call his name wonderfull counseller the mightie God c. m cap 53.10 he shall make his soule an offering for sinne a Zach. 6.12.13 Behold the man whose name is the branch and he shall grow vp out of his place and hee shall build the temple of the Lord euen he shall build the temple of the Lord and he shall beare the glorie and shall sit and rule vpon his throne and he shal be a priest vpon his throne and the counsell of peace shall be betweene them both And many other places where his godhead manhood mediatorship priesthood kingly office are expresly described But yet most abundantly and most euidently in the gospel where of his person it is said b Rom. 1.3.4 He was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh and declared mightely to be the sonne of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead c Rom. 9.5 Of the Israelites concerning the fleshe Christ came who is God ouer all blessed for euer Touching both person and office When the fulnes of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made vnder the law that he might redeeme them which were vnder the law that we might receiue the adoption of sons d 1. Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once suffered for sins the iust for the vniust that he might bring vs to God and was put to death concerning the flesh but was quickned in the spirit His kingly office thou hast where it is said e Eph. 1.20.21 God set him at his right hand in heauenly places far aboue all principalitie power and might and domination and euerie name that is named not in this worlde only but also in that is to come and hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath appointed him ouer all things to be head to his church and his priestly office in these words f Heb. 7.24 This man because hee endureth for euer hath an euerlasting priesthood Wherefore hee is able perfectly to saue them which come vnto God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them O blessed harmony and sweet consent in so ioyfull a description of our louing God and sauiour Happie art thou O England who hast fellowship with Abraham Moses the prophets Apostles in so heauenly holy g 1. Tim. 3.16 great misterie of godlinesse Which God doth not reueile to all people but only to his h Colos 1.26 Saints All thanks therefore bee giuen vnto the most glorious name of our good God for his most excellent gift and rich grace Amen The sixt Article of the applying of Christ Faith onely iustifieth and who so euer beleeueth in Christ shal be saued THe meaning of this Article is that there is not in man either before or after hee beleeue any inherent righteousnesse or goodnes of mind neither any kind of workes done by him which can either deserue any thing at Gods handes or in any part satisfie his wrath wherby we should be accounted righteous in his sight but that Christ alone hath paid our ransome for our sinnes and wee are saued by the meere and free grace of God thorow his bloud and wee are then onely accounted iust and iustified before God made inheritors of saluatiō when by a true vnfained faith beliefe in Christ bloud wee acknowledge embrace and receaue this grace and fauour of God and this faith onely in this sort apprehending Christ maketh vs righteous and iustified before God And thus surely it befell vnto Abraham our father For first he was taught it Secondly hee found and felt it Thirdly God wrote it for euer with great and golden letters in the image of his house that all posteritie might reade it and learne it to their euerlasting comfort That he was taught it is apparant in that God finding him void of all goodnesse and righteousnesse as is before declared gaue him the promise that a Gen. 12.3 in him all the families of the earth should bee blessed This the Apostle interpreteth to bee meant that the nations should bee iustified by faith in Christ and not by works saying b Gal. 3.8 The scripture foreseeing that God wold iustifie the Gentils through faith preached before the gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all the gentils bee blessed Where thou mayest obserue two thinges First that this vttering of this promise to Abraham was the preaching of the gospell Secondly that the summe of the gospell is Iustification is by faith onely And that all nations should haue no other but the same order of iustification which God taught Abraham namely by faith onely In the second place Abraham found and felt this when he c Gen. 15.2 mourned to God because he had no child and God shewed him the starres and said looke now vp into heauen and tell the starres if thou be able to number them and hee said vnto him So shall thy seede bee And Abraham beleeued the Lord and hee counted that to him for righteousnesse Which the Apostle doth interprete to be vnderstood that faith without workes doth iustifie not onely in the person of Abraham but also that it pertayneth to all other in the like and verie same manner to be iustified and in none other First of Abraham he saith a Rom. 4.1 What shall we say that Abraham our father hath found concerning the fleshe for if Abraham were iustified by workes hee hath wherein to reioyce but not with God For what saith the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnes In which wordes it is plaine that Abraham was iustified by faith onely and if hee had beene by workes hee had had no reioycing with God And as touching all other that it is the onely and perpetuall rule of iustification hee saith b Verse 23. Now it is not written for him onely that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse which beleeue in him which raysed vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead Thirdly the great and golden letters wherewith this doctrine is written in Abrahams house be Sarah his wife and her sonne Isaack and Hagar his bond seruant and her sonne Ismael in whom God hath set forth as in a wide open book the two couenants the couenant of works and the couenant of mercie the one of the law and the other of the gospell For Sarah representeth the couenant of mercie and the estate of the Church vnder the gospell and her sonne the true and faithfull beleeuers in Iesus Christ Read Gen. 16. 21. Hagar representeth the couenaunt of workes and the state of the Church vnder the lawe and her sonne Ismael such as seeke righteousnesse by their workes Now as Sarah being the free woman her sonne Isaack was the heire vnto Abraham and remayned in his house for euer so the couenaunt of mercie and the
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
faith and secondly that such a faith which is onely in saying and bringeth foorth no woorkes cannot saue where you are to note that he proposeth to himselfe the confutation of a vain and idle faith which is only in saying and that he doth not enter to entreat of this question whether faith onely being true and liuely do iustifie or so far to prefer workes that they iustifie or saue vs with or without faith And this meaning doth all the order of his reasoning declare First ver 15.16.17 where he teacheth that as to make a shew of liberalitie in wordes and in deede to minister nothing doth beway but a counterfait liberalitie So faith without woorkes is dead in it selfe where marke that he saith in it selfe or by it selfe for thereby he sheweth that if it were the true iustifying and liuely faith in it selfe it would bring foorth liuelie fruits to declare the same and hereupon he openeth the meaning of his proposition ver 18. that a man is to shewe his faith by his workes namely that it is a thing which a man will aske for of him that saith he hath faith then ver 9. he sheweth that such an idle faith is that of the diuell which beleeueth there is a GOD and trembleth So these vaine pratlers may haue a generall beleefe and sometime tremble to thinke vpon Gods power and yet neuer haue the true faith in Iesus Christ which iustifieth wherewith whosoeuer is rightly endowed he hath Christ a Rom. 8. ver 9.10 dwelling in him by his spirit by whom the bodie of sinne is slaine and the life of righteousnes is as it were a new created as it is said else where b 2. Cor. 5.17 