Gen. 20.7 cap. 49 1. prophets did tel of things to come ordred the church in the families as they were g 2. Pet. 1.21 Gen. 15. 17. 21. c. guided by the spirite of God in prophesie or receiued commandement by vision or dreame from God Vnder the law there is the h This is taught in Exodus Numbers Leuiticus expounded in Deuteronomy all the prophets priesthood in the house of Aaron the Leuites vnder thē attend vpon the holy administration by diuers orders and ordināces keeping the people vnder the pure religion of faith loue Vnder the gospel there be also diuers i 1. Cor. 12.4.5.6 c. Mat. 28.19 Ephes 4.11 Rom. 15.18.19 administrations giftes and works set in the church to rule and feede the flocke of Christ to make them obedient to the faith in worde and deed And the k Math. 13.17 cap. 11.11 2. Cor. 3. manifestation of the spirit is more excellent abundant in the latter times then in the former Now in these three times you may see touching these ceremonies and maner of gouernment great difference and that the word of God doth not esteeme of these outward thinges as of the substance of religion vnchangeable as he doth of the inward and spirituall namely faith and loue And first as touching the time before the law Christ teacheth that the Iewes could not be Abrahams children l Ioh. 8.39 because they did not the works of Abraham which workes are not in ceremonies and maner of gouernment for they were two curious in those things and therefore Christ saith in another place m Math. 9.13 Go and learne what this meaneth I will haue mercie and not sacrifice Thereby declaring the morall duties of loue to be substantiall in a religious profession not ceremonies as sacrifice washing tithinge c. And S. Paul on the other side saith thus a Rom. 4.10.11.12 Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnes before hee was circumcised and that after he receiued the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of the faith which he had when he was vncircumcised that he should bee the father of all them that beleeue Where hee sheweth that Abrahams religion whereby hee was iust before God was his faith and that was before hee was circumcised and without circumcision then his circumcision was onely a signe and a seale to strengthen his faith in sealing vp of his righteousnesse but not of the matter or substaunce of his righteousnesse Secondly that this was so deuided that the gentilles which were not circumcised might bee iustified through the same faith without the obseruing of the lawe and the Iewes though circumcised were not iustified except they walked in the steppes of Abrahams faith So that herein consisteth Abrahams religion euen in his faith and walking in the steppes thereof the ceremonies were onely ornamentes and outward helpes to the same After which manner the prophetes also do interprete the law For when the people preferred the ceremonies and maner of gouernment before the morall dueties and faith Esay saith vnto them b Esai 1.10 Heare the word of the Lord O princes of Sodom herken vnto the law of our God O people of Gomorrah What haue I to do with the multitude of your sacrifices saith the Lord c. Where he calleth thē frō the foolish and curious obseruation of ceremonies and maner of gouernment c vers 16. Repentance and the fruites thereof according to loue and of faith in the consent and obedience to Gods word and mercy d vers 19. And in another place he saith that e cap. 66.1.2 God esteemeth neither temple nor sacrifice but the humble and contrite heart who trembleth at his word Hereof Hieremie f Hier. 7.3.4 Amend your waies and your works I will let you dwell in this place trust not in lying wordes saying the temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord c. For this cause the Psalmist sheweth that the end g Psal 78.5.7 why God gaue Israel his law that they should teach it there posteritie was this That they might set their hope on God and not forget the workes of God but keepe his commandements And the cause of all the plagues was not in regard of ceremonies or maner of gouernment for he saith h Psal 50.8 I wil not reproue thee for thy sacrifices but for their falling away from faith as it is written a Psal 106.13.14.24 They forgat his workes waited not for his counsell but lusted with concupiscence c. and beleeued not his worde And therefore it is said in the Epistle to the Hebrewes b Heb. 3.2 The word that they heard profited not them because it was not mixed with faith in those that heard it So likewise in the whole tenor of the gospell what is the principall aime of the holy Ghost to make men religious are not these two namely faith and loue is not the summe of the gospel in these two c Marc. 1.15 Repent beleeue the gospell Did not Paul say that when he taught the Ephesians all the counsell of God that he taught them d Act. 20.20.21 Repentance towardes God faith in Iesus Christ and what is this els but that wee should leaue the wickednesse of our heartes and liues and walke in all dueties of loue to God and man and hold fast his holy couenant by a true liuely faith Therefore he saith els where that e Gal. 5.6 in Iesus Christ neither circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue Where by circumcision he meaneth the ceremonies and maner of gouernment of the law as hee expoundeth it verse 3. and so contrarily vncircumcision signifieth the order and maner of the gentils Therefore these outward thinges are not the maine substance but onely faith and loue Hereof it is that the spirite of God commendeth the f Eph. 1.15 Coloss 1.4 1. Thes 1.3 churches for their faith and loue hope and patience and Saint Paul speaking of himselfe sheweth how hee became a religious Christian saying g 1. Tim. 2.13 Before I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an oppressor but I was receiued to mercie c. but the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and loue which is in Christ Iesus Whereby you see that a wicked life and vnbeliefe make a prophane and irreligious person but faith and loue a true and religious Christian And hereof followeth the difference betweene an hipocrite and a true Christian the one is altogether superstitious in outward thinges h Mat. 23.5 labouring by such obseruations to appeare righteous religious vnto men but within is full of hipocrisie and iniquitie the other hath i 1. Tim. 1.5 loue out of a pure heart and of a good conscience of faith vnfained And this is the cause that
couenant of faith to be their God in the promise of Christ vpon this he requiring obedience in a godlie life doth insinuate that they which professe the faith that God is their God must declare their faith by obedience to his commaundements and therefore he saith in an other place e Deut. 6.11 Beware thou forget not the Lorde thy God not keeping his commandements c. which sheweth plainlie that where disobedience is there is no faith for how can he haue faith that forgetteth him in whom hee should beleeue Hereupon all their disobedience rebelling and prouoking of God in the wildernes is said to be this a Psal 78.22.32 Heb. 4.1 They beleeue not God And this doth Moises aime at when hee saith Thou hast set vp the Lord this day to be thy God and to walke in his waies and to keepe his ordinances c. whereby it appeareth that vnto faith in couenanting with GOD this is an inseperable consequent that if we embrase God by faith we ought to follow his commandements by our deeds and he that doth not this latter bewraieth that he hath not with a true hart and faith receiued the former Therefore the prophets which expound the law in the person of God say thus a Mat. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his Master If then I bee a father where is my honour and if I be a master where is my feare c. Nowe we know that wee are sonnes no way but by faith Therefore this prophet intendeth that we are not ioined to the Lorde by faith either as his people children or seruants or that hee is our God father and Lorde except our deedes shew the vnfainednes of our faith in honor and feare Therefore saith an other prophet b Psal 116.10 I beleeued and therefore I spake making it a most assured thing that a liuely faith cannot bee secrete and idle but will shewe it selfe by the outwarde deedes and namely profession Therefore a iust and righteous man in the prophets is thus described a Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the law of his God is in his heart c. Who is righteous but the beleeuer and how are we righteous but by faith this teacheth then that the beleeuer hauing the law of his God in his heart cannot but bring foorth good workes both in worde and in deed euen as the vnbeleeuer cannot bring forth any other but euill deeds therefore by the prophetes euill doers and beleeuers are made contraries as it is written b Verse 9. Euill doers shall be cut off but they which waite vpon the Lord shall inherite the lande And againe c Psal 32.10 Many sorrowes come to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercie shal compasse him But the Gospell doeth shewe this yet more brightly as namely where it is said d Gal. 5.6 In Iesus Christ neyther circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue that is to say faith doeth not onely take holde on Christ for righteousnes but also buddeth out before God and man the sweet blossoms of loue in the workes of pietie and honestie And therefore Christ challengeth them for no beleeuers in him which walke disobediently saying e Luk. 6.46 Why call ye mee master master and do not the things that I speake Whereupon the blessed Apostle is not afeard to say that he which is not a new man in holines righteousnesse but runneth greedily after his lusts in wickednesse hath not f Eph. 4.10.11 learned Christ as the truth is in Iesus And S. Iohn speaking of the hope of Gods children what they shal be at the ioyful appearance of Christ constantly affirmeth that i 1. Ioh. 3.3 euerie man who hath this hope purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And againe k Vers 10. In this are the children of God knowen the children of the Deuil whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother So that as clearely as the sunne is seene to shine in the middest of the day it is most apparant both by Abraham Moses and the prophetes and also by Christ and his Apostles that our faith and doctrine taught in England touching workes is most sound and catholicke namely that works necessarily follow faith declare it to be a true and a liuely faith and he that liueth licentiously and wickedly hath not faith The ninth Article of the meanes of religion which is the word of God 9 The word of God is the onely perfect rule of religion teaching all things whatsoeuer is necessarie vnto saluation and the same is fully wholy and onely contained in the holy and canonicall scriptures of the old and new testament IN this Article it is first necessary to know distinctly what is this word of God For some men confound this with the second person in the trinitie because the sonne of God is called the word by the holy Euangelist a Ioh. 1.1 1. Ioh. 5.7 S. Iohn Where they are to know that we consider in God two things what hee is in himselfe and what outwardly he doth or commeth from him Now the worde which is the sonne of God which is the second person in the trinitie is alwaies in God verie God as we truely say The father the word or the sonne and the holy ghost are ouer the same God But the word of God which wee heere speake of is the knowledge and reuelation of Gods wil touching godlinesse therfore called Gods word because it commeth not nor can come by the will or vnderstanding of man or any creature but by God himselfe is deliuered to his saintes as it were spoken by Almightie God as wee see in our first parente b Gen. 3. Adam after his fall hee was deade in sinne he had no will wit nor vnderstanding touching saluation till God called him and taught him by his word and gaue him the promise of Christ saying The seed of the woman should breake the serpentes head For which cause it is called c Eph. 1.9 Colos 25.26 The mystery of Gods will Which God in diuers maners in diuers times hath reueiled to his church d Numb 12. c. 7.8 2. Pet. 1.21 In darke speeches by dreames and vision openly and plainly as vnto Moses and by inspiration of the holy Ghost Of which it is thus written e Heb. 1.1.2 At sundrie times in diuers manners God spake in the olde time to our fathers by the prophetes in these last dayes he hath spoken to vs by his son And therfore these phrases in the prophets are plentifull The f Esai 1. Hier. 1. Lord hath said The word of the Lord came c. And many such like as all men know â—hich are acquainted with the holy scripture Now this being vnderstood we are to obserue
the power and working should remaine distinct in that verie manner and order as is before declared in Baptisme and all the other sacraments Now if any man would here presse vpon mee the change of times that therfore the sacraments of the new testament haue more power and vertue in the worke wrought then they of the old as though that now such a grace were in the outward action of the minister ministring the Sacraments in due forme as was not in the sacraments of the old testament I answer that this can not be shewed by any wordes of the new testament For if they alleadge that baptisme is intituled by the verie worke it signifyeth as it is called c Tit. 3.5 The washing of the newe birth and the bread in the Lordes supper is thus expressed by Christ This is my bodie Wee may answere that so and in the same sence circumcision is called the couenant and the lambe the passeouer And as in the old testament God openeth his minde when hee calleth the same circumcision by the name of a signe So here doth the new Testament expresse the same meaning as where Christ is said to sanctifie cleanse his Church d Ephes 5.26 By the washing of water through the word Where the water is not vnderstoode to doe any thing of it selfe but as it is ioyned to the word as a signe and seale therof for Christ teacheth directly that it is the a Ioh. 15.3 word that cleanseth vs. And as I shewed before Saint Peter saith It is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh that is the outwarde washing of water that saueth vs. And againe Christ calling the cup the new testament in his bloud doth also to open his mind adde this as oft as wee drinke it we should doe it in remembrance of him And least we should dreame of a further power in our sacraments then in them of the old Saint Paule doth of purpose teach the contrarie to the Corinthians shewing that the read sea and the cloud was vnto Israel that which baptisme vnto vs saying b 1 Cor. 10.1 They were all baptized vnto Moses in the cloud and in the sea And that Manna and the rock was that vnto them which the Lords supper is vnto vs saying And did all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spirituall rock which followed them and the rocke was Christ Which may further appeare by his reason notwithstanding these sacramentes they were ouerthrowne in the wildernesse therefore they were but outward signes and seales effectuall onely in the beleeuers Vers 6.11 as is expounded Heb. 4.2 which being compared vnto vs by an equall comparison when he saith These are ensamples to vs c. And againe Now all these came vnto them for ensamples were written to admonish vs. It must needs bee that he maketh the vertue of the sacraments of both times equal seeing that giuing the same termes to those sacraments which are giuen vnto ours he inferreth that if we doe as they did wee shall haue the same punishment And it soundeth that way that he saith a little c Vers 16.17 after that we by eating of our sacrament of the Lords supper are partakers of the bodie and blood of Christ and all members in one bodie And that they which b vers 18. eat of their sacrifice were also partakers of the alter that is of the good graces of God in Iesus Christ of whom the c Heb. 9. 