to saye the faythfull but they are well conteÌ„t vtterly to geue ouer body honour and goodes theyr bloud and lyfe for gods truthes sake For the martyrs and they in the prymitiue Churche beynge gathered together of the Apostles and after the Apostles tyme haue thus kepte trueth fayth towarde the Lorde Christ and were wyllynge to dye â—or knowlegynge hym Afterward
law of the promes that is to saye the bequest and Testamēt of god is nothing mynyshed but that the summe remayneth wythout blemishe namely that saluacion is geuen vs frely But here myght one aske Seyng that the saluation is clearly ynough expressed afore the law and is ascribed onely vnto the grace of God why woulde God then adde the lawe why was he not contente wyth the Testament alone Therfore foloweth it nowe in Paull Why then serueth the lawe It was added bycause of transgression tyll the sede came that was promised These are Pauls wordes whyche are thus to be vnderstande The lawe was not geuen because of the promes to make it of none effecte and to teache that men are saued by workes and not thorow the grace and free lyberalyte of God but it was geuen because of transgression that is to saye because that the people of God in Egypte hadde transgressed the waye and truethe of theyr Fathers and knewe nomore what was synne ryghte or vnryghte wherein stode saluacion or dampnation for they were corrupte thorowe the longe dwellynge amonge the Ydolaters of Egypte Therfore dyd God ordeyne them the Lawe oute of the whyche they myghte lerne the wyll of God what Synne ryghte or vnryghte is and to know them selues to go in to them selues and to consydre how that the holy workes wyche God requyreth are not in theyr owne power for the whych cause all the worlde haue greate nede of a mediatoure And thus the lawe was geuen to furthur the promes namely that we thorowe the lawe myghte be led onely vnto Chryste For thus folowethe it in Pauls wordes And it was geuen of Aungels by the hande of the mediatoure A mediatour is not a Mediatour of one onely but god is one Is the lawe then agaynste the promyses of God God forbyd Howbeit yf there had bene geuen a law whych coulde haue geuen lyfe then no doute ryghteousnes shulde come of the law But the scripture hath shutte vp all vnder synne that the promise shoulde come by the faythe on Jesus Chryste geuen vnto them that beleue Before fayth came that is to say Jesus Christ in whome we beloue we were kepte and shutte vp vnder the lawe vnto the fayth whyche shulde afterwarde be declared Thus was the lawe oure scolemaster vnto Chryst that we myght be made ryghteous by fayth c. By these wordes of Paul may euery man vnderstande now for what cause the lawe was geuen and howe it is not contrary to the promes of the foresayd sede but rather bryngeth vs from oure selues and from all creatures only vnto Jesus Christ The law therfore confyrmeth the fyrste promes concernyng the blessed sede teacheth that we opteyne all saluacion in hym onely Howbeit it is also a rule of oure lyfe enfourmynge vs what we ought to do and what we ought to leaue vndone Yet on oure syde is all vnfruteful where faith is not But where faith is it ceasseth not thorowe loue to worke good accordynge to the law all honoure and prayse beynge referred vnto God to men nothyng but vnperfectnesse God also amonge hys people wrought many thynges wherby he set the cause of Jesus Christe clearly a fore the eyes of the people as it is expressed afore by the lande of the Passeouer Lykewyse is it where as Moses hanged vp as serpent in the wildernesse that al they whiche were stonge and poysoned of serpentes shuld beholde the brasen serpent hangynge not dye but be saued alyue Where as doutlesse the outward beholdynge of the brasen serpent saued not them that were poysoned but it was God whiche wolde so declare that hys sonne shulde be hanged vpon a crosse to the intent that euery one whiche were poysoned and defyled by the olde serpente and synne shulde beleue in the sonne of god and lyue in hym For so is it written Sapien. xvi They had a token of health accordinge to the commaundemente For who so conuerted was not made whole by the outwarde thynge whiche he sawe but by the whiche art the restorer of health Sauiour of all And yet saieth Christ more clearly Joh. iii. And lyke as Moses set vp the serpent in the wildernesse euē so must the sonne of man belifte vp that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shulde not perishe but haue eternall lyfe And as touchyng thys the holy Apostle Paul bringeth in another sentence .i. Cor. x. and sayeth Brethren I wolde not haue you ignoraunt of thys that oure fathers were all vnder the cloude and all passed thorow the see and were all baptised vnder Moses in the cloude and in the see and dyd all eate one spirituall meate dronke of one spirituall drynke But they dranke all of the spirituall rocke that folowed thē which rocke was Christ Besydes thys yf we considre the declaratiō of the lawes of the first table which teacheth how we shall behaue oure selues right towarde God to loue worshyppe honoure hym to serue hym and to cleue onely vnto hym we shall fynde in the same fyrst table the whole cause of Christ For all that afterward was ordeyned and appoynted concernynge the tabernacle the presthode and the oblations parteyneth to the summe of the first table for asmoche as the scripture and the mouthe of God calleth it hys lawe precepte commaundement vse and statute ordinaunce and seruyce And yf thou aske howe can god whiche is a sprete be serued without warde ▪ visible and fleshly thynges as the foresayde ceremonyes of the Jewes are I answere Suche outwarde rytes of the people of God were sacramentes and tokens of heauenly inuisible good thynges andwere not the heauenly ryches them selues Wherfore they nether serued ner pleased God that vsed and dyd soche seruyce without fayth and lyftinge vp of the mynde But they that put their trust in God cleuynge onely vnto hym and lyftinge vp their hertes hygher and remayned not in the vysible thynge those pleased god Where as they had but one altare and one place appoynted where they shuld do sacrifice It signified the crosse of oure Lorde Jesus Christe and that he shulde be offred vp but ones and that in one place for the syn ne of the worlde Therfore where as the hye prest also euery yeare wente in to the inwarde tabernacle with bloude It signified that oure Lorde Jesus shulde come in to thys worlde and shed hys bloud ones for all to forgeue and clense our synnes ▪ and so to ascende vnto heauen Yee all obletions and all sheddinges of bloud in the sacrifices of the olde fathers signified the death of oure Lorde Jesus Christe No thynge was clensed amonge them with out bloud whiche signifieth that all the pourgynge of oure vnclennesse is done by the bloude of Jesus Christe And all the yresthode whiche was ordeyned for to teache to praye and make intercession to offre and do sacrifice represented the office of oure Lorde Christe Whiche came in to thys worlde to teach vs
lyfe tyme he dyd chose Apostles whome he receaued to be witnesses of all hys doctryne miracles enfourmyng them diligently helde nothyng backe from them For he sayeth vnto them Ye are my frendes yf ye do all that I commaunde you I wyll hence forth call you no more seruauntes for a seruant woteth not what hys Lorde doth But I haue called you my frendes for all that I haue heard of my father haue I opened vnto you Joh. â—v But for asmoche as they yet lacked vnderstondnge were forgetfull and had euer straunge ymaginacions of the kyngdome of Christ therfore whan he now ascended vnto heauen he charged them not to departe from Hierusalem but to wayte for the holy gooste whome he also gaue vnto them vpon the fiftieth daye after his resurrection that is vpon the tenth daye after his ascension euen the fiftenthe daye of Maye by the which holy goost they beynge illuminate spake with all maner of langagâ—â— and were myndfull of all that the Lorde had commaunded them aâ—oâ—e For the holy goost dyd not endew them with a newe doctryne but it that the Lord had taught them out of the lawe and the prophetes the same dyd he bringe to their remembraunce and illucidate all thinges prynted them more clearly in ther hertes For so sayeth the. Lorde in the gospell The conforter euen the holy gost whom the father wyll sende in my name he shall teache you all thinges and bringe all thynges to youre remembraunce that I haud sayde vnto you Therfore so longe as the Lorde was with them and tolde them all the matter of hys passion they were sorye and coulde not beare awaye all that he sayd vnto them But after that he was taken vp frome the erth in to heauen he sent the holy goost euen him whome the prophetes also had before that led them into all Christen veryte So whan they were endowed with the holy gooste they beganne accordige to the Lordes commaundemente to preach in all the world the foresayde matter of saluacion purged and obteyned onely by Christ and gotten by true faith For he had sayde Go your waye in to all the world and preach the gospell vnto all creatures Who so beleueth and is baptised shalbe saued c. And therwith comprendeth he both the poyntes whiche the Apostles vsed and practised euen the preachyng of the faith in Jesus Christ and of the ministracion of the sacramentes And how the Apostles doctryne was it is manifest out of the Actes of the Apostles But shortly and in a summe they preached amendement of lyfe and remission of synnes thorow Jesus Christ That is to saye howe that the whole generacion of man laye in the dominion of the deuel and in y e bondes of synne cursed and damned but God had mercy on vs all sente his soone in to this worlde to dye and with hys death to restore vs vnto lyfe and to wash vs with his bloude that who so euer beleueth in hym shulde not perish but haue eternall lyfe All this declared they out of the lawe and the prophetes proued that Jesus Christ whome they preached is the blessed sede promised vnto the fathers Who so is desyrous to haue a perfecte ensample of this declaracion he fyndeth two sermons of the famous Apostles Peter and Paul the one in the Actes of the Apostles the secoÌ„de chapter the other in the. xiii chap. There doth the holy Apostle open the mistery of our holy faith very excellently declaringe it from the tyme of Abraham vnto Dauid from him vnto Jhon the baptist There vpon sheweth he how Christ suffred dyed was buried and rose agayne from death All this confirmeth he with the scriptures of the prophetes At the last he concludeth the sermon after this maner Be it kowen vnto you therfore ye men and brethren that thorowe Jesus is preached vnto you forgeuenesse of synnes and that by hym all they that beleue are iustified from all thynges from the which ye coulde not be iustified by the lawe of Moses To this now also the sermon of Peter Yee all the scryptures of the Apostles do fynally accorde to the same effect Hereout also bring they y e doctrine of repentaunce and amendment of lyfe the rebuking of synne conslacions exhortacions and drawyng to all maner of good workes that folowe out of faith The speciall sacramentes whiche the lord dyd chefely institute and commaunde the Apostles to praise in the churche are holye Baptyme and the blessed supper of oure Lorde Jesus Christ Concernynge y â— first he saieth To me is geuen all power in heauen and in erth therfore go youre waye and teach all people baptise them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy goost and teach them to kepe all that I haue commaunded you The other dyd he institute at the last supper For thus is it written in the holy gospell WhaÌ„ they were eatynge he toke bred and whan he had geuen thankes he brake it and gaue them sayeng Take eate this is my bodye whiche shall be geueÌ„ for you this do in the remembraunce of me So toke he also y â— cuppe whan they had supte and sayde Drynke ye all out of this This is my bloud of y â— new testament which shall be shed for the remission of sinnes With suche sacrameÌ„tes thorow outward visible stourmes for our infirmities sake pleased it the lord to shewe set before oure eyes his heueÌ„ly in visible grace not that we shuld continue still hanginge in the visible thing but that we shuld lyft vp our myndes and with a true beleue to holde fast to prynte sure in oure myndes to worshippe and to enioye the thinges that faith sheweth vs by the outward sacramentes With these outward sacramentes also hath it pleased him to opeÌ„ declare and shewe vnto vs his grace and louynge kydnesse Namely how that he geueth vnto vs him self and all his riches clenseth vs fedeth and moystureth oure soules wyth hys flesh and bloud that he is at one with vs and we with him so that we vse and practise the sacramentes with a true faith For the outward enioyeng of the sacramentes of it selfe alone doth not reconcyle vs wyth God but yf they be vsed with fayth than as Saynte Peter saieth Act. xv thorow faith doth God purifye the hertes With the sacramentes pleased it hym to leue behynd him a remembraunce of his giftes benefites to the intent that we shuld neuer forget them but prayse and thanke him therfore Morouer with vysible sacramentes was it his will to gather vs together and to marke vs in remembraunce of oure dewty how we are one body to gether and ought to applye our selues to all righteousnesse All which thinges are foude at lenthe in the scriptures of the Apostles As for the Apostles they mynistred the. sacramentes diligently puâ—râ—ly and symply and so without anye addicion distributed them vnto