if any be in Christ he is a new creature but the diuels and wicked men destitute of this true faith are voide of this grace and therefore doo not bring foorth good workes Nowe then Saint Iames bringing in the storie of Abraham offering vp his sonne vpon this proposition and order of reasoning and namelie prefixing these woords But wilt thou vnderstand O thou vaine man that faith without workes is dead What other thing can hee meane by the woord iustified except he abruptlie goe contrarie to all his owne former speech but onlie the declaring shewing and making knowen of his faith not to bee dead vaine or onelie in saying and not that workes make a man iust before GOD which appeareth by his reason in this example in that he sayth Faith wrought with his workes and through workes was faith made perfect which signifieth that in offering vp of his Sonne his faith wrought to bring foorth this worke and that this worke being atchieued it made manifest that hee had a true and perfect faith his workes then in Saint Iames meaning perfected his faith that is made it appeare perfect but it did not meddle with the making of the man Abraham to be iust and righteous in the eies of GOD by that worke so wrought And then adding The scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes he vnderstandeth that the offering vp of his Sonne did make manifest that Abraham beleeued in deede and a right and therefore that scripture was approoued true that God imputed righteousnes to him not for a vaine saying and hypocriticall dissimulation but for a true beleefe and an vnfayned faith in Gods promise In the same sense verse 25. hee alleageth the storie of Rahab Nowe lastely the conclusion being by a comparison of a mā to be dead which hath not a spirit that so faith without works is dead sheweth that there is a spiritual working of faith which if it appeare not by works it declareth that faith is dead in it selfe So that Saint Iames speaketh onely against a dead faith meaning not by any termes to derogate from a liuely faith as though it had helpe of workes in the matter of iustification before God Further if we consider the story of Genesis out of which it is taken you shall finde that Saint Iames could not haue any other meaning For it was before a Gen. 15.16 17.11.25 21.5 22. Ismaell was borne that Abraham was iustified by his faith without respect of workes Then Ismaell was fourteene yeeres ould when Isaack was borne and Isaack was of some pretie yeres that he was able to beare a bundel of wood wherewith he should haue been burned therefore it must needs be between twentie and thirtie yeeres after the time of Abrahams iustifying that he offered vp Isaack which being so it cannot be vnderstood that that worke iustified him least it should destroy and b Read Rom. 4 10.11 Gal. 3.17 disanul his iustifying by faith so long before And therfore God himselfe doth expresse the power and vse of this worke not any whit to iustify him but only to make his faith to be knowen where hee saith c Gen. 22.12 Now I knovv that thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onely sonne And therefore doth the holy ghost interpret it thus d Heb. 11.17 By faith Abraham offered vp Isaack when hee was tried c. teaching vs that this was a fruit of the iust mans faith and not a worke to make him iust or meritorious in Gods sight Therefore we may boldly conclude that Saint Iames in saying Abraham was iustified by workes when he offered vp his son doth onely contend for this that it was of necessitie that faith shoulde be declared and made knowen by woorkes because our father Abraham did so by workes shew himselfe to be iustified by faith therefore we his children are bastards and not sons if our faith be idle and vnfruitful euen as Christ saith to the Iewes a Ioh. 8.39 If ye were Abrahams children ye would doe the workes of Abraham which wordes doe directly shew this article we haue in hand First that Abraham did workes approouing his faith and secondly that this also is to be looked for of his children that is of all beleeuers that they quite themselues to haue a true faith by their good life and obedience to God or els they bee no beleeuers or children of Abraham The same faith doth the church of England professe namely b Articl 12. of good workes Good woorkes are the fruits of faith and follow after iustification they doo spring out necessarily of a true and liuely faith in so much as by them a liuely faith may be as liuely knowen as a tree discerned by the fruit and againe c Apolog. cap 20. diuis 1. A true faith is liuely and can in no wise bee idle d Exod. 20. Moses consent in this doctrine may be found where God pronounceth the lawe of the ten commandements teaching all dueties of good workes to God and man saying I am the Lorde thy God and vpon this inferreth all their obedience to those commandements for what is I am the Lord thy God but the
neither do men seeke the Lord behold euerie man seeth how his anger is kindled more and more and how neere his sword is come vnto vs that the Lords wrath is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still But yet if it please thee O God and mercifull father bee thou entreated by thy poore seruants who seeing the plague call night and day vpon thee that thou take not so great vengeance of our sinnes as to make the sweete streaming fountains which water all thy holy temple and the garden of thy delight among vs to be salt and vnsauourie or to let that burning starre of wormewood which is fallen from heauen to touch our riuers of waters or that thou shouldst make the heart of this people fat and their eares heauie shut their eyes least they see with their eies and heare with their eares and vnderstand with their heartes and conuert and thou heale them Why should we be as men of another generation which know not and remember not thy great workes which thou hast done by our princely Iehoshuah and the great victorie ouer the Cananites of the land by thine annointed handmaid our renowned Deborah that our eyes should looke backe to the flesh pots of Egypt or that wee should returne to ioyne in friendship with that wicked Babilon whom thou hast commanded vs to reward with double as they haue rewarded vs and learning their maners being partakers of their sinnes we should be partakers of their punishmentes and thou shouldst giue vs ouer to the enemie and they which hate vs should be Lords ouer vs and then al these good things and the light of thy countenance should bee quite turned from vs and our glorie forsake vs. We haue indeed sinned most deare father and our offences are many yet is there mercie with thee that thou maiest bee feared Teach vs therfore thy way O Lord that we may walk in thy truth and knit our hearts vnto thee that we may feare thy holy name euen for thy holy Son sake our deare Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen When men waxe rich they begin to bee carelesse and by aboundance of peace Deut. 32.15 men forget themselues and fall away as it is written When he waxed fat he spurned with the heele For this cause hath God set vs ministers as watchmen to see the plague when it commeth and to admonish the people that they die not in their sinnes and to say vnto them Take heed you forget not the Lord your God which hath done all these good thinges for you but feare ye the Lord your God The cause matter purpose of this booke and serue him thou shalt cleaue vnto him and sweare by his name And this is verily the reason of the publishing of this treatise wherein I shew that the religion and faith publikely professed in this Realme and maintained by the righteous scepter and sword of our dread soueraign and gracious Queene Elizabeth is of the onely truth most auncient catholicke and vnchangeable out of which none euer haue beene saued from the beginning of the world neither can or shall bee And that the faith and religion vnder the pretence and name of Christ Peter and Paul and of the glorious shew and title of the Church which is now professed at Rome and followed by the vassals of the pope is but a new vpstart hereticall and superstitious deuise