Sewerly Luke in th ende of the same chap. openly calleth it the chirch saying The lorde added dayly vnto the chirche sich as shuldbe saued confessing also helth and saluacioÌ„ to be in sich a chirche as many as come into the felowship of sich a congregacion to be saued with these very fewe principall institucions and doctrynes may the chirche therfore as ye may here see be gathered perfitlye fynisshed and conserued yea and that is the very iuste and trwe chirch which enstructed with these fewe thingis cleaueth to and is sustayned vpon christe the very rok But here also haue ye the testimonies of holy men For lactancius in his boke of the trwe wisedom the v. boke of his institu cap. xxx sayth That same onely is the vniuersall chirch which holdeth the trw worship This is the fountayn of trwth this is the hous of faith this is the temple of god wherein if anye entreth not or oute of the which if any go forth he shal be farre from the hope of eternall life and helth But yet because heretyks thinke their chirche to be the catholik chirch ye shall knowe that same to be the trwe chirch in the whiche is the religioÌ„ and trwe worship of god in spirit and in no vtward ceremonies of men in which is confession of synnes vnto god and repentance which heleth holsomly synnes wouÌ„des vnto the which the weaknes of the flesshe is subiect These wordis Lactancius wrote which disputing of the trwe worship in his .vi. boke of his institu cap. i. saith The holy and singulare maiesty of god desiereth nothinge els of man then onely innocencye whiche if any offreth it to god he hath made a sufficieÌ„t sacrifice both godly and religiously Which thinge I haue added to that thou mightest the trwlyer vnderstande that at he sayd the catholik chirch to be euen the same which holdeth the trwe worship of god And Austen the very trwe doctour of the chirche answering to the questioÌ„s of Ianuary in his c.xviij pistle writeth playnly into these wordis Firste of all I wold thou shuldest holde in mynde the cheif poynt principall of this disputacion euen owr Lorde Iesus Christe as himself sayth in his gospell to haue subdewed and layd owr neckes vnder his moste pleasaunte yoke and his light easye burden Whereby he hath bownde yoked togither the chirch and societe of the newe peple with SacrameÌ„ts very fewe in nowmber most easye to be obserued in significacion moste noble and excellent euen Baptisme by whiche we be consecrated into the name of the trinite and the Communion or partaking emoÌ„g many of the bodye and bloude of owr lorde with sich like if there be any commended to vs in the scripturs those excepte whiche for the congruence of the hertis of the olde peple and for the tendre tyme of the prophetes burdened their bondage which certayne sacraments and ceremonies be siche as ye read in the .v. bokes of Moses and so forth folowing vnto the grace of the gospell But mennis testimonies left let vs return to the wittnesses of god and agene to the testimonies of the most excellent apostles Peter Ihon and Paul whom I shall yet more largelye allege that in the mouthe of .ij. or iij. this inuicte verite that is to weit that in these fewe poyntis and principals in nowmber the chirch be made perfit might be affirmed the fastlyer and the stronglyer proued For Peter after that he hade put forth a certayn fewe doctrynes precepts of the faith charite pacience and beneficence and had exhorted the godly to expresse theÌ„ in holy workes a non he addeth These thinges if ye do ye shal not slyde at any tyme. For verely by this maner shall the entrese into the eternall kingdom of owr Lorde sauiour christe Iesu be aboundantly ministred vnto you But if he had not beleued this kynde of doctryne which now we haue recyted to be sufficient vnto that life to be obtayned for the peple of god to be made ê‘fit he had neuer sayd By this maner or wayes aboundantly obserue the pithei waight of this word AbouÌ„daÌ„tly shal thentres into his kingdoÌ„ be mynistred vnto you Then verely were not these monkisshe and fryerlye odiouse orders nether their vngodly rules of moÌ„kis friers cÌ„ nor yet them selues TheÌ„ were there no misses no siche maner of questions or tradicioÌ„s as haue owr idle belled bisshops and skoldiÌ„g scolemen many yeres aftyr at laste dreamed and broughte into the chirche And yet with out these dead dreames sayth S. Peter Aboundant and plentuouse entresse by the dotrine of the apostles to be layd open vnto all men desyeringe to com to that lyfe eternall Saynt Ihon in his pistle sayth The thinge which ye