in the yeare of our Lord God 1547. set foorth by hys royall visitation godly homilies the paraphrase of that learned father Erasmus to the great comfort of the simple that be willing to learne also godly iniunctions meaning thereby to root vp all superstition abuse and idolatry to set vp gods word in their place Wherein he commanded not onely to take awaie all superstition and idolatrie but to take away and vtterly to extinguish and destroy all monuments of superstition idolatrie cap. 28. But how diligently putoffes haue practised their pollicie to hinder this his godly purpose it is better to lament it with teares then to rehearse it in letters Last of all to put all out of doubt and to make a perfect concord we haue a booke of cōmon praier with an order in the same for reading of Gods booke set forth in English by the same aucthoritie and stablished by act of parliament And least anie person would be so foolish mad to looke for the romish ragges againe one statute at the last parliament abolisheth and condemneth for euer all other popish bookes of the old seruice Notwithstanding some people be yet dased in those Gods matters that they know not vvhat to doe Maruaile not therefore deare father though the vngodly sorte doe misconster and euill interpret your godly trauaile For they crie for a law they must haue a law to lead them from euerie superstition by name els they vvill not obey But if they loued obedience quietnesse and had but one sparke of reuerend feare either toward God or their prince or anie desire of godly knovvledge there hath inough and inough againe bin said cōcerning matters of religion and also set forth both by order and law There be articles inough iniunctions inough proclamations inough commandements inough exhortations inough lessons inough and lavves inough if they vvere vnderstoode vvillingly embraced reuerently obeyed Albeit for them that be self vvilled frovvard contentious obstinat dul harted nothing vvil serue Therfore to none may be better applied this prophecy of Esay then vnto these Who saith They that be such must haue after one lesson another lesson after one commandement another commandement after one rule another rule after one instruction another instruction there a litle there a litle For he that speaketh vnto this people is euen as one that vseth rudenesse of speeche a strange language If anie man say vnto them loe this is the rest wherwith ye may ease hym that is wearie this is the refreshing they will not harken Therfore the word of the Lord lesson vpon lesson commandement vppon commandement rule vpon rule instruction vpon instruction there a little and there a litle shalbe vnto them an occasion of stumbling that they may goe on and fal backward be brused tangled and snared Wherefore heare the worde of the Lord yee mockers ye that haue rule of this people O vvould God I might haue ouerleapt this sentēce that goeth before that iustly novv it might not besaid They are out of the way by reason of wyne yea farre out of the way are they by reason of strong drinke These things my moste reuerend father haue inforced me to presume to doe that vvhich is aboue the strength both of my vvit and learning but not aboue my good vvill that is to collect out of Gods scriptures a simple and plaine manifestation of the Church in English or a manifest opening or shevving of the Church naming it the Epiphanie because that vvord albeit borrovved of the Grecians is frequented already among vs english men in the same signification The obscuritie misunderstanding and ignorance onely of this argument article hath bene and also is the cause of much obstinacie contention and disobedience For vntill it pleased almightie God to open vnto me by his holy spirit and vvorde this article credo ecclesiam c. vvith the right meaning of the same according to the scriptures I vvas as stiffe in the popish traditions taking them for good customes and ceremonies of the fathers as I am now earnest in Gods booke and taught them vvith so good a zeale but not according to knovvledge as I doe novv the Gospell Wherefore taking of the same remedy vvherof I tooke hurt euen of Credo ecclesiam as they that be hurt of scorpions be vvoont to do I can do no lesse but vvrite and set forth the same vnto and for such as be stoong vvith the same sting and venomed vvith the same poison Whose nature is not to hurt but vvhere it findeth bloud No more Credo ecclesiam hurteth but suche as cleaue too much to humaine reason and naturall vvit I trust they vvill not mislike that thing that loue constraineth me to doe for their sakes If they doe they shall find me as readie to defend the same by the word of god against all popish bablinges as I haue bene to vvrite it So that your godly learning misliketh it not vnto vvhome vvith all other godly learned I humbly submit the same beseeching you to accept in good part my small industrie as the first fruites of my pen and iudge thereof as god shall put in your minde to vvhome be all thanke praise and glory Amen Your humble Richard Phinch ¶ THE EPIPHANIE OF THE CHVRCH BEcause I couet rather to profite with homely and playn speech then to please with sweete faire words I will speake liberally but yet simply of the Church for their sakes and vnto them that be deceaued with euill custome bewitched with popish iuglings charmed with mens inuentions and beguiled with their owne wittes which resist the trueth of Gods holy word kicke against the pricke and grope at noone and cannot see the light for the sunne In whose mouth is euer Churche Church whose feete are dayly wandring vnto the church and their eyes gasing continually vpon the Church yet can they neyther finde nor see the Church because themselues be none of the Church What is so much alleadged of the babling papistes what so oft frequented of the common people and so manifest in all mens eyes as the Church Notwithanding for want of teachers of the Scriptures few doe know the Church Such is the knowledge among the silly people in verie manie Churches now a dayes Church in the English Bible is commonly called congregation For ecclesia a worde borrowed of the Greeke toonge which may be translated into Englishe eyther Church or congregation Church with vs is a common worde signifiyng the place as well as congregation whereunto the same assembleth for some honest or godly purpose It is written that all the people were gathered togither which made their prayers all the night long in the Church Our common places appoynted for prayer preaching and administration of the sacraments be so well knowne by this name Church that there needeth no example hereof Other whiles Church signifieth the whole multitude of people both of good and bad