9. cap. 13.10.15 alter was a figure Therefore it cannot be that a greater grace or vertue should bee in the sacraments of the new Testament aboue the sacraments of the old And where as some thinke that in the Lords supper the bread is changed into the bodie of Christ and so consequently there should bee a great difference from the old sacraments this may not onelie be ouerthrowne by this that Christ followeth the same order and termes in instituting of these which were vsed in the institution of the other as is alreadie sufficiently declared but also because the holie ghost by diuers other arguments doth make this most apparant namely that the signe remaineth distinct from the thing signified and neuer changed into the same First hee saith d 1. Cor. 11.26 As often as yee eat this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till hee come Where note first that in teaching vs the meaning of this Sacrament hee telleth vs that it is a shewing of the Lordes death a great oddes then from being his bodie For it is one thing to shewe his death and an other thing to make it his bodie and least it might bee taken that both might concurre hee openeth himselfe saying Till he come thereby teaching that this is an outward testimonie of his death till hee returne from heauen where he now is for it cannot be said til he come if he be there in presence yet more fully when he saith by eating this bread c. we shewe his death c. which maketh it manifest that this eating and drinking is the Sacramental signe and this shewing of his death is the signification and the reason till he come that is because he is absent in bodie he hath left this sacramēt as a pledge and seale of his death till he come againe in his bodie and therefore he calleth it bread a ver 26.27.28 three times in this place and that euen then when it is eating after the woords as they say of consecration And last of all it is to be considered that there is no ground or reason reueiled by God in his woord that the same maner of speech in the same kinde of thing in the new Testament should differ from the old in signification and vse Secondly when he saith This cup is the new Testament in my bloud why may wee not as well take the cup to be changed into his bloud as to say the bread is changed seeing there is no more exception in the one then there is in the other Thirdly if the heauens must containe him as saint b Act. 3.21 Peter saith vntil the time that al things be restored and that no where it is reueiled that the consecrating of the bread and wine is accepted how can there be his bodily presence And to conclude if he shall so come as he was seene goe into heauen as the Angell c Act. 1.11 taught the Apostles and that wee must d Math. 24.26.27 not beleeue them which say He is in secret places but as Christ teacheth hee shall come as the lightning commeth out of the East and shineth vnto the West Then it must needs follow that we cannot conster or vnderstand this any otherwise but as the sacraments of the old Testament so our sacraments of the new Testament are onely signes and seales of the couenant of mercie in Christ Iesus which
the light of his word to make all things manifest that it might be said of vs as by prerogatiue it was once spoken of Israel Psal 147.19 He sheweth his worde vnto Iacob his statutes his iudgements vnto Israel he hath not so dealt with euerie nation c. The entrance of her Maiesties raigne a most blessed day vnto England There was a day of darkenesse a day of great blacknes sorrow when the people of this land were made slaues vnder the thraldome of spirituall Aegipt and Babilon when they knew not aright the true and liuing God nor the power grace of our Lord Iesus Christ but were led after vaine things in whom there was no helpe and men by a iust plague of God were giuen ouer vnto their owne lustes and fancies yea euen vnto most abhominable idolatrie But the day of her Maiesties most royall coronation was a day of light and glorie a day of cleare and perfect ioy in that day did the sunne of righteousnes arise shined from on hie hee cast forth his bright and pleasant beames and enlightened all the land Then fell away the grosse misse of palpable foolishnesse and ignorance and the vaile of mans presumption was taken from our hartes Then humane deuises and the greeuous yoke of the apostaticall bondage in tradition voluntary seruice of men was taken from our necks Then were our hearts opened and the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God and his bright shining countenance in the face of Iesus Christ did shine into our soules It was a day that the verie Angels of heauen did reioyce and sing because of the sweet blessed tidings of great ioy vnto al the people of this land For the grace of God which bringeth saluation vnto all men did then appeare and the beautifull feet of the messengers of peace which brought tidings of good thinges and said vnto euery elect soule Thy God raigneth had then a merrie and comfortable passage and safe trauell ouer all the land the embassadors of God brought vnto vs the wholsome word of reconciliation Then did the Lorde plant his vineyard and build his holy temple among vs and hee became our strong sanctuarie and visited vs with his rich mercie and saluation his blessings spirituall and corporall most plentiful flowed down from heauen vpon our land So that our enemies being Iudges it must needes be said God hath done great things for vs and hath giuen vs all things aboundantly to enioy In which time many nations round about vs in greeuous darknesse and bloudy miserie euen mourning dayly before our eyes might well haue counted themselues happie if they had part of our peace We haue lent and not borrowed wee haue giuen and not taken we haue beene a refuge for the poore and a place of succour for the persecuted our men and money haue beene a reliefe to the oppressed and deliueraunce to many in great daunger and distresse Our prince hath bin an hyding place from the wind as a refuge for the tempest as riuers of waters in a drie place and as the shadow of a rocke in a wearie land My pen is insufficient and I am vnworthie and vnable to rehearse the manifold and constant goodnesse and fauours of God vpon vs these many yeares O let vs loue the Lord and serue him let vs praise and glorifie him who hath beene so beneficiall and bountifull vnto vs. Hee hath deliuered our soules from death our eyes from teares and our feet from falling hee hath brought vs out of the horrible pitte and mierie clay and set our feet vpon the rocke and ordered our goings hath put in our mouthes a newe song of praise vnto our God many that haue seene this haue reuerenced the Lord and put their trust in our God All Englishmē are bound to loue the Queenes most excelent Maiestie And who can but loue the blessed and worthy instrument of our peace and ioy whose heart is not inflamed with her desire If wee were tenne thousand times more then wee are and euerie man had a thousand liues who would not willingly lay them downe at her feete in the cause of truth to shewe his thankfull mind vnto her Maiestie who hath constantly passed through many hazardes of her life for loue of Gods truth and care of his Church whose hart is not greatly moued to glorifie God who hath giuen vs so faithful constant a nurse louing mother so wōderfully defended and preserued her and by vnder her most happy gouernment hath made vs so many yeares together without feare the free possessors of most vnspeakable ioy in the participation of incomparable heauenly treasure and most flourishing earthly prosperitie We are to consider whether we haue rendred to the Lord according to his kindnes toward vs. But O my deare mother my good reuerend fathers and brethren haue wee rendred to the Lorde according to his kindnesse haue wee with reuerence receiued with thankfulnesse acknowledged and with care conscience vsed these mercies of our good and louing God and mercifull father in Iesus Christ O that I could boldly and faithfully so say that our siluer were not become drosse and our wine mixt with water And that the vine which God hath planted with good and pleasant plants did not in stead of grapes bring forth wild grapes and men did not neglect yea forsake the word of the Lord and follow the foolish imaginations of their owne heartes O that it might not be iustly said that the Lord hath a controuersie with this lande because there is no truth nor mercie nor knowledge of God in the land By swearing and lying and killing and stealing and whooring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud And that men did not encourage one another in their wicked and vicious liuing saying come and let vs bring wine and wee will fill our selues with strong drinke and to morrow shall bee as this day and much more aboundant let vs eate and drinke for to morrow we shall die O that men would consider and that their hearts would smite them in remembring and forethinking what a fatherly watch word our tender and louing God hath giuen vs by many and sundry most mild and kindly tempered corrections and chastisementes at many times but especially within these eighteene yeares last past when hee beganne at his sanctuarie and lightly touched his holy remembrancers when he caused a great and cloudie mist to couer the verie heauens so that many bright starres were not seene to shine for a certaine season Then did the windes burst out shaking our houses ouer our heades as vnworthie to dwell vnder so good and plentifull grace our bodies and liues were assailed with grieuous pestilence dearth scarsitie and the threatning sword did aduance themselues against vs. Thousands haue gone forth and returned but by hundreds And now seeing all these things haue not made vs to turne to him that smiteth
gospell pag. 7. 6. Heere is opened that faith and loue are substantiall and perpetuall but by Gods disposition ceremonies and manner of gouernment are changeable pag. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 7. Although ceremonies and maner of gouernment are not of the vnchangeable substance of religion yet are they to bee reuerently vsed and not violated during the time of Gods assignment and prescription pag. 14. 15. 16. CAP. 2. 1. How God hath gouerned his Church in one religion before and after the fall pag. 17. 18. 2. And since the promise giuen to Adam of Christ in three sorts the fathers before the law the Iewes vnder the law and the Gentils vnder the gospell pag. 19. 20. 21. 3. In all these three times was there a difference in the outward face of gouernment but not in substance of religion pag. 22. 4. And this by Gods iudgements and manifestation of his spirit hath beene alwaies maintained and preserued pag. 23. 24. 25. 5. And it will be a witnesse of our religion now professed in England against all Atheists papistes and other wicked men pag. 26. CAP. 3. Here is more largely shewed the vnitie of faith in all ages and that the religion openly professed at this present in England is the same ancient and onely catholicke faith of Abraham Moses and the Prophets and which Christ his Apostles preached taught Where first is declared that Abraham receiued it of God both for the Iewes and also for all other nations pag. 27. 28. 29. 30. 2. The particulars are compared in 15. seuerall Articles of the most waightie pointes of doctrine pag. 31. c. vnto pag. 132. CAP. 4. Wherein is declared 1. That antiquity vniuersalitie and visible succession is no perfect marke of the church much lesse of the popish sinagogue which is but of yesterday pag. 133. c. 2. The measure order of the visible succession of the Church from Christes time forward is shewed by the scriptures pa. 137. c. 3. The papists do proue themselues to be no Church when they ground themselues on this false principle The Church cannot erre pag. 40. 141. 4. How the true religion hath shewed it selfe by many witnesses from the Apostles times euen vnto our daies pag. 143. c. The second part of the newnesse of poperie CAP. 1. HOw the Romish superstition disagreeth with the true ancient catholike religion faith of Gods elect Where is declared 1. How many waies in this sort disagreement is to be found pag. 149. 2. And that in all the former fifteene Articles they disagree very greatly pag. 152. 153. c. CAP. 2. Of the disagreement that popish superstition now taught in Rome hath with the religion S. Paul taught the Romans with the doctrine S. Peter taught the Iewes pag. 181. 182. c. CAP. 3. Of the agreement of popish doctrine with all kind of heresie where it is compared how the popish heresie resembleth the ancient heresies of the primatiue ages of Christes Church pag. 193. 194. c. CAP. 4. Of the originall of poperie wherein is declared 1. That by the precedent Chapters it may appeare to be of a late birth pag. 205. 206. 2. That neither the difference of calculation in stories nor forging of writings nor mangling of good authors do hinder the knowledge of their birth pag. 207. 208. 3. Their owne tongues and traditions proue poperie new pag. 209. 210. c. 4 Many particulars are rehearsed out of popish authors and the former counsels pag. 214. 215. c. 5. Fiue fundamentall pointes more largely examined by antiquitie pag. 235. 236. c. 6. The latter ouergrowing and lopping and daily new sprowting of poperie pag. 275. 276. c. 7. That poperie is not yet a perfect bodie of his full shape proportion and members pag. 283. CAP. 5. Heere is shewed that all men ought to flie poperie 1. Because of the exceeding danger it bringeth to themselues to their seed countrie pag. 289. 2. It is of all heresies and apostasies the most pernitious pag. 293. 3. It is not tollerable or to be winked at in any Christian common wealthes pag. 312. 4. We of England haue great cause to praise God that we haue nothing to do with pag. 315. CHAP. 1. Wherein is shewed first that we come to know the true religion by the true knowledge of God 2. That there is one God and that he is the onely law-giuer 3. Therefore there is but one Catholike and vnchangeable religion whereof God is author and maintainer 4. For this cause Christ and his Apostles teach the same religion which is in the olde Testament and the gentils are adopted to be Children vnto Abraham 5. Here is taken away the obiection which might arise by the difference which seemeth to be in the three times before the law vnder the law and after the law that is vnder the Gospell that although there was a difference in ceremonies and maner of gouernment yet the religion al one in faith and loue 6. Here is opened how faith and loue are substancial and perpetual and ceremonies and maner of gouernment changeable 7. And that although ceremonies and maner of gouernment are not of the vnchangeable substance of religion yet are they to be reuerently vsed and not violated during the time of Gods assignment and prescription as necessary dueties in the worship seruice and obedience which wee owe vnto God TO know the true ancient catholike annd vnchangeable religion that is the vndeceiuable way of saluation and perfect rule of vpright liuing we must get the knowledge of the true liuing God For in the * Eph. 4.17 Tit. 3.3 2. Pet. 1.3 ignorance of God is the estate of the wicked the cause of damnation and whosoeuer knoweth God aright he hath by the diuine gift of Christ all things pertaining to life and godlines Therefore our blessed Sauiour speaking to his father the almightie and glorious God constantly affirmeth a Ioh. 17. ver 3 This is eternal life to know thee to be the onely verie God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. So the Prophets foretell that the happie estate of the word should be then when b Esai 11.9 The earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord c Hier 31.31.32 the people know God from the least to the greatest Such was the glad tidings of the Gospel which maketh bewtiful the feet of him which declareth and hublisheth peace saying vnto Syon that is to the church Thy a Esai 52.6 God reigneth and the same vnto all nations is proclaimed by the name of the great b 1. Tim. 3.16 misterie of godlines God manifested in the flesh And the effect of the gospell preached agreeth thereunto for those nations c Gal. 4.8 1. Thes 1.9 who being led by the impotent and beggerly rudiments of the world knew not God and did seruice vnto them which by nature were no Gods by the hearing of the gospel preached did