whiche shall come shortly to iudgement and vtterly destroye the kyuge dome of Antichrist whom he now kylleth with the sprete of his mouth Our possessioÌ„ is not here vpoÌ„ earth the kyngdom of heauen is our natiue countre From theÌ„ce loke we for the sauyoure Jesus Christ our Lorde which shall rayse vp oute mortall miserable body that he maye make it lyke hys excellent and glorified body ator dinge to the power wherby he maye subdue all thynges vnto hym self To him be â–ª honoure and prayse for euer and euer Amen The accustomaâ— goodnes of God God hath shewed no lesse kindnes to vs theÌ„ he did to the olde worlde Thei that folowe goddes worde are laughed to scorne The doctrine of Christes fayth is no newe thyng 1. Cor. i. â— Cor. ii To vs whiche are saued it is the power of God What fayth is Ad Romanos Gala Ephe. Jaco ii Hebre. xi Ro. xiiii Actes .xv. i. Peter v Gala. v. â— Cor. xiiii â–ª Hebre. xi Jaco i. would to god we had many suche as James the Apostle was O vnthaÌ„kful world S James wold not spare to rebuke suche AgaiÌ„st suche grosse vices wold not S James spare to â—â— speake Let euery man take the payns to rebuke his owne faulte We must put on the nature of gods doctrine Let the workes of God which are past be a warnyng to vs. The christen fayth is elder then 1500 yeares Eusebius ActuuÌ„ xi The fyrst creatioÌ„ of heaueÌ„ and earth The garnyshynge of heauen and erth The office â—â— the 〈…〉 in the firmament Fyshes Foules Beastes The treatioÌ„ of maÌ„ The creacioÌ„ of the woman The requeste of the commaundement The vnthankfulnesse and wickednesse of man The righteousnes and mercy of god The way of satisfactioÌ„ before God is Christe Synne The frowardnes of man Why god gaue the womaÌ„ vnto man Grace We all are lothe to knowlege oure selues gyltye Punyshement The promes â—ene iii. The serpeÌ„tes heade The sure foundatioÌ„ of oure fayth Ro. viii â— Corin. â— The gospell of Jesu Chryst Esaye vii A prayse of the virgin Mari Hebre. iâ— â–ª Gene. iii. Christes hâ—oe i. Pet. iiii John xiiâ—i Rom. xvi Obiection Answere Gene. iii. Gene. iii. i. Timo. 2 i. Tessa 4. Ephe. iiii Hebre. ix The summe of the Christen faith Gene. iii. Adams fayth CoÌ„forte helpe louing kindnes in the myddes of correction Gene. iii. CoÌ„forte pacieÌ„ce in Christ i. Pet. ii Adams fayth Hebre. xi Sacrifice was a token oâ— thankfulnesse Cain the father of wickednesse Abel the The difference of true false fayth â–ª The fyrst deâ—aâ—â— of the faith â–ª The reparacion of our fayth Gene. iiii â–ª Inuocaâ—e nomen domini quid sit The faith of Enoch Genesi v. the wrath of God vpon the wycked The renewynge of the promes concernynge christ The sacrifice of Noe. Gene. viii Ephesi v Math. iii. The commaundemeÌ„tes geuen vnto Noe. Thorowe Noe was the world replenshed The faith of the heitheÌ„ is ydolatry and worshyppynge of ymages â–ª Gene. xâ— â–ª Gene. xii AbrahaÌ„s fayth AbrahaÌ„s Christen workes The faith of the Jewes How olde the Christsten fayth is The faith of Isaac Jacob. Ge. xxviii Jacob sawe that christ onely is the waye to heauen The faith of Joseph The faith of Moses The Easter lambe The genynge of the lawe The fyrst table Mat. xxii The secoÌ„de table The lawe written in stone is no newe thyng The lawe written in stone was fylled afore ObiectioÌ„ Answere Gods Testament SaluatioÌ„ ObiectioÌ„ Answere why the lawe was geuen The lawe is the rule to lyue by The brasen serpeÌ„t Christe is the rock Question Answere One altar what it signified Note this well Why the ceremonies of the law were geuen The godly consideracion of fathers Question Answere Why god ordeyned such a loÌ„g seruice among the Jewes God rendreth oure weaknes Lawes iudiciall The fyrst boke Moses The secoÌ„de boke of Moses The third boke The fourthe oke The fifth boke The origenall scripture of our fayth The lawe written is no newe thynge Josue was a figure of Christ An heresy of the ana baptistes Rulers must punishe An errour Of kyng Dauid Act. xiii The holy Trynyte The faith of Dauid in Christe The spirituall kingdome of Christ Act. i. A battayll The birth of Christ The office of Christ â–ª Christes cause shal forth Christe shall destroye his enemies The passion of Christ The article of the holy Trinite Dauid was called Christes father The wayes of Dauid Kynge â—bia The departyng of Israe â–ª froÌ„ Juda. Kynge Jehu God alwaies sen deth hys prophetes The prophetes preached â—he olde â—ayth The lawe the prophetes alowe the righteousnes of god that commeth by fayth The godhead and manhode of Christ The righteous blossome John baptiste The office of Christ Christe is called Dauid The miracles of Christe The kingdome of Christ The deth of Christ The sacrifice of Christe â—acha iii. The buryall resurrection of Christ The asceÌ„sion The vocatioÌ„ of the Heithen The prophetes soughte saluacion in Christ A prophecye tolde vnto Daniell The nombre of the yeares Antiochê° God had euer some vertuous men â—achay Symeon All gods electe wer saued by Christ The olde testament is not to be refused Luk. xxiiii The new TestameÌ„t dec are â–ª h the olde Tidinges of Christes birth The grace of God Christ the onely saluacion of all the worlde Luce. iiâ— The dewry of vs. John baptist John i. John i. Mat. xi Math. iii. Math. iii â–ª The substauÌ„ce of true religion The speciall pointes of christes doctryne The pacient suffringe of Christ the frute of Christes death Water bloude The buriall of Christ The power of Christ saueth all christ hold nothinge back froÌ„ hys apostles The holy goost broughte no new doctryne Joh. xiiii Mar. xvi Act xiii â—â— xxviii The supper of the Lorde The frute of the sacramentes The Apostles dyd not ouer charge the people with ceremonies The Apostles wolde not offende the weake the decay of christes religion What in coÌ„uenieÌ„ce â–ª folowed The Pope Machomet stryâ—e agaynste Christe Let vs do as our olâ—est fathers haue done longe before vs. Philip. iii.
¶ The olde fayth an euident probacion out of the holy scripture that the christen fayth whiche is the right true old and vndoubted fayth hath endured sens the beginnyng of the worlde Herein hast thou also a short summe of the whole Byble and a probacion that al vertuous men haue pleased God and wer saued through the Christen fayth 1547. Myles Couerdale ¶ Myles Couerdale to all Christen readers wysheth grace mercy and peace from God the father thorowe our Lorde and onely sauior Jesus Christ LIke as the almightie eternall God thre in personnes and one in substaunce of his tendre mercye and loue not onely created man at the beginnyng after his owne symilytude and lykenesse but also whâ—n he was lost most graciously redemed him and brought him out of boâ—dage Euen so whan man neither regardyng his wonderfull creacion nor his moost deare redempcyon gropeth in darkenes in vyce and blyndnes lyeth in the deuyls prison and goeth in the waye of damnacion God alwaye setteth vp his light before him sendeth the message of his worde vnto him sheweth him what case he is in geueth hym warnyng openeth the prison doore calleth him out of the deuyls seruice telleth him what daunger it is to be his boÌ„dman or seruant vnto synne This doth God alway afore he punishe and plage the worlde This I saye hath bene the propertie of God sens the beginnyng as the storyes and prophecies of all the holy Byble do testifye And though we had no writyng of Gods actes in tymes paste yet hath he practised this same his wonderfull worke of mercye vpon vs. So that lyke as we must nedes confesse that we are created of God and redemed by his onely mercye in his deare sonne Jesus Christ So can we not denye but we haue hearde his holy message had no lesse preachynges warnynges of daungers to come then other haue had afore our dayes Yet euen the same mercyfull God that sente Noâ— to preache righteous vnto the wicked world and conuerted the Niniuites by his word in the ministraciou of the prophet Jonas hath done euen so with vs in euery condicion And some thankes be vnto him therfore hath he brought out of darkenes into his wonderfull light and out of the deuyls seruyce into the kyngdome of his deare sonne But alas and wo to this vnthankeful worlde For lyke as a great nombre that be in prison of Satan wyl not come furth when thei are called and the dore set open but go on styll stomblyng in darkenes whan the lanterne of light is offred them Euen so if any playe a wyse mans part do as he is warned by Goddes worde he shall haue a sorte of apyshe people a nombre of desertes and scornefull mockers whiche because the man wyll not daunce in the deuyls morys with them nor kepe theyr companye in the bondage of synne and vice neither runne with theÌ„ vnto like confusyon as S. Peter calleth it laugh him to scorne and bleare out theyr tonges at him euen lyke fooles and cockescombes of the worlde And lyke as whan a poore wretche commeth out of prison he shal haue mo to staÌ„de gasyng and gapyng vpon him then to do him good or to help him to his fees Euen so now that god of his mercy hath called vs out of Satans prison and froÌ„ the scole of false doctryne my Lordes foole with his companyoâ—s standeth staryng vpon vs and mocketh vs because we syt not styll with other prisoners There goeth a felowe of the new learnyng saieth one there is one of these newe fangled gospellers sayeth another that is one of the newe brethren sayth the third he foloweth the newe fayth c. Wherfore in consyderacion hereof I haue here set furth this booke partly because it sheweth the antiquitie and auncient age of oure holy Christen fayth and partly to geue occasion vnto all suche as haue receyued it not to be ashamed of it nor to shrynke froÌ„ it for any opprobrious mockage or scornefull derysyon in thys worlde The Apostle sayth that the preachyng or worde of Chrystes crosse is folishenes to them that perishe and that the thyng whiche appertayneth to the spirite of God is folyshenes to a carnally mynded man Wherby lyke as we may learne that it is no newe thing to be mocked and stared vpon for holdyng with the doctrine that maketh so muche of Christes death and the true worshippyng of God in the spirit Euen so may we se to the syngular comfort of our conscience that no manne mocketh vs for it but suche as perish and are earnally minded And that for all their derision and scornyng It is yet the power of god i. Corinthians i. And belongeth to his holy spirit .i. Corinthians .i. And is not oure owne doctrine neither of any other mans makyng This is nowe to vs a coÌ„fort and consolacion But because the worlde is angrye with vs for oure fayth and geueth vs so euyl reporte for teachyng it It shalbe expedient for vs to declare what fayth is and what fayth we meane when we make meÌ„cion therof Fyrst because we may not describe it after oure owne iudgement we wyll rehearse the wordes of the Apostle whiche writyng to the Hebrewes sayeth after this maner Fayth is a substance of thynges to be hoped for an euidence or certayntie of thynges whiche do not appeare By the whiche diffinicion it is manyfest that when we set furth or teache this fayth we meane no vayne fayth no false opinion of fayth no fonde ymaginacion of fayth no deade fayth â—o ydle fayth but a substancial thyng euen a sure belefe of thynges that are to be hoped for and a profe experience or knowledge oâ— thinges that are not sene This faith then is the iustrument wherby we fele and are certayne of heauenly thynges that oure corporall eye can not se Nowe because none other vertue can so apprehende the mercy of god nor certifye vs so effectually of oure saluacion as this liuyng fayth doeth therfore hath the scripture imputed oure iustification before God onely vnto fayth among all other vertues Not without other vertues folowyng but without any other worke or deede iustifiyng This is the fayth of Christ whiche all the scripture speaketh of This is the fayth that saint Paul preacheth to iustifye in the sight of God as sainct James teacheth that workes iustifye in the sight of menne and that it is but a dead fayth whiche hath no workes This is the fayth without the whiche it is impossile to please God and of the whiche whatsoeur proceadeth not is synne This is the fayth wherby God purifieth our heartes and whose ende is saluacion This is the fayth that worketh by charitie or godly loue and is of value before God This is the fayth wherby the holy fathers whiche were afore Christes inâ—â—rnacion dyd in spiriâ— eate and drynke and enioy the same mercy of God in Christ that we are