in thee and that they also may be one in vs that the vvorld may beleeue that thou hast sent me Iesus Christ knewe right well that the greater number would not enter this gate by faith and therefore he said I pray not for the world He would haue all saued and come to the knowledge of his trueth but they will not beleeue the trueth but hate and persecute the trueth And therefore he knowing the great danger that his smal slock were in and should be in amongest the wicked and their small strength also in sauing themselues from their tyrannie prayed for them that they might be one in faith and loue hauing the spirit of trueth dwelling in them Whereby they euer haue in possession that pretious pearle and hidden treasure that the worlde can neyther taste nor finde because hee that will haue and taste it must in finding it therewith renounce and giue for it all that hee hath or else hee looseth it Whiche thing onely the electe that haue the Spirite of trueth whome the worlde cannot haue doe and none else And thereby they haue yea and feele in theyr great afflictions that peace of conscience that Christ gaue vnto them saying Peace I leaue vvith you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giueth giue I vnto you Let not your hearts be grieued neither feare From the which neither losse of friends and goods neither losse of good name and fame nor shame of the world neither threatnings nor prisonment nor scourginges and tormentes nor yet death it selfe could separate them that had once entred felt and tasted how sweete the Lord is This made Peter Andrew Iohn Iames and the other apostles to forsake all things esteeming it to be more woorth then goodes friendes or life in this world Paul being in this gate and tasting the sweetnesse thereof with a vehement spirit sayth Who shal separate vs frō the loue of God Shal tribulation or anguish or persecution either hunger either nakednes either peril either sword Who saith I am sure that neither death nor life neither angels nor rule nor povver neither thinges present nor things to come neither high nor lovv nor any other creature shalbe able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesu our Lord For this the holy Catholike Church suffereth and euer shall suffer all kindes of torments vntill Christ commeth againe to deliuer her as euer hitherto they haue suffered whereof some were mocked some scourged some prisoned some hamshed some drowned some sawen some hewen in pieces some burned some racked and some stened to death Which holy Catholike Church may well say according to the scriptures Thou O God makest vs to be rebuked of our neighbours to be laughed to scorne and had in derision of them that be round about vs. And For thy sake are vve killed all day long and are counted as sheepe appointed to be slaine These be the few that do finde the narrow gate these be the righteous that doe finde and enter the same these be they that Christ so louingly prayed for whose prayer without faile because of his reuerence was heard these be they that be one in faith and loue euen of one heart and one minde in one house the holy catholike church vnite and knit together with one spirit the spirit of trueth that cannot erre Moreouer euery one that is of this holy Catholike church may say with the Prophet Thy vvord O Lord is a lanthorne vnto my feet and a light vnto my paths For they stablish theyr faith by the word of God and study to forme theyr life to fashion theyr maners by the same who he knowen by three notable signes by faith by loue and by the spirit of God He that lacketh any one of these is not in the strait gate but wide gate he walketh not in the narrow way but broad way he is not of the church of Iesus Christ but of the church of Antichrist Faith is a sure confidence of things vvhich are hoped for and a certaintie of thinges vvhich are not seene This faith bringeth vs the knowledge of God and maketh vs to vnderstand our owne sinfull nature and weakenesse for Paule sath Through faith we vnderstand that the world was ordained by the word of God and that thinges which are seene are made of thinges which are not seene c. Of our owne infirmitie by sinne we haue example in him that brought his sonne vnto Iesus to be healed which with teares sayd Lord I beleue helpe thou my vnbeliefe This man vndoubtedly saw by faith great imperfections in himselfe euen his sinne as it were ouerwhelming his faith and therefore he wept and sayd Lord helpe thou my vnbeliefe Likewise the Apostles considering theyr great burden of sinne and frailenesse said vnto the Lord Increase our faith This is the first thing that faith worketh in vs it bringeth vs the knowledge of our sinne and vilenesse of the same and maketh vs to crie to God for helpe and seeke remedie for our sinne which is Iesus Christ that gaue himselfe to death vpon the crosse for our sinne as is aforesaid Thus wrought faith in the penitent publican that thought himselfe vnworthy to lift vp his eyes vnto heauen but smote himselfe