but by the holy ghost as Christ plainly a Ioh. 3.5 expoundeth saying No man can enter into the kingdome of God except he be borne againe by the holie ghost Abraham doubtles being taught the true meaning of these words who spake and of whom and what maner of promise this was and how it shoulde be performed could not but behold therin learne the most excellent misterie and doctrine of the trinitie And in this sence and meaning doth the church of England hold this article of religion with Abraham as may appeare not onely by the vniuersall and notorious knowledge of our profession but also by fower Creedes set downe in the booke of Common praier to be heard learned and confessed of all men The Apostles creed Te Deum Athanasius creed and the Nicen creed and in the first article of religion agreed vpon by our church and established by lawe Ann̄ 1562. Moses consent in this article is to bee seene in these words b Deut. 6.4 Here O Israel the Lord our God is Lord only Where this word Lord being in Hebrew Iehouah noteth out the true God being all sufficient of him selfe and therfore Moses was c Exod. 3.14 taught to call him Eheie that is I am or shal be meaning a continuance without beginning or ending Secondly this clause our God in hebrew is * Elohenu a word of the plurall number noteth out the pluralitie of persons then adding in the singuler number that he is Lord or Iehouah onely signifieth that although there is pluralitie that is three persons yet there is but one God And therefore that which is spoken Psal 95. of the tempting of God out of Deut. 9. ver 8. where is said by Moses they prouoked Iehouah to anger the prophet d Esai 36.10 Esay the epistle e Heb. 3.7 to the Hebrewes expound it to be the tempting of the holy ghost f 1. Cor. 10.5 and S. Paul to bee tempting of Christ so that Moses by these places is to bee vnderstood to haue taught the same doctrin of the Trinitie namely one all sufficient Iehouah the same three persōs God the father God the son God the holy ghost The prophets who are the true and perfect interpreters of Moses doe vtter this doctrin yet more plainly speaking in the person of God g Esai 44.6 I am the first and I am the last and beside me there is no God h Cap. 4.3.13 Before the day was I am there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand i 45.21 a iust God and a Sauiour and there is none beside me k Malach. 3.6 I the Lord change not l Nahum 1.5 The mountains tremble for him and the hils melt c. And as touching the Trinitie in plaine termes thus m Hag. 2.5.6 I am with you saith the Lord of hostes with the word wherewith I couenanted with you when you came out of Egypt and with my spirit remaining among you where you see the father by excellencie called the Lord of hosts the son being the mediator of the couenant is called the word by whom and for whom God couenanteth and the holy ghost his spirit placed in his church by his manifold gifts and mightie works Heb. 2.4 the like place is in a Esai 63.7.8.9.10 Esay where in the person of the father is shewed Gods mercie loue and kinde prouidence ouer his people and he pointeth out the second person by the name of the angel of his presence who saued them and the holy ghost he calleth his holy spirit whom they vexed But the new Testament is plainest of al. First Math. 3. where the father witnesseth of the son and the holy ghost in the shape of a doue commeth vpon him and Christ commandeth to b Math 28.19 Baptise in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost And c 1. Ioh. 5.7.9 S. Iohn calleth this the witnes of God that there are three which beare record in heauen the father the word and the holie ghost and these three are one In which article wee must vnderstād the three persons not as we do three persons of men who though they be but of one nature which is the nature of man yet are they in such sort 3. persons in one nature as they are also 3. diuers men But in God is a more neere vnion namely that they being 3. persōs distinguished in property the father begetting the son begotten the holy ghost proceeding yet these three so distinct in person are not onely of one kind of nature which is to be God for so they might be vnderstood to be three gods as Peter Iames and Iohn though of one nature are yet three men but also of one and the same essence in vnitie of number namely that the father son and holie ghost are all in one God and do make and be all but one and the same God of the same inseperable power eternitie wil wisdom and goodnes as is very excellently expounded in the creed of Athanasius The second article is of the Cause of Causes 2 By the decree of God all thinges were fore ordained how they should be and concerning man who should be saued by faith in Christ and who should be damned for their sinnes THis doctrine GOD teacheth Abraham two waies first in the promise d Gen. 12.3 how al the families of the earth should be blessed in which there is the reuelation of Gods decree what should become of all nations in the world namely that they of al nations which attaine blessednes shoulde haue it by Christ and all other should be damned then e Cap. 17. when he seperateth the Iewes by circumcision kept out the gentils till the fulnes of times it argueth that according to his decree he dispenseth the times and seperateth the nations and that in the matter of the saluation and damnation of men euen as saint Paul expoundeth it saying f Eph. 1.9.10 And hath opened to vs the mistery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in him selfe that in the dispensation of the fulnes of times he might gather together in one all things both which are in heauen which are in earth euen in Christ The other way is in trying of Abraham whē he was so olde before he had his son Isaac for hauing made the promise to Abraham generally First a Gen. 12.3 cap. 15.5 In thy seed and secondly So shall thy seed be Sarah finding her selfe barren b Gen. 16. gaue her maide to Abraham thinking to haue the seed that way and he went into her and she brought him foorth a sonne when he was fower score and six yere olde and he called his name Ismaell But after this God c Cap. 17.15 commanded Abraham to change his wiue Sarahs name from Sarai to Sarah because he would giue her a son and blesse and
kingdoms But as concerning the saluation or damnation of men they say thus g Pro. 16.4 God made all things or men for himselfe yea euen the wicked for the day of euil which words sheweth that the coūsel of God in making all things regarded this ende Gods glorie not only in those which are elected vnto saluation but euen in those which are reprobated vnto euil that is to damnation as in Malachie he also saith h Malach. 1. ver 2.3 Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated which words are before cited by saint Paul for Gods eternal decree touching mans saluation and damnation But the new Testament is somewhat plainer where we are taught to confesse Gods eternall purpose before the creation how all things should be in these words i Reuel 4.11 Rom. 11.36 Thou art worthie O Lord to receiue glorie and honour and power for thou hast created all thinges and for thy will sake they are and haue been created And againe Of him and through him and for him are all things to him bee glorie for euer Amen But more particularly touching man it is said first for the elect k Eph. 1.4 He hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundation of the world c. And of the reprobate Christ is l 1. Pet. 2.8 a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence euen to them which stumble at the word vnto the which thing they were euen ordained Which is so plaine that all men may see euidently that the counsell and decree of God ruleth ouer all and in all things His holy name be blessed for euer Amen Therefore in this Article our English beliefe is the same which God teacheth Abraham by himselfe and Israel by Moses and the prophets and both Iewes and gentils by his Christ and his Apostles The third Article of the estate of man by the fall of Adam and before his calling 3 The heart of man before and without the grace of God is altogether corrupt by originall sinne descending from Adam so that in him there is no power to do any worke of godlines pleasing God THis Article doth shew the damnable estate of man before hee haue faith in Christ in three things 1. in the vniuersall corruption of his soule by originall sin which consisteth in the want of knowledge and freewill vnto godlinesse 2. That it commeth from Adam descending from father to sonne 3. And in that before grace all his workes are sinne in the sight of God Before the fall Adam being made a Gen. 1.26 Colos 3.10 Eph. 4.24 after Gods image in knowledge holinesse and righteousnes could not be corrupt in soule but as the preacher saith b Eccles 7.3 Gen. 1.31 God made man righteous And Moses saith God saw all that he had made loe it was verie good But after Adam c Cap. 3. had eaten of the forbidden fruite the tree of knowledge of good and euill then lost he this holy image and goodnes of soule as appeareth in that he could not abide the presence of God he was ashamed and hid himselfe and whē God called him to an account he posted the matter to his wife and in a sort charged God saying d Vers 12. The woman which thou gauest to be with me she gaue mee of the tree c. Which declareth how hee was vtterly voide of goodnes in that hee shewed no inclination to repentance or submission to God and this further appeareth in his sonnes Caine and Abell e Gen. 4. Heb. 11.4 the one being without faith alas altogether set on euil works could not please God with his sacrifice the other by faith shewing his new birth offered an acceptable sacrifice So that it is apparant that this corruptiō is exceeding great is hereditarie descending from Adam and so from father to sonne making euerie soule vnable to doe any godlines Wherefore when the world was multiplyed in people they became most shamefull in wickednes which God not able to abide therefore minding their destruction sheweth the ground to be this originall sinne namely f Gen. 6.5 cap. 8.21 All the imaginations of the thoughtes of his heart were onely euill continually And againe the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Where thou maist see that being in the heart and from the youth this corruption is naturall and originall comming from the parents and being onely euill and imaginations it sheweth the vniuersal corruption and then being continually this bewrayeth the emptinesse of knowledge free wil vnto God also that nothing can be done by a mā vnregenerate godly pleasing to the Lord. Now looke we vpon the storie of Abraham Noe was a iust man he his three sons had seen the great plague vpō all the world by the floud yet there posterity fell from God this was found in Abraham and his fathers house so that they were cleane fallen from God worshipped other Gods which in deede were no Gods which doubtlesse had not beene but by this originall corruption For what did they either by vnderstanding or will to prepare or dispose themselues to grace or what worke find wee they did to please God iust nothing But God called Abraham and in calling of him endewed him with faith and so he by faith obeyed pleased God as is interpreted by the holy ghost in the Epistle to the a Heb. 11.8 Hebrewes By faith Abraham when he was called obeyed God c. And if it were by faith it must needs be meerely the supernaturall gift of Gods spirit as the Apostle saith b 1. Cor. 12.8 To one is giuen by the spirit the word of wisedom to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another is giuen faith by the same spirit Then surely before this gift of the spirite Abrahams heart was altogether corrupt which the prophet Ezechiel openeth more plainly who Ezec. 16.3.4.5 c. speaking of the first founding of the church of Israel Iews in the persō calling of Abr. cōpares that time of their first ingrafting into the couenant to bee made Gods people vnto the time of a childe newly come into the world Namely that God saw their father Abraham in whom he adopted them to be his church and Sarah his wife their mother as a child whose nauel was not cut nor washed with water nor softened nor swadled with clouts whom no eye pittied but was cast out in contempt of his person then saith God to the whole generatiō of Israel as one man that began in Abraham When I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said vnto thee when thou wast in thy bloud thou shalt liue And a little after I spread my skirt ouer thee and couered thy filthinesse yea I sware vnto thee entered into couenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine c. In which wordes allegorically
he doth shew that all Israel in Abraham and Sarah their father and mother had vtterly perished with the rest of the world thorow this originall corruption had not God called them endewed them with faith and giuen them the couenant And as a childe new borne whose nauell is vncut and walloweth in his bloud and cast out in contempt hath no cleannesse in him nor power to prepare himselfe vnto cleannesse must needes haue all from the hand of them that take pittie on him So was Abraham void of all good knowledge and wil vnto godlinesse vntil God purified his heart by faith And as this was found in Abraham so he learned and beleeued the same obseruing the like in others whom God had not called as he had him for when a Gen. 12.10 cap. by famine hee was faine to go into Aegypt and afterward into Gerar his wife Sarah being a faire woman hee feared to acknowledge her to be his wife because he knew that the people being without grace and faith could not but encline to lust after her as the sequell did plainely declare and hee sheweth a reason b vers 11. Surely the feare of God is not in this place and they will slay mee for my wiues sake Where by the want of the feare of God putting the effect for the cause he vnderstandeth that they were voide of the grace of God of and in themselues so corrupt with this naturall deprauation that hee could not looke for any good but euill to come from them euen as Christ saith c Mat. 12.33 Either make the tree good and his fruit good or els make the tree euill and his fruit euill d Apolog. of England cap. 19. diuis 1 And this is also the faith of the Church of England for wee say That euerie person is borne in sin that no bodie is able truely to say his heart is cleane c. e Articles of religion Artic. 9. 10. Of free will originall sinne The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he can not turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good workes to faith and calling vpon God wherefore we haue no power to do good workes pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preuenting vs that wee may haue a good will and working in vs when wee haue that good will and f Artic. 13. of workes before iustification works before the grace of Christ haue the nature of sinne Which is altogether agreeing in sence and meaning with that which is before shewed of the fathers time and of Abraham therefore let vs now heare Moses and the prophetes Moses saith g Deut. 9.5.6 O Israel thou enterest not to inherit their land for thy righteousnesse or for thy vpright heart for thou art a stiffe necked people And againe h Cap. 29.2.3.4 Ye haue seene all that the Lord did before your eyes in the lande of Egipt vnto Pharaoh c. Yet the Lord hath not giuen your an heart to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vntill this day Where it appeareth plainly that Moses taught them that without Gods gift they could not vnderstand nor obey but were rebelles against God and stiffe necked And the prophetes declare the verie same i Psal 51.5 Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceyued mee k Prouerb 20.9 Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am cleane from sinne By which is manifest that this originall corruption descending from Adam maketh the heart so corrupt that it can not prepare it selfe to any cleannes of righteousnes but of it selfe runneth headlong to all euill Therefore because that in this respect the heart in the faithfull is made as it were new the Lord saith by the Prophet a Ezech. 36.26 A new heart will I giue you a new spirit will I put within you Yet is the new testament more euident for it saith b Ioh. 3.3 Except a man be borne again he can not see the kingdome of God c Eph. 2.1.2 ye were in times past that is before our calling and regeneration dead in sinnes and trespasses c. walking in the lust of the flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh of the minde d Tit. 3.3 and were by nature the children of wrath we were vnwise disobedient deceiued seruing the lustes and diuers pleasures liuing in maliciousnesse and enuie hatefull and hating one another Then which what can be more said the minde the will the affections wordes and deedes bee all ill euen as a deade man that hath no mouing but must be new borne before he can haue any sight is not such an one vniuersally corrupt voide of knowledge and free will vnto any godlinesse and vnable to doe workes pleasing vnto God yea and therefore the Apostle is bolde to say that it is e Philip. 2.13 God which worketh in vs the will and the deed of his good pleasure Then you see that the fathers Moses the prophets Christ his Apostles doe all agree in the same doctrine of the estate of man after his fall before his calling in Christ and that it is the same which we professe in England The fourth article entereth into the consideration how we are deliuered from this corrupt and damnable estate 4 There is one onely way of righteousnesse saluation which is by faith in Iesus Christ THis is verie apparant in the storie of Abraham when God saith that all the families of the earth should be blessed in his seed Where by blessed is vnderstood the deliuerance from the corruption and damnation which came by Adam This seede is Christ when hee saith all families or that sheweth that whosoeuer in the world shall bee saued must bee saued by Christ And there is no other seede or faith by which one man can be saued therfore he receiued the couenant as is before declared for Iewes and gentils that men might not looke for righteousnes or saluation in any other thing but only in by faith in Iesus Christ And so saith Moses as the blessed Apostle interpreteth it f Rom. 10.6 Deut. 30.11.12 The righteousnesse which is of faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead but what saith it The word is neere euē in thy mouth in thine heart this is the word of faith which we preach For if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt belieue in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saued Where thou seest by Moses docttrine that we must not seek righteousnes or saluation any where els but in the faith of Christ which the prophets expresse thus a Esai 28.16 Thus saith the Lord God Behold I