had in the first promes of God the fouÌ„dation and the whole summe of oure holy christen faith Namely that the whole generation of maÌ„ was but lost thorow hys owne fault and wickednesse and fallen into death damnacion so that there remayneth nothyng in man but it is displeasaunt to God Herof commeth it that ther is nothynge to be ascrybed vnto the power and deseruyng of maÌ„ saue synne and malediction But God of hys abundaunt mercy had compassion on vs and of very grace promysed he lyfe vnto vs agayne in hys sonne our lord Jesu whome he wolde to become man and to suffre death in hys fleshe that therby he might treade downe the deuell death synne and hell Item he wolde put enemyte betwene the womans sede and the serpeÌ„t That is he wolde endewe vs which are the sede that is to saye the chyldren of Adam yf we beleue with another hert and power that we mighte become enemyes vnto the deuels workes resiste his suggestion and holde our selues fast by the blessed sede labouryng and suffrynge what so euer God enioyneth vs to worke suffre Who is it now which seyth not here in all that is written in the hole scripture of beleue of loue and innocencye that is to saye of a Christen lyfe and fayth Who so is disposed let hym loke vpon the thirde fourth and seconde chapter of Paul to the Romaynes the first second to the Ephesians let hym compare those chapters towarde this summe he shall fynde it none otherwyse For asmoche then as Adam Eue had fayth in God and stode so towarde God that they knowledged theÌ„ selues to be synners trusted to be saued onely thorowe the blessed sede geuyng them selues ouer willingly in to the disciplyne nurtoure trauayll trouble of thys tyme No man can saye contrary but it foloweth that oure first elders were Christen Neuertheles we will declare the same yet more clerly by Moyses wordes folowynge And Adam called hys wyfe Heua because she shulde be the mother of all lyuyng For assoone as he was now streÌ„gthed thorow the promes of God and beleued that he and hys posterite whiche â—is were chyldreÌ„ of wrath of the deuel and of death shuld lyue thorow the blessed sede he turned his wyfes name and called her Heua for the remembraunce of the matter and practisyng of hys fayth for he beleued that she now lyuyge in the power of the blessed sede shuld bringe forth not onely quycke men temporally as pertaynynge to thys naturall lyfe lyke as we call other creatures lyuynge but lyuyng that is to saye chyldren of saluation For Adam had loste eternall lyfe from hym selfe and from vs hys posterite but the same is genen vnto vs agayn thorow Jesus Christ our Lord. Adam for asmuche as he beleued chaunged hys wyues name lyke as we fynde that for great weyghty causes the names of certayne places cytyes and men were chauÌ„ged Thus was Jacob called Israell Symon Peter Luthz Beâ—ell Eue had nowe a name of lyfe for Haâ—ah in Hebrue is as muche to saye as lyfe Afore was she called Ischa that is to saye Woman because she was taken fromout of the maÌ„ whych in the Hebrue is talled Ischa Gen. ii And thus is it manifest what faith AdaÌ„ had wherby we maye well suppose that Eue had none other faythe But god vsed hys mercy and louynge kyndnesse yet furthermore eueÌ„ in the myddes of all correction for whan he woulde nowe expell man oute of Paradyse in to misery he doth vnto hym in euery condycion euen as a faythfull father whych for some mysdede putteth hys sonne awaye from hym NotwythstaÌ„dyng leaueth hym not vtterly comfortles but prouideth him a garment comforteth hym wyth freÌ„dly wordes and then fyrste sendeth hym awaye from hym Euen thus doth God the father of heaueÌ„ also For fyrst he clotheth Adam and Eue agaynst the frost and tempest of wether in asmuche as by the meanes of synne the wether the erth the ayre and all creatures were nomore so subiecte tame and obedient vnto man as they were afore the fall Therfore euen now at thys presente tyme what soeuer inconuenience harme is in the good creatures of God it commeth by the meanes of oure synnes Afterwarde doth the Lorde comforte the myserable wretched man wyth verye louynge wordes after thys maner Beholde Adam is become lyke one of vs or lo Adam shalbe as one of vs and it shall happeÌ„ vnto hym as to one of vs and he shall know good and euyll Thys doth God speake whyche is one in substaunce and thre in personnes he Prophecytâ—he here vnto Adam that he shall knowe or haue experience of good and euyll That is to say that vpon erth he must fele prosperite and aduersite misery and trouble sower and swete and muste suffer necessite payne and afflyction Yet in all thys must he be constant pacient for asmuch as nothynge shall happen vnto hym saue euen the same that shall happen to one of theÌ„ And he meaneth the sonne our Lorde Jesu Christ the second personne in the holy Trinite With thys hys passyon thorow the same doth he comforte Adam As though he wolde saye let the payne sorow and trouble whych thou must suffer vpon erth not vexe the and considre that one of vs also shall take vpon him the kynde and nature of man and that the serpent as it is sayde afore shall treade hym on the hele that is to saye he shall dye he shalbe opprest and haue muche asslyction trouble all the dayes of hys lyfe In the same meanyng also dyd the holy Apostle Peter say Chryst suffred for our sakes and gaue vs an ensample that we shulde folowe hym and go in hys fotesteppes Out of all this is it easy to vnderstande what fayth and knowlege Adam had of our lord Christ Namely that he knew in hym very godheade and manhede and that he saw in fayth hys passioÌ„ and crosse afarre of Moreouer that the passion of Christ ones doâ—e for al breaketh the kingdome of the Deuell and bryngeth lyfe agayne to suche as faythfully beleue Secondly that it is to our lyuynge an ensample at the which we ought to lerne pacience in aduersite and dayly to dye from all euyll And here to now serue all doctrines of pacience of bearyng of the crosse of despisyng the worlde mortifienge or putting of the olde Adam which thyng is conteyned and wyth many godly wordes handled thorow out the prophetes and apostles As for Adam and Eue they lacked none of these thynges thoughe they had not the matter in wryttyng For God spake it all to them hym selfe and wrote it in theyr hartes Morouer our fyrste elders had no church rytes nor ceremonies saue onely the bodely offryng a representacion of the sacrificyng of Christe and exercises or tokens of thankfulnesse For how shulde Cain Abel els haue knowne any thyng of sacrifice yf they had not
receaued the same at the custome of their father Who wyth hys wyfe Eua the mother of vs all was saued by none other worke or merite of maÌ„ but onely thorow and in the blessed sede of oure Lorde Jesu Christe ¶ That the holye Patriarkes also were Chrysten â–ª and saued by Chryste SUche faith in christ Jesu as we now haue spoken of dyd the holy father Adam no doute teache hys chyldreÌ„ that they also myghte plante in to theyr chyldren the promes of god his mercy and deuyce concernynge the Messias or Sauioure that was for to come And truly Abell had suche a notable fayth in god that the holy Apostle Paul wrote of hym after thys maner Thorowe faythe dyd Abell offre a greater sacrifice theÌ„ dyd Cain therby opteyned he wytnesse that he was ryghteous For god bare recorde to hys gyftes In asmuche then as it can not be denyed but that all they whych are iust ryghteous he made ryghteous thorow the blessed sede And Abell was iustifyed It foloweth that he was made ryghteous thorow fayth in Jesus Chryste In that he dyd sacrifice it is a token frute of a hart that was thankfull and feared God It was no suche interpryse that he wolde clense and make hym selfe accepte vnto God thorow that outward sacrifice For certayne it is that no outward oblacion purifieth man wythin But the grace of god graunted vnto vs thorowe Jesus Christ purifieth vs a right And the out warde sacrifices of the olde fathers besyde that they were tokens of thankfulnesse prayse and magnifyenge of God as it is sayde afore were figures of the onely perpetuall sacrifice of our sauiour Christe And in this behalfe they were eueÌ„ asmoche as sacramentes of thinges to come Thus also and in lyke vnderstondynge haue oure first fathers done sacrifice as hereafter it shall folow more largely Nowe lyke as in Abel there is set forth vnto vs an ensample of Gods sede of a regenerate true faithfull Christen man So is Cain a sede of the serpent a chylde of the deuell which despysed the inspiracion of God and harkened to the disceatfull serpent And in these two brethren we maye se what God meaned whaÌ„ he sayd I wyll put enemyte betwene the sede of the woman and thy sede As though he wolde saye There shalbe two maner of people the one shall cleue vnto Christ the blessed sede the other shall cleue vnto the deuell And these two generacioÌ„s shall in no wyse a gree but be at variavnce in fayth and religion I will endew my sede that they shall cleue onely vnto me feare me honour and worshippe me seke all saluacion in me thorow the blessed sede lyue vertuousâ—y honestly soberly Then shal the serpent tempte their â—ede with ypocâ—ysye not to loue me ner serue me right not to holde of me as they shulde not to trust in me but to loue the worde to folowe the lustes and tentacions therof All thys fynde we here in these two brethren in whome begynneth the firste difference of true and false beleuers For Abel was simple godly and of a constant faith in God And in asmoche as he toke God for his refuge he broughte hym giftes of hys bâ—ste substaunce no doubte because he had first geuen ouer hys soule and all hys power vnto God at whome alone he soughte all good without any ypocrisye He was also innocent â–ª veriuous and frendly and folowed not hys owne tentacions And for thys faithes sake dyd hys sacrifice please God but Caines pleased hym not for hys hert was not right with God he was a dissembler gredye vnfaithfull personne which set hys hert and mynde vpon erthlye thynges allwaye despysinge Gods worde and folowyng his owne tentacion Whiche thynge was euydeÌ„t in thys that he hauynge no cause onely of a wilfull hert and thorow the tentacion of the serpent murthured his own brother Wherby he hath opteyned to be the arâ—hfather of all murthurers whiche persecute and murthur the sede of god that is to saye the true beleuers onely for their faithes sake â–ª Thus became abel the firste martyr and instrumente of god and yf Christ in the holy church For these two brethren haue set forth before vs the wole battayl stryfe which the worlde the cytye of the deuelâ— the chyldren cytesyns of the cursâ—d cytye wherin the serpent is heade and master and hath the dominion shal make agaynst the cytie and cytesyns in whome Christe is the heade vnto the ende of the worlde The fre men of the cytie of God and of Christe do â—leue onely vnto God serue hym with all theyr hart buylde only vpon Christe The cytesyns of the serpent despyse god yet make they theyr boaste of God to whome also they offer and do seruice but not as they ought to do Now whaÌ„ they perceyue that theyr fayth is not ryghte and that theyr ypocrysie is spyed and myslyked then fall they to murthurynge to the whych god is an enemy and forbyddeth it wyth hys worde For Cain also exhorted he from hys purpose sayd Thou nedeste not to arme the because of thy brother for thou haste none occasyon to be angry wyth hym For yf thou doeste ryght thou shalte fynde it and haue ioye therof but yf thou doest not ryght then is thy mysfortune synne and trespace opon and thou shalte shame destroye thy selfe Thy brother goeth on wythout faulte he shall do the no hurt nor harme he shall also not be Lorde ouer the nor myny she thy â—yght Yea he shall haue respecte vnto the and thou shalt haue dominion ouer hym and so kepe thy byrth right styll remayn the fyrste borne although hys sacrifice be acceptable vnto me and not thyne Ceasse therfore from thy wicked purpose and offende not agaynst thy brother But Cain dyd as al vngodly do For he went forth and sâ—ue hys innocent brother And afterwarde whan the Lorde wolde haue brought hym in to the knowlege of hys great synne and pardon hym he despised the voyce of the Lord with crakyng and facynge For the which cause the lord was wrothe with hym and cursed hym Then dispayred he first and went forth became yet more wicked dealt altogether vngodly set first his mynde vpon earthly thynges thought to exalte hys name vpon erth and buylded the fyrst cytye whiche he called Hanoch he begat sonnes daughters but litle feare of God was before their eyes in so moche that the scripture sayeth Adam layâ— with his wyfe agaâ—â—e and she bare a sonne whome she called Seth. For God sayde she hath geuen me another sede for Abel whome Cain â—lew Seth also had a sonne and he called hym Ends. And than beganne men to call vpon the name of the Lord Out of the whiche wordes it is easie to vnderstonde that as touchynge holy Adam he helde no more of Cain then as thoughe he neuer hadde chylde For Adam feared God Cain with hys progenye