of man contrariant to the faith of Gods elect of the ancient couenant which God gaue taught Abraham both for Iewes and Gentils and which Moses and the prophets declared expounded and Christ fulfilled and established and his holy Apostles published to all the world and taught all nations by Christes commandement For I thought my duetie first vnto God and then to my gracious prince to shew some token of my thankefull mind and secondly to acknowledge my bounden duetie to Christes Church here among vs my deare mother in whose wombe I freely confesse my selfe to be bgotten and borne one of Gods children and though of thousands the most vnworthie yet one of the seruants of Christ and of his congregation in the ministerie of his Gospell And especially that I might call to remembrance and set before the eyes of my louing country men my louing and faithfull brethren and sisters in Christ the assurednesse of truth and the good treasure of God among vs namely that wee are lighted vpon that heauenly pearle blessed be God for which a man would sell all that he hath that this might bee some meanes to blow away the ashes from the cooling zeale of some stirre vp and awake some that are now readie to sleepe and bring backe againe some if it please God which are readie to go out of the way and that I might admonish others that they receiue not the grace of God in vaine For when a man shall thinke with himselfe and well way it in his heart that we haue the true faith which is vnchaungeable by which all Gods elect are saued will it not moue him to bestir himselfe that he neglect not so great saluation and that he trie euerie spirit before he beleeue and that he be not caried away with the vaine shew of ostentation in men of schoole learning but whomsoeuer he heare with the men of Berea to search the Scriptures whether those things be so yea though it were Paule or an Angel from heauen should preach another doctrine then that wee haue receiued we should hold him accursed I pray God for Christes sake to bee mercifull vnto mee that as he put into mine hart to take this worke in hand hath graciously assisted me and strengthened me to finish it and now to publish it So it would please him to vouchsafe his blessing to accompanie the same that it may bee accordingly profitable to many and haue an effectuall fruit to his glorie and the good of his church in the encouragement and strengthening of weake Christians I humblie beg this at his fatherly hands in and by the mediation of his son Iesus Christ euen for his holy and blessed name to whom with his holy spirit be all praise power and dominion for euer Amen From Eastwell in Kent the 26. of March 1602. The Contents of this Booke The first part of the auncient and vnchangeable estate of our religion now professed in England CAp. 1. Wherein is shewed first That wee come to know the true religion by the true knowledge of God pag. 1.2 2. That there is one God and he is the onely law-giuer pag. 3. 3. There is but one catholike religion whereof God is author and maintainer pag. 3. 4. For this cause Christ his Apostles teach the same religion which is in the olde testament and the gentils are adopted to bee children vnto Abraham pag. 5. 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 lawe and vnder the
know God turned from dumbe idols to serue the liuing and true God Hereof the almightie giueth sentence by his holy seruant Hieromie saying d Hier. 9.23 Let not the wiseman glorie in his wisdom nor the strong man glory in his strength neither the rich man glorie in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he vnderstandeth and knoweth me c. And according to this frame is the last iudgement literally described namly that e 2. Thes 1.7 the Lord Iesus should shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance vnto them that doe not know God c. 2. And herein we shall find that he which knoweth God is instructed in two things First that God is one and that there is no other God beside him euen as Moses saith f Deut. 6.4 Here O Israel the Lord our God is Lord onely and how is he one namely g Esai 44.6 the first and the last the beginning and the ending which is which was and is to come h Maluch 3.6 he neuer changeth nor hath so much as a i Iacob 1.17 shadow of turning Therefore saith the Psalmist k Psal 90.2 Before the mountaines were made and before thou haddest formed the earth and the worlde euen from euerlasting to euerlasting thou art God Secondlie that God is the l Iacob 4.12 onely law-giuer and teacher of righteousnes saluation as saith m Psal 94.10 Micas 6.8 Psal 98.2 the Prophets He teacheth man knowledge shewing him what is good and what the Lord requireth of him he declareth his saluation his righteousnes he reueileth in the sight of the nations 3. Now in the true and perfect vnderstanding of these true things we shall clerely see that there is but one true catholike religion from the beginning of the world to thend thereof fitly proportioned to the nature of the only God the author foūdor maintainer therof For as Christ teacheth because n Ioh. 4.24 God is a spirit he must be worshipped in spirit and truth So the nature of God being one vnchangeable his supreme authority to be the only lawgiuer there can no religion please him but onlie one which varieth not whereof himselfe is the author For this cause in one part of our religion which is our iustification saluatiō S. Paul reasoneth thus a Rom. 3.29 God is hee the God of the Iewes only not of the gentils also for it is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith vncircumcision thorow faith Thereby shewing that as God is one namely as wel ouer the Gentils as ouer the Iews so he will iustifie circumcision which are the Iewes vncircumcision which are the gentils that is al other nations by one way of religion that is to say thorough faith and beleefe in his sonne Iesus Christ For which cause this religion is called the b Tit. 1.1 faith of Gods elect because al the elect are but of one religion and therefore saint Iude c Iud. ver 3. wisheth vs to contend for the faith which was once giuen to the saints affirming that in writing thereof hee writeth of the common saluation And it is called in the former place of saint Paul The knowledge of the truth according to Godlines vnder the hope of eternall life shewing what is the matter of this religion and lastly to shew the author he saith which God that cannot lye hath promised before the world began hath made manifest in his times c. To which sence are these words in the Epistle to the Hebrewes d Heb. 13.8 Iesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same is for euer where speaking before of the word of God and faith and after admonishing them not to bee caried about with diuers and strange doctrins he meaneth by Iesus Christ putting the cause for the effect the doctrin and religion whereof he is the founder that as he in regard of his Godhead is without change beginning and ending so he is eternally the foundation of the church and that doctrine and religion which he teacheth is the truth euerlasting infallible and not to be altered as it seemeth to be expounded in the epistle to the Ephesians e Ephe. 4.4 There is one bodie and one spirit euen as you are called in one hope of your vocation there is one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and father of all which is aboue all and thorow all in you all And for this cause saint f Epist 2. ver 9. Iohn is bold to say whosoeuer transgresseth abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God Hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne 4 For the more plaine euidence of this matter we may obserue in the new Testament two thinges First that Christ and his apostles professed taught no new religion but the same which the scriptures of the old testament did before instruct and secondly that in it the gentils were made and adopted children vnto Abraham The former Christ sheweth where he saith a Matt. 5.17 Thinke not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfil them and againe b Ioh. 5.39 Search the scriptures for in them ye thinke