will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation He that beleeueth shall not make hast b Malack 4.2 Vnto you that feare my name shall the sonne of righteousnesse arise and health shall bee vnder his winges c. The gospell more plainely sheweth that where Christ is not knowen c Math. 4.16 the people sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and that hee d Luc. 1.78.79 is the day spring from on high giuing light to them that sitte in darkenesse and in the shadow of death e 2. Tim. 1.10 And that hee bringeth life and immortalitie to light by the gospell And that God is so farre from allowing that any man should bee able in any other meane to attaine vnto righteousnes or saluation thus he speaketh expressely that there is no f Act. 4.11 Saluation in any other for among men is giuen no name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued Now what confesseth the Church of England in this regarde Namely that g Artic. 18. they are to bee had accursed abhorred that presume to say that euery man shall be saued by law or sect that he professeth c. For holy Scripture doth set out vnto vs onely the name of Iesus Christ whereby men must be saued So that heere you see the faith of Abraham Moses the prophets Apostles determine one way of mans restoring vnto righteousnes and saluation and the verie same is the faith of the church of England The fift article of Iesus Christ the onely author ef our saluation What we ought to know and beleeue of him 5. Iesus Christ in regarde of his person is perfect God and perfect man in one person and in regarde of his office mediator betweene God and man of the couenant of mercie IN this article we embrace two things First what Christ is in himselfe where wee vnderstand not that God alone or man alone is Christ but God and man is one Christ By God we vnderstand the onely and euerlasting begotten son of God the second person in the trinitie by man we vnderstande that hee came of the seed of Abraham and Dauid and a very naturall man borne of the virgin Marie hauing bodie and soule and all faculties and qualities of mind and bodie as we haue onely sin excepted and that the two natures in Christ are not confounded nor seperated but vnited distinct as the body soul of a man hauing their seueral natures properties make but one thing which is a mā So the godhead of Christ assuming the manhood chāgeth not it selfe nor the nature of man assumed but God man vnited in one person make one Iesus Christ and Sauior who by his incarnation and obedience suffering death resurrection assention sitting at the right hand of God and lastly by his iudgement hath and will saue all the elect of God declare make manifest the iust condemnation of the wicked reprobate And these are the works of his office of mediatorship which office of mediator we thus vnderstand that where all mankind being dead in sin there whole nature corrupted vnder the wrath of God and damnation of bodie and soule had in himselfe as is before declared nothing sound being vnable to doe any thing that could please God for his restoring vnto righteousnes and saluation Christ by the will of his father and of his free loue came into the world and became a man that where man had sinned by man might come deliuerance from sinne But because we men were wicked void of strēgth he was also God that he might be able perfectly to saue vs And so being God and man he was a fit mediator to make peace that where by sinnes we were enemies to God he being righteous suffering for vs payd the ransome for our sins and as God being the son of God was apt to reconcile vs vnto his father being beloued of his father his doing and suffering set vs free from the curse of the law the wrath of God and brought vs so far into Gods fauor that by him we are made righteous adopted children to his father and heires vnder hope of his euerlasting kingdom in al things in and through faith in him our harts being purified God is wel pleased with vs. In which office he is a priest and a king In his priestly office first as a prophet he bringeth vnto vs the oracles and word of God and secondly performing perfect obedience he offereth himselfe an immaculate lambe a pure and vndefiled sacrifice for our sins and continually maketh intercession for vs As he is King he hath all power in his hands he is Lord and head of his church and ruleth it by his word and spirit and sitteth and raigneth at the right hand of the glorie of God til all his enemies which are the enemies of his church be destroied and al things being restored hee will deliuer vp his kingdome into the hands of his father that God may be all in all This person and office of Christ being thus briefely but faithfully described See we now whether it be not that ancient faith which was taught Abraham First for the godhead of Christ a Gen. 18. he appeared vnto Abraham in the plaine of Mamre where one of the three angels is called Iehouah which is proper vnto God onely And againe b Cap. 22. when he offered vp his son Isaack an angel called to him from heauen saying Now I know thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onley sonne this must needs bee vnderstood of the son of God for the father is no where entituled by the name of an angel but the son is c Esai 63.9 els where called The angel of Gods presence and by special name d Dan. 10.21 Michael our prince which is by interpretation who like God which fitly declareth his godhead for so is it said in the Psalmes e Psal 89.8 O Lord God of hosts who is like vnto thee a mighty God and thy truth is about thee Secondly the manhood of Christ to bee assumed by Christ in the fulnes of times was taught Abraham when God preached the Gospel to him saying In thy seed which argueth the incarnation of the sonne of God that he should be made man of the seed of Abraham as it is expounded by the holie ghost saying f Heb. 2.16.17 He in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Wherefore in all thinges it became him to be like his brethren c. that is to say seeing he came to saue man whom he would make his brethren by adoption it became him to take the seed of Abraham that he might be a verie true and naturall man his office is directly taught in that All the families of the earth by him should bee made blessed that is deliuered out of that cursed estate of original
corruption the wrath of God and damnation into the estate of righteousnes saluation and fauour of God this did his g Ge. 12.17 22.9.13 17.10 alter which he made and sacrifices which he offered and his circumcision which God gaue him mystically shadow and teach him as the holie ghost interpreth those things that Christ should h Heb. 9.18 once be offered for the sins of many that he should be our i cap. 13.10.15 alter in whom wee should offer our sacrifices of praise alwaies to God and that k Colos 2.11 by him we should put off the sinfull bodie of the flesh But amongst all other things this person and office of Christ is most liuely figured out vnto him in l Gen. 14.17.18 Melchizedeck king of Salem priest of the most hie God who met Abraham as hee returned from the slaughter of the Kings and blessed him to whom Abraham paid tithe of al his spoiles For in that Melchizedeck being a verie man came forth and met Abraham brought him bread and wine for his soldiers he representeth the manhood of Christ and in that the storie leaueth out the mention of his father and mother and telleth not when he was borne or whē he died he representeth the godhead of Christ who hath no beginning of daies nor end of life and in that he is called a priest of the most hie God he representeth the priestly office of Christ And being called Melchizedeck that is king of righteousnes againe king of Salem that is king of peace he representeth the kingly office of Christ who as a king by his a 2. Cor. 5.19.20 Rom. 1.16.17 cap. 5.1 embassadors which ar the ministers of the word of reconciliation which is the gospel he teacheth vs righteousnes by faith peace towards God And so doth God himselfe declare and expound this storie saying concerning Christ b Psal 100.4 The Lord sware and will not repent thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchizedeck which thing is interpreted to belong vnto Iesus Christ by the holy ghost saying c Heb. 6.20 This Iesus is made an hie priest for euer after the order of Melchizedeck d cap. 7.1 For this Melchizedeck was king of Salē the priest of the most hie God who met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings blessed him to whom also Abraham gaue the tith of al things who first by interpretation is king of righteousnes after that he is also king of Salem that is king of peace without father without mother and hath neither beginning of daies nor end of lif but is likned vnto the son of God continueth a priest for euer And this is verily the faith of the church of Englād touching Christ for we confesse affirme that e Artic. 2. of the word or son of God The son which is the word of the father begotten from euerlasting of the father the verie and eternall God of one substance with the father tooke mans nature in the wombe of the blessed virgin of her substance So that two whole perfect natures that is to say the godhead and manhood were ioined together in one person neuer to be deuided whereof is one Christ verie God and verie man who truelie suffered was crucified dead and buried to reconcile his father to vs and to be a sacrifice for all sinne both original and actual f Artic. 4. of the resurrection of Christ Christ did truely rise againe from death and tooke againe his bodie c. wherewith hee ascended into heauen and there sitteth vntil he returne to iudge all men at the last day Wherein expresse termes the vnion of the two natures in Christ is declared the office of his mediatorship reconciling vs to the father his priesthood in his sacrifice his kingly office in the iudgmēt and sitting at the right hand of God which will yet appeare more plainly when wee shall speake in particuler of his sacrifice and of his kingdom how he is head and Lord of his church Let vs then heare Moses most sweete consent First hee sheweth the godhead of Christ and his kingly office g Exod. 23.20 Where God promiseth his angel to go before him and bring him to the place which he hath prepared to the Amorits Hittits c. and he saith of his angel Beware of him and heare his voice and prouoke him not for he wil not spare your misdeeds because my name is in him and least this phrase were not sufficient to expres his godhead he calleth him his face saying a Cap. 33.14 My face or presence shal go with thee and I vvil giue thee rest and againe b Deut. 7.21 Thou shalt not feare them for the Lord thy God is among you a God mighty and dreadfull Thus doth Moses describe the Godhead of Christ to be Gods angel in whō is Gods name that he equally may be called God as well as his father vvho is the true face and presence of God that is the brightnes of his glorie and ingrauen forme of his person Lastly he is a God mighty and terrible and that he is there king he would haue him obeied and to rule lead and defend them And therefore where as Moses saith when the c Num. 21.4.5 people were sore greeued because of the way when they compassed the land of Edom that they spake against God The holy ghost sheweth that hee ment Christ saying d 1. Cor. 10.9 Neither let vs tempt Christ as some of them also tempted him and were destroied of serpents The manhood priestly office of Christ his mediatorship c. Moses teacheth when he said God would raise vp a prophet from among their brethren like vnto him c. and by all the leuiticall priesthood sacrifices sheding of bloud c. as is most liuely expounded by the holie ghost in the Epistle to the Hebrews and the 9. Chapter Exod. 9.10 so plainly that a verie child might vnderstand it if he doe but carefully read it where thou maist see that he calleth all those things a e figure for the time present vntill the time of reformation and as there was an hye priest f 7.11 so Christ is called an hye priest and as there was g 12.13.14 bloud of goates and calues c. so Christs bloud was offered without spot and as h 7.24 the hie priest entred into the holiest of all once euery yere so Christ is entered into heauen to appeare in the sight of God for vs. The prophets speake more familiarly and cal him i Esai 7.14 Emanuel that is God with vs or as the Apostle declareth k 1. Tim. 3.16 God manifested in the flesh and thus they speak both of his person and of his office l Esai 9.6 Vnto vs a child is borne and vnto vs a son is geeuen and the gouernment is vpon his shoulder and he shall
