A godly Confession and Protestacion of the christian fayth made and set furth by Ihon Hooper wherin is declared what a christiaÌ„ manne is bound to beleue of God hys King his neibour and hymselfe The herte beleueth to iustice confession by the mouth is to saluation Roma .x. To the Most vertuous and myghtie Prynce Edward the sixt our mooste redoubted soueraygne Lorde Kynge of England Fraunce and Ierland defendour of the fayth and in yearth nexte and immediately vnder God the supreme heade of the churches of Englande and Ierland And also vnto the most wyse godly and honourable Lordes of his hyghnes priuye Counsell and vnto the rest of the most wyse godly and lerned assembled of all the honourables and other appoynted to be of hys Maiesties most hygh and godlye Court of ParliameÌ„t Iohn Hooper hys most humble louing and obedient Subiect wysheth all grace and peace froÌ„ God wyth long godly and most prosperous raygne ouer vs in al godly knowledge honour helth and perpetual felicitie THe wyse manne Cicero most gracious and myghtie Prynce sayth that he doth not onely wronge y t by violeÌ„ce oppresseth wroÌ„gfully an other maÌ„ but also he that defendeth not if it lye in his power the wronges offered is in no lesse faultye then though he hadde forsaken parentes fryndes or countrye The same doctrine practised he in the defence and propulsyng the iniuries and wronges at tempted wroÌ„gfully against Milo by the fryndes of Clodius as it appeareth by hys eloquente and â—acundious oration made for that purpose in the senate of Rome The same kynde of iniuries other godly men in the scryptures of God haue alwayes accordyng to the lawe eschued for it is wrytten if a manne se hys neyghbours Asse fal vnder hyr but then or hys Oxe to go astraye hys neighboure is bounde to helpe them bothe The Asse from burthen and the Oxe from hys straying The same practised Abraham when he perceiued hys neuewe Loth oppressed with the warres of the Infidelles propulsed and reuenged the iniuries and set hys neuewe at large and lybertie Euen so bee there two sortes of people that two sundry wayes do iniuries and wronges vnto the soule and conscience of men The one of theÌ„ by force or subtiltie defraudeth theÌ„ from the truth and perfection of Goddes worde as hereticall and supersticious mynisters The other at such tyme as they should wyth prayer diligence and preachynge defende the people of GOD from such iniuries and wronges are negligent or duÌ„me The whyche kynde of iniury doubtles the Lorde God almyghtie wyll at length greuously reuenge Therefore against this kynde of iniurye he spake vnto the Prophete Ezechyel It I purpose to sende a Plague vppon the people and thou gyue theym not warnynge thereof I wyll requyre theyr bloâ—de at thy hande The same sayde he vnto Saynt Peter Feede my lambes fedemy sheepe And vnto all the Apostles he sayde make ye all Gentyles my disciples And saynt Paule fearyng to fall in the daunger of the second kynde of doyng wrouge in sauing the wronges of false religion from the churche of Christ layde woo be vnto me if I preach not Vpon the consideration of these premisses seyng al thiÌ„ge be writteÌ„ for our doctrin haue thought it good to wryte and set furth this Confession and protestation of my fayth submyttyng my selfe and my fayth also mooste humbly to be iudged by your Maiestie your most honourable Counsel with the godly assemblaunce of your maiesties most hyghe Court of ParliameÌ„t according to the word of god That by this meanes I may auoyde the payn and daunger dewe vnto all them that neglect or omyt the iniuries and wroÌ„ges that may happen chauÌ„ce by sinister report and false slaunder of Gods word to the conscience of any of your maiesties subiectes For I am credibly infourmed that many false and erronious opinioÌ„s is entred into their hedes of me god forgeue theÌ„ that hath bene y â— occasioÌ„ therof If any way these iniuries and daungerous slaunders may be holpe I thynke this to be the waye to offer mooste humbly my selfe and my faith to be knowne and iudged bi your maiestie after the worde of god I protest before god and your maiestie I wryt not this coÌ„fession for any Apollogie or defence to contend or striue with any man in any matter nor for any priuate affeccion or displeasure I beare vnto any man liuyng or for any inordinate or percial loue vnto my self but for the cause to the same ende before rehersed Lykewyse for three other great causes that shal folow The one toucheth God the other your maiestie the thyrd your louyng subiects As coÌ„cerning God seing both his maiestie myne own conscience my audytory knowe that I haue nether in doctryne nether in maners taught no other thynge then I receyued of the Patryarches Prophetes the Apostles it were not onely synne but also the very parte of a myscreant to deny or betraye the innocencye of that doctrine or to be ashamed to stande to the defence therof seing all godly men haue estemed more the true worde of God then theyr owne mortall liues The seconde cause that toucheth youre Magestie and