to haue eternal life they are they which testifie of me And saint Peter affirmeth that c Act. 10.43 To him giue all the prophets witnes that through his name all that beleeue in him shal receiue remission of sinnes and saint Paul saith that he spake d Cap. 26.22 no other thinges then those which the Prophets Moses did say should come and e Rom. 16.26 that the Gospell and reuelation of the misery of Iesus Christ is opened and published among all nations by the scripture of the prophets at the commandement of the euerlasting God for the obedience of faith Therefore Christ and his Apostles taught no new thing differing from the old Testament the writings of Moses and the prophets Now for the second Christ saith f Matt. 8.12 Many shall come from the east and from the west and shall sit downe with Abraham Isaacke and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen Heare he spake of the calling of the gentils insinuating that they must bee saued by the same faith and religion by which Abraham was and for this cause entring into the house of Zacheus a gentile and finding faith in the promise made to Abraham he saith g Luk. 19.9 This day saluation is come into this house for asmuch as he is also become the sonne of Abraham and it is shadowed in that phrase of Christ where hee saith that Lazarus was in Abrahams bosome Cap 16. But it is made more plaine by the Apostle saying h Gal. 3.29 If ye be Christs then are ye Abrahams seede and heires by promise So
statutes and iudgements Here you see that the prophets hauing the same spirite of truth to leade them and their pen which Moses had in his writings auouch the perfection of Gods word in Moses bookes so farre as they would be vnderstood to doe or speake nothing that should not agree vnto that worde so written and whosoeuer did otherwise had not the light in him Now because Moses and the prophets agreed in their writinges in declaring and making manifest the same truth and word of God which he would haue to be the knowen canon and rule of religion Our Sauiour Christ reiecteth all c Math. 15.3 new deuises writing traditions and customes of men sendeth vs to the d Luk. 16.29 cap. 24.44 law and the prophets bidding vs to e Ioh. 5.39 search the scriptures Which also to bee a most certaine rule Saint Peter saith We haue a most sure worde of the prophets And Saint Paul a 2. Tim. 3.16 The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach vs that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes What can be a more perfect rule or touchstone then that which is most sure inspired of God profitable euery way in righteousnes by which a man may be absolute perfect vnto all good workes And hereof it commeth that the writinges of the new testament are not a new Canon or additament of rule in religion but onely a more plaine reuelation fulfilling of that which was before taught by Moses and the prophetes and therefore you shal find that Christ and the Apostles euery where do approue their doctrine by the testimonies of the scriptures of the olde testament Wherefore Paul acknowledgeth that b Rom. 16.26 God commanded the preaching of the gospell to bee by the scriptures of the prophets and Peter c Act. 3.22.24 appealeth to Moses and to all the prophets from Samuel and thenceforth that they foretold of those daies that is of the time of the gospell and the things which should bee manifested therein And therefore Paul protested that he d Cap. 26.22 witnessed both to small and great no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come Wherefore the whole scriptures of the olde and new testament is one and the same rule of religion Although peraduēture as is before declared there may be some difference in ceremony and maner of gouernment yet is the first euen in those thinges a witnesse of the last and the last a true and faithfull expounder and fulfiller of the first Hereof it is that Mathew and the other Euangelists do confirme all the doctrine and doings of Christ by seuerall scriptures Yea those thinges which in forme order differ are yet proued that so they ought to be by Moses and the prophetes as the ministerie of a Math. 3.3 Iohn Baptist b Act. 2.16 and of the Apostles c Heb. 7.1.12 the priesthood of Christ and his changing of the lawe d 1. Cor. 9.9.13 prouiding for the ministerie though not by tithes and many such like But as for the most substantiall parts of the doctrine of faith and saluation I hope it shal appeare to the godly Christian by reading this Chapter throughout that there is but one canon and rule of truth Therefore to conclude let the reader obserue that this writing of Gods word is done by the spirit of God to this vse and ende that we might bee sure to know and how to trie and finde out what is the worde of God by examining all things wee heare by the Canon of the scripture As did e Act. 17.11 the noble men of Berea Wherefore Saint f Cap. 1.3.4 Luke affirmeth that the ende of this writing was that wee might acknowledge the certaintie of those thinges whereof wee haue beene instructed And Saint Paule saith that for the Church g Philip. 3.1 it was a sure thing and this sure thing is expounded by the Euangelist who sayth h Ioh. 20.21 These thinges are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name Therefore as Moyses which first wrote shewed the absolutenesse of this Canon of Gods worde written by i Deut. 4.2 forbidding all adding to and taking from So the last booke of this Canon sealeth vp all the writinges of God with the like admonition saying e Reuelat. 22.18 I protest to euerie one that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke Now in both partes of this Article agreeing to all these testimonies of holy scripture is the iudgement and profession of the Church of England For we say b Artic. 20. of the authoritie of the church It is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrarie to Gods worde written c Articl 6. the doctrine of holy scripture Holy scripture containeth all things necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an article of the faith or bee thought requisite and necessarie to saluation c. d Apolog. cap. 9. diuis 1. We receiue and embrace all the Canonicall scriptures both of the old and new testament c. they bee the verie sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried Whether the Church do swarue or erre and whereunto all ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to bee called to account and that against these scriptures neyther law nor ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard c. In all which wee doe acknowledge this most absolute canon of Gods word agreeing with Abraham Moses the Prophets Christ and his Apostles The tenth Article of the people who follow the right religion that is the Church of God 10 There is but one Church of God and the same is catholike and spread ouer all the world holding onely the true faith of Christ and it is made visible and knowne by the profession of the same faith which is in the preaching of the pure word of God and right administration of his holy sacraments IN this Article is a double description of Christes Church first in regard of the nature and second in regard of the visible markes The nature is in three things vnitie and vniuersalitie and faith The markes are declared by their profession which is preaching and administring the word sacraments By vnitie wee vnderstand that God hath not diuers Churches of diuers sectes in diuers places or times but howsoeuer times and places may haue some externall and temporal differences yet in all times and places the people whom God alloweth and accepteth to bee his church are but one misticall bodie wherof Christ is the head and as