dignitie as they doo properly and naturally require Namely that it is a 1. Thess 4.3.4.5 Gods pleasure that they whom hee freely iustifyeth by his grace and clenseth by faith should not wallow in the puddle and filth of sin like the gentils who know not God but shew thēselues to be the redeemed of the Lord his saints and children by their godly life and honest conuersation And for this cause sanctifying those whom he iustifieth he would haue them approue their faith by their good works as it is written b Eph. 2.10 We are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them c 1. Ioh. 3.9 whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him c. In which two places first you may obserue our sanctification in the words creation and seed For by the one is signified our new birth and renewing of the holie ghost and by the other the spirit sanctifying which as seed beginneth a godly life in vs. Secondly our faith in being in Christ and gods children for we are no otherwise in Christ and gods children but by faith The doctrin of these places agreeth with the article that they which are made Gods children by faith are so farre sanctified and renued by Gods spirit that they walking a more vpright course of life then infidels do make manifest their faith by their workes and they which be otherwise haue no faith Heere me thinketh I see Abraham approouing himselfe to haue a liuely faith by a most constant change of life in following of God and attending vpon his worde First he frankely left d Gen. 12.1.3.8 Heb. 11.8.9 his countrie and kindred and forsooke all strange religions and idolatrie to follow God Secondly he contentedly abode in the land of Canaan as in a strange land and walking from place to place remained in tentes and in euerie place shewed his godly deuotion in making an altar and calling vpon the name of the Lord a Cap. 13.8 he kindly yeelded to his nephew Lot 14.19 for auoiding of contention 24.1 18.23 20.17 charitablie rescued him when hee was taken prisoner carefully prouided a wife for his sonne Isaack feruently intreated for the Citie of Sodom meekly praied for him that had taken away his wife 23. 25. decently prouided for his wiues buriall and wisely before his death set an order betweene his children concerning his substance according to Gods word And is b Cap. 18.19 honourably commended by God himselfe for his good instruction to his houshold children posteritie that they might walke in the waies of the Lord. But aboue all other he approued his fayth in this that vpon Gods commandement he so readily offered vp his sonne Isaack being after Ismaels expulsion his onely sonne his beloued sonne and concerning whom hee had receiued the promise of life and saluation and the establishment of the couenaunt by this worke hee made knowen to men and Angels that hee had a true and a liuely faith whereupon Saint Iames interpreting this fact of Abraham to be wrought by faith bringeth this example to proue that faith without workes is dead And thus hee speaketh c Iacob 2.20.21 But wilt thou vnderstande O vaine man that fayth without workes is deade Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes when hee offered Isaacke his sonne vppon the Altar Seest thou not that fayth wrought with his woorkes and through the workes the faith was made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes c. Heere I am enforced because of S. Iames maner of speaking to clere a doubt before I can conclude this point For in as much as Saint Paul d Rom. 4. contendeth that Abraham was not iustified at all by workes but by faith without workes and heere saint Iames seemeth to auoutch the contrarie saying was not Abraham our father iustified through workes it is to be considered how these two may be reconciled For the clearing of which difference I aunswere that in deed they both vse one worde but not in one meaning nor to one and the same ende For Saint Paul by this woord iustified meaneth that God freely imputeth righteousnes vnto him as namlie Read Rom. 4.1.4.5.6.15.16 and cap. 3.24.25.28 iustified by faith in saint Pauls mind is as much as to say righteousnes is imputed vnto him for his beleefes sake and for nothing else And his end was to prooue that no man can be iustified by workes in the sight of God but that this blessednes to bee iuste before God commeth by faith without workes But Saint Iames hauing to doo with such as boasted of faith and tooke to them selues licence to sin had this end namely to proue that faith without workes was in deed no faith properly and in the sight of God but a dead faith and therfore by this word iustified meaneth onely this that by workes a man is declared and made knowen tn be iustified by faith that is that he hath not a vaine dead and fruitles faith And therefore seeing that Abraham was so iustified that is declared and made knowen to be a iust man of a true and liuely faith testified by such a notable woorke he being our father we must be found to haue such a woorking faith or els we cannot be knowen to bee any other but hypocrites of a dead and counterfait faith And that this is the true and proper meaning of Saint Iames First consider that this word iustified is diuersly vsed and to be taken in the holy scriptures as all other wordes be according to the scope and purpose of euerie place For Rom. 6. where he sayth a Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is iustified from sinne there it signifieth to be free as it is by som translated And in b Cap. 7.29 Luke it is said that the Publicans iustified God being baptized with the Baptisme of Iohn where it signifieth to praise God for his mercy goodnes and righteousnes In c Math. 11.19 Mathew it is said Wisedome is iustified of her children where it signifieth acknowledged or professed or declared iust In which places this worde of necessitie hath such sence and meaning as the scope of the seueral places aforde So here Saint Iames intention being to teach the vanitie of him that boasteth of faith and yet liueth wickedly by all reason must be vnderstood to meane by the word iustified the declaring of the righteousnes of his faith by his workes And this wil easilie appeare if you marke his propounding of this question the order of his reasoning and his conclusion First his proposition vers 14. What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith he hath faith when he hath no workes can the faith saue him where you may perceiue he speaketh against pratlers and hypocrites which say they haue
in this Article two things The vse and power of this word and the true touchstone how we may know or where we may find this word The first is touching religion that Gods word is the only rule thereof which onely teacheth the doctrine of righteousnesse and saluation And this is verie well to be seene in the storie of Abraham that he had no sauour of religion before God taught him by his word neither can wee find that he added any thing of his owne And this will euidently appeare if you consider how God first preached vnto him a Gal. 3.8 Gen. 12.1.2.3 the gospell and so from b Cap. 15. 17 18. time to time reuealed more and more vnto him and that God acknowleged him to bee a c Gen. 20.7 prophet such an one as would d Cap. 18.19 command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord. What is all this els but that God by his word taught him the true religion and godlinesse what he should beleeue and doe As for Moses he maketh the word of God so absolute a rule that the Church ought not e Deut. 4.2 to put any thing to it nor take any thing from it and the prophets are also verie confident in this point saying f Prouerb 30.5 Euerie word of God is pure put nothing to his word least hee reproue thee and thou be found a lyer And the reason of this perfection is plaine because it maketh g Cap. 2.1.9 a man to vnderstand righteousnes and iudgement and equitie and euerie good path and to exclude all mens inuentions from ordaining any part of religion God saith by his prophets that h Esai 29.13 The wisedome of the wise shall perish because their feare toward God was taught by the precept of men Which Christ intepreteth to this sence i Mat. 15.9 That they worshipped God in vaine teaching for doctrines mens preceptes If this suffice not then let vs heare this point in expresse wordes of the Prophet k Psal 19.7 The law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule So likewise our Sauiour Christ in the gospell gaue to his Apostles and Church no other thing but the l Ioh. 17.8 worde which God his father gaue him pronouncing that this is m Vers 17. The truth by which they should be sanctified n Cap. 15.3 made cleane o Cap. 8.31.32 and free from sin p Cap. 5.24 and by hearing thereof they might haue euerlasting life Therefore the Apostles finding the absolute sufficiencie thereof doe forsake all wisedome of men for the same calling it the words of eternall life q Cap. 6.68 Hereof it is that Saint Iames saith r Cap. 1.19 Be swift to heare and slow to speake because wee men must not put forth our owne wisedome in matters of faith and religion but submit our selues to learne of God as he after expoundeth saying ſ Vers 21. Receiue with meeknesse the word that is grafted in you which is able to saue your soules And thereupon Saint Paule condemneth all shewes of t Coloss 2.22.23 wisedome in voluntarie religion after the commandement and doctrines of men giuing charge that no man u Vers 8. spoile vs through philosophie and vaine deceite according to the traditions of men according to the rudiments of the world and not after Christ And the ground of this is this that in x Vers 3. Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Now as touching the second point which is the touchstone to trie the word of God where and how to find and know it This is The holy inspired writinges of the olde and new Testament wherein is contained all the word of God touching religion necessarie for the Church and Gods elect to know for their saluation Which although it were not written in the time of Abraham and of the fathers but after by Moses the Prophetes the Apostles and Euangelistes yet is it so absolute a rule and canon that wee ought not to beleeue any thing of faith and religion touching saluation to be or to haue beene the word of God which may not be rightly gathered taught or proued confirmed or allowed by the writings of Moses and the prophets in the old testament and in the new testament by the Euangelistes and Apostles of Iesus Christ And this will appeare verie euidently to the conscience of all faithful and wise hearted Christians if they consider what the spirite of God teacheth in all these times For the first a most glorious writer was the a Deut. 5.22 finger of God writing the ten wordes in two tables Then Moses by his direction wrote all the b Exod. 24.4 words of the Lord and a little before his death he wrote the whole c Deut. 31.9 law and deliuered it to the priestes the sonnes of Leui. So that then and from thenceforth the law written became the canon of the Church and the onely rule to measure religion by as may appeare because it was published in this sort d Deut. 27.26 Cursed bee he that confirmeth not all the wordes of this law to do them e Cap 30.10 which is interpreted to bee the commandementes and ordinaunces of the Lord written in the booke of the law And Ioshuah being of the same times knowing it to bee such an absolute rule chargeth the people a little before his death to f Ioshua 23.6 obserue and do all that is written in the booke of the law of Moses that they turne not there from to the right hand nor to the left By which it appeareth that in his time the writinges of Moses were this touchston to know the word of God as it were the arke of God wherein the tables of the couenant written with the finger of God were kept which will somewhat more be seene if you consider with me that in Moses writings and in and by nothing els we learne all the word of God reuealed and made knowne to the Church not onely touching the creation and olde world but also concerning Abraham Isaack Iacob and whatsoeuer God spake would haue to be knowen to be his word in his time which hee committed to writing for the perpetuall vse of the people of God And after him God added the pen of the prophets for the more perfect manifestation of this word and misterie of Gods will and yet so as nothing in substance did differ from the written law of Moses Therefore the prophetes pronounce the same writinges to be a most perfect Canon not to be added to nor taken from saying after this maner a Esa 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in thē And againe b Malach. 4.4 Remember the law of Moses my seruant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel the
And in that day shal their waters of life go out from Hierusalem halfe of them toward the east sea and halfe of them toward the vttermost sea and shal be both in sommer winter And the Lord shal be king ouer all the earth in that day shall there bee one Lord and his name shal be one What is this fountaine but Christ which is of the house of Dauid and what is the opening of this fountaine and flowing of waters but the preaching of the gospell as the prophets also say k Esai 2.3 The law shall go forth of Sion and the word of the Lord out of Hierusalem What is this east and vttermost sea this one Lord and king of all the earth But that the Church should be made vniuersall and one in Christ being of one faith throughout the world And they note out the visible markes of the church first the preaching of Gods pure word where prophesying of the church of the gentils it is said l Micah 4.2 Many nations shall come and say come and let vs go vp to the mountaine of the Lord and to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs his waies and we will walke in his pathes c. And concerning the sacraments Christ a Malac. 3.3 shall sit downe to trie and fine the siluer hee shall euen fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as golde and siluer that they may bring offeringes vnto the Lord in righteousnesse c. Whereby is taught that where God gathereth his Church by Christ there he placeth his word and there he teacheth them to worship him aright which as it was by offeringes in the law so it is by sacraments in the gospell therefore by these thinges they are to bee discerned For when these thinges fayled and the people b Esai 5 24. Hier. 16.10.11 Hos 8. 1. 2. cast of Gods word and his ordinaunces in sacrifices and sacraments God cast them out of his sight and out of his grace as a people without the true markes of Gods church In the gospel this vniuersality and vnity in the nature of the church is taught where Christ saith c Ioh. 10.16 other sheepe I haue also which are not of this fold them also must I bring and they shall heare my voice and there shal be one shepheard and one fold Where when he saith other sheepe not of this fold he signifieth that in election and promise the gentiles should bee of the Church this noteth the vniuersalitie and when he saith hee will bring them and they shall heare his voice he vnderstandeth their calling and ingrafting into the same church in the same vnitie of faith And lastly it should be but one as one folde vnder shepheard which he expoundeth where he sendeth d Math. 28.19 his Apostles to teach all nations The end whereof as the Apostle e Eph. 3.6 teacheth is that the gentils shold be inheritors also and of the same bodie partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospell For which cause it is said g Gal. 3.28 There is neither Iewe nor Grecian bond nor free ther is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Iesus that is to say there is no exception of countrie estate or sex but if they beleeue in Christ Iesus they are all of the same true and catholike church as citizens of the same citie children of the same house stones of the same building built vpon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the chiefe corner stone The outward markes are set vpon this church thus when the Apostles preached a Act. 2.41.42 Then they that gladly receiued his worde were baptized and the same day were added to the church about three thousand soules and they continued in the Apostles doctrin and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers Where you may see that the doctrine of the Apostles which is the woord of God and the sacraments are markes of seperation to discerne the church of Christ frō others Hereof it is that S. Paul cōmendeth the church of Colosse to haue the right badge of gods people where he said that in his spirit he saw b Colos 2.5 there good order stedfast faith in Christ for amongst other things the due administratiō of the sacraments was a good note of their good order as in the contrary the c 1. Cor. 11.17 20.34 Corinthians are reproued that the right preaching profession of Christ sheweth their stedfast faith the Romanes and the Thessalonians are greatly extolled by this marke that d Rom. 1.8 1. Thess 1.8 their faith was published throughout the whole world spread abroad in all quarters And that you may perceiue the vertue of these markes and first for the preaching of the pure word of God harkē what the holy Apostle affirmeth when the ministers e 1. Cor. 14.24.25 prophesie that is preach If there come in one that beleeueth not or vnlearned that is who neuer knewe the difference of the church of God from others he is rebuked of all men he is iudged of all that is all the preaching ministerie by the pure word of God do shew him his wretched and euill estate and so are the secrets of his hart made manifest and so hee will fall downe with his face and worshippe God and say plainely that God is in you of a truth What is all this but that he discerneth by the preaching that they are a people among whom God dwelleth that is to say the visible church of God The like he teacheth vs of the sacraments where he saith f 1. Cor. 10.21 You cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of the diuels c. which words manifestly teach that the sacraments are such a marke proper to the church that they which be in the church and partakers therof must seperate themselues from all pollutions of idolatrie and abominations of the heathen and wicked men and to be knowen to bee of the visible church of God by the right vse and celebration of Christes holie misteries as it is also written a 1. Cor. 11.26 As often as you eat this bread and drinke this cup ye shew the Lords death till he come When then the true English Christian shall see that both in profession and practise the church of England hath the verie nature of of the true church of GOD and also by the true markes it is visibly knowen and discerned to be a right member of the vniuersall bodie of Christ he shall haue great cause to glorifie almightie GOD that hath vouchsafed him that mercie and honor to be of that fellowship which is with God the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ agreeing with Abraham Moses the Prophets and with Christ and his Apostles The eleuenth article of the exercises in religion in generall how to be vsed in the church 11. Wee ought