your mooste honorable Counsell is because vpon credyte and good opinion and partly by experience that your maiestie had both of my true fayth and godly zeale appoynted me amoÌ„g other of your preachers though moost vnworthy to teache your subiectes their dutie to God and man What true subiect can hear and vnderstaÌ„d such vntrue bruites of those that a Kynges maiestie shall appoynte to preach and would not be glad both for Gods sake and his kyngs to remoue such vngodly bruites yf he can for the peace and quietnes of their subiects As for the cause y e toucheth the people it is no lesse worthy then eternal daÌ„nation In case he be worthy of iudgement in daunger of hel fyre y t is angry w t his brother calleth him fole how much more if he cal hys brother heriticke â–ª a denyer of God If the fyrst â—e worthy hel fyre much more the last â–ª Therefore least my brother shoulde dye and then receyue condigne reward dew for a slaunderer what it lieth in me I do by this ProtestatioÌ„ of my fayth cal him to repentaunce And incase any man stand in doubt of myne opinion and meanyng in religion Let hym not damne me before time but vse the meanes with me that the .x. Tribes of Israel vsed wyth the Tribe of Ruben Gad halfe the tribe of Manasses that buy it at their returne to their possessions an aulter vpon the borders of Iordane the whych fact was lyke to haue ingendered great warres But it was stayed by the meanes of consultation and communication had with those that buylded it and theyr myndes knowne the dissention was ended and appeased Euen so I wold desyre my christe couÌ„tremeÌ„ to vse me for I
As it is in the scriptures and in the seconde part of the common crede I beleue in Iesus Christ his onelye sonne our Lorde whiche was conceyued by the holy ghoste borne of the vyrgyn Marye suffred vnder Poncâ—us Pylate he was crucified dead and buried he descended into hel and the third day he arose agayn froÌ„ death vnto life and ascended into heauen and there sitteth on the ryght hand of God the Father almyghtie And froÌ„ thence he shal come to iudge both the quick the dead I beleue that by this meanes and no other the sinnes of al beleuers to be forgeuen without the merites and deseruiÌ„ges of Adams posteritie By AdaÌ„ sinne came into the world and bi sinne deathe Euen so wythoute all merites respectes and worthynes of Adam either of anye of his posteritie by Iesus Chryste came remission of synne and lyfe euerlastyng And euen as I beleue stedfastli sinne death bi this meanes to be ouercome and destroyed and euer lastyng lyfe to follow it so beleue I the sonne of God to be perfect God maÌ„ accordyng to the scriptures and do condemne the heresies of Arian and Marâ—ian with their complices adhereÌ„tes that wyckedly beleued the contrarye And as I confesse and beleue the measies of our saluation to be onely Christ so I condemne the Pelagian and all such other as beleued and taught that thei culd by their own powers streÌ„gth and wyll worke theyr own saluation which false opinion coÌ„culcateth frustrateth slandereth condemneth and blasphemeth all the deseruynges of Christ. Therfore the Pelagian is called worthyly the ennemy of grace Farther I beâ—eeue that the grace of God deserued by the passion of Christ dothe not onely freely and without all merites of man begyn teache and prouoke manne to beleue the promyses of God and so to begyn to worke the wyl of God but also all the woorkes merites deseruynges dooynges and obedience of man towardes God althoughe they bee done by the spirite of god in the grace of god yet being thus done be of no validitee worthynes nor merite before God except God by mercy and grace accompte theym worthy for the worthynes and merites of Iesus Christ that dyed vnder Poncius Pilatus So that I beleue grace not oneli to be the begynner of al good workes but that all good workes done by man in the greattest perfeccion haue neede and wanteth grace to pardon their imperfeccion I beleue in the holye ghoste equalle god with the father and the soÌ„ne and procedynge from them both by whose vertue streÌ„gth and operacion the Catholyke churche is preserued from all 〈◊〉 and false doctrines and teacheth the coÌ„munioÌ„â—f saincts in al truth and verity the whych holy spirit shal neuer forsake the holy church which is Christ his mystical bodye I beleue that this holye spirit worketh the remission of synne the resurreccion of the fleshe and euerlastynge lyfe accordyng to the holy scripture Thys is my fayth and doctryne concirnyng the Godhed and diuersitie of persons in the holy Trinitie and also of the two natures in Chryst hys godhed and manhed Abhorring and detestiÌ„g the heresies of Samosaâ—enes Arian Nestor Eutiches who wer condemned by godly couÌ„cels Nece CoÌ„staÌ„tinople Ephesin Calchedom other I detest and abhor the Martian Manâ—che that faineth to be two gods and both eternal one good the other euil alwaies at debate among them selus I detest abor y e monsterous doctrine of the Valentines so generally of all those that haue denied to be ani god or