the world doth sufficiently couer and defende their filthie follie Whereas they foolishlie know not and consider not or at the least thorough maliciousnes and hardnes of hart wil not know that an ill thing the more vniuersall the longer the larger the stronger the more in custome vse authoritie and open familiaritie of men the more dangerous infectious incurable and deadly it is And this gentilisme and poperie are so much the more stronge in dilusion for the damnation of soules by howe much they being void of godlines and truth are and haue been ancient vniuersal visible c. And therefore it hah cost the more sweat and bloud vnto the faithfull seruants of Christ to cure the infected people and to bring them againe into the bosom of Abraham and arcke of Noe the folde and church of Christ We may then boldlie say that such ministers are to be obeied who as an a Ian. lib. 4. cap. 43. auncient father saith together with the succession of their Bishopricks according to the good will of God the father haue receaued the certaine gift of the truth which while the church of Rome that now is hath not done because they doo not beleeue in those things which are they are fallen into those things which are not hauing forsaken the pure and chast nature and beutifull ornaments of the true spouse of Christ which is the sincere doctrine of holie scripture they are faine to array themselues in the counterfait and comon whorish apparel of al the filthy idolaters of the world the vaine pretence of antiquitie vniuersalitie c. But yet this suit of apparel will not serue them no more then that can fit a childe borne yesterday which is large and wide for a man of a great and full stature For how doo these termes agree to that apostalical sea of Rome which is one of the last lowest borne children of superstition begotten of the diuell in this last furie of his old age euen now he knoweth his time is verie short For as it shall appeare in the latter part of this booke through Gods gracious assistance the synagogue of Rome wil want at the least 4500. yeres of that antiquitie vniuersality and visible succession which I haue here already shewed to appertaine to the true auncient catholike religion of Gods most holie vndoubted church founded in Adams promise seperated in Abrahams posterity published offered to all the world by Christs most blessed Apostles For an introduction into which matter I will in this Chapter through my Lord Christes fauour and grace shew vnto thee good Christian reader how this religion of ours now professed and openly maintayned in Englande which is manifestly proued alreadie in the Chapter going before to be the ancient true faith from the beginning of the world and namely and especially from our father Abraham now in these latter daies hath descended and continued by succession visible in the worlde from the Apostles time vnto ours For although wee bragge not of antiquitie and vniuersalitie yet wee doe humblie thanke our louing God and mercifull father in Iesus Christ that vnto vs the pure doctrine and true Christian religion is come and is fruitfull as euer it hath bin in any part of the world and we are made the children of Abraham through faith in Iesus Christ 2 And that you may vnderstand this the better you are to know the measure hereof by the holy scriptures of God which as a line being gone ouer all the worlde doth shew the tract and footesteppes of religion among the gentilles vnto the ende of the worlde In the 24. of Mathew the 17. and 21. of Luke and in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn is fore described the treading vnder feete of Hierusalem and the Iewes vntill the times of the gentils bee fulfilled and that in these times should arise false prophets and false Christes and deceiue many yea great chaunges and alteration in religion should be in all the Christian world The kings and princes of the earth should obey the will of the least and this obedience should be so vniuersall that no man should be permitted to buy or sell without his marke in their foreheades the prophetes and witnesses of Christ should bee slaine and there should bee the patience and triall of the Saintes Smoke comming out of the bottomlesse pitte couereth the aire and hideth the Sun Moone and stars What doth this shew but that the world should bee found a continuall enemie to the true religion and that the faith of Christ should not alway be vniuersally professed and maintained but that the Christian Churches should fall into errors and that the true religious and faithfull people of God should passe through the furnace of the fierie triall and bee as it were heere and there certayne scattered stones of a building that is witnesses standing vp for the truth testifying that there is a pure religion ordained and accepted of God And not that the Church shoulde bee alway a beautifull pauilion and goodly temple wherein the King dwelleth seene and admired and honoured of all men According to that of Christ a Math. 24.13 Because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall waxe colde And this coldnesse shall bee so great and so vniuersall that the true professors of Gods true religion b Vers 9. shall be hated of all men and men c Ioh. 16.1.2 shal thinke they do God seruice when they kill any of them And the ground of this Saint Paul sheweth saying d 2. Tim. 4.3 The time will come when they will not suffer wholesome doctrine c. And yet it seemeth to be more fully opened where hee foretelleth that there must bee an e 2. Thess 2.3 Apostasie or falling from the faith before the world could haue an ende and the man of sinne disclosed 4 which is an aduersarie and exalteth himselfe against that is called God or that is worshipped so that he doth sitte as God in the temple of God And a little after 7 For the misterie of iniquitie doth alreadie worke c. Wherein hee teacheth plainely foure thinges First that there should be a generall decay of religion in the Church Secondly that it should be by such an aduersarie of Christ as should raigne in the Church Thirdly that he should bee reuealed in his time And fourthly that this was an hidde and secret thing which did beginne to worke secretely euen in the Apostles time By which wee may perceiue the succession and vniuersalitie of the Church in the visible shew and flourishing of the true religion is not to bee found nor looked for in all the times of the gospell after the Apostles daies but that by little and little it should bee darkened corrupted and hidden For howe can that bee saide to bee the true visible Church of Christ where his aduersarie dwelleth and beareth all the rule aduauncing himselfe as God And whereas touching the true faith the people are
godlinesse which burden Gods house with such great volumes of new laws made by men contrary to the true faith religion when God telleth vs expressely that his c Psal 19.7 Deut. 4. law written in his word is perfect and conuerteth the soule and that to it nothing is to be added or taken away In the tenth Article the contradiction is manifest to the whole worlde for all men see that they restraine the worde Catholike to one place and that the whole Church should be ruled by her square the whole vniuersall worlde made catholike by one citie wheras one city cannot be the vniuersal church of the whole world which containeth the meanest and smallest part of the whole Besides this they doe not hold professe the onely true catholike faith but do most earnestly fearsely and cruelly persecute Christ his members stand only vpon vain titles of antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession other false grounds which are common to all the wicked pagans which notwithstanding their brags can not be found in their sinagogue and profession And as is their faith such is their preaching mans traditions and deuises altogether strangers from the life of God their sacraments as they handle the matter are not only ful of vnclean mixtures but also peruerted without authority from God All which to him that considereth will bee found true in the examination of the articles going afore following after namely that they haue nothing in doctrine or practise of the nature of the true Church of God nor yet those visible marks which do indeed truely shew discerne and make knowne the true church and chast spouse of Christ In the eleuenth Article there need but few words for when they worship the Roode and other idols relickes of Saints and the sacrament and when they pray to the virgine Marie to the Apostles