haue herd from the beginnyng abyde there in or let it abyde in you If that doctrine whiche ye haue herde from the begiÌ„ning abyde in you then shall you also abyde and dwell in the sone in the father Lo here he promiseth to them a perfit and full felowship and coniunccion of the father and of the sone with those faithfull which continewe abyde in that kynde of doctrine which thapostles from the begynning of their prechinge delyuered theÌ„ But from that begining thei gaue them no nother doctrine then the same which thei sayd we haue herde Wherfore that tradicion muste be sufficient vnto perfeccion S. Paul not onely bindeth the preacher of the gospell vnto the same breif and simple playne kynde of doctryne but besydes that he prophecieth certayne pestelent pharisais and papistis to come which eueÌ„ as we now see them will not heare that same trwth delyuered to the chirches confessed and confirmed with myracles but will turne themselues vnto vayne fables and most vayne lyes and trifles ij Timo iij. iiij For thus writeth he vnto Timothe I beseche the humbly before god owre Lorde Iesu christe whiche shall come to iuge the quik deade in his owne aperaunce in his kingdom preche thou the worde sermone be feruent in tyme oute of tyme rebuke blame reproue exhorte with all lenite softnes and doctryne For the tyme shall come when men will not suffer nor abyde the trw doctrine but aftir their owne voluptuouse lustes and desyers thei shall heap vnto them selues techers euen them which mustetykle their eares and shall auerte their eares from tâ—e trwth euen vnto vayne fables shall thei be conuerted These wordis without dowte had not that diuine breste and godlye herte pronownced with so greate feruencye and feruent affect but that he knew it right wel that that same doctryne which himselfe with also the mother apostles had preched and delyuered to the chirches in writing was iust perfit and sufficieÌ„t the innumerable chirches now constituted welnighe thorow oute all the worlde to be trwe and perfit full chirches Wherfore these same fewe institucions muste nedis be sufficient for the congregacions with which as necessarye
accions instituted of the lorde to the entent he might represent vnto vs his mysteries and giftis and so testifye towarde vs his good wille exrercise and whett owr faith gather and binde vs to gither into owr religion and to admonisshe vs of owr offyce As ye may see in Baptisme For that representeth vnto vs that it is he onely which wassheth vs from owr synnes by it witnessing that he fauoureth vs yea that he will be owr god one alone for vs all sufficient Howe oft so euer baptisme is geueÌ„ in the coÌ„gregacioÌ„ the faith of holy men is excercised Besides that it gathereth and bringeth vs togither vtwardly into his peple warneth vs to mortifye slaye owr carnall affectes that dayly we mought dye with the Lorde and ryse agene with him into a newe life Agene in the Souper of the lorde it is signified that the bodye and blode of owr lorde ar spent and laid forth for vs in the crosse to satisfye owr fathers iustice and gyue more life to the beleuers Wherfore when the brede is raught vnto vs which brede the lorde called as it were in signe and token or aftir the similitude and aftir the maner of speking appropriated to sacraments his bodye a manifest token is geuen that the Lord offred hiÌ„self all whol vnto vs that we mought haue owr fruicion and sighte of him in faith And thus owr faith is excercised in that mystyk accioÌ„ And as out of many graynis one loffe is made of manye grapes the liquor of wyne floweth forth euen so ar we monisshed of mutuall loue in the percepcioÌ„ and receiuinge of the signes and sacramentes and that with Christe and emong owr owne selues we be made one bodye and to geue thaÌ„kis to christe owr deliuerer This is dowtles the vse and forme of the sacraments hauing nothinge which hitherto hath not bene proposed and setforth in the doctrine of the gospell saue that it hath pleased the Lorde for our infirmite to haue to do with vs accordiÌ„g to owr capacite by these signes sacrameÌ„tals as it were with visible wordes and in a maner to laye before owr eyes the moste greate and excellente thingis that thei mought be the more commeÌ„ded praysed and accepted of euerye christen man and so by the one sacrament to iniciate and professe as they saye the faithfull oute of whose felowship he excluded not euen the infantes And by the tother sacrameÌ„t for the waren peple to retayn in memorye the deathe of the sone of God And thus ye see it moste