wold haue many gods Also al those I detest that haue erred and in aintaine theyr erroure in any thyng concerning the essence of god ordeined the plurality of persons as of the father the soÌ„ne and the holye goost This is the faith of gods spiryte in my conscience whiche I haue lerned in hys word haue fayethfullye and râ—lygyouslye preathed and taughte the same in all my sermons as I wyll be iudged by onne audytory Also the same doctryne I haue furthred set forth in al mi boks 〈◊〉 writings though sum CaluÌ„niators and sclaunderers wulde gladly make pore the people beleue the coÌ„trary But I do decline and appeale from such vncharitable spretes vnto the charitable reader and louyng herte of all theym that be indued with gods holy sprete for they wyll not constrayne nor force letter sillable word or senteÌ„ce coÌ„trary to the mynde of the speaker writer but wyll Iudge and serche for iudgement in the processes and circumstances of the writer content themselues with the writers mynde rather than to brynge theyr affection and corrupte myndes to make their own imaginations and fantasies an other mans doctrine as the Arrian Pelagiane Anabaptist Papist and other do and haue doone bryngynge corrupte myndes to the lesson and readyng of Christes testament and wold that their fals heresies and vntrue imaginations should be Christe his doctrine Seeyng bothe goddes lawes and mans lawes suffereth and geueth libertee to euery man in a cause of religion to be interpretater of his owne wordes it were contrarye to iustice to put any man from it For if the auctor may not be the interpreter of his owne mynde what wold not malyce enuy spite and disdayne gather of works most truly and faith fully mente and wrytten And seyng charitee and the lawes of this realme as it appereth in an act of parliament made in y â— first yere of the reigne of our Soueraine Lorde Kyng Edward the syxte geueth lybertee and lycence to hym that shalbe accused for a matter of Religion vpon malice euyll wil hatred disdayn or bee made and suborned recordes to repell and conuicte all suche false recordes and theyr accusers by other faithfull and indifferent Recordes The whiche acte of parliament God forbydde should be denied to any of the kyngs Maiesties preachers for yf the testimonye of theyr audientes shal not quitte theym from the spyte calumniacion of malicious vncharitable meÌ„ they shal not long preache the truth For ether the papistes wyll accuse theÌ„ bycause thei wishe theÌ„ pope al monumentes of papistry to be taken out of the way Ether the carnall gospellar that cannot abyde to heare his faultes carnal life rebuked And I thinke if the Kinges magestie his most honorable couÌ„sel prepare not the soner a brydle correction for synne the true preacher of God hereafter shal be more persicuted for reprehendynge of synne and vngodly lyfe then euer yet hyther vnto he hath bene persecuted by the papistes Thus I haue declared my fayth and belefe towardes God accordyng to the Scriptures in the which I trust to coÌ„tiune vntil deth end this myserable and wâ—fihed life Nowe I wyll declare also the same towardes the churche of Christe what I beleâ—e of the magistrates the mynisters of the woâ—de and the people I dwel wyth al. And of these thynges I wyl speake accordyng
to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles For many tymes as well heretofore as in our daies haue bene supersticious Hipocrites and phaÌ„tastical sprites that haue neglected and coÌ„demned the office of maiestrates iudgemeÌ„tes lawes punishmentes of euyl lawful dominion rule lawful warres and such like without which a coÌ„mon wealth maye not endure Thei haue condemned also the ministery and ministers of Christes church and as for christiaÌ„ societie and charitable loue they confounde Thei vse the ministerye of the churche so that it is out of al estimatioÌ„ supposyng them selues to be of such perfection that thei nede neither the ministery of the word nether the vse of Christ hys holye Sacramentes Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde And the other they vse wyth suche deuilish disorder that thei would by a law make theyrs theyr neighbors and theyr neyghbors theyrs confoundyng al proprietie and dominion of goodes Before our tyme the furye damnable heresy of Marcian and the Maâ—lchees against the maiestrates troubled many a yere dangerousely both Asia and Affrica And not yet cccc yeres syth a gone a sorte of people called Flagelliferi dyd the same And nowe in our tyme to the greate trouble and vnquietnes of mauy common welthes in Europe the Anabaptistes hathe resuscitated and reuyued the same errours Whyche is an argument and token of the deuyls great indignation agaynst ciuile policy and order for he knoweth wher such erâ—ors and false doctrines of politicall ordres be planted two great euils necessarily must nedes folowe the one is sedition that bryngeth murders bloudshedyng and dissipations of realmes the other is blasphemy agaiÌ„st Christes precious bloude for those sectes thincke they be able to saue them