and all canonized Saints of that sea euerie man may by by perceiue that they worship not God onely And if they would shift vs off with their blind distinction of Latine doulia hyperdoulia it is not the daliance of termes that can helpe the matter except the word of God made such a difference Againe they themselues a Preceptoriū Nider precept 1. cap. 6. Latria idem est quod seruitus Deo exhibita c. teach that latria which themselues say is a worship due and proper to God alone may be done and might lawfully be done to these namely to the trinitie of the persons diuine to the three Angels whom Abraham saw to the done appearing vpon Christ to the voice of the father to the wordes of the holy scripture in as much as they proceede from God to the manhoode of Christ vnited to his Godhead to the crosse of Christ to the image of Christ to the sacrament of the Eucharist to the garments nailes and speare of Christ If here the proper honour and worship of God bee not giuen to creatures and that these things be not disagreeing to the holy and ancient religion allowed by God I know not what is Let it be tried by that which God saith in the old testament b Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me And in the new Christ speaketh in the minde and meaning of the old c Math. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue In the twelfth Article there are many disagreementes of Romish superstition and idolatrie from the true catholike religion First in the generall nature of a sacrament they add a further power namely that the sacraments containe grace giue grace and a Concil trident ses 7. that of the worke wrought yea and this alway and vnto all on the part of God and that without them or the vow of them a man doth not receiue of God the grace of Iustification and that the intent of the Minister is required at least according to the generall intent of the Church In which are two manifest cut-throats of the nature of a Sacrament for by conteyning grace c vnderstanding that grace is in the outward signe and so by the only outward ministerie as it is wrought by the Minister grace is giuen this maketh it more then a signe and a seale of the couenant and giueth that to the outward signe worke wrought of man which is due to the spirit of God And secondly the necessity of the Priests intention is made an efficient bearding outfacing the institution of God as though that the being of the Sacrament depended not onlie and wholly vpon Gods ordaining and institution but that it must haue the intent of the minister to make it a Sacrament And here they are to be vnderstood of the Sacraments of the new testament therfore let vs heare how God in the new law of the gospel doth teach the contrarie For he applyeth the vertue of both Sacraments to the spirit saying b 1. Cor. 12.13 By one spirit are wee all baptized into one body whether wee be Iewes or Grecians whether wee be bound or free and haue beene all made to drinke into one spirit therefore the power is not in the outward signe or worke but onlie in the spirit because that c Ver. 4. 11. the diuersities of gifts come of the same spirit and he distributeth them to euerie one seuerallie as he will And as for the Priests intent he saith in the same chapter a Ver. 6. There are diuersities of operations but God is the same which worketh all in all If then God worke all where is the ground of the Priests intent and if the spirit distribute as hee will where is the worke wrought c There is yet a third addition namely that they lay vpon these sacraments the grace of iustification which God saith euidently is imputed to faith without any workes euen as b Rom. 4.1.2.3 11. c. Gal. 3.6 Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes Secondly for the number the presuming sea addeth fiue matrimonie orders confirmation penance extreame vnction not one of them hauing the true nature of a sacrament for they are no where ordeined and commaunded of God to any such purpose except we would childishly say as they doe namely c Manipul curat cap. 1. de instit sacra that hee ordained confirmation when he laid his hands vpon children and said suffer little children to come vnto me and orders when he said Doe this in remembrance of me penance when he said to leapers Go shew your selues to the Priest and extreame vnction when hee sent his Apostles to anoint and heale the sicke that he made matrimony a sacrament when in the wombe of the virgin M. he would ioyne our nature to the diuine in the vnity of person c So might wee make a multitude of sacraments making of clay to
as they confesse not found in holy scriptures cannot bee good if the first part of their rule be true Secondly if it be of the nature of the scripture as we haue proued to containe all things necessarie to saluation and some of these as their dreadfull sacrifice of the masse rites in baptisme confirmation purgatorie prayers for the dead c. are by popish doctrine necessarie to saluation and yet are not to be found in holy scriptures then it followeth that they are contrarie to the law of God when they stand vp to shew themselues auaileable to saluation because they falsely accuse the scripture not to containe all thinges necssarie to saluation yea they accuse the scripture of a lie when it saith c 2. Tim. 3.15.16.17 They are able to make thee wise vnto saluation and that the man of God may bee perfect and absolute vnto euerie good worke But what can bee more contrarie to the law of God then to make his inspired word written to tell a lie Here then by their owne rule fall downe their traditions forged vpon Christ and his Apostles and presumed by their Church and if the scripture bee true there can and ought to bee no such thing and therefore of necessitie by their owne doctrine these are but deuises of men traditions not good Now for the second part of this first braunch of their rule where they say that the naughtie traditions are verie neere occasions of sinne These traditions breake that rule also For beside that they are all sinne in that God neuer commaunded them and come vnder that checke d Math. 15.2 In vaine they worship mee teaching for doctrines mans precepts they can neuer denie by any good reason but that by these traditions they giue occasions of sinne many waies As in Baptisme men cannot discerne the true worke of Baptisme for the multitude of ceremonies vnto which are giuen the verie power and operation of Baptisme by the sacrifice of the masse relickes images and praying to Saintes they are ledde vnto sinne being directly against that commandement which saith a Math. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And their vowes of chastitie and single life giue occasion of all filthinesse buggery and murder and sodomitrie But if in these traditions there be a direct and particular contradiction to holy scripture then where is their foundation as for example the holy scripture saith b Heb. 18. There remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne they say the sacrifice of the masse is for the quicke and the dead the holy scripture saith it is c 1. Tim. 4.1 a doctrine of deuils to forbidde meates and mariage These traditions make priesthoode vowes and holding the childe at Baptisme to hinder marrige and that Lent and ember daies must not see any flesh and that for conscience sake The scripture saith thou d Precep 2. Exod. 20. shalt make no image nor worshippe them and they say thou mayest and oughtest to worship them And there are a great many more as is before apparant to bee seene whereof I thought good to giue the reader a taste that hee might the better remember what hath beene before written For the second part of the rule to knowe a naughtie tradition to be of men and not of God they say it is naught if it bee derogatorie to the glorie of Christ I pray you looke vpon all and euerie of these traditions and you shall find that they are set forth for merite and remission of sinnes for satisfaction and iustification All which as is before proued are the glorie of Christ because there is e Act. 4.12 no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby a man may bee saued These being newe names challenging that which belongeth to him cause men to giue his glorie vnto others And therefore by this rule seeing they derogate from the glorie of Christ they are no good traditions but meere inuentions of men not sufferable in the Church of God Lastly they are friuolous and burdenous c. which is the third part of their rule to know traditions to be of man do but looke vpon the number If f Gratians decrees one booke can shew vs 3090. decrees whereof most of them be of these traditions and that there be besides these in decretall and extrauagants I cannot tell how many thousand more then how can they auoid the name of burden And as for their profite if wee may iudge by holy scriptures which teacheth that g Heb. 1.3 Christ by himselfe purgeth our sins What profit can there be in any or all of these except we may say that Christ hath not purged our sinnes But their owne conscience telleth them there is no need of them As for example when they can h Manipul curat cap. 8. de annex bapt say of all the rites of tradition in Baptisme that they are not of the essence of Baptisme because that without them Baptisme may bee well giuen in case of necessitie which hauing as great a warrant as any of the rest wee may verily conclude that they are all but friuolous and superfluous ouerspreading outslippes of mens deuises What shall we then determine of this goodly popish trash but that they cannot be ancient autentical after Gods word seeing they cannot agree to their owne rules whereby they would proue them to be of God Therefore that is most blasphemous that they call the worde of God as it is in the holy bookes dead incke in comparison of their tradition vnlesse it be warranted by tradition and vnderstood in the sence of the mastership of their church Wee are then come thus farre that poperie is a tradition not written with dead incke in Gods holy bookes but some other kinde of doctrine which by their owne rules cannot bee found worthy the name of a good tradition and therefore a meere deuise of mans foolishnesse that is to say verie fables much displeasing and abhominable in the holy eyes of almightie God 4 Now let vs looke into the particulers Heere come the a Antididagma printed at Louan 1544. reuerend Canons of Colen who in the generall ioyning with this great clearke Peresius in many things crie with him Traditum est or traditum tenemus that is it is a tradition or wee hold it a tradition And this they doe where they are to shewe their originall and in deede it is an easie matter to maintayne any foolish or wicked thing by such a deuise yet are these learned men of Colon content to tell vs one or two originalles First b Pag. 70. they say It is true that Christ gaue the Sacrament to his Apostles vnder both kindes of breade and wine and that the church obserued that order a long time after therefore they teach vs that to keep the cup from the common people is but new learning So also they c Pag. 143. say their holy daies reckning by name 22.
lib. 4. Orthod fid cap. 7. Who is there which can make the image of God who is inuisible without body circumscription without figure therefore it is extreme madnesse to counterfeit fashion the deuine power Guillermus Durandi helpeth vs a little further vntill An. 480. b De rational diuin lib. 1. de pictur affirming that the councell of Agatha forbad pictures to bee made in the church and that that should bee painted in the wales which is worshipped adored Now this c 16. Durandi d De rit eccles lib. 1. cap. 4. sect 1. Durantus with old father Gratian e De consecrat distinct 3. cap. perlatum do patiently abide and beare that these images had little entertainment into the churches of Christians vntill An. 600. But then they are bold to bring forth Gregorie liuing about that time that they might shew the first originall decree of their error Namely that about this time there were images crept into the church to bee lay mens bookes but not to be adored For this Gregorie f Lib. 7. epist 109. reproueth one Serenus Bishop of Massilia for breaking images in the church whē he saw them worshipped but yet he commendeth him that hee would not haue the people to worship them wishing to teach the people not to sinne by worshipping them and yet to learne the storie in the wales which they could not reade in bookes So that it can not be found that vnto this time of 600. yeares images got any further honour but to stand or to be painted in the church as bookes to teach the rude people and then they began about that time to forget the scriptures of God which saith g Hier. 10.15 Aback 2. 19. They are vanitie and the worke thereof errors there is no profite in them but they are teachers of lies But this Romish and hethenish idolatrous worship which is now among the papistes had so many enemies of godly Christians that from time to time it suffered the repulse till about the yeare 785. And then in the second counsel of Nice it was hatched hardened made bolde to come abroad into open light and to beard to face downe the pure adoration and seruice of God with this prety h By these two verses Nam Deus est quod imago docet sed non Deus ipsa Hanc videas sed mente colas quod cernis in ipsa deuise and colour to hide their idolatrie that they honor not the image it selfe but in it they worship him whom the image doth represent A thing so manifestly condemned by the auncient Christians that this is the greatest and the strongest antiquity which the papists haue for the grounding and first full birth of their idolatrie as thou shalt verie well perceiue if thou reade the aforesaid authors of this matter and the Antididagma of the reuerende canons of Colen and B. Boner vpon the 10. commandements and the counsell of Trent or any other that declare faithfully the true storie of antiquitie Therefore let the Christian reader iudge if this bee not of a newe and late generation and whether such daintie cloakes of humane folly will shrowde them well and safely agaynst the powring showers of the fierie wrath of God which i Esai 45.23 hath once sworne by himselfe saying Euerie knee shall bow vnto mee and euerie tongue shall sweare by mee And againe hee saith k Cap. 42.8 I am the Lorde this is my name and my glorie will I not giue vnto an other 2. Faith onely iustifieth neither my praise vnto grauen images The second foundation is of the condition on our part of the couenant with God wherein because the gospell requireth no other condition but onely faith in Iesus Christ therfore the catholike religion holdeth this principle Faith in Iesus Christ onely without workes doth iustifie Which to be the ancient catholike beliefe of Christians Eusebius Pamphilus a very learned diuine of the primitiue age doth testifie he liued about Anno 325. who writing the storie of the primitiue Church sheweth that this was the faith of the Christians from the Apostles vnto that age For speaking of the heresie of the Hebionites whose beginning was in the verie first age of Christianitie he calleth them poore alluding to their name in the knowledge of the glorie of Christ Histor eccles lib. 3. cap. 27. and he telleth that they were reputed erronious in this that they held that the obseruation of the law was to be kept and that faith onely in Christ was not sufficient to saluation Which is confirmed by Irenaeus who b Aduers heres lib. 1. ca. 26 saith that Ebion refused Paul calling him an Apostata from the law Now if it were not the common and vniuersall faith of the Church that faith onely iustifieth how could Ebion all that 300. yeares bee accounted an hereticke for holding the contrarie But this will more appeare if we heare the auncient fathers and elder protestants both before and after Eusebius time to speake and vtter their profession Cyprian c Anno 255. before Eusebius d Epist 3. Caecilio saith thus Si Abraham Deo credidit c. If Abraham beleeued God it was imputed to him for righteousnes truely whoseouer beleeueth God and liueth by faith is found righteous Origin e Anno. 235. a little before him speaketh thus vpon the words of S. Paul Rom. 3. vers 27.28 f In