despysed God and became the serpentes generacion Wherfore whan Adam had gotten another sonne he was of a good hope that in Abels steade God had geuen hym another sonne whiche shulde do right and of whome the roâ—e of the blessed sede shulde sprede oute afterwarde For the which cause also he called hym Seth which by vs is called a plâ—â—â—â— meanynge that God had set hym plaÌ„ted hym as a braunche out of the which Messias shulde be borne For â—s for Cain he douted of hym And from the same Seth â–ª proceadeth the generation of the ryghteous vntyll Noe and from hym to AbrahaÌ„ and so vnto Dauid and from theÌ„ce forth vnto Christ This Seth repayred our holy fayth â–ª which receyued great hurt at the death of Abell Thys dyd Seth I say for asmuche as he beynge taught inwardlye of god by mouth or outwardly of Adam lerned hys chyldren and theyr sede to put theyr truste in God and comforte them selues in the blessed sede and to cleaue vnto the same For it is wryten manifestly And than beganne men to call vppon the â—ame of the Lorde Tyll thys tyme was Adam wyth Heue hys wyfe onely a true frende and seruer to god The generation of Cain was now well spred abrode and come to two hundreth and fyftye yeares aboue but the more parte lyued wythoute the feare of God vnrepentaunt and vngodly Wherfore in asmuche as the generation of Seth now increased the feare of God and right beleue was among theÌ„ the scripture sayeth well And than beganne men to call vpon the name of the lorde And by thys callynge vppon dothe the Scripture meane the true ryghte beleue and Gods seruice that he mooste aloweth Of the progenie therefore of ryghteous Seth sprange the seruauntes of god and presidentes of our Chrysten fayth As for the cursed generation of Cain and of the vngodly it was destroyed and drowned wyth the floude To the holy genealogie of the true beleuers pertayneth the Patriarke Enoch of whome it is wrytten that he walked before god that is he ordred hys lyfe and conuersation altogyther after the wyll of God beynge constante and vpryghte no doute in all that whych God hadde spoken vnto Adam Therfore became he also an ensample of the immortalite of the soule and resurrection of the bodye and that all goddes seruauntes shalbe saued after thys lyfe For thus sayeth the scripture And in asmuche as he aplyed hym selfe to walke after god god toke hym away and he was nomore sene The holye Apostle Paule also in the xi chapter to the Hebrees speakethe very excellently of Enochs fayth so that no man may doute but that he had respecte to the blessed sede pleased god thorow Christ Moreouer the enemyte betwene the children of god and of man that is the yssue of the serpent grew euer more and more so that on the one syde the multitude of god increased on the other syde the multitude of the deuyll Jet at the last the multitude of the wycked was greatest â–ª For whan the chyldren of god wyth helde not them selues from the chyldren of the worlde â–ª but toke wyues and husbandes amonge them they begat roughe people which had no fayth at all and lyued only after theyr owne luste and tentatioÌ„ forgat God vtterly and regarded not the hundreth twentye yeares which God gaue them to amende Therfore was God constrayned so to punishe the vnfaithfull worlde ones that all posterities vnto the ende of the worlde myght haue a terrible ensaple of the iust wrath of God whereby they myght lerne how vngodlynesse vnrighteousnesse displeaseth God Thus the Lorde brought the floude vpon all the erth oaerthrew all that stode vp and destroyed euery thynge that had lyfe whan the worlde had stonde now a thousande sire hundreth and sixe and fyftye yeare For so many yeares fynde we in the fiâ—th and seuenth of Genesis where it is written that Noe was â–ª 600. yeare olde whan the floude came vpon erth Now yf we reken the yeares of the olde fathers in the fifth chapter vntyll Adam we shal fynde the forsayde summe And thus the yssne of the serpent had an ende and all vngodly and vn righteous lyuynge was myghtely supprest and destroyed of God And in thys horrible destruction of the vngodly was faithfull Noe saued he beynge the eight and preserwed in the Arke thorow the grace and mercy of God Here oure holy true ChristeÌ„ faith had the victory and triumphed For Noe was of oure fayth euen of the sede of God put hys trust in the blessed sede oure Lorde Jesus Yee the Arke or shyppe of Noe was a figure of Christ as we maye easely vnderstande by the wordes of saynt Peter i. Petri. iii. Seynge then that Noe was preserued thorowe the Arke it foloweth that he was saued by Jesus Christe therfore is it manifeste that he fyrste beleued in Christ Noe also was he with whome God first renued the couenauÌ„t made with Adam For it is but â—one couenaunt onely euen the foresayde promesse ende made by God vnto Adam Howe beit the same couenaunte was afterwarde at certayne tymes renewed by reason of certayne occasions Here myght Noe haue thoughte that all the worlde and all men shuld vtterley haue bene vndone for as moche as the Lorde sayde I am determyned to destroye all flesh Therfore immediatly he addeth moreouer and sayeth But with the will I set vp my couenaunt that is to saye what soeuer pertayneth to my couenaunt and what I haue promysed AdaÌ„ already the same wyll I surely and constantly make good and thoughe I nowe destroye the worlde yet wyll I perfourme my trueth thorow the. For I wyll preserue the alyue that the blessed sede promysed afore maye here after be borne of the in hys generation To thys dyd Noe trust was preserued of God thorow Christ Moreouer whan he was come out of the Arke he dyd sacryfice and therby declared the thankfulnesse of hys hert and beleue how that he knew that he had all good of hod which shuld also geue him a sede that with sacrificinge of him self shuld recoÌ„cyle pacifie god For thus saieth the scripture Noe buylded an altare vnto the Lorde and toke of all maner of cleane beastes foules and offred brent sacrifice vnto the Lorde and the Lorde smelled the swete sauouâ—e and sayde in hys herte I wyll nomore curse the erth for mans sake c. So sayeth Paul â—n the fifth to the Ephesians Walke ye in loue lyke as Christe hath loued vs and gaue hym selfe for vs an of frynge and sacrifice of a swete sauour vnto God Wherby euery man maye lerne and se that the swete smel of the outward sacrifice of Noe dyd not chefely pacifye God and was pleasaunt but rather that thorow the bodely sacrifice was figured the sacrifice of Christ and for hys sake was he mercifull vnto the worlde For ouer Christ he sayd at
afterward all the people of God receaued the name Israel had many vysions of the Lorde Christ as with the ladder that stode vpon the erth the toppe reachynge to heaueÌ„ on the which the angels of god wente vp and downe For herewith was represented vnto hym the Lord Jesus whiche is the waye vnto heaueÌ„ the trueth and lyfe without whome no man commeth vnto the father Upon the vision of Jacob sayeth he also hym selfe Joh. i. Uerely Isaye vnto you heÌ„ce forth shall ye se the heauen open and the aungels of god goynge vp and downe vpon the sonne of man And so constant was Jacob in remembryng the same that afterward at the commaundement of the Lorde he set vp in the same place an altare no dout as it is sayde afore for a figure of the crosse and sacrifice of Christ and there honoured he and worshipped the Lorde he commaunded all hys people also that they shulde forsake straunge goddes and geue him the ydols that they had brought with them out of Mesopotamia he buryed them vnder an Oke that stode besyde Sichem Gene. xxxv And whan he wolde now dye he prophecied very clearly of the lord Christe how he shulde be borne out of the kynred of Juda and that he shuld be born the same tyme that the kyngdome shulde be taken from Juda. Whiche thyng also came to pas in Herodes tyme. For in the xxxii yeare of the raygne of Herode was Christe borne at BethleeÌ„ in Jewry Wher of the wordes of Jacob are these The sceptre shall not be taken awaye from Juda ner a ruler from hys fete tyll Schilo come that is to saye the sauioure and he in whome all nations shalbe blessed and the people shall fall vnto hym This sted fast fayth of Jacob dyd Joseph folow also which mortified hys owne flesh declared patience in aduersite preson and exercysed great iustice and equyte in hys gouernaunce He was a figure of oure Lord Jesus Christe who also beynge folde of hys owne vnto the Heythen preserued hys brethren alyue So that from the begynnyng of the worlde vntyll the death of Joseph the righte Christen fayth endured 2300. yea res And thus all holy patriarkes before the lawe were saued not thorowe the lawe ner by their owne strength and deseruynge but â–ª thorowe the blessed sede oure Lorde Jesus Christ The lawe of Moses ¶ The lawe of God geuen by Moses leadeth vnto Christ and maketh mention of all hys doynges THe Israelites after the death of Joseph vntyll their departyng delyuerannce out of Egipte were in the lande .c. xl yeares And lyke as afore in the tyme of Noe the dwellynge among the wicked became occasion of fallynge vn to the righteous Euen so now dyd the Israelites lerne ydolatrye and all vnhappynesse of the Egiptians For the whiche cause also they were sore opprest a longe season howbeit there remayned yet many excellent men whiche kepte styll the olde faith and hated the abhominations of the Egiptians For of Moses which was born .c. vi yeare after the death of Joseph saâ—â—th Paul Moses thorow saith whan he grâ—w vp and was great refused to be called the sonne of Pharaos daughter and chose rather to suffre aduersite with the people of God then to enâ—oye the pleasures of synne for a season and estemed the rebuke of Criste greater ryches then the treasures of Egypte for he had respecte to the rewarde Hebre xi Now can no man desyre to suffre with Christe except he haue know lege of Christes sufferynge Therfore Moses in the myddes of all persecution had know lege of Christe the fayth in Christe So is there no doute but moo vertuous people had thys true fayth whiche were all oppressed and vexed in Egypte lyke as afterwarde the right faithfwll beleuers were somwhat more persecuted as amoÌ„g the Heythen in the tymeof the Judges and kynges of Juda and Israel vnder kynge Antiochus vnder the Emperous Nero Traianus Domitianus Maximianê° Julianus and other As for the vnbeleuers they in suche myserable tymeys receaued the reward of theyr vnthankfulnesse disobedience ydolatrie and blasphemye But whan the appoynted tyme came whych god had forsene and opened vnto Abraham Gene. xv he brought the people of Israell by Moses out of Egypt wyth and thorowe great wonders and tokens By the whych he fyrst declared hys power then hys louyng kyndnesse and mercy towarde hys owne and hys terrible iustice and vengeaunce agaynste hys enemyes Wherby all the worlde myghte knowe that there was none other iust true god saue the God of Israell in whose hande onely consiste all thynges whyche also of hys mere mercy preserueth hys owne and wyth ryght indgement rewardeth hys enemyes Specially thys is mooste wonderfull that in thys great busynesse worke he hath so myghtely set forth the redemption perfourmed by oure Lorde Jesus Chryste yea and expressed it to be a very myghty redemption For the same nyght whan they shulde departe awaye and be dyspatched in the mornyng the Lord commaunded them to kyll a lambe and wyth the bloud therof to sprinkle the dores and postes of the house So whan the aungell that in the same night slew the fyrst borne of the Egyptians sawe the bloude he shuld do no harme and sley no man therin Exo xii Now te stifyeth Paul .i. Cor. v that Christ Jesus is our Ester lambe and passeouer â–ª So sayeth S. JohaÌ„ Beholde the lambe of God whyche taketh awaye the synne of the worlde Therefore were not the Israelytes spared because of the bloud of beastes but for the bloudes sake of the blessed sede that was promysed for to come And thus the whole delyuerauÌ„ce out of Egypt was a figure of the true redemption by the whych we are delyuered from the power of the deuell from euerlastynge death thorow Jesus Christe and brought into the lande of promes euen to eternall ioye and saluation whyche God promysed vnto our fathers AdaÌ„ Noe Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Now whan the Lorde had caried hys people out of Egipt and brought theÌ„ thorow the reed see drye shode and had drowned Pharao wyth all hys people he commaunded hys folke to prepare and clense theÌ„ selues at mouÌ„t Sina For he wold binde hymselfe vnto them receaue them as hys owne people and gaue them hys law and ordynauÌ„ce Which thing he also dyd and appoynted hys law himselfe spake it wyth hys owne mouth and wrote it with hys owne fyngers in two tables of stone In the one fyrst table he ordeyned foure commaundementes concernynge the wor shippe and loue of God Namely that we shulde take hym onely for the true right God and none els besyde or excepte hym That we shuld worship and honoure hym onely and in no wyse to haue anye other God coÌ„forte nor hope Item that we shuld in no wyse make any ymage or picture of any thinges and nether to worshippe them nor serue them Morouer that we shulde not take the