selues of by theÌ„ selues Farther wheras the magistrates be cumbred wyth those daungerous sorte of people the Deuyll knoweth theyshal haue no leaser at wil to take some order by gods worde to oppresse suche false doctryne But thys we bee taughte out of the scripture that euen as maÌ„ is ordeined to the order chang and alteracyon of tyme as thorder of the yere appointeth now to be subiect vnto summer nowe vnto winter now to the sprynge and nowe to the falle so hath God ordeined comauÌ„ded maÌ„ to be obedieÌ„t to pollices orders were soeuer he be so they be not repngnauÌ„t nor coÌ„trary to the word of God As Ioseph in his hert bore abrode whersoeuer he wente the true knowledge inuocatioÌ„ of God also of Christ to come yet outwardly in courts indgements contractes and inpossessyon of goddes he vsed the lawe of the EgiptiaÌ„s euen so did Daniel in Babilon Ther is nomore to be taken hede of in lawes and ciuil policies but to se the lawe repugne not the lawe of god and that the lawe makers and those to whom the execucion of the law is coÌ„mended vnto haue a special and singuler â—se vnto the effect and the meaning of the lawe wherâ—ore it was made a law the which S. Paul wonderfully exhorteth people to vnderstande saying of the lawe and magistrates let them be a feare and terrour to the euil doers and a praise and commendacion to the welldoers Neither forceth it though the fourme and maner of lawes of iudgements of paines and punishmentes be not like in al places as the lawes of Feuderies â—ee not lyke in Italy EnglaÌ„d FrauÌ„ce Spain nor Germany Yet shuld euery nation be subiect vnto the lawes of hys owne realme and cyuyll pollicie and in hys doyng he shal offend God no more theÌ„ the Englysh meÌ„ that haue loÌ„ger days in the somer shorter dayes in wynter then those that dwel nere to the south Or s. Paule that had longer dayes at the Solstiâ—ium and pitch of the sunne in Macedon â–ª then Christ had at Ierusalem But eueÌ„ as we be content with our measure and length of dai night and others be contented wyth theyrs so must both thei and we submit oure selues and be contented wyth the measure and order of oure owne lawes I do therfore be wayle and lament that the preachers in the church and scolemasters iÌ„ their scholes the housholder in his housholde do knowe no better what the dignitie and honour of a cyuyl pollicy is by whom it is ordained and by whom it is preserued how dangerous damnable a thynge it is before god and man to trouble and disquiet it by any furour and madnes of opinion as the Marcion Maniches Anabaptistes do I se know by experience muche trouble danger to ryse among the vnlearned vngodly people by ignorancy for wheÌ„ thei se such deformities coÌ„fusioÌ„s rise chauÌ„ce as we se manitimes to happeÌ„ in kingdoÌ„s Cortes indicials lawes gouernonres that more fansy pryuate profytte and syngularitye then the profytte of the hole commoÌ„ wealth and indifferencye of all men and all causes indifferentelye they suppose verelye for lacke of knowledge in goddes woord that all orders pollycyes kingdoms and domynyons be no other thing theÌ„ cruell Tirannie and oppression of the poore And also to haue theyr beginning and orygynall eyther of the Deuyll or of pryde and couetousnes of men Thys same euyl vpon the same occasyon of ignorauncye caused natural wise meÌ„ muche to be troubled and vexed about the consideracioÌ„s of kyngdomes pollicyes Rules and dominions because they perceiued all kingedomes to be subiect vnto troubles and alteracions and not only that but they perceiued ryghte well no kyngedome too bee perpetuall nor for euer And in dede who so behouldeth the begynnynge the contynuaunce and end of the Empyre of Rome shal se righte well they â–ª imaginations to be no vayn thinges Howe muche of herre owne bloude and of straungers bloude dyd Rome shedde before she came to the regimeÌ„t and rule of all the worlde When she was aspyred therunto and was a fear to al the worlde howe muche bloud of her owne shedde she by cyuyll warres and contencyons the iestes and wrytinges that men cioneth of Silla Marius Cinna Cezar PoÌ„peius Brutus Anthonins August other declareth Thus when the Lord God wold take from Rome for her synnes the dominion of the world he seÌ„t the Gothes VaÌ„dâ—ls Hâ—ns Arabies and Turks that wasted not only Italy but also Egipt Aphrica and Asia and so broughte the Empyre of Rome to noughte As many tymes as I reade marke thys history and â—â—her lyke it causeth me to â—doke vpon many euyll Englyshe men as Scipio loked vpon the greate citye of Carâ—hage whiles it was a burning saying with a lamentable voice the inconstancy of fortune in humain things is to be lamented Which voice sprang vpon thys occasion that Carthage being a cyty of greate â—enoâ—me dominioÌ„ was now becom a pray vnto y e fire and deuolted as wisdoÌ„ alwayes doth the consideracion of preseÌ„t euels vnto other yet floryshynge in hault prosperous felycyty and declared as a maÌ„ seing before the ruine and fal of things that stode destinated the fall of Rome to com that