vpon the brest saying God be mercifull to me a sinner Thus fayth wrought in the Centurien or petie captaine which iudged himselfe vnworthy of Christes presence saying Lord I am not worthie that thou shouldest enter vnder my roufe wherefore I thought not my selfe vvorthy to come vnto thee but say thou the word and my seruant shal be whole c. Such a lowe estimation did faith worke in Peter when he said Lord goe from me for I am a sinfull man And least anie man should contend herein y t this faith which thus bringeth vs knowledge of God of our owne sinful nature weaknesse should be a fayned faith a dead faith or a deuils faith heare y e praise therof by him y t cannot flatter nor lie y e truth who saith of the same I say vnto you haue not found so great a faith no not in Israel Note Christ calleth this a great faith Verily it so great that it bringeth vs our iustification and peace with God which is the second thing that faith worketh in vs. That faith bringeth vs the righteousnesse of Christ our iustification is already plainely prooued by the scriptures and writings of Paule who goeth further and saith Because therfore that we are iustified by faith wee are at peace with God And to declare the very gate dore and way wherby we enter into this peace and fauour of God hee addeth saying Through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also it chanced vnto vs to be brought in through faith vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce in the hope of the glory of the children of God
mirth because hee might be sure of weeping and gnashing of teeth when hee commeth there Yet did not the poore sillie people selling their owne soules to the deuill and giuing their monie vnto his ministers perceaue that they were made a marchandise whereof prophecied Peter saying Thorovv couetousnesse shall they vvith fained words make a marchandise of you The onely wifelesse life of the Romish anointlinges so bewitched the vnlearned peoples eyes that they stoode in admiration of them iudging them more then men and thought all had bene well whatsoeuer they had sayde or done To keepe this their estimation in the peoples opinions they procured their champions to fight manfully with their lawes and tormentes against the mariages of priestes And nowe that they doe perceaue that force will not serue them they priuily whisper in the eares of the people that mariage is whoredome and an vncleane life Whereby they do condemne all honest married persons of adulterie yet doe not manie foolish people perceaue how they that teache such heresie and diuelishe doctrine goe about to lowt them in their liuing For they are not ashamed to make God the author of vncleannesse to accuse Christ of bawdrie and to condemne all men of sinne so that themselues might still be counted angels and not men This do all they that speake thus euilly of matrimony Whereof God himselfe was the author And Christ honoured it both by his corporall presence and first myracle turning water into wine whereby he declared that the wel alowed matrimonie and condemned adulterie But these fellowes disalowing Gods institution and aduaunsing their owne inuention turne wine into water contrary vnto Christ that is to say They dishonour holy matrimonie which is sweete and pleasant in the sight of God and make much of stincking adulterie euer abhorred and condemned of God and all good men They admit rather an harlot for money dispensed withall contrarie to the commandementes of God then a wife according to Gods scriptures which sayth If they cannot abstaine let them marrie yea some of them are not ashamed to say that it is more lawfull for a priest to haue six whores then one wife And some also pretend so good fellowship that they would sooner lend their owne wiues they say vnto the Priest then to grant that he shuld marrie Also they count it a deed of charitie and a good worke to make a priest a cookold as they terme it and in so doing they think to please God and doe him good seruice Whether a man might beleeue them in these their sayinges without an othe I leaue it for other men to iudge Of this I am sure that this their cupshot doctrine brawled in their conuenticles and whispered in corners their liberall fellowship and good worke that proceedeth of their burning concupiscense not of charitie hath brought in the contempt and violating of holy matrimonie and the people to a wonderfull loosenesse of liuing Wherein they ioy not a little thinking it to be a good meane to set them vp againe like Gods in mens consciences But in the meane while they shal be deuils and spirites of error according to the prophecie of Paul before said in that they doe forbid the mariage of priestes Also who hath brought in so manie sectes into y e world as these romish wraklinges haue done Of which sorte be these Moonks Chanons Friers Prebendaries Canons Nuns Sisters Auckars hermites brother hoods bawds beades-men I should say fraternities craftily naming thē holy religious How these haue bin deceiued w t dreams c. I appeale to their owne consceence Let them take heede that it be not marked with the hote iron of burning concupiscence If it be I leaue them this also for a token of their maisters marke to make them knowne by euen that they burne in malice against al them that speake the trueth If you aske me to what purpose this rable serueth and what good they doe in the publike weale of the Lord Forsooth I must desire the prophet to make answere for me who saith They are not in the trauaile of men neyther are they plagued like other folk Yes sir they take great paines in prayer and in massing Of whome therefore it may be more truely spoken as followeth They stretche forth their mouth vnto heauen and there toonge goeth through the worlde Therefore fall the people vnto them and thereout sucke they no small aduauntage Beholde these sinfull