manifeste the vse of the sacraments to be moste playn and single moste holsome and most full of the most swetest frutes Whiche vse many make it more theÌ„ ingrate and vnthankfull by those their thornye spinose disputacions fonde questioÌ„s and withe their skoldinge cauillacions and sophisticall besye brawlynges Of these thingis hitherto writeÌ„ I suppose euery reader perceiueth that we which glorie reioyce in the gospell name of christe haue in fewe principales shewed all thingis which perteyne vnto the full perfeccioÌ„ of the chirche therfore owr lorde with these fewe in no wise to haue onerated his chirche For these fewe things albeit of their nature thei be the moste diuyne and incomprehensyble yet vnto the faithfull ar thei the moste easye and moste iocunde and ioyfull in thobseruacion and in the keping of them Wherfore what soeuer coste what charge and burdens the congregacions this daye sustayne with what soeuer lawes rytes ceremonies tradicions of men apere thei neuer so comelye and decent as thei saye with what and how many soeuer decrees and disputacions the congregacions be yet snarled combred and clogged nether of the Lorde nor of the apostles nor of non apostelyk men haue thei receiued them but of the euill idle bellye burdens of the erthe of the supersticiouse papistes and of these couetuouse preistes and greadye bisshops which as thei haue hitherto ben euer in lerning and neuer comeÌ„ to the knowelege of the trweth euen so playnlye haue they thought and made godlynes to be lucre and to serue their insaciable lustes of whom the apostle wrytinge to Timothe sayth Auoid from these persons which be of siche couetuouse condicions and abhominable lyuinge Cast of therfore oh christeÌ„ reder these their importable burdeÌ„s of heuey vnprofitfble supersticiouse ceremonies whiche to ease you thei will not once put forthe their fynger to bere them their selues which burdeÌ„s in that as Paul sayth thei punisshe the bodye thei apere to haue some vtwarde holynes yet ar thei with out all honour godlines euen their rytes choise of meates to fede the flesshely lustes of their bellyes Collo ij And putt your neckes vnder the swete yoke of Chryst and submitte your shulders vnder his light burdens light it is that loue bereth that as we be lyke Christe in gladlye suffrering so we may be lyke him in glorye vnto the whiche he with the father and his moste holye spririt bringe vs all Amen At Zijrâ—â—
doctrynes the lorde wold instructe his chosen and not onerate and ouerburden them yea and that eueÌ„ for this entent that we shuld not nowe be euer in lerning neuer comen to knowlege of the trwth For all these thingis ar certayne in a iust litle nowmber yea and eueÌ„ the most easyest lessons thorow christes helpe so longe as we ceasse not from owr office and applye owr callinge Furthermore leste anyman complayn saying these owr sayinges to be to skant initof vnfinisshed it shall be necessary to expres some of these thinges more at large that it may be manyfest vnto almen vs to haue sufficienly in these fewe principals all thinges pertayning vnto the perfeccioÌ„ and fulfilling of the chirche The doctrine of the apostles the preching of the trowth the worde of the Lorde the holye scripture or gospell of Iesu christe obtayneth the fyrste place in these sayd principals What ar compÌ„hended in these pncipalles For it prescribeth this thing the lawes of lyffe to be moste absolute and ê‘fit this place techeth it rebuketh it deiecteth and casteth downe and lifteth vp agene heuey myndis it exhortethe it counforteh it threateneth it bendeth and menaceth and decreeth punisshmeÌ„ts it setteth forth rewardes both of god and man and to be short all diuine and humane thingis ecclesiastik and polityk yea all the partes of owr lyffe all ages and all offices it informeth and instituteth most plentuously and perfitly yea and it absolueth and maketh them all perfit and ful nothing waÌ„ting This witnesseth Paul the moste wysest in the lawe writing to Timothe saing Thou see that thou standeste faste and perseuere in those thingis whiche thou lernedst which ar coÌ„mitted vnto the knowing of whom thou haste lerned them and that from thy childhod thou hast knowne the holy letters which may make the wyse perfit vnto thy saluacion thorowe faith which is in Christe Iesu. For the hole and ê‘fit scripture godly inspired is profitable vnto teching and lerning to rebuke to correck to institute and enstruct in all good works that anye man of god may be entire perfit redye vnto euery good worke Also the worde