to worship God onely and namely to praie to him alone THis article is plaine needing no explanation And we may see it clerely in the story of Abraham that he being called from the b Iosh 24.2.3 woorship of strange Gods for euer after woorshipped the onely true and liuing God c Gen. 12. ver 14. 15. 17. c. to him he made his alter and called vpon his name swore by his name and in all religious woorship as sacrifice circumcision and vowes he did stil keepe himselfe alwaies to worship God onely Such is the minde of the church of England For we say d Artic. 22. of purgatorie The Romish doctrine concerning purgatorie pardons worshipping and adoration as well of images as of reliques and also inuocation of Saints is a fond thing vainely fayned and grounded vpon no warrant of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God For hereby we vnderstande that the Scripture teacheth that wee should worship God onely and pray to him onely and therefore we condemne al woorship and praiers which are not made giuen and directed to God onely and therefore we commaunde the ten commandements to be read in our churches to teach men to acknowledge one god and him onely to worship Moses also if we will heere him sheweth the same truth First in the affirmatiue he saith e Deut. 6.13 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serue him and sweare by his name which wordes our Sauior Christ f Matth. 4.10 alleaging in their meaning sheweth that they commaunde vs to worship and serue God onely And in the negatiue Moses a Deut. 4.14 c. cap. 12.2.3 c. cap. 13. 21.8 Num. 6.24 testifying that God shewed the people no image of the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer forbiddeth them the making of all images of the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer and the worshipping of any such image or likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer directing them in all causes to turne to him to pray to him and to blesse in his name To this also accorde the Prophets in whom God speaketh on this maner b Psal 50.15 Call vpon mee c. c Esai 42.8 I am the Lord this is my name and my glorie will I not giue vnto an other neither my praise to carued images d Cap. 45.23 I haue sworne by my selfe the worde is gone out of my mouth in righteousnes and shall not returne That euerie knee shall bow vnto me and euerie toonge shall sweare by mee And therefore on the one side hee reprooueth them e Zepan 1.5 which woorship and sweare by the Lord and Malcham that is doe any way communicate Gods worship to others and on the other side teacheth vs to pray onely to God as it is written f Psal 62.8 Trust in him alwaie yee people power out your hartes vnto him for GOD is our hope g Psal 95.6 Let vs vvorship and fall downe and kneele before the Lorde our maker And this is also the rule of the Gospell as where our Sauiour teacheth vs to pray h Matth. 6.9 Our father which art in heauen c. saying when yee pray pray after this maner there you may perceiue all other excluded For wee cannot say to any other Our father which art in heauen or Thine is the kingdome the power and the glorie therefore if this be the maner of prayer wee must pray to none other but to God And the Apostles in their doctrin i Act. 14.15 1. Thess 1.9 called men from dumme idols to worship and serue the liuing God And that I may not vse many wordes in so manifest a matter I onely obserue this that this phrase k Reuel 19.10 22.9 Act. 10.25.26 Rom. 1.23.25 Worship GOD in the newe Testament shutteth out all creatures men and angels from all maner of religious worship which seruice being due to him should bee giuen or done to none other And so it is verie apparant that in this article wee are of the most auncient and Catholike faith with Abraham Moses c. The twelfte article of certaine speciall exercises of religion and markes of the church that is the Sacraments 12. A Sacrament is a signe and a seale ordained of God to assure vs of the couenant of mercie which is in Christ Iesus And there be two Baptisme and the supper of the Lord. The first is a signe and a seale of our first entrie into the fellowship of God and his church and of our adoption and regeneration The seconde is a signe and a seale of the communion of the bodie and bloud of Christ continually strengthning vs and confirming vs in all the graces of God vnto eternall life IN handling of this article if I declare two things First that these three times of the fathers of the law of the gospel agree in the description of the nature of a sacrament and herein that these two Baptisme and the Lords supper are only for the new Testament and namely according as they are here described no otherwise And secondly that herein the church of England agreeth with the holie scriptures of all these times as a true obseruer of Gods woord therein I shall sufficiently prooue that the church of England holdeth the most auncient true and catholike faith In the first there are three things to be shewed the nature the number and the special difference of the sacraments In the nature wee see what is general and common to all Sacraments and this is in two points who made them and whereof they consist the first is they are ordained of God and this is so farre off the nature of a sacrament that none can be so without God be the author for who can giue man a special signe and seale of Gods fauor c. but God himselfe amongst men he is guilty of treason that will make a seale of a princes letters patents in the kings name except he haue the seale deliuered him by the prince for that purpose So and much more for so much as God is more excellent and honorable then any prince of the earth and his will more vnsearchable and the freedom and glory therof more hie and heauenlie no man may or can ordaine a sacrament to assure vs of Gods good will whereof he hath no warrant or authority from God For if as the Apostle saith No man doth knowe the things of God 1. Cor. 2.11 but the spirit of God surely much lesse can any man ordaine a Sacrament which is such a thing as by it we may be assured of Gods free grace and mercie in Iesus Christ Therefore you shall find that in all times the church so long as it was obedient and not idolatrous neuer aduentured to make a Sacrament as you may see in Abraham who had sacrifices and circumcision although we may be assured that by the spirit of prophesie he was instructed in these things yet shall
in the first kind we vnderstand to be meats times the maner order of many things both ciuil and seruing to Gods worship that they are al left free so that in al these things God and his word hath giuen free liberty not inthralled his Church but onely requireth an orderly comely vse directed to his glorie And in the second sort is the duetie to parents to husbands to wiues to children and such like that no man vnder the colour of religion cast away such dueties Therefore I will onely speake of these two which being well marked I hope the wise and carefull reader will see what is the true duetie of religion in all And first looke vpon a Gen. 12. 15 20 21. 25. Abraham he was a prophet yet had he his first and second wife and by vertue of Gods promise when he said So shal thy seed be he was made strong euen in his old daies to beget many children and it was not an vncleane thing vnto him though hee were a prophet so to bee maried In Moses and his priesthood you see that he being a prophet b 1. Cron. 23.14 begat children and the priests and Leuits had their wiues So in the prophets it is found that they were not restrained from this benefite for it is expressed that c 1. Sam. 8.1 Ezec. 24.15.16 2. King 4.1 Samuel and Ezechiel had wiues and the children of the prophetes And where Ieremie is forbidden it is expressed not to bee in regard he was a prophet but onely because of the d Hier. 16.2.3.5.8 troubles of his time for which cause he is also forbidden the house of mourning of feasting because that he might teach the people by such speeches as by a figure in his example there great calamitie which hung ouer their heades And in the new testament we know that the a Math. 8.14 Apostles had wiues before their calling and it is no where expressed that they were forbidden to keepe them afterwardes but rather the contrarie as where Paul saith b 1. Cor. 9.5 Haue we not power ta leade about a wife being a sister as well as the rest of the Apostles and as the brethren of the Lord and Caephas As touching the ministers of the congregations they were so farre from barring them from wiues that they doe expressely prescribe c 1. Tim. 3. Tit. 1.6 what they should bee and how their children should bee gouerned pronouncing the forbidding of mariage to bee d 1. Tim. 4.1.2 doctrine of deuils and that e Heb. 13.4 mariage is honourable among all men Therefore in this point is the practise of England sound and catholike and our profession the ancient and vnchangeable truth For wee say f Artic. 32. of the mariage of priestes Apol cap. 8. diuis 1. Bishoppes priestes and deacons are not commaunded by Gods lawe eyther to vow the estate of single life or to abstaine from mariage therefore it is lawfull also for them as for all other Christian men to marrie at their owne discretion as they shall iudge the same to serue better to godlinesse As touching the Magistrate you see in Abraham how hee kept onely the gouernment of his owne house and how lowly and humbly he caried himselfe in g Gen. 12. 20. Egipt and Gerar where there were kings of the countrie And Melchisedeck though he were priest of the most high God vsurped not authoritie ouer other kinges but being a figure of Christ hee blessed Abraham for a speciall misterie as is expressed and taught in the Epistle to the Hebrewes h Heb. 7. shadowing the royall priesthood of Christ aboue the priesthood of Aaron Therefore in this time religion abridged not any duetie but rather fulfilled them Moses when hee describeth the order of a king ouer Israel hee sheweth that God would make a king ouer them Where hee vseth i Deut. 17.14.15 these wordes in the person of all the people I will set a king ouer mee And againe vnto them Thou shalt make him king ouer thee There me and thee containe all estates and orders ecclesiasticall and ciuill And so was Ioshuah the first Captaine k Ioshuah 1.18 cap. 3. the commaunder of all neither is there any sillable exempting any one estate more then other When this came in practise in the time of the prophetes were not the priestes and Samuel subiect to Saul l 1. Sam. 19. 22. Nathan and other seers vnto Dauid and all other prophets with the priestes subiect to Solomon Iehoshaphat Ezechiah Ioshiah c. Did not they commaunde and order the building and repairing of the temple place and displace high priestes call the people to the pure worship of God and commaund the priests in the holy administrations And they themselues were subiect to none m 1. Cron. 23. 24 25. 26. c. 2 Cron. 2. 3 4. c. 28. 29. 30. c. but to Gods worde that by his bookes and worde they should bee ruled and guided and by no man o Deut. 17.18.19 Iosh 1.8 2. Cron. 34. or mans worde or commandement whatsoeuer So our Sauiour Christ commaundeth to giue f Math. 22.21 Caesar his due and to God his due and though hee were Lord of all yet because his kingdome was not of this world h Cap. 27. g Math. 17.25 he payed tribute and meekely yeelded himselfe when he was wrongfully iudged And the spirit of truth which hee gaue his Apostles did guide them in the same steppes that for themselues it is not found they vsurped any ciuill authoritie by colour of religion but commanded euerie soule i Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13.14 to be subiect to the higher power and namely to the king as to the superior and to the gouernors vnder him Therefore also the practise of our Church in this behalfe is verie godly and beseeming the religigion of God and that we herein professe is a most auncient and catholike veritie For wee say k Artic. 37. The Queenes Maiestie hath the chiefe power in this realme of England and other her dominions vnto whom the chife gouernment of all estates of this realme whether they bee ecclesiasticall or not in all causes doth appertaine and is not nor ought not to be subiect to any forraine iurisdiction So then we may boldly conclude that as touching this holy comfort of mariage and duetie to the magistrate our Church followeth the right euerlasting and vnchangeable truth The fifteenth Article of the hope which is in the true religion 15 Iesus Christ will come againe with glorie and then all the dead shall rise againe in their bodies And hee shall iudge the quicke and the dead and will crowne all beleeuers with euerlasting righteousnesse saluation and life with God for euer THis Article sheweth the last work of Christ in his kingly office namely of his returne againe vnto
time and with the preaching of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles is most comfortablie sealed vp and confirmed the Lords name be praised therefore The Lords name I say be praised who hath bin so mercifull and gratious vnto this little Ileland that passing ouer many greater richer and mightier nations hath set such an especial loue vpon vs as he hath vouchsafed to preferre and exalt our nation aboue many other to be of his holie and catholike church of the blessed communion of his saints and a true member of his visible people vpon whom his name is called That we may truely iustly and boldly say that the religion which we follow and the faith and doctrine which wee confesse is the faith of Gods elect the knowledge of the truth according to godlines vnder the hope of eternall life the verie true and onely way of saluation which God and not man teacheth Which he hath taught al the fathers before the law was giuen or any part of Gods woord written during the space of 2517. yeeres In the ende of that time Abraham our father euen the father of all beleeuers 430. yeeres before Moses when the world began to be corrupted receaued and professed for al nations which should be after him Which Moses and the Prophets proclaimed and maintained some 1445. yeeres vntill the blessed time of Christes holie incarnation And which the same Iesus Christ the glorious son of God euen the Lord of life preached in his owne person and his holie Apostles which heard him and saw al his great works did witnes and publish to all the gentils and was confirmed by gods holie testimonie from heauen with great signes and wonders and gifts of the holie ghost And which the same euerlasting God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ commanded to be taught vnto all people out of the holie Scriptures of Moses the Prophets and Psalmes and hath opened and made manifest by the holie inspired writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and left and commended vnto his Church for the saluation of his elect vnto the worlds end By which al gods people ar to be known by which God will be glorified in his saints and out of which no man hath been shall be or can be saued I say therefore againe the Lords name be praised for euer Amen CHAP. IIII. Where is declared First that antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession is no perfect marke of the church much lesse of the popish Synagogue which is but of yesterday 2. The measure order of the visible succession of the Church from Christs time forward is shewed by the Scripture 3. Therefore the papists do prooue themselues to be no church when they ground themselues on this false principle the church cannot erre 4. How the true religion hath shewed it selfe by manie witnesses from the Apostles time euen vnto our dayes THE