epist ad Rom. cap. 3. lib. 3. He saith the iustification of faith onely to suffice So that whosoeuer beleeueth onely is iustified although hee fulfill no part of workes And to proue this he bringeth the example of the thiefe on the crosse namely That no whit of good workes is declared to bee done by him in the gospell but for his faith onely Iesus said vnto him this day shalt thou be with me in paradise Hilarius g 345. liued much about that time or not long after Eusebius and h Cap. sine Canon 8. hee saith vpon Mathew Fide sola iustificat He iustifieth onely by faith Basilius Magnus as it were i Anno 370. presently after him saith The k de humilitate Apostle saith let him that glorieth glory in the Lord where he said that Christ is made of God vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that as it is written let him that glorieth glorie in the Lord for that is perfect euerie way glorying in the Lord when a man is not extolled for his owne righteousnesse but acknowledgeth himselfe indeed void of true righteousnesse and to bee iustified by onely faith in Christ Ambrose was not long l 380. after when he m Epist 71. wrote to one Irenaeus saying Let no man glorie in his works because no man is iustified by his doings but he that is iust hath it giuen him because that after the washing he is iustified therfore it is faith
risen vp without Gods authoritie by men how where and when since the pure times of the blessed Apostles and founders of Christes church and religion yea and that in most of the particulers Wherin my purpose is not to enter so farre as might be spoken for I cannot make in so short a roome an exact treatise but onely as briefely as I can conueniently so far to shew the christian reader as he may sufficiently see and perceiue that poperie hath his originall from men and not from God that it came vp since and vnder the Christian religion like vnto the Iuie that commeth vp after the oke and taketh holde thereon and by little and little so ouerspreadeth it and couereth it from the sight of men that wee can scarse see or discerne the oke Histories differ in setting downe 〈◊〉 times And here I am to aduertise the reader that historie writers and reporters of antiquitie differ much in these causes about the times so as the cronologie writers finde themselues encombred howe to set downe the certaintie in manie things yet notwithstanding though the authors disagree about the certaine time yet the matter is made vndoubted when they all agree that it is found out to come in after the Apostles times Wherein I make choise to take our testimony from hartie and vnfained papists that the truth of this cause may the more appeare when themselues cannot but yeeld vnto vs sufficient warrant and proofe of their new borne superstition Two deuises to hide the newnes of poperie They haue two great helpes to maintaine the antiquitie of their follie First the authorising of counterfait writinges such as are the decretall Epistles of Clemens Anacletus and others of the primatiue Church which not onely disagreeing in stile and matter from the times they pretende but also telling of those thinges and persons which were many yeres after doo very much argue that when the papists are faine to runne vnder the shadowe of such muddie and vnsetled Wales of forged authoritie their foundation is not so deepe in their owne conscience as they would beare the worlde in hand Their second helpe is that they proine pare and loppe and engraft the writings of auncient fathers and others teaching them by a newe deuise called Index Expurgatorius hatched in the late Counsell of Trent Anno 1571. to speake as they thinke best for there sea of sinne and to holde their peace where they like not of their sayinges If they may thus authorise false witnesses to speake for their purpose as they list and gagge the toonges of the true witnesses they can speake no further but as they giue them leaue then may euerie simple man see in them that an euill conscience findinge themselues to haue no antiquitie of trueth doth cause them to inuent shiftes to colour and cloake their wicked forgeries and newe deuises by which they haue manie yeeres abused Gods people But GGD bee thanked who bringeth the hidden and secreate thinges of the wicked vnto light he hath confounded their wisedom that all this doth not hide their filthie and earthlie generation For the prophesie of Saint Paul concerning such peruerse and cursed speakers which haue a shewe of godlinesse but haue denied the power thereof is now in the eyes and knowledge of all men come to passe For he a 2. Tim. 3.9 saith They shall preuaile no longer for their madnesse shal be euident to all men 3. And this verily is brought to passe by the righteous iudgements of God causing their owne tongs to take them and making the counsell of the wicked to bee foolishnesse Marke therefore and consider how they confound the glorie of their inuentions ad deuises Martinus Peresius Aiala a Bishop and a verie zealous papist seeming to haue taken great paines in reading of antiquities writeth a b Printed at Paris 1549. booke of traditions dedicated to Phillip king of Spain where hee c In his preface nisi attramento mortuo in sacris codicibus expressū calleth the inspired scriptures of the worde of God Dead incke in the holy bookes and affirmeth that if we should follow onely the holy scriptures which he calleth a pestiferous opinion Christian religion and ecclesiasticall pollicie should vtterly be destroied auouching beside the canonical scriptures another kind of doctrine called Tradition the head seed plot as he saith of almost all controuersies betweene vs and if herein wee agreede all discord now in religion would quickly cease And in this booke he maketh d 3. pars assertio 6. fol. 6. Diuina authoritas magisterium apostolicum Episcop maxime Romanorum a Deo concessa authoritas three fountains of traditions First they call diuine authority that is such as Christ in their deuise instituted deliuered which were not laid vp in the scriptures the second fountaine they call the Apostolicall mastership where they haue traditions some in the canons Apostolicall some in holy mens writings the last fountaine is the mastership authoritie of the Bishops most of all of the Roman Bishops which they also cal the e pars 2. assert 5. fol. 44. mastership of the church Wherein is a power as they say to iudge and determine what is canonicall scripture and to make diuers lawes and ecclesiasticall discipline And this last giueth power to all the rest for here as they say wee know which is the true worde of God heere the authoritie of decretalles is made firme and this being a gift and priuiledge that cannot erre is of that autenticall authoritie if we beleeue them that no man must once reason against it Out of these fountaines they drawe their traditions of the rites of Baptisme of confirmation auricular confession and penitentiall satisfaction the tradition of order and his rites the fearefull sacrifice of the alter transubstantiation praier for the dead communion vnder one kind purgatorie extreame vnction worship and intercession of Saints worship of relickes images exorcismes Lent fastes single life vowes of chastitie and such like In handling of which traditions he b Postulat 3. fol. aut quia legi Dei repugnant proximae sunt occasiones peccandi c. giueth vs a rule to discerne humane traditions from diuine saying Traditions which are not good are either contrarie to the law of God and are verie neere occasions to sin or derogate to the glorie of Christ or they are friuolous burdensome and of no profit If it be lawfull for vs to follow these three rules we shal easily proue popery to be no good tradition but a meere humane inuention of their owne For the first rule I hauing before shewed that all their popish religion is contrary to the religion which God taught Abraham Moses and the Prophets taught the Iewes and Christ and his Apostles taught all nations and contrarie to the doctrine which Paule taught the auncient Romanes and which Peter taught the Iewes it must needes follow that these traditions being