of the lorde in a maner and as farre as it perteineth vnto vs is idle waÌ„tinge her frute and operacion excepte there be meÌ„ that will exercyse stere vp whett it in tyme and place applyinge and layinge it vnto men teaching it ernestly prouoking it settinge it forthe at lybertye and defende it And here haue the mynisters of the chirche their place cheifly the techers of the trwth the goydes of the congregacions the interpretours of scripturs prechers the masters of lyuing good maners For as miche therfore that there is noman sodenly full made nor borne a perfit artificer the chirche muste nedis haue scolis scolis I saye in which tongues artes liberall disciplines but yet in a sobriete and mean but cheifly the holy institucion godly bringing vp of children be delyuered and taught religiously vnto the disciples which may be here aftir apoynted and promoued vnto the ministracions of the chirche and taught also them which ar apte vnto erudicion and wysedome For that there were flourisshiÌ„g scoles or vniuersites as thei now call them in the tyme of the apostles so flourisshed longe aftir their dayes Luke affirmeth the autour of this in the Actis cap. xiij And Paul in the .i. pistle to the CoriÌ„thians in the .xix. cap. Also Eusebius in his ecclesiastik storye and wother ecclesiastik writers witnesse the same And out of these maner scoles the moste faithfull moste excercised the godlyest the moste eloquent men of moste experience and wysedome were euer calld vnto the ministracions gouernaÌ„ce and teching of the congregacions Also wheÌ„ it is so that in the chirche or congregacion in which doctrine flourissheth this vngraciouse kocle drake and dernell also wyll growe vndere preuely encrease so that there will very many stourdye prowde rebelles budde and wexe rype which as thei caÌ„ craftely fayne themselues faithfull euen so do thei nothing worthei and correspondeÌ„t to faith yea and thei will not sett a strawe by it if thei be taughte an C. tymes and be rebuked neuer so openly and greuouslye Netheles thei go forth stil in their mischeif synnes Wherfore it is necessarye that the congregacions haue not onely their ministers and techers but also their elderly sage wyse men yea the seclare magistrates to whiche muste with the lawes bring into order and with disciplyne constrayne and bynde faste these contumate stifnecked vnshamelesse criminouse synners And these mynisters magistrates it behoueth to be right good meÌ„ holy faithful godly iuste teÌ„perate sobre stronge and constaÌ„t and siche as fere god which bothe wyll and maye do their office and dewtye And vnto this pertayneth the eleccion and office of the seclare Magistrates hitherto ê‘tayn the suÌ„ptuarye and penall lawes agenst eting surfetting dronkenes superfluite excesse viciousnes rybaldrye whorehunting filthy comunicacion also the lawes agenst aduonterers and whoremongers and lawes of matrimonye iustely to be contracted lawfullye to be kepte in reuerence and iustlye to be diuorsed lawes of the bringinge vp of children of the pubyk iustice of bying and sellinge or anye wother doingis agenste thir euell deccateâ— false wares cÌ„ agenste vserars and corrupters and minisshers of coynes of iugemeÌ„tes of the pore and destitute nedye orphanes frendles to be defended of tranquilite and publyk peace agenste hyered batail and wages to corrupt men lawes of beneficence almose and helpe of the pore and of the lawful vse of the goodes of the chirches These thingis wold I incidently and as it were by the waye poynte men to breifly concerning the doctrine of the apostles or of the trwth and of the ministers therof that is to saye of the lerners techers professours prechers and of the holy senate sage counsell of the chirche Of syngers quere men and their ecclesiastik songe I can saye nothing taken out of the institucion of the apostles Paul commaÌ„deth his chirches to synge in spirit and mynde Wherfore it is sufficient to the iuste chirche if with trwe faith thei offer thorow christe their pure prayers vnto the Lorde As for the Sacraments S. Austen very godly and lernedly affirmed very fewe to be instituted of the Lord euen Baptisme and the sacrament of thankes geuing the moste easyest sewerly in their obseruacion and kepiÌ„g of them but in sence and significacion moste noble and excellent For thei cary no greate coste with them nor yet no difficulty I speke of the apostles sacrameÌ„tes and not of the popishe sacrameÌ„ts and in fewe wordis thei haue no worldly shyning shewes and glytering vayne glorye For all their vertew and strength consisteth of and in their institucion and significacion The faithfull saynts in the congregacioÌ„ ar iustifyed and absolued by faith onely and not by sacrameÌ„ts For sacraments excercise and in a maner excite and stere vp faith â–ª for thei ar visible