and wealthie men in the world haue obtained riches Loe these be the mouthes that speake proud thinges before rehearsed What prouder thinges can be saide than to affirme that they can with fine words create their creator of a peece a bread and offer him for the sinnes of the people when they haue done Whereby they haue sucked no small lucre and game from the people But their lucre beginneth now to decay and their idle life is perceaued to be vnneressary Which idle life the God that they doe make hath and must maintaine or els they will perceiue their state cannot remaine This maketh them to be so stiffe necked against the setting forth of Gods worde and against the right administration of the sacramentes This maketh them to studie so diligently to keepe vp their altar and to maintaine their good friday masse with the which they can beguile the people well inough as they handle it Yea to say the trueth they can doe more with this then they could do with masse of Requiem scala coeli Recordare or anie other of that sorte Wherefore I beseeche them for the passion of Iesus Christ If there bee anie consolation in Christ If there bee any comforte of loue If there bee anie fellowship of the spirite If there be anie compassion and mercie Let them halt no longer on both partes Let them blow no longer hote and cold But let them make the tree good and his fruites good or els make the tree euill and his fruite euill To speake plainely vnto them Let them not make a mingle mangle and hodge podge of the Lordes supper anie longer But let them minister it simply and plainly at the Lordes table as Christ hath left it and as the booke of Scriptures doe truely meane and not after their olde popish fashion as they doe making it a sacrifice for sinnes both of quicke and dead offering it at burialles and monethes mindes after their olde maner whereby they make it abhomination of desolation For as the sacrifice of the popish masse was the verie desolation departure and forsaking of Christes oblation by death vpon the crosse once offered for all So is this funerall sacrifice as they vse it the verie abhomination of the same desolation Therefore let them looke better vpon holy scriptures written for our learning and followe the rules and right meaning of the same and not their popish rules and ceremonies otherwise then is there meant and
our hearts c. and take away this article of our faith I beleeue the remission of sinnes or else away with their altars and oblations vpon the same I meane their mony sacrifice the masse Which altar and sacrifice be nothing else but witnesses of their infidelitie idolatrie and Iewish hearts Of their infidelitie in that they do not beleeue remission of sinnes through the onely oblation of Christ once offered vpon the crosse Of their idolatrie in that they set vp another sacrifice and propitiation for sinnes then God hath appoynted Wherein surely they shewe themselues to bee more than Iewish For in their sacrificing and massing they denie Christes death and reproue God of periurie The prophesie of Christes death is this With his stripes we are healed By his paines and merites our paines are taken away as touching damnation and our sinnes couered Or by his death wee are healed from eternall death By hys oblation our sinnes are healed for hee hath purchased vs perfect remission of the same But this hath he not done if there be anie sinnes taken away by the masse The which sinnes at the least he left vnhealed And therefore hee hath not if this be true as yet suffered For heauen and earth shall faile before these wordes be false With his stripes we are healed Or by his death our sinnes are forgiuen Ergo he hath suffered and we wholly healed Or els if we be not wholly healed he hath not yet suffered Againe almightie God promised with an othe vnto hys sonne Iesus Christ saying Thou art a priest for euer That is to say Iesus Christ hath offered himselfe vppon the crosse by death vnto God the father once And by that one oblation once offered hee hath made perfect for euer them that are sanctified as it is before by the scriptures euidently proued For this one oblation once offered perfect for euer Iesus Christ is called and is indeede a Priest for euer Whose sweet oblation remaineth in the bosome of God to our great comfort for euer But he himself now offereth no more for he denieth no more but liueth for euer on the right hand of God the father making intercession for vs. Seeing then his oblation is perfect for euer serueth for euer and hee himselfe making intercession for vs liueth for euer He is therefore according to the othe of God Priest for euer But this hee were not if it could bee proued that his oblation were vnperfect as it must needes be if monie sacrifice the masse obtaineth remission of sinnes or anie part thereof By these fewe Scriptures and sayings grounded vpon the same it madifestly appeareth howe blasphemous the money sacrifice the masse is Namely it robbeth vs of our most comfortable articles of our faith which is I beleeue the remission of sinnes it taketh away the veritie of Gods Scriptures which doe proue Christs oblation vpon the Crosse to bee perfect whole and sufficient it maketh Christ a lyer when he sayd It is finished It adnihillateth his merites and taketh away his passion from vs and it condemneth God of periurie If there can bee any great blasphemous and more abominable heresies then these let all the world iudge Of all the which the popish altar is a monument and as it were an hand to leade the people vnto from Christ and his merites wherefore all good men hauing but one sparke of grace with knowledge will not onely be content with the taking downe of them but also will I trowe helpe the best they can euery one according to his vocation to the same Moreouer if the money sacrifice the masse had bene so necessarie and vnto