Synagogue of Rome claimeth antiquitie vniuersality and succession visible from the time of Christs Apostles to be vndoubted markes of the church of God and so of the pure religion addinge thereunto as it were the sinewes and ioints to make them all holde together the faithfull and constant grace of the church visible vnder the ghospell namly this false principle that It cannot erre And therfore when they are convicted to haue fallen from the true christian religion and find themselues openly bewraied being tried by the perfect touchstone of Gods holie written woord to be lately vpstart and of a new deuised religion doctrine and faith brought forth into the world by the fanatical and superstitious humor of heretical prauitie and humaine follie and begotten by the cunning insinuations and coulorable suggestions of him which vseth all spirituall craftines and profoundnes of wisedom to bruse the heele of the womans seede and to darken the glorious light of the heauenlie faith of Gods chosen least happely they should not be found the very true Antechrist after the maner of him that trāsformeth him selfe into an angel of light they would beare downe the world with the vaine titles and goodly shew of antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession of the vnerring and vnchangeable persistance of the visible church in the truth and leaue out altogether that which is indeede the very nature and foundation of the church the true religion faith and doctrine of Apostles and Prophets of God But alas these are but the figge leaues of Adam which cannot couer their shame for as all men knowe that the serpent cannot proue himselfe a man by his auncient continuance and remaining in the world vnlesse hee had those essential properties of bodie and soule whereof euery man doth naturally consist So for so much as all these things antiquitie vniuersalitie c. are such as heretikes Ethnikes did and could claime from Caine and Cham or Iaphet as wel as Christians from Seth and Shem and that the true nature of the church cōsisteth in the fellowship of the true religion doctrine and faith the sygnogoge of Rome vnlesse it hold the true faith and religion cannot for these things be the true visible church of God For no antiquitie vniuersalitie or succession can make the whore of Babel to be the true and chast spouse of Christ And who knoweth not that Caine was before Sheth and that their two posterities were the two churches one which is of Caine called the children of men because their religion came of a runnagate man the other was called the childrē of God because their religion was giuen and taught them of God Likewise in the Apostasie of the time of Abraham the nations were almost setled vpon the dregges of their filthie idolatry when Abraham was now but newly called Ismael and Esaue which fell out of the church and house of Abraham became goodly states and monarkes before Iacob was established and the people of Israell were gathered into a knowen and visible floorishing forme of a church which was 430. yeeres after the calling of Abraham Lastlie the gentils continued in that apostasie and idolatrie ouerspreading all the world from the time of Abraham vntil Christ eighteene hundred yeeres when the Church was but in a little corner of the world the land of Canaan and of that a great space in the territories of Iuda and Hierusalem onely Because Caine Ismael and Esaie calling antiquitie and visible succession before Sheth and Isaack and Iacob is their religion the true religion or were they the true church or shall the Gentils iustifie thē selues to be the true worshippers of God or to haue the true God because they can brag ouer the Iewes christiās with al these termes of antiquity vniuersality succession visible c. therfore he that readeth the stories shall find how they scoffe at the Iewes christians euen as the papist do at vs because that although they haue no truth on their side yet they thinke these painted paper walles and leaden weapons of long continuance and open appearance and flowrishing in
good Reader what I say and be not partiall And first of all they seeme to be neerest the truth in that which I haue placed for the first article the faith and doctrine of the trinitie and in words speake verie distinctly both in Canons decrees decretals and also in other writings So that some notable learned men hold them sound in this matter and others goe further that by this and one or two more they would draw them into the holie communion of Saints But if in these they are as Ioab onely in words and that their hands strike through this doctrine so that in the harts of men this doctrine cannot liue because they are taught and beleeue and doo such things as ouerthrow the same then are they not to bee helde and reputed sound in this article And first touching the the vnitie in the godhead whosoeuer giueth that to any other thing which is natural and essentiall vnto god he maketh that other thing to be god so consequently if the sea of Rome do so to any creature they make mo gods then one But that they ascribe to creatures that which is proper essential to God may be seen in three things First in the virgin Marie the Saints first they a Hone in laud. beat vir Mar. ad vsum Rom. cal her the Queen of heauen Mater gratiae mater misericordiae mother of grace and mother of mercie domina angelorum lady or mistres ouer the angels princeps mundi regina prince and Queen of the world they say vnto her Virgo singularis inter omnes malis nos culpis solutos mites fac castos c. O virgin singuler amōg al make vs being freed from al faults gentle chast giue vs a pure life prepare vs a safe way that seeing Christ we may alway reioice together vnto her Io. theuangelist they pray Vobis duobus ego miserimus peccator c. vnto you two I a most miserable sinner comēd this day my body my soul that at al houres momēts you wold vouchsafe to be my sure keepers deuout intercessors vnto god vnto Peter they say b Miscate Roman S. Aug. S. Pet. ad vincent Alleluia Solue iubente deo terrarū Petro catenus c. loose O Peter by Gods cūmand the chains of the earth who openest the heauenly kingdoms to the blessed of Frances the minorite they say c Lib. confor mit Franc. ad vitam xli lib. 1. sunct 4. lib. 2. funct 3. cordiū vidit arcana he saw the secrets of the harts al things created were obediēt vnto him they which hold the leading of blessed Frāces cannot be ruled by the darknes of error by the light infused grāted him of god men are so enlightned that the cōscience of one man is naked to an other Now if it be properly apertaining to theuerlasting being al sufficiēcy of god as his word teacheth to be gouernor of the world Lord of angels father of mercie and grace to make a man gentil chast and pure in life to be euery moment keeper of bodie and soule to open heauen to know the harts to whom all creatures are obedient Then it followeth that seeing by their custome of praier and otherwise they giue these things to the virgin Marie and to Saints they vnderhand ouerthrow the doctrine of one God and make many Gods And when they make a Test Rein. Reuel cap. 2. ver 22. Compendium cor terta D. Ioh. Bunder tit 23. Arti. 11. Non visit quis dinum Iob vt scabie careat Saints patrons of countries as Peter Paul ouer Rome and healers of disseases as Iob to cure the scabbe what other thing do they but as the heathen did make seuerall Gods for seuerall offices Secondly this making of many Gods may be seene in the Pope For of him they say b Gratian. decret pars 2. caus 17. quest 4. cap. Si quis nemini Greg. decretal lib. 1. de translat Episc tit 7. cap. 3. Gloss 16. De iudicio summi pontificis disputare non licet it is not lawful to dispute of the iudgement of the hiest Bishop c Non homo sed Deus seperat quos R.P. not man but God seperateth whom the Bishop of Rome seperateth c. which is declared by the glose that hereof he is said Habere celeste arbitrium ideo etiam naturam rerum immutat c. to haue an heauenly iudgement and therefore also he changeth the nature of things applying the substantial of one thing vnto an other he can make of nothing somthing and the sentence which is nothing he maketh somthing in those things he wil his will is to him in steed of reason neither is there any man that can say vnto him why dost thou so for he can dispense aboue law he can make iustice of iniustice by correcting the lawes and changing them and he hath the fulnes of power But I will not load the reader with that which here might bee alleaged onely I desire him to consider whether the Pope doo not herein arrogate the power and maiestie of God For what can be said more of God then that we may not dispute of his iudgement that hee hath the heauenlie iudgement power to giue sentence to change the nature of things to make nothing somthing to make iniustice iustice to dispence with law and to haue such fulnes of power that his wil is lawe and reason and no man can say why dost thou so is such a thing the gift of God to any man doo they not make the Pope another God or els a fourth person in the Trinitie The third thing is the sacrament wherin this blasphemie of making pluralitie of gods is also to be seene For when they say Cstrists bodie in the sacrament consecrated at one time in a thousand places or if it should happen ouer all the world that then in all those places is one the same Christs bodie that realie trulie and wholy yet the scripture teacheth he is truly really wholie at the right hand of his father in heauen let wise learned men consider wheather this be not to make a new God of the manhood or body of Christ to giue that to his manhood which belongeth to his Godhead of which it is said * Psal 139.7 He is in the heauens he is in hell and he is in the vtmost part of the sea Againe when they say of the priest in consecrating when they speake best that he maketh the bodie and blood of Christ do they not giue vnto him more then the power of a creature And yet being not content with this they feare not to adde and to say a Sermon discip ser 111. Sacerdos est altior regibus faelicior angelis creator creatoris The preest is hier then kings happier then angels and creator of his creator Tel me if this be not to make the priest
God more then God for greater is he that maketh the creator then he that maketh the creature If any man mislike this collectiō let him in his conscience only waie this whither that by this transubstantiation they do not make a bable or a toy in steed of God when they can make him at their pleasure with the intēt of the church which will be as much against this article as can be for verely if they beleeued there were a God and considered what belongeth to his glorious maiestie they would not thus presume exalt them selues and thinke him or his manhood at their commandement As touching the trinitie in words they say b Greg. decretal tit 1. cap. 1. firmiter credimus Firmiter credimus simpliciter confitemur c. we firmely beleeue and confesse that there is one onelie true God euerlasting infinit vnchangeable incomprehensible omnipotent ineffable the father son and holy ghost three in person but one in essence c. this holy trinitie according to the comune nature is vndeuided according to the personal properties distinct All this soundeth wel but alas it is but as saint Paul saith c Tit. 1.16 They professe they know God but by their works they deny him For in setting vp the rood and crosse in the churches and in glasse windowes to be crowched vnto where they make God the father like an old man and God the son like a yong mā the holy ghost like a doue by their deeds they ouerthrow that which they say they firmly beleeue For if they beleeued that God were exceeding all measure in comprehensible and vnspeakable then would they not dare to draw him out and set him forth by an engrauen image which can in no part represent his deuine infinite Rom. 1.23 glory Againe how can the common people or almost any the staydest man in the world especially if he come with deuotion to worship that image but that in beholding the same he shal haue in his mind an inpression of an earthly and visible shape and likenes to be in God and when he seuerally seeth these three pictures images how can he auoid the imagination that these three persons in the godhead are as three seperate persons of men among vs as of Peter Iames and Iohn which is contrary to their sayings that this trinity in regard of the comon nature vndeuided as we may say in nūber to be one the same And this is vtterly cōtrary to the catholike religiō to haue such a vile imaginatiō of god of his inuisible vnspeakable power as you may read in the olde testament in these words a Deut. 4.15.16 take good heed to your selues for ye saw no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire that yee corrupt not your selues make you a grauen image or representation of any figure whether it be the likenes of male or female c. in the new testamēt b Act. 27.29 For as much as we are the generation of God we ought not to thinke that the godhead is like vnto gold or siluer or stone grauen by art inuention of man In the second article the disagreement is that they of the sea of Rome make not God the cause of causes but tyeth him to second causes and that his c Test Rhem. a note Rom. 9. ver 11. eternal coūsel respected mens works determined according to works forseene and d Nic. Dorbet distinct 41. Artic. 2. would haue al men to be saued quantum in se est as much as lyeth in him and they say Sicut presciuit predestinauit quae ipse fecit c. e Gratian pars 2 caus 23. Q. 4 ca. Nabucho As he foreknew and predestinated the things he did and gaue vs to doo so hee foreknew onely and did not predestinate the things which neither himselfe did neither required that we should doo c. without doubt all thinges which God forknoweth shall be shal be done in deed but some certaine of them proceed from free will In which you may see all these points contrarie to the true faith First free will is made authour of some things and God onely forknoweth it 2. Gods wil is debarred to haue to do in those things he commandeth not 3. That hee decreeth onely the elect and onely forseeth touching the reprobate Lastly that his wil was to saue all men as much as in him was as if they should say if he had been able All these do limit the hie and vnsearchable counsell of him which is the cause of all causes and setteh the wil of man in the foresight of God to be his instructor most contrariant to the holie religion of Gods elect which humbly confesse vnto God in the olde Testament thus f Hier. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in him selfe neither is it in man to walke and to direct his steps and in the new thus g Reuel 4.11 Thou art woorthie O Lord to receaue glory and honor and power for thou hast created all things and for thy will sake they are and haue been created Touching the third article the conspiracie of Rome do accurse the true religion namely a Concil trident sess 6. canon 4. If any man say that mans free will being mooued and stirred by God doth nothing at all worke together by ascenting to God as he stirreth and calleth whereby he doth frame prepare himselfe to obtaine the grace of iustification and againe b Canon 7. If any man say all woorkes which are done before iustification whowsoeuer they be done to be truly sin and deserue the hatred of God and therefore they say that c Test Rhem. in Math. 12. It is in mans owne free wil election to be a good tree or an ill tree and againe ver 33. in marg in Act. 10. ver 2. Such works as are done before iustification though they suffice to saluation yet bee acceptable preparatiues to the grace of iustification and such as mooue God to mercie and againe d Nich. Deorhel distinct 41. sent 1. Artic. 1. Cum peccator facit quod in se est meretur de congruo iustificari c. When a sinner doth that which in him is he deserueth of congruitie to be iustified or after a sort by the e Condosentia diuinae liberalitatis beseeming or becoming of the diuine liberalitie Heere thou seest three thinges of Poperie contrarie to the christian veritie First that mans hart is not altogether vniuersally corrupted by Adams fal Secondly that Gods grace doth but stir vp and mooue mans free will and thridlie by congruitie the workes before faith diserue and prepare vnto grace and please God And they haue yet a fourth namely that f Concil trident sess 5. Apendix The virgin Marie was not conceiued in sinne