hath not the sone hath not life Vnto the which saingis iustely agreeth eueÌ„ the same that s. Paul ê“powned with a meruelous euidence vnto the Ephesiens God to haue rehersed and as in brief some brought it and in Christe concluded so that nowe oute of this same only Christ as it were oute of the barne of all goodnes men myght fetche the thynge which before as it were by pece mele was fetched out of many sondry partes of scripture yea and euen the Lorde Iesus himselfe in Mathew dampneth and techeth vs to auoid and abhor these men who soeuer thei be which deuyde the myndes of the faithfull and induce them vnto many and dyuerse thinges as necessary or profitable vnto thobteyning of saluacioÌ„ For if any maÌ„ saith he tell you Lo here is Christ or there is he beleue him not For ther shall aryse false anoynted and false prophetes shall shewe forth tokens prodygiouse wonders so that if it were possible euen the very elect might be brought in to erroure Math. xxiiij Take heed sayth Christe for I haue now told it you before If therfor they tel you Lo he is in the deserte solitary places of religioÌ„ go not once forth or say see he is in the secrete places as in the pÌ„uey pixe and secrete ciborye beleue it not What theÌ„ shall the faithfull soule do He shall depende of the mouthe and grace of the onlye Lorde which hath coÌ„maunded his chosen tobe ware and auoide these maner abhominable deceytes of men sondrelye knittinge smytinge and diuidyng into many opinioÌ„s the hertes of the faithfull with this wyked scysme and hath set forth before vs himself onely the teacher of the trwth and in fewe wordes thexpiacion of synnes purging from the same euen the mercy seat of grace and forgiuenes in euery necessite to be sought and to flye vnto him For this is eueÌ„ he that same master geuen vnto all the worlde whych also hath dyed for vs yea and euen he that is rysen agene vnto life and sitteth on the ryght hande of god there makinge continuall intercession for vs being that onely all alone perpetuall preist with onelye one sacrifyce for euer finisshing and perfet making them which ar sanctified Euery man I suppose clerely vnderstondith and perceyueth it wel that in and for Christe the father hath geuen vs all thinges All men see what maner teching was the doctrine of the Lorde coÌ„cerning owr saluacion wherby we be iustified and who is the life of the faithfull a doctrine I saye which is short and brief but yet clare manifest full and perfet in euery parte Hitherto perteynith also his tradicion of the benefittes good will to be geueÌ„ forth of the prayers of the faithfull and of fasting and chastysing of the bodye eueÌ„ siche doctrine as is bothe brief and cleare as ye may see in Mat. vi cap. hauing nether any difficultye nor burden Which tradicion and doctrine of christe notwithstoÌ„ding yet apereth intolerable vnable to be expressed vnderstaÌ„deÌ„ of the laye peple if thou estemest it of the disputacioÌ„s of sophisters take it at the subtile setting forth of the scolastical scolders Here folowe all the Sacraments that Christe delyuered to his chirche Now as towching the sacraments very fewe they were which the Lorde commytted vnto his chirche euen onely these tweyne baptisme and the signe or remembraunce of his body and blode For as for Iohn his baptisme he dyspiced it not but with the sâ—â—e himselfe was sanctified And eftesone after he sending his disciples into all the worlde to preache his gospell and to declare it vnto all nacioÌ„s and gentyles sayd See that ye be going to teache all the gentyles or nacions who soeuer thei be baptising them in to the name of the father the sone the holy gost In which institucion thou shalt neuer fynde any thing ether harde or heuye or not playnly spoken and expressed And as for himself whiles he lyued vpoÌ„ the erth and layd forth the holsome preching of the gospell baptysed noman but his disciples he commanded to baptise For the worde of god is more beter and more preciouse then the sacrmentes yea and faith its elfe is more noble then the sacrameÌ„tes Hebre. xi For with oute faith it is vnpossible for eny man to please god And with out faith sacramentes may be ministred but ê“fit shall thei not Furthermore the souper the Lorde himselfe did firste institute and celebrate