the worlde begynnynge of all nacions and of the Patriarkes and olde ryghteous seruauÌ„tes of god of theyr faith and conuersacion of the promises workes â—e god The same wrote he as he was inspired of the holy goost and as he had receaued of olde fathers and somwhat as he founde in the bokes of the Egipcians For Moses was excellently well lerned in all wysdome of the Egipcians as Steuen doth wytnesse of hym Act. vii The other thre bokes wrote he of hys owne tyme accordynge as he hym selfe was present sawe and knewe And specially the seconde koke concernynge the departynge out of Egipt how the people of god were oppressed in Egipte howe the Egypcians were punyshed how Israell was delyuered receaued the lawe and set vp a tabernacle wyth a gorgious seruynge of God In the thyrde boke whych is called Leuiticus are wrytten the spirituall lawes namely suche as concerneth the preestes and the presthode theyr office lyuynge knowlege sacrifices solempne feaste dayes rytes ceremonies and suche lyke In the fourth whyche is called Numeri he wryteth at length how they went thorow the wyldernesse and came to Jordane wyth a rehearsal of theyr ordre and nombre of theyr murmurynge also and punyshment and of certayne victories wyth a remembraunce of certayne lawes and statutes Besyde all thys he made yet an Enchiridion and summe of all the Actes of hys tyme and of the lawe of God whyche is called Deuteronomium the same coÌ„maunded he to be layd in the Arke at the moc oÌ„ of God and that it shulde be red vnto all the people as it is mencioned Deut. xxxi And in these fyue bokes geuen vs of God by Moses is the whole grounde of oure holy faythe For all the Prophetes afterwarde grounded them selues vpon the same and wrote therout lyke as afterwarde our Lorde Jesus and the Apostles poynte vnto Moses Nether dyd euer any ryghte wyse man of vnderstandyng and that feared God doute any thynge or blaspheme suche scriptures And from suche true seruauntes of God haue we hytherto receaued our matters in wrytinge Thus much haue I sayd concernynge the lawe howe it is no newe thynge but euen the onely wyll of god but now compre hended in wryrtynge Moreouer that all the law poynteth vnto Christ and that all men of ryght vnderstandynge whyche lyued vnder the law were Christen For manifest is it that Paull sayde Roma x. Christ is the ende of the lawe to iustifie euery one that beleueth And Galathia iii. Or euer faith that is to saye Christ came we were kepte and shut vp vnder the law vnto the fayth whyche shulde afterwarde be declared Thus was the law our scolemaster vnto Christ that we might be made ryghteous by faith All thys I suppose wyll be new and starunge in many hertes neuertheles I truste that all they whyche haue vnderstandyng do se and knowlege that thys is the true olde ryght and godly Dyuinite and Theologye whyche ascrybeth all honoure vnto god the father thorow oure Lorde Jesu Christe in the holye goost To whome be glory and prayse for euer Amen ¶ All vertuous kynges and the people of Israell trusted vnto Christ and not to the lawe AFter that the law was geuen and the gods seruice set vp Moses the seruaunt of God dyed beynge an hundreth and twentye yeare olde and at the commaundement and commission of God he lefte gods people to be ruled and gyded by the faythfull valâ—auntâ— Josue whyche also was a figure of oure Lorde Jesu For lyke as it was not Moses but Josue that brought the people in to the lande of promes Euen so are we brought in to the eternall reste not by the workes of the lawe nor thorow our own deseruing but by the grace thorow Jesus Christ lyke as it is also wyth many wordes expressed of holy Paul Heb iiii This Josue no doute dyd kepe maynteine and defende gods fayth and religion with the sprete and vnderstandynge thereof and taught other to keye the same â–ª lyke as he thoroâ—e gods inspiration receaued it of the fathers by Moses Whyche thynge thoughe it be euydent in many poyntes yet is it manyfeste specially by thys that he wolde not suffre the chyldren of Rubâ—n and Gâ—d and the halfe tribe of Manâ—sse to set vp and haue another auture beside the onely autare that the lord had appointed them For here in as it is mencioned afore was figured the vertue and perfectnesse of the onely crosse death and sacrificyng of Jesu Christe Therefore wolde not Josue that any thynge shulde be set check mate wyth the cross and oblacion of Jesu Christ but that all honour of cleÌ„synge and forgeuenesse of synnes shulde be ascribed onely vnto hym Where as Josue now and other iudges rulers princes and kynges of Israell after hym vsed sore great warre stroke many horrible battayles destroyed muche lande and people and shed mens bloude without measure he dyd it as a chefe head and as an instrument and vessell of God at the commaundemente of God whyche wolde so punyshe the ydolatrye the great synne blasphemy of the vngodly whych he had longe suffred and exhorted them to amendement but for all hys pacient abydynge they woulde not conuerte Those now dyd he rote out thorowe the swerde of hys beloued frâ—ndes somtyme delyuered he hys people wyth the swerde of the ryghteous and saued them from the haÌ„de of theyr enemyes For because of the synnes of hys people he gaue them ouer somtyme in to the hande of theyr enemies to nurtoure and correcte them wyth the rod then fell the people of God â—â—ede before theyr enemies and were subdued and opprest of the vngodly tyll they knowledged their synnes called vpon god and amended puttynge their truste in good onely thorowe the blessed sede worshyppynge hym onely callynge vpon hym and honourynge hym accordynge to hys worde castynge a waye straunge god seruyce and ydols that shamefull blasphemous and vn godly lyuynge Then sente he them hys helpe and delyuered them in hys power by the ministration of hys appoynted captaynes And soche warrynge delyuerynge and punyshinge was no fleshly vnfaithfull worke whome no man oughte to folowe as some beynge wrapped with the vnstedfast sprete of the Manichees and Ana baptistes do meane For Paul expresseth clearly And what shall I saye of Gedeon Barach Samson and Jephthae Dauid and Samuel and the Prophetes whiche thorow faith subdued kyngdomes wrought righteousnesse opteyned the promyses stopped the mouthes of Lyons quenched the violence of fyre escaped the edge of the swerde of weake were made stronge became valeaunt in batayll turned to flyght the armyes of the aleauntes Hebre. xi All which workes the holy Apostle prayseth and commendeth as excellent workes of faith Therfore are they no workes of the flesh nâ—ther is it now contrary to the holy faith yf Christen rulers delyuer their innocent people whome God hath subdued vnto them from wrongfull violence and defende their libertye
describeth he also in the foresayde verse the pure and holy Conception and byrth of our Lord Jesu Chryst And thys doth he wyth a goodly similitude sayeth Thy byrth shalbe holy and very excellent not vncleane as the byrthe of other men For lyke as the dew out of the cleare heauen out of the fayre mornynge is borne as it wereout of a mothers wombe EueÌ„ so also shalt thou be borne holy and cleane of an vndefyled virgin Wherof thou findest more instruction Luke i. The Lorde hath swome and it shall not repeÌ„t him thou art prest for euer after the ordre of Melchisedech In thys fourth verse descrâ—beth he the office of Jesu Christ how that he is ordeyned of God to be one onely preist for euer whych shuld offer vp hym selfe for the synne of the world and alway appeare in the syght of God the father and to praye for vs. All thys doth holy Paull declare at large to the Hebreues in the .v. vii viii ix and. x chap. And specially in thys verse is grounded all that is red thorowe out the scripture of the merites of Christ of the forgeuyng of sinnes of righteous making of beynge mediatoure and that he alone is the onely saluation aduocate satisfaction and ryghteousnesse of the faythfull The Lorde is at thy ryght hand he in the tyme of hys wrath shall wounde euen kynges Thys fyfth verse teacheth howe God wyll ener more and more stand on hys soÌ„nes syde further hys cause and brynge downe and destroye those kynges princes and Lordes that wyl not amende and beleue in Christ but wyll rather prouoke his wrathe then â—elyre hys grace Whyche thynge Herodes Nero Domicianus Maximinus and Julianus haue proued Yet foloweth the syxte verse declarynge the fyfth He shall iudge amonge the Heythen and fyll all full of deed bodyes and smyte the heade on the wyde grounde Christ is also preached vnto the HeitheÌ„ and reigneth among theÌ„ but many wythstande Chryste and them dothe he iudge And lyke as a kynge ouercommeth hys enemyes wyth a battayle and couereth the whole playne wyth deed bodyes visiteth also and smyteth the head of the warre the head cycie of the enemies EueÌ„ so doth Christ to his enemies and destroieth their power and kyngdome All whych thynges we haue sene in the olde vnchristeÌ„ empyre of Rome and in many other potentates and powers But specially he breaketh the head of the olde serpent accordyng to the promes Gene. iii. And at the laste shall he come to iudge the quycke and deed and destroye hys enemyes for euer Out of the broke in the way shall he drynke therfore shall he also lyfte vp the heade Fynally and in the seuenth verse he describeth the passion of Christ and his glory In the waye sayeth he that is in hys lyfe whyle he is in thys miserie He shall drynke oute of the broke that is he shall suffer be ouercome For to drynke out of the cuppe is asmuche as to suffer But to drynke oute of the broke is to be altogether full of trouble to be vexed and â—ormeÌ„ted wythoute victory and vtterly to be ouerwhelmed wyth a broke strong streame of troubles Thus was it hys mynde to declare the passion of Christ After the passioÌ„ foloweth the glory wyth the resurrection and ascensioÌ„ Paul Philip. ii speaketh of both and sayeth Chryste humbled hymselfe and became obedieÌ„t vnto death euen the deathe of the Crosse Wherfore God hath exalted hym and geuen hym a name whyche is aboue all names c. Thus muche be spoben of thys Psalme and of Dauids vnderstandyng â—hych he had of Christ Jesu and of the christeÌ„ faith Upon thys I maruayll yf after so euidente testimonies there be yet any man whych perceaueth not that Dauids faith and vnderstandyng of Christe was euen one fayth and vnderstandynge wyth the fayth that we knowlege and say I beleue in one God father alymightye c As it is in the xii articles of the Chrysten faythe For the holy trinite in one godheade doth he knowlege not onely here but also in the .xxxiii. Psalme sayenge Thorowe the worde of God were the heaueÌ„s made and all theyr power thorow the sprete of hys mouth For certayne it is that there is but one onely God maker of heauen and of erth but here is the trinite called Lord or God worde and sprete Nether is there any thynge in the Articles of the beleue concernynge the Godhead and manhode of Christ of hys concepcion byrth passioÌ„ crosse and death of the resurrection asceÌ„sion and iudgement but ti is clearly comprehended here in thys Psalme The articles of the holy churche of forgeuynge of sinnes the resurrectioÌ„ of the fleshe and an euerlastynge lyfe are conteyned in thys Psalme and are treated vpon yet more clearly and wyth many moo wordes very substantially in other Psalmes of Dauid Therfore had he our holy fayth knowleged the same was saued therein and of all holy meÌ„ was called the father of christ wyth hye commendation bycause of the promes that was made vnto hym Moreouer all the holy Prophetes folowynge had respecte vnto Dauid as to another Moses and toke many thinges out of his wryttynges For there is scace any other that so clearly wrote of the cause of christ as thys prophet Dauid and therfore hath he honoure and prayse aboue other in Israel Of whome thou readest also â–ª Eccle. xlvii Such fayth and confidence in God thorow Jesus Christ had Dauid oute of the holy goost and out of the doctrine of hys Prophetes Samuel Nathan Gad and of other hys preistes whych also had the same of God and of the holy fathers specially of Moses And no doute he desired the honoure of God and of hys soÌ„ne not to kepe it onelye hym selfe but also muche rather to requyre it of all hys people Wherfore no doute he set vp and furthured thys hys fayth and religion amoÌ„g all hys men of warre kynstolke in al hys courte Edominion before the whole congregation and in all hys kyngdome soâ— diligently ernestly and feruently that afterwarde certayne hundreth yeares they whych beleued ryghte lyued well were praysed for walkyug in the wayes of Dauid theyr father They also that dyd euell and set not forth the true fayth of them is it wryten They walked not in the wayes of Dauid theyr father Of thys hast thou many ensamples in the bokes of the kynges and in the Cronicles Many thynges also were forgeuen the kynges and all the people of Juda for Dauids sake that is for the promes sake mode vnto Dauyd euen for Jesus Christes sake whom Ezechiel calleth Dauid In the. iii boke of the kynges the xv chapter it is wrytteÌ„ thus The hert of Abia was not ryght toward hys Lord God as was the hart of Dauid hys father And for Dauyds sake dyd the Lorde geue hym a lyghte at Hierusalem so that at HierusaleÌ„ he set vp hys sonne and