heale the blind his stooping downe to the ground to write washing his Disciples feet and many such like Thus might we play the fooles with Guilhermus Durandus in his rationale diuinorum turning all things into mysteries make trifling and prophane sport with the schoole men turning vpside downe the true sence of holy scripture by allegoricall morall and anagogicall interpretations and when we haue done come as neere the meaning of God as the east is to the west But if they be sacraments ordayned of God for his Church they ought to bring forth the commaundement of God such as is for Baptisme d Math. 28.19 1. Cor. 11.23 Baptize in the name of the Father the Son and the holy Ghost and for the Lords supper Do this in remembrance of me Secondly let thē shew out of Gods booke the signe in penance and the rest that they pertaine to the generall couenant of grace and promise of Christ As that matrimonie is anie more but a similitude or allegorie or that confirmation was any more but the taking of the children vnto him at one time to blesse them particulerlie or that orders is any more but for the grace of the estate of the ministrie their vnction was but for the bodie that they might liue and not for the soule at the very point of death therfore here is great presumption to father vpon God their owne beastly inuentions Thirdly in that which is speciall in either of the two sacraments they commit very great absurdities by most ridiculous idolatrous additaments First in Baptisme they thrust in a strange e Looke Manipul curat c. 8. de Anex Bapt. Catechising a filthy exorcising In the first they put the finger in his eare to signifie that his eare should be apt to heare Gods word and spit in his mouth that hee may be prompt to speake of faith 2. He crosseth him in his breast that in breast mouth he confesse the faith of Christ crosse him in the forehead that he be not ashamed of the faith of Christ 3. He putteth salt in his mouth signifying wisdom His filthy exorcisme is to coniure the diuell that he depart frō the soule of the party to be baptized giue place to the holy ghost And in baptizing they make three other crosses in declaring whereof I am lost to defile this paper they are so foolish so greatly derogatorie to Christs holy institution for on the one side they dash baptisme out of countenance with so many goodly shewes vses and secondly they blaspheme God to coniure especially in the place time of Gods worship but one bable I may not omit that they a Ib. cap. 7. Godfather Godmother may not marry together by Poperie giue baptisme such a power to make a spirituall cosonage namelie that it hindreth matrimonie breaketh a contract See here if Antechrist presume not as God nay aboue God for they make that vnlawfull b Heb. 13.4 Math. 19.6 which God hath made honorable among al men put asunder thē whom God hath coupled together But yet there are more abhominations heretical presumptions For in the sacrament of the Eucharist they amende the signe and put water to the wine secondly they take away one of the signes from all the communicants sauing him that maketh the sacrament thirdly they driue away both the signes altogether by their fiction of transubstantiation set in the roome therof if we may beleeue them the body soule Godhead of Christ that very body which was borne of the virgin Mary crucified vnder Pontious Pilate and so being chaunged they giue godly honor vnto it they lift it vp and carrie it in procession and hold it forth to be publikely worshipped of all men they offer it vp for a sacrifice for the quicke the dead and keepe it very deuoutly in the pix to be readie at all times to comfort them that need Surely it should seeme that Christ his Apostles were but children vnto those both in wisdome and in power For they neuer once dreamed of these things and being matters of very great importance it is meruaile they neuer had leisure to commit at the least some of them vnto writing that it might be found in holy scripture but being not found there they haue their holie traditions of equall reuerence with Gods word or els the plenarie power of their Apostaticall sea sufficientlie to warrant whatsoeuer to them whom God hath giuen ouer to beleeue lies This is the profoundnes of Sathan good Lord God and mercifull father keepe it euer out of this land that it neuer deceiue thy people any more First the mingling of wawith the wine is c Concil trident ses 6. ca. 7. brought in vpon three goodllie reasons 1. Christ is thought to haue done so 2. water came out of his side 3. water in the Apocalips signifieth people therefore it sheweth the misterie of vnion of the faithfull people with Christ Loe here a forgerie of a new misterie why might they not put in nailes or stakes that might signifie the fastning of Christ to his people because the d Eccl. 12.11 preacher speaketh of such a misticall fastening If men may add thus vpon coniectures and set Anathema and a curse as they doe vpon all that consent not how shall wee finde the measure of truth or how shall they auoide the curse of God which saith Reuel 22. cursed is he that addeth to this booke But alasse poore men how little effect this deuise hath brought forth For by and by as soone as it is a sacrament for before the words of consecration as they call them it is no sacrament the wine is cleane gone they say where is thē their new misterie How can they represent which haue no being in rerum natura in the world Againe how can it signifie this to the people when they keepe it from them and blesse them with the emptie cup. This is a second presumption against the expresse commandement of Christ which saith a Math. 29.27 Mark 14.23 drinke yee all of this and they dranke all of it Thirdlie in transubstantiation see how many monsters they feed First wee must beleeue there is no wine or bread though wee see them and taste them though they haue the same quantities and qualities and effects they had before though they corrupt and putrifie as before and we must beleeue that Christ God and Man is vnder those formes quantities and qualities though wee can see heare or feele no forme quantitie or qualitie of a true or naturall bodie or man Here is a monsterous mā which if you look vpon him is all ouer couered with a little roūd peece of starch not surmounting the greatnes of a mans hād Here be al the properties of bread and wine and their naturall operations but they are not bread nor wine but a man here one subiect hath accidents and essentiall qualities
worketh together with the grace of God vnto merit and deseruing of saluation S. Paul taught the Romanes that c Rom. 8.8 they which are in the flesh that is the vnregenerate can not please God And again d Cap. 3.12 They haue all gone out of the way they haue beene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And he openeth himselfe els where saying e Eph. 4.17.18 The Gentils walke in the vanitie of their mind hauing their cogitation darkened being straungers from the life of God through the ignoraunce that is in them c. that is to say their ignoraunce is so great that they cannot doe any thing but sinne which he confirmeth by this maxime to the same Romans f Rom. 14.23 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Therefore his doctrine to them is this that by their exceeding ignoraunce the vnregenerate did nothing but such as was sinne in Gods eye-sight These late Romistes doe g Concil trident Ses 6. canon 7. accurse this doctrine of Saint Paule and all them that say that all the workes of the vnregenerate to bee truely sinne Saint Peter taught the Iewes h Act. 4.12 That there is saluation in none other meaning none other but Christ for that there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued These degenerate pretenders of Peter place saluation in others as in merites satisfaction and workes of supererogation and say there bee other names by which wee must bee saued as diriges religious orders and vowes pilgrimage pardons relickes and many other names by them deuised Saint Paule taught the auncient Romanes that i Rom. 4.25 8.33.34 Christ dyed for our sinnes and rose to make vs righteous and being hereby iustified of God nothing can bee layed to our charge nor condemne vs. By which it appeareth that the obedience and suffering of Chryst was the perfect working of our saluation These bastarde Romanes doe saye that wee yet neede the sacrifice of the Masse for quicke and deade and that the doing and fulfilling of Gods commaundementes and the Church is the condition on our part S. Peters doctrine saith that all the faithful k 1. Pet. 2.5.9 are an holy priesthood To offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ These counterfet successors of Peter adde a new deuise saying that their priests haue an especial office to offer vp sacrifice namely their Hoste S. Paul taught the old Romanes that l Rom. 8.34 Christ sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs. These declined Romistes say that the virgin Marie Peter and Paul and the Saints are intercessors for vs. Saint Peter taught the Iewes that he the said a 1. Pet. 5.1.2 Peter was an elder as other elders ministers of Christ and that such elders should not be Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that Christ was the chiefe shepheard These stately prelates make themselues Lords of sea and land disdaining at the low estate of the Apostles and elders of the primitiue church Saint Paule taught the Christian Romanes that b Rom. 3.28 A man is iustified by faith without workes These Antechristian Romanes say that by doing good workes a man is iust and iustified and not by faith alone Saint Paul taught the Christian Romans that c Rom. 7.7 Concupiscence in the regenerate was sinne and though he did will that which was good yet hee could not performe it These Antechristian Romanes do say that concupiscence is not sinne in the regenerate after Baptisme but onely left for the spirituall battell to bee resisted Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith That we must doe good workes d 1. Pet. 2.12.15 to shew forth the vertues of God and to glorifie him and to put to silence the ignoraunce of foolish men The new learning of these men is that we must do good workes that we might winne heauen thereby Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith e 1. Pet. 1.23 2.1 epist 2. cap. 3.1.15 That the Gospell is the word of God by which we are borne again that it is sincere milke and commendeth vnto them his owne and also S. Paules epistles And S. Paule taught the faithfull Romanes f Rom. 1.2 16.26 That God promised the gospell before by his prophetes in the holy scriptures and that God commaunded that it should bee taught all nations by the scriptures of the prophets These Romanes of the new learning do say that the g Reade Martin Peresius Aila de traditionibus scripture can not teach all the gospell but we must learne somewhat touching faith and saluation by tradition canons and the magisteriall power of the Church and equall these with holy scripture to teach that which cannot be found and learned in the written word of God Saint Paul taught the Romans the vniuersalitie of the Church when he said a Rom. 10.12 there is no difference betweene the Iew and the Grecian for hee that is Lord ouer all is right vnto all that call vpon him S. Peters doctrine agreeth thereunto where he saith b Act. 10.34.35 God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him These late builders place the Church in the citie of Rome and call it the Catholike Church of Rome S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith c 1. Pet. 1.3 2 5.17 that he prayed and blessed God and that the Christians should feare God and offer spirituall sacrifices vnto God And S. Paul d Rom. 1. 10 15. 16. taught the beleeuing Romanes by his own ensample in diuers prayers and by a generall example of the Church in these words whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord c. that they should worship and pray to God onely These new deuisers giue this honour of God to Saints relickes and images and teach men to serue worship and pray to them S. Paul taught the Romanes of the Primatiue Church that after e Rom. 4.11 iustification by faith the sacraments are signes to seale the righteousnes of faith and S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith that f 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth vs but not by the outward washing away of the filth of the flesh but by the spirit working in our hearts a good conscience to God 21. These new forgers of doctrine and sacraments make the sacraments in the worke wrought to containe to conferre grace and to iustifie together with faith and that without baptisme there happeneth no iustification Saint Paul and S. Peter wrote both in the Greeke tongue which was fittest for all nations to learne Gods word and wheresoeuer they gaue instructions a This appeareth Act. 2. all the whole storie following they did it in that language which might best be vnderstood of the people but these new religion makers deliuer instructions teach men
vndoubtedly knoweth will neuer bee faithfull but alway vndermine his estate bring his life in hazard 4 And sithence we haue had now aboue fortie yeares triall of the sound truth of the Gospell and of Gods notable hand in protecting and defending the state of this land receiuing and embracing the same all this while against most strong force verie many maruellous cunning treasons how wonderfully he hath blessed vs with peace and prosperitie and made vs so much the more happie by how much our enemies haue laboured most wisely strongly against vs he hath made the windes and seas to fight for vs the Popes curse hath he manifoldly turned vpon his owne heade and his abettors haue neuer prospered and in all things the Lord declared himselfe to bee our God by multiplying our peace and the daies of our gracious prince in all perils standing by her as his deare handmaide wee may boldly say that the more we bee estranged from poperie the neerer we are the dearer vnto the Lord our God and the lesse agreement we haue with the popish apostasie the more his grace mercies goodnes and shielding power doth watch ouer vs to feed to foster to keepe deliuer vs. Therefore we Christians who haue bin begotten with the pure seed of Gods holy word and felt found most sweet and sound nourishment by that sincere milke vnder the most gracious happie and prosperous raigne of the Lords blessed annointed seruant Elizabeth our liege Ladie and Queene and knowing what occasions to godlinesse aboundance of peace and wealth and ioyfull libertie of bodie and soule wee haue had and enioyed cannot cease night nor day to praise God for his blessing and mercie which wee haue had in and by her most constant faith and godly raigne continually praying his diuine goodnes to encrease his blessings and graces vpon her both bodily and ghostly to strengthen and enlarge her heart in all Christian vertues princely wisedome and courage to defend her against all her enemies and prolong her daies more and more in all ioy honour wealth prosperity and heauenly comfort in Christ to his owne glory the dailie good of his Church and this realme of England euen for Iesus Christes sake To whom be praise glory for euer Amen FINIS Faults escaped in the printing  Page Line Faults Corrections Epistle 2 19 Misse Miste Epistle 4 24 is of the is the Contents 2 last with with it Booke 2 8 word world  5 22 misery mistery  7 23 which with  9 18 by being  12 2 repentance to repentance  15 27 low law  16 7 Christ Christes  67 10 her their  76 10 beway bewray  Idem 19 ver 9. ver 19.  83 2 ouer euer  114 22 accepted excepted  135 4 Esaie Esaw  136 18 Apostalical Apostatical  137 31 least beast  141 15 after suffer  153 23 petro Catenus petre Catenas  155 15 in the Sacrament is in the Sacrament  160 27 is called he is called  166 14 light weight  176 21 I so if  224 26 turst trust  229 38 wares warres  240 14 left least  251 2 Aristle Aristotle  256 9 tumpery trumpery  258 11 dobts doubts  259 14 separated separated c.  262 3 dâ—cretâ—ll decretals  2â—6 21 Eâ—romenicus oecumenicus  276 14 collaions collations  278 5 vnnecessary vnnecessary matters  282 18 scholes deuines schole diuines  285 20 forbid and doth forbid  287 5 a Florencâ— at Florence  302 13 Edick Edict What other Faults good Reader that the Corrector hath let past let me entreat thee to mend with thy pen as well as these