it in no costely aparell nor in any 〈◊〉 〈…〉 as thei saye ornoweriÌ„g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his table with any ryche iewelle 〈◊〉 chalesses images candle stikis 〈◊〉 cÌ„ There were no glitering golden noâ— syluer sewtes nor preciouse vessels no 〈◊〉 made onerouse charcheable nor harde for any man but all was playne simple easy to be had moderate sobre deceÌ„t and honest For Christe in that sober souper with brede and wyne bothe testifyed and preched vnto vs the mysterye and benefit of owr redempcion and commended and lefte vnto his peple the remembrance of his deth and the coÌ„corde and mutual amyte vnuiolable and perpetuall amongst vs to endewre Nether did he here spinosely that is to saye thornisshely sherpely perplexly with confusion and accombrance of owr wittis and playne vnderstanding subtily and magistrally as the dunre men speke bring in these dede dreames of thys holy sacrament which were and ar woÌ„te now a days to be disputed in scholis vnyuersites and freerly in doctorissh popissh pulpittis As whether there be the very reall â— substanciall body of Christe really naturally substancially corporally as longe as brode as thyke as heuey I can not tell what nor howe as he haÌ„ged on the crosse And agene what into what thing is coÌ„uerted whether brede is turned into nothinge or in to Christus body what substance abideth still and remayneth what substance is loste or ceasseth to be and in so ceassing from his owne substance whether it be nothing at all the accidents that is to saye whightnes lightnes heuynes taste breking baking cÌ„ whether thei there abide still with out substance and whether he be whol with all his membres in the wholl sacrameÌ„t or brede and wholl in euery peese broken whether one bodye may be in heuen and erth and in a thousande places at once And howe so grete a bodye may be wholl in so lytle a crome of breade And whether there be his gloriouse immortal impassible bodye or his body mortall and passible as it was in his souper sittynge with his disciples But Christe at his souper taughte theÌ„ playnely the ferme faith in and to beleue in god he disputed of brotherlye loue clerely and treated of the remission of synnes of pacience and constancye in aduersite and preched them of the adsewered certayn hope of that blessed lyfe to come For these thynges ar holsome and aperteyning to owr saluacioÌ„ to the knowlege of god these thingis requyreth he of his peple WheÌ„ owr Lorde Christe
had delyuered this doctryne concerning the christeÌ„ religioÌ„ and the discipline of the sacramentes priuatly to his disciples and openly to all men dispersed thorowe Galyle and Iewrye and also after that he had purged by his innocent dethe on the crosse the sinnes of the hole world What thinges were delyuered vnto the chirche by the holye goste was bureyd the third daye he ryseth from dethe and by .xl. dayes he apered to his disciples and leste thei shuld haue douted of his resurreccion he shewed himself vnto them by many euident profes himselfe verelye to haue had rysen from dethe in the mean tyme geuing also precepts vnto the apostles of the chirche or coÌ„gregacions to be called togither and constituted thorowe out all the worlde and thus all thingis finisshed he is asceÌ„ded into heuen and sitteth in glorye at the right hande of the father And the precepts which he gaue vnto his were of this maner That thei shuld go forth into all the rownd world and preche his gospell that is repeÌ„taÌ„ce and remissioÌ„ of sinnes in the name of christe and that thei shuld also baptyse the beleuers therof teaching them to kepe all thingis which himself had commauÌ„ded them By the which thing verely he signified the moste ê‘fit kynde of techinge to be delyuered to them For that at he addeth Thei shuld abyde and wait for the coming of the holy goste pertayneth to that purpose vnto the which many meÌ„ violently pluk it as thoughe this holye goste shuld haue delyuered to them a nother news and more large doctryne theÌ„ Christe had before taught them For euen himselfe openly sayd in his gospell He shall not speke out of him self but all thingis what soeuer he hath herde shall he speke agene IoaÌ„ xvi He shall receyue it out of my precepts and doctrine and so shall he shewe it vnto you Agene That same counforter and techer euen the holy spirit whom the father shall sende in my name he shall teche you all thingis and shall laye vpon your hertis impriÌ„ted theryn faste all those things what soeuer I haue tolde taught you Lo he sayth he shall teche