one summâ— whych fayth Adam Noe AbrahaÌ„ Mosâ—s and Dauid had And thys dyd they the more euideÌ„tly because they applyâ—d theÌ„ selues to opeÌ„ the lawe and to dryue awaye the mysvnderstandynge whyche was rysen vp among and in the people therfore poynte they euery where froÌ„ the letter vnto the sprete froÌ„ y â— outward sacrifice vnto christ Jesus from all ydolaâ—rye vnto the onely God whyche saueth vs thorow hys mercy only in the blessed sede horowe none of oure deseruinges This dyd Paul se therfore sayde he Roma iii. Thorowe the workes of the law shall no man be iustified in the syght of god For thorow the law coÌ„meth the knowlege of synne But nowe is the ryghteousâ—es of God declared wythoute the lawe for as muche as it is alowed by the â—estimoâ—y of the law the Prophetes The ryghteousnes of God coÌ„meth by the fayâ—h of Jesus Christ vnto al and vpoÌ„ al theÌ„ that beleue So sayeth Peter also in thâ— â–ª â—â— â–ª of the Actes All the prophetes from Samuell thence forth as many as haue spoken haue tolde of thâ—se dayes And in the. â— â–ª chapter â—â—oâ—hys Jesus Christ geue all the prophetes wiâ—nes that whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall thorowe hys name recyeue forgâ—uenâ—sse of synnes Who so now is lerned in the wrytynges of the Prophetes knoweth well that there is nothyng red concernyng the Lord in the new Testament whych the prophetes haue not prophecyed of afore He that is then any thynge iustructe in the Prophetes hathe no doute consydred thys in the new testameÌ„t that the apostles proue all theyr doctrine of the Lorde Jesu out of the lawe and the Prophetes Yea that the Lord hym selfe confyrmeth hys owne doynges wyth the scriptures of the prophetes and that the EuaÌ„gelistes thorow out the holy gospell set vnto the doctrine and miracles of Christ these wordes And this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken dy the prophetes Neuertheles for theyr sakes that are not yet instructe I wyll nowe declare the principall articles of our Lord Jesu Christ out of the holy prophetes As touchyng the true godheade manhode of oure Lorde Jesu Christ and that he shulde be borne at BethleeÌ„ in the lande of Jewrye of a pure virgin and maide out of the kynred of Dauid the Prophetes testifie after thys maner Esaye in the. vâ—i Chapter â—ayeth Beholde a virgin shall conceaue and beare a sonne and shall call hys name Emanuell that is to saye God wyth vs. Micheas saieth in the .v. chapter Though thou Bethleem Ephrata arte to small to be rekened amonge the pryncypall cyties of Juda yet oute of the shall there come one vnto me whych shalbe ruler in Israell whose forth goyng is from euerlastynge In the nynth Chapter of Esaye it is wrytten Unto vs is a chylde borne and to vs is geuen a sonne vppon whose shulders the kyngdome shall lye and he shalbe called after hys own name euen the wondefull counsaill geuer the myghty one of Israel the eternall father the Prince of peace hys kyngdome shall increace and of hys peace there shalbe no ende and he shall reigne vppon the seate of Dauid hys father In the. xxiii of Hieremy it is wrytten thus Beholde the tyme commeth sayth the Lorde that I wyl tayâ—e vp the ryghteous blossome of Dauid he shall be kyng and reygne and prospere iudgemente and ryghteousnesse shall he eâ—â—cute vpon earth In thys tyme shall Juda be saued and Israell shall dwell wythoute feare thys is the name wherwythe he shall be named euen God oure ryghteousnes Concernynge the commynge of John the baptist wâ—ych was the fore runner of oure Lorde Christ and prepared the people for hym Hath Malachy wrytteÌ„ in the thyrde chapter after thys maner Beholde I wyll sende my messaunger whych shall prepare the waye before me and the Lord whome ye longe for shall shortly come to hys temple and the messaunger of the couenaunt whome yâ— wolde haue Beholde he commeth sayeth the Lord zebaoth And after warde Beholde I wyll sende Helias the Prophete afore the commynge of the greate and fearefull Daye of the Lorde Of Christes preachynge of the grace of God of the forgeuing of synnes of the wonders also and tokens of the Lorde speaketh Esaye in the. lâ—i Chapter after thys maner The spirite of the Lorde god is vpon me and therfore hath the Lorde anoynted me to preache the Gospel to the meke harted hath he sente me to heale the broken harted to preache delyueraunce to the captyue to open the pryson to suche as are in bondes to proclame the yeare of Gods gracyous wyll and to brynge consolation to all them that are in heuynes In the .xxxiiii. chapter of Ezechiell it is wrytten thus Ouer my shepe wyll I rayse vp one onely shepherde whych shall fede theÌ„ eveÌ„ Dauid my seruaunt whych shall fede them and he shalbe theyr shepherde I the Lorde also wyll be theyr God and Dauid shalbe theyr prince euen I the Lorde haue spoken it In the .xxxv. Cha. of Esaye it is wrytten thus Saye vnto them that are of a feble hart Be stronge and feare not beholde oure god commeth to take vengeauÌ„ce reward God coÌ„meth hym selfe wyll delyuer you Then shall the eyes of the blynde be opened c. Then shall the lame man leape as an hert and the tonge of the Domne shall geue prayse Of the kyngdom of Christ in the which he hym selfe alone is kynge all the world beynge subiecte vnto hym declarynge hys dominion and royall maiestye wrytteth Esaye thus in the seconde Chapter And it shall come to passe in the last tyme that the hyll of the house of the Lorde shall be exalted vpon the hyght of mountaynes aboue all litsâ— hylles and all nacions shall come together vnto hym the people shall go to him and saye Come let vs go vp to the mount of the Lorde euen to the house of the God of Jacob that he maye shew vs hys waye and we wyll walke in hys pathes For the lawe shall come forth froÌ„ Sion and the worde of God from Hierusalem In the .vii. of Daniel it is writteÌ„ thus I sawe a vision in the nyght and beholde there came one in the cloudes of heauen like the sonne of man which came to the olde aged and they brought hym before hys presence And he gaue hym power glorie and the kyngdome and all people nacions and tonges must serue him his power is an euerlastyng power which shall not be taken from hys hys kyngdome shall not perishe Esaye sayeth in the ixii capter And the Heythen shall se thy righteousnesse all kynges thyne honoure and he shall call the by a newe name O Syon and the mouâ—h of God shall geue the name And thou shalt be a crowne of glorye in the hand of the Lorde and a royall crowne of the kyngdome in the hand of thy God And soone after it folowethe Make ready make ready the
waye gather vp the stones out of the strete and hang out the banner vnto the people beholde the Lorde hath caused it to be proclamed vnto the ende of the worlde Tell the daughter Syon beholde the sauyoure commeth lo his treasure and his rewarde bringeth he with him his dedes go before him And they that are redemed of the Lord shalbe called the holy people zachary sayeth in the .ix. chap. Reioyce O daughter SioÌ„ be glad O daughter Hierusalem beholde thy kyng coÌ„meth vnto the euen the righteous and sauyoure meke and symple is he he rydeth vpon an asse vpon a yong colt of the she asse He shal preach peace vnto the Hevthen his kyngdome also shall reach from the one see to the other from the ryuer vnto the vttermost parte of the erthe Of the death and passion of Christ speaketh Daniel in the .ix. chapter after this maner And after two and sixtye wekes shall Christ be slayn put to death and yet shall they haue no true testimonye that he is giltye of death Esaye in the .l. chapter sayeth thus The Lorde God opened myne eare and I refused it not nether wente I bacwarde I gaue my body to the smiters and my chekes to the nyppers and my face haue I not turned from theyr shamefull intreatinge and spittynge vpon me The Lorde God also shall help me therfore shall I not be confounded And therfore haue I hardened my face lyke a flynt stone and am sure that I shall not be confounded In the liii chapter there is writteÌ„ of Christ after this maner He shall haue nether bewtye ner fayrnesse we shall loke vpon him but we shall haue no desyre vnto hym He is despysed and conteÌ„ned of meÌ„ a maÌ„ of trouble and one that hath had experience of infirmyte He is so despysed that we shall hyde our faces from him and haue hym in no estimation And yet hath he borne oure vnperfectnesses and felt oure sorowes We also thought that he shulde be wounded smyâ—ten and punished of God But he was wounded for our synnes and slayne for oure wyckednesse sake And the punishment wherby we haue peace is layed vpon him and thorow his woundes are we made whole All we haue gone astraye lyke shepe euery one of vs hath had respecte vnto hys owne waye and the Lorde hath layed all our synnes vpon hym Uiolence and wrong was done vnto hym he hath bene euell intreated yet opened he not his mouth He shall be led as a beest to be slayen and as a shepe domme before the sherers so shall he not open hys mouth c. The whole chapter descrybeth all the cause of Christe so clearly that holy Hierome sayd not in vayne Esaye is not onely a Prophet but also an Euangelist zachary descrybeth the presthode and sacrificie of Christ and testifieth that with the same onely oblacion he hath opteyned grace for all synnes and therfore seueÌ„ that is to saye all eyes shall haue respecte vnto him and shall seke peace rest of theyr consciences in hym and shall fynde it Heare nowe O Josue thou hye prest thou and thy coÌ„panyons that syt before the seynge ye are meÌ„ of ensamples For lo I wil bring my seruauÌ„t eueÌ„ the blossome For beholde the stone whiche I haue layed before Josue wyll I brynge To the same onely stone shall seueÌ„ eyes loke Beholde I wyll dyg it vp and dssclose it sayeth the Lorde zabaoth and the synne of the erth wyll I take awaye in one daye And in that daye shall euery man call hys neghboure vnder hys vyne and fygâ—tre The buryall and resurrection of oure Lord Jesu Christ hath the prophet Jonas figured very excellently For thus sayeth oure Lorde Christ hym selfe Lyke as Jonas was thre dayes and thre nyghtes in the whalles belye so shall the sonne of man be thre dayes and thre nightes in the hert of the erthe Of the ascension of Jesu Christ and sendynge of the holy gooste hath Joel also written in the .ii. chapter and it is alledged of S. Peter Act. ii Of the callynge gathering together the Heythen and of euery thynge pertaynynge to the holy church doth Esay wryte in the .xlix. chap. and so forth to the ende of his prophecye Thus hast thou that the prophetes also in their tyme dyd preach Jesus Christe poynted not the people to truste vnto the workes of the law their own deseruing but vnto christ of whome they prophecied euery thinge that folowed after Therfore dyd Peter speake right .i. Pet. i. sayenge Ye shall receaue the ende of your fayth euen the saluacion of your soules After which saluacion haue the prophetes enquyred and searched whiche prophecyed of the grace that shulde come vnto you searchinge whan or what tyme the sprete of Christ which was in them shuld signifye which sprete testified before the passions that shuld happen vnto Christ and the glory that shulde folowe after Unto the which prophetes it was also declared that not vnto them selues onely but vnto vs they shuld ministre the thynges which are now shewed vnto you by them which haue preached vnto you the gospel thorow the holy goost that was senâ—e vnto them from heauen c. In the which testimony the holy Apostle Peter had a speciall respecte to the prophecye of Daniel whiche dyd not onely recorde the passion glory of Christ but also poynted to the tyme in the which Christ shuld come For lyke as God in the greatest parels daungers and alteracions hath alwaye renewed more clearly expressed hys promes conceruyng the blessed sede as in the tyme of Noe whan the worlde was destroyed in the tyme of Abraham whan God wolde prepare hym selfe a new people in the tyme of Moses whaÌ„ God receaued his people and caryed them out of Egipte to bringe them in to the lande of Canaan in the tyme of Dauid whan all thynges stode so well and it must nedes be auoyded leste any man shulde thynke Dauid were the blessed sede Before the captiuite of Babylon also and in the tyme of the prophetes which as it is sayde afore preached and wrote that no man shulde doute in gods promes as who saye they were geuen vp and cast a waye though the temple were broken the cytye brent though the people of whome Christ shuld be borne were led awaye in to captiuite Euen so nowe also in the captiuite whan the faythfull might all moost haue thought that the promes of God concernynge Messia were cleane gone Euen than dyd God shewe hys seruaunt Daniel a more cleare vision of Christ after thys maner The people shalbe let go agayne out of captiuite and shall come home to HierusaleÌ„ buylde the temple and cytie agayne but with a sore tyme. And after that the cytye is buylded vnto the tyme of Christe shall be .lxix. wekes that is c. xâ—viii .iii. yeares And euen so was it from the. xxxâ—i yeare of Darius
Histaspis or Artaxerres in the whiche the cytie was buylded Nâ—hemie v. vntyl the .xlii. yeare of the empire of Augustus vnder whome Christ was borne Luce. ii The aungel also gaue Daniel farther in formacion of Christ how that hys owne people shulde slaye hym fynde no fault in hym and howe that the sacrifice with the ceremonies shuld ceasse And a strauÌ„g people saieth he shall come from farre make the temple with the citte an horrible abhominacion â–ª yee they shall destroye and breake downe altogether All whiche thinges were afterward fulfylled in the last wekes that is within .c. vii yeares or there about For within .c. iii. yeares dyd Lorde growe to teach to suffre For whaÌ„ he was .xxx. yeare olde I hoÌ„ baptised him Afterward within .iii. yeares was he put to death so within .xl. yeares folowed the destruction of HierusaleÌ„ by Tytus Uâ—spasian All the tyme now yeares froÌ„ the captiuite of BabiloÌ„ to Christes birth are 626. yeares For the captiuite of BabiloÌ„ endured .lxx. yeares In the firste yeare of Cirus were they delyuered in the second yeare beganne they to buylde the teÌ„ple and buylded 46. yeares â—â—eÌ„ vntyll the vi yeare of Darius In the. 32. yeare of Darius was the citie fynished which maketh 143. yeare Adde now hereto the. 483 yeares out of Daniel thou hast the foresaid summe euen 626. yeares In the sayd yeares had oure holy fayth sore conflictes and the sede of the serpent preassed sore vpon the sede of God as the Babilonians at Babilon and the Perfians whan the people of God was come home agayne Neuertheles the trueth had euer the victory was the more clearly testified by Daniel Haggeus zachary Esdras Nâ—hâ—mias Malachy Afterwarde were they specially opprest bi the vngodly kyng Antiochê° in the tyme of the Macha bees Whan as the tymes were euer the longer the more full of parels aduersite vntyll Aulus Gabinus PoÌ„peius Crassus captaynes of Rome coÌ„quered the laÌ„d the true olde religion was vtterley gone in so moch that out of the olde serpeÌ„t there arose in Israel all maner of secâ—es Symonye whome oure Lorde Jesus Christ with his commyng in the world resisted and called them the serpentes generacion as the holy Euangelistes testifye Not witstandyng in the myddes of such mischefe in Israell there were also godly vertuous people which sought God and hys anoynted though the erroure was greate Amonge whom no doute was specially the Prest zacharias the father of Jhon Baptyst Elizabeth his wyfe and godly Simeon Whan zacharias had knowlege of the Lordes commynge he sayde with a ioyful hert Praysed be the Lorde God of Israell for he hath visited and delyuered his people and set vp the horne of saluacion in the house of Dauid his seruauÌ„t accordynge as he had promised afore by the mouth of holy prophetes c. For his wordes are red Lu i. Simeon when he sawe the childe Jesus in the temple and had taken him in hys armes he sayd Now Lord let me dye in peace according to thy worde For myne eyes haue sene thy sauyoure whom thou hast prepared before the face of all people that he myght be a lighte to geue light vnto the Heythen and the glorye of thy people Israel Luc. i lo thus the hertes of all righteous in the olde Tessament from Adam vnto Christ euen 3974. yeares haue stande onely vpon Christ in him was their comforte vpon hym they trusted it was he whom they longed for and in Christ Jesu were they saued Therfore hath oure Christen fayth endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde and is and continueth styll the onely true olde vndoubted fast grounded faith ¶ Of the tyme of the greace of Christ and how that he him selfe testifieth that the saluacion of all the worlde stondeth onely in hym HIther to haue I set for the tyme of the promyses in the whyche God thorowe the promysed â—de oure Lorde Jesus Christe conforted clensed and preserued all hys seruauntes and deare frendes There haue we lerned sene that the Christen fayth which hath endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde is the eldest vndoubted right and true faith which all holy Patriarkes had in the which they serued God and pleased him as Adam Seth Enoch and Noe Item Abraham Isaac Jacob Lykewyse the excellente highlye endewed propheet yee the father foregoer of all prophetes euen greate Moses his brother AaroÌ„ the holy Prest Eleazar and Phinees The excellent dukes also Judges Josue Gedeon and other moo Euen so lykewyse the kynges Dauid Ezechias Josaphat Josias The dearâ—i beloued of God and excellent prophetes Samuel Helias Isaias Daniel zacharias and all the other This holy fayth also had all ryghteous and such as were of godly vnderstondinge in all the congregacions of Israel froÌ„ the begynning In this were saued all they that froÌ„ the beginning were preserued ordeyned to saluacioÌ„ wherfore what soeuer they can alledge agaynst this faith whether it be coÌ„cerning holymeÌ„ olde age multitudes lerned men generall counsayls coÌ„uocations or perliameÌ„tes fathers actes statutes tokens and wonders It is all nothinge worth and is not to be reputed in comparison of oure holy faith as euery one that hath vnderstonding maye se in this treatise afore And though my purpose be now fynished euen declared out of the scripture that the Christen faith hath endured sens the begynning of the worlde Yet wyl I adde a shorte instructioÌ„ concernynge the tyme of grace perfourminge of all promises and I wyll declare that God now also thorow the appearinge of his sonne wolde bringe in to the worlde and set forth none other religion none other faith nether anye other saluacion then euen the same which was showed to the olde fathers Sauynge that now all thinges are more euydent more clerly practised accomplished fulfilled and perfourmed for the whych cause also all figures sacrifices and ceremonies do ceasse For in Christ is all perfection Yet shall we not therfore cast awaye the olde Testament as some ignoraunt vnlerned and foolysh people do but haue it in greater reputacion for asmuch as we know now thorowe Christ what euery thinge signifieth wherfore euery thinge was thus thus ordeyned vsed spokeÌ„ Now shall euery man fyrst haue a corage to reade the lawe and the prophetes whaÌ„ he seyth wher vpon euery thyng goeth And thus also at the begynnyng dyd the holy apostles preach Christ vnto the Jewes out of the lawe and the prophetes as it is oft tymes mencioned in the actes of the Apostles And our Lord him selfe whaÌ„ he weÌ„t with the two disciples towarde Emaus preached so vnto the that theyr hertes brent within them he begaÌ„ne at Moses wente thorow all the prophetes and opened vnto theÌ„ the old scriptures shewed them that so it behoued Christ to fuâ—â—re and to entre in to his glorie Thys is the cause also
that the scriptures of the new Testament hang all together and referre them selues to the scriptures of the olde Testament so that these can not be right vnderstoÌ„d without the other nomore theÌ„ the glose without the text The text is the lawe and the prophetes the expositioÌ„ are the Euangelistes Apostles Now wyll we se what the worke of grace of the new Testament is In the .xlii. yeare of the empyre of Augustus after the begynning of the world 3974. yeares was Jesus christ the blessed promised sede borne of the vndefyled virgin and mayde Mary at Bethleem in the lande of Jewrye And though he as a very man was wrapped to clothes and layed in the cryb yet apeareth the angell of the Lord in greate clearnesse vnto the shepherdes and sayeth Feare ye not beholde I bryng you tidinges of great ioy which shall happen vnto all people For this daye is borne vnto you the sauyoure euen Christ the lord in the citie of Dauid The first newes and tydinges of the commynge of our Lord Jesê° Christ must the angell brynge and geue to the intent that it mighte be the more accepte of all the worlde All the holy men from the begynnynge of the worlde dyd hytherto longe sore after the promysed sede Therfore saieth the aungell now that he bringeth them tydinges of great ioye no doubte to them that were gone deed past to them also that now lyued to them that were to come afterward The ioye is this that Jesus Christ the sauiour is borne eueÌ„ the promised sede whiche shulde saue all the world from the power of the deuell cleÌ„se them from synne and delyuer them from damnacion Therfore sayeth the aungell moreouer Which shal happen vnto all people For vnto Abraham it was sayd In thy sede shall all nactons of the erth be blessed The same sayeth the angell is borne in the citie of Dauid euen out of Dauids kynred out of the whiche the prophetes testified that he shulde be borne whiche prophetes also for the same cause called him Dauid and the blossome of Dauid And this is now the grace of God that where as we poore synners beloÌ„ged vnto death and were in the deuels boÌ„des he sente his sonne to lowse and delyuer vs out of captiue This is the new Testament For Hieremy also testifieth heâ—of and sayeth This is the Testament that I will make I wâ—ll be their God and they shall be my people I wyll be mercifull to their vnrighteousnes and synnes wyll thynke vpon them nomore Hiere xxxi This full and perfecte forgeuenesse is not therfore called the newe Testamente as though their had bene no remission of synnes promes made longe afore vnto the fathers is now confirmed and renewed and the old figures that represented the same are abrogate Thus the Lord Jesus alone is set for the for the onely saluacion of all the worlde so that not onely we but all they which afore or after hys appearauÌ„ce or incarnacioÌ„ beleued on him were saued And at the birth of Christ there coÌ„meth to the foresaide angell the whole heauenly hoost which praysed God sayde Glory and prayse be vnto God in the height and peace vpon erth to men a good wyll And by this they teach vs what the dewtye thankfulnesse and knowlege of men is or ought to be in this behalfe that god hath done so great good forman Namely howe that they oughte to prayse God to haue a sure trust in hym and to be freÌ„dly and louynge one to another And the fulfilllyge of the lawe is loue from a pure hert out of a good conscience and of an vndissembled or vnfayned fayth i Timoth. â— In the fyftenth yeare of the Empire of Tâ—erius from the begynnynge of the worlde 4004. yeares came the worde of the Lorde to John the sonne of the preyst zachary in the wyldernesse and he went and preached vnto the people of Israell amendement of lyfe and forgeuenesse of synnes in Jesu Christ To whom he bare recorde that he was the fulfyllyng of the lawe the prophetes very God and man the onely and euerlastyng sauiour whych wyth the sacrifice of hys own body shuld clense the world from synne yea he poynted vnto hym wyth hys fynger and sayd Beholde thys is the lambe of God that takethe awaye the synne of the worlde And so perfectiye and wholy hangeth he all saluacion onely in Christe Jesus that he saieth planely Out of his fulnesse haue all we receyued grace c. Joh. i. Item who so beleueth in the son of God hath euerlastynge lyfe who so beleueth not in the sonne shall not se lyfe but the wrathe of God abydeth vppon hym Therfore dyd he also sende all hys disciples from hym and coÌ„maunded them to cleue vnto Christ He maketh no menâ—ion at all of any ceremonyâ—s figures nor oblations as necessary poyntes to saluacion but preacheth Christ purely and clearly Thys is manifest Johan i and .iii. Mat. iii. and Luk. iii The Lorde hym selfe also came vnto John was baptised And whan he had receyued baptime the heauen opened and the holy goost appeared in the fourme of a doue and there was a voyce heard â–ª from heauen saynge Thys is my beloued sonne in whome I am pacified to the intent that all the worlâ—e shuld haue wytnesse of Chryste the true sauyour not onely now by the aâ—ngels and by Johan the holyesâ—â— man of all but also from heauen and of God hym selfe and that we myght be the bolder to committe our selues wholy vnto hym WhaÌ„ he had receyued the testymony he wente in to the wyldernesse And lyke as our disease beganne in paradise by teÌ„tation Euen so at the tentatioÌ„ in the wyldernesse beganne the Lord our health and lyke as the father of vs al dyd eate the for bydden meate So dyd the Lorde not eate the meate that he myghte haue eaten but fasted fortye dayes and fourtye nyghtes Afterwarde came â—e amonge the people and beganne to preache saluacion sayng The tyme is fulfylled and the kyngdome of God is at hande repeÌ„t and beleue the Gospell Here wyth hath he healed all sores dryueÌ„ out deuels raysed vp the deed testifienge so by hys actes that he is Lord of all thynges and the true sauioure And of them whome he healleth asketh he nothyng he coÌ„maundeth them not to buylde hym a temple nether to geue hym blocke or stocke he requyreth no bodely thing but onely â–ª stedfast fayth and coÌ„fidence And to them whom he hath healed he sayeth go they waye and synne no more take hede that a worse thynge happen not vnto the â–ª And herewith all doth he teache in what thynge the substaunce of true religion lieth euen in a right true fayth and in an innocent lyfe that in oure conuersation we kepe our selues from all filthines Yee the thynge that some maâ— taketh for gods seruyce refuseth he as longe bablynge prayers vayne glorious
fastinge lyke almes geuynge He nothynge regardeth mens tradicions diuersites of sectes long garmentes outwarde appearaunce their clensynge neâ— all their ypocrisie He goeth into the temple ouerthroweth casteth downe powreth out euery thynge that is to be solde in the temple he dryueth the byers and sellers out of the temple with a whippe For the temple was ordeyned for generall prayer thankesgeuing and preachynge and not for choppinge and chaun gynge or other suche lyke thynges These thre poyntes doth he teach vs diligently to obserue First that we obteyne remission of synnes true righteousnes euerlastinge lyfe onely thorw hym and by hys passion and death and els by none other meane For he is the onely mediatoure prest intercessoure comforter the onely righteousnesse satisfacion raunsome santifyeng the onely perpetuall sacrifice the suertye of grace and saluacion Speciall testimonies hereof hast thou Johan iii. vi xiiii and .xvi. Secondly that we can not serue and pleace God with exterior sacrifices or any outward pompe but with suche workes as proceade of loue mercy And thirdly that all the children of God are bounde to kepe them selues from the workes of darekenesse and to applye them to lyue in righteousnes and in the lighte And herein also is comprehended all godlynes that is all right good Christen workes So whan he had taught all righteousnes and discloysed and ouerthrowen all ypocrisye in religion he offred vp hym selfe vpon the crosse for the remissyon of all oure synnes For wyllingly paciently put he him selfe in to the handes of hys enemyâ—s and of his betrayer suffred him selfe to be taken to be bounde to beled from one iudge to another to be langhed to scorne cried out vpon to be spytted on and at the last to be adiudged vnto death to be scourged to be crowned with a crown of thorne He himselfe bare hys owne crosse to the place of execucion where he was crucified hanged vp betwene the murthurers Then lyued he in greate payne from the sixte houre vntyll the nyenth At the last he cried It is fynished father in to thy handes commende I my sprâ—te thus offred he him self for oure synnes and dyed that we myghte lyue But soone after folowed the thinges wherby the frute of Christes passyon might be perceaued For the vayle which in the temple seâ—arated the holy from the moost holy dyd rent from the toppe tyll the botome wherby Christ testified that now with his death all ceremonies figâ— ratyue thinges were at an ende and nomore of value that the waye to eternall saluation was opened that all thinges significatyue in the tabernacle in sacrifices rytes and obseruaunces were nowfulfilled and abrogate that now the bare onely cross of our Lorde Jesus Christ is al together vnto the faythfull that the hele of the virgines sede is well troden vpon his flesh well rente and slayne but that yet also in the meane reason he hath troden the serpent vpon the head Therfore dyd the deed also aryse and appeared vnto certayne at Hierusalem For the death of Christ is oure life The erthquaked the stones harst asunder For the preachinge of the death of the sonne of God hath altered the whole worlde and many hard stonye hertes are moued to repentaunce faith and good workes But whan the syde of the deed body of Christ was opened with the speare â–ª and the rocke as zachary saieth was dygged vp â–ª there ranne out water and bloude declarynge manifestly therby that vnto vs out of the death of Christ foloweth life and purifyenge For water cleÌ„seth in the bloud is the lyfe of man And with the bloude of Christ is all bloude stanched and now is Christes bloude onely avaylable beynge sprenkled thorowe fayth in oure hertes This oblacion and passion of Christ the rawnsome for the synne of the whole world was done in the. xviii yeare of the Empyre of Tiberius rekenynge from the begynnyng of the worlde 4007 yeres the .xxv. daye of Marche So the whole body of Jesu was taken downe from the crosse and honorably buryed and on the thirde daye after he rose vp agayne so that his soule came agayne to the body and his very flesh was raysed vp from death how be it now nomore mortall and passible but glorified For he is the first in the resurrection of the deed For lyke as by one man came deathe so by one man must come the resurrection of the deed And lyke as in Adam we all dyed in body and soule so shall we be all together restored agayne to lyfe in Christ Jesu This hope vnto lyfe wolde the Lorde prynte substancially in vs with the resurrection And therfore after his resurrection he contynued fortye dayes wyth his disciples that he mightwell instructe them of his resurrection and that they shuld haue no doulte therin So whan he had shewed and declared vnto them his very resurrection dyuerse wayse and had perfourmed all that the father commaunded him to fynde he ascended vp vnto heaueÌ„ with body and soule fro mouÌ„t Oliuere in the sight of his disciples and is set at the righte hand of God there to remayne corporally vntyll the last daye in the which he shall â–ª come agayn bodelye to iudge the quycke deed And all suche as haue walked in faith shall he take to him with body soule in to heauen lyke as he himselfe is receaued in to heauen And shall with body and soule condemne all them that haue walked in the waye of the olde serpente and haue not conuerted from vnrighteousnesse to the righteousnesse in Christ And thus shall saluacion be perfectly fynished and gods chyldren shall lyue eternally with God thorow Jesus Christ To whome be prayse for euer Amen ☞ That also the electe Apostles preached thys olde fayth and declared that all saluacion is â–ª onely in Christ THus thorow Christ Jesus is al fulfilled that the prophetes prophecied of hym a fore thus is he become y â— saluacion of all faithfull beleuers euen the lampe of God whiche hath bene sacrificed sens the beginninge of the world that is this is he whose power and delyueraunce hath clensed all them that euer put their trust in God thorow the blessed sede Herein now is the righte true â—aluacion this is the summe of the right perfecte religion Who so peruerteth thys from him shall God turne him selfe who so addeth oughte vnto this to hym shall God adde his wrothfull hand who so taketh ther froÌ„ his lyfe shall God â—â—nishe But blessed are they which walke in this simplicite clennesse contynue so vnto the ende euen they that heare gods worde do therafter whose onely hope is Jesus Christ This onely true and euer durynge saluacion wolde he to be shewed and declared to all nacions whiche came to saue all nacions but he wold it sholde be declared by the preachinge of the holy gospell and thorow the ministracion of the holâ— sacramentes And therfore by his
the people of God Touching baptyme ther are many ensamples in the actes of the Apostles The supper of Jesus Christ had the Corinthians somwhat altered And whan Paull poynted them agayne to the true ordinaunce and right vse he taketh the symple wordes institucion of Jesu Christ without anye more addicion and layeth those before them commaundeth them to folowe the same and holdeth him therwith well content .i. Corinth xi And thus dyd the holy Apostles gather together all HeytheÌ„ and people thorow the preachinge of the gospell and mynistracion of the sacramentes in the church whose heade is Christ in whom they are buylded and preserued Morouer they dyd not layed them sore with any ceremonies For in the Actes of the Apostles the .ii. chap where as a perfecte shappe of a right Christen congregacion is descrybed we haue fyrst the â—eudinge of the Apostles amonge whom Peter dyd fyrst preach the gospell that is to saye repentaunce and forgeuenesse of synnes in Christ Jesu Then baptised he theÌ„ that were become the people of God Afterward foloweth it that they whych were become Christen contynued in the doctryne of the Apostles in prayer in breakinge of the bred in the foloshippe Here are the ryght substanciall poyntes of the Cristen church sufficiently expressed the doctryne of amendment of lyfe remission of synnes baptyme the contynuynge and increasyng in Christes doctrine prayer the holy supper of the Lorde and the feloshyppe that is loue kyndnesse and workes of mercy Now where as Act. xv it is ordeyned that the Heythen shoulde eate no bloude nor strangled it endured but for a tyme and theyr meanyng was therby to a voyde offendynge of the weake Otherwyse haue the Apostles euery where specially Paul very exnestly exhorted men to contynue by the doctrine that was shewed delyuered theÌ„ and to be at a poynte in theÌ„ selues to auoyde suche lernynge as was new and brought vp by men because they leade meÌ„ farre froÌ„ the trueth as we fynde Collos ii Philip. iii. i. Timoth. iiii vi and Titum i. And thus is it manifest that the apostles taught al natioÌ„s no newer strauge thyng but euen the same that they had receyued of the Lorde ☞ A conclusion that this fayth is the ryght true olde fayth whyche alway shall stonde sure THis holy vndefiled faith which the Lorde â—â—anted and set vp in all nations by the Apostles immediatly after the Apostles dysseasse was â—ore â–ª attempted by sondrye vncleaâ—e personnes whych brought vp false customes and misbeleuers and made perâ—ous sectes Besydes thys also was it sore persecuted wyth the swerde of tyrauntes But in all such daungers the trueth ouer came and had the victory For though the cytezins of the deuels cytye accordinge to the dispositioÌ„ of theyr patriarke Cain dyd mur thur â— all though falfe prophetes brought vp euell counsaill yet the cytye of God triumpheth and the bloude of innocent Abell and his brethren speaketh yet But after that the persecucioÌ„ was somwhath â—rassed and the persecuters sore and horrâ—bly punished for their bloude sheddinge the heresies also beinge well brought downe by faythfull shepherdes In the same rest also was oure holy fayth not a litle hurt For rest put a waye feare brought ydle felicite voluptuousnes and fleshly sekynge of riches and dominyon and so thorow couetousnes and ambisioÌ„ there was pouâ—ed great poyson in to the church wherby religion sore decayed For whyle the mynisters of the worde laboured more after riches then to perfourme their office and charge and to edt â—â—e the church they were pleased with supersticiousnes in steade of true religion Of â—â—uâ—s then folowed it farther that the singlenesse of fayth was forgotten newe lawâ—s made the olde rytes and customes ether peruerted or els vtterly ouerthroweÌ„ and abused wherby men came farrâ— from the doctryne and Christen ceremonies from the waye of trueth in to erâ—oure foo â—â—â—ly partly in to ceremonies of ydolatrye Here of commeth it that we haâ—â— now the abhomination of the popes power of pardons of masses for the deed and quycke of merites power and intercession of sayntes in heauen of worshyppinge their bones vpon eâ—th of ydols and vayne ornamentes pompe pryde of the church of hyred syngynge and prayenge in the temple and of the whole swarme of ydele religious All whiche thynges with other moâ— like fondnesse are nothing but new alteracions peruertinges and contrary to all olde ordinaunces hauynge no grounde in gods woâ—de and are cleane agaynst God though many hardnecked people are yet in a furye and braule for such hinges and wyll make all the world beleue that thys theyr foolishnes alteracion peruerâ—â—nge of Gods ordinaunce is the olde fayth And yet woâ—e they or wyll not knowe that theyr â—abling hath very litle grounde and that they yf they considred the matter as it is are very naked and miserable And though this papisticall religioÌ„ hath endured preuayled triumphed now certayne hundreth yeares yet hath God all waye sent his â—aythfull seruantes and had a litle holy flock of his owne like as afore tyme in the dayâ—s of the iudges oft the kinges of Juda and Israel and in the captiuite of Babilon though it was all moost at the worst afore at the coÌ„minge of Christ Like as it is also with vs the nyer the second commynge of Christ the worse is it in the world Neuertheles as I sayde afore God all waye set forth his worde and doth yet Contrary wyse the pope with his multitude and â–ª Machomet with his as it semeth and becometh very Antichristes haue hitherto vndertaken to suppresse the olde religion and to set vp hys owne ordinaunce vnknowne to oure fathers of olde tyme to bringe it in to possession and vnder y â— name of God and his holy church to sprede it vpon all christendome For out of y â— Actes and statutes of the pope and hys wanton spiritualtye and out of the lawes of Machomet it is manifest what the one hath taken in hand and done now more then 600. yeares and the other vpon a 900 yeares It is cuident yet also euen now wherto hys generall coun sayls and perliamentes do extende But not â–ª regardinge how he threnteneth â—nd faceth and how he garnisheth hys new and wanton religions with false but dissemblynge titles boastinge of many hundreth yeares many generall counsayles fathers holy men doctours vniuersities closters syngyng prayeng fasting almes geuinge deâ—plynge and telleth suche lyke All hys â–ª bragginge set a syde let vs cast hys relygion from vs take vpon vs vnfaynedly the true olde religion which hath endured sens the begynnyng of the worlde by the which all holy mâ—n haue euer loued worshipped and serued God knew nothinge vtterly of the Popes religion And yf we must for thys cauâ—e be hated and persecuted of the worlde well it happened euen so vnto all holy Prophetes before vs lykewyse and specially vnto Jesus Christe our Lorde