you all thingis and because thei shuld not vnderstonde it of any new doctrine or thinke that Chryst perchaunce had not taught them all thingis necessary for theirs and owr saluacion but had left out some vnwriten verites He addeth for a more declaracioÌ„ And shal all those thingis prynte in your hertis the which I my self tolde and spake vnto you Wheresoit folowthe that owr Lorde Christe taughte them all thiÌ„gis but by the reason of their infirmite and weaknes those all thingis or els many of them thei had foregoten so that it was necessarye for them those lessons by the holy spirit to be called agene and beaten faster into their myndes and memory there depelyer to be infastened euery thing fullyer at large to be explicated declared But now lest any man shuld doute of these thingis we wyll gladlye also gather agene togither into a some what thingis the apostles aftir thei receyued the holy gost gaue deliuerd to the chirchis to be obserued What the apostles delyuered vnto the chirche And that we might begyn this demonstracioÌ„ eueÌ„ of S. Peter Ye shall see that he was called forth on a tyme vnto Cornelye the capitayn of the Italyk legioÌ„ For the angell of the lorde had told him that he shuld sende men vnto Ioppen called now porte Iaph and call SymoÌ„ peter Actu x. For he shall tell the what thou muste do Which when he was called now comen and shuld tell him what he shuld do he prescribed him no nother thynge els then that he muste beleue in Iesus Christe For he prechid not els to him but chryst eueÌ„ to be crucified for vs buryed and the thirde daye to haue had rysen from deth yea and himself in the same his preching witnesseth himselfe not to haue had receiued any thing els of the Lorde to be preched saying The Lorde commaunded vs to preache to the people and to testyfye that it is he which is constituted of god to be iuge of the quyk dede Vnto this maÌ„ all the prophetes bere witnesse that who so beleue he shall receiue remission of his sinnes thorow his name Who here of I praye you vnderstaÌ„de the apostles not to haue had delyuered anye wother thingis to the peple dispersed thorow out the worlde then the same which thei receiued delyuered to them of the lorde Who seeth not thissame tradicion and doctryne delyuered to be sufficient vnto saluacioÌ„ to be obtayned and vnto the perfitfull religion of christe For the angell tolde him clerely that Peter shuld shew him what he muste do And Luke added by by what he shewed and prescribed him euen nothing els then that at is expowned and layd forth in these fewe wordis And a non he baptised him with his familye Peter thrusted in nothing into Cornelius of any auriculare confessioÌ„ nor of any puate absolucioÌ„ he taught him nothinge of cases reserued to the Pope He forgote satisfaccion indulgeÌ„cis pardons and popisshe penaunce to be enioyned him He deliuered him nothing of merites and celebracion of mysses or of vowes of chastite to be payd and kept Nothtng of inuocacion of sayntes nor worshiping of images he coÌ„maunded him nothing concerning pilgrimages to Rome or to Hierusalem no mencion of matens eueÌ„song ladypsalters sensing candies processions nor yet of holy brede nor holy water nor asshes but he preched him Christe playnly and in him onely he shewed him all thiÌ„gis And eueÌ„ the same Peter the most constant and feruent affirmer and defender of the simplicite and playnesse of the faith doctryne of christe in the counsel holden at Hierusalem in the which this question was treated Whether onely faith iustifieth and whether the workes of the lawe called good werks shuld be ioyned to faith vnto the ê‘feccioÌ„ of a christeÌ„ man he riseth vp with great grauite pronounceth into these wordes Ye men and brethern ye knowe that of the olde tyme god chose out among vs that throrow my mouthe the gentyles shuld here the worde of the gospell beleue it Acts. xv And god which knowth mens hartis hath testifyed vnto theÌ„ geuing them the holy goste as well as vnto vs no difference putting betwixt vs and theÌ„ when by faith he hath purifyed the hertis of them Nowe therefore wherefore tempte ye god that anye yoke shulde be layd vpon the neckis of the disciples which nether owr fathers nor we haue ben able to beare But by the grace of owr Lorde Iesu christe we beleue to be salued euen as thei beleued and were saued Hitherto haue we recyted the wordis of saynt Peter Here he saith there is but one and that is a sewer and certayne waye vnto saluacion but one that the moste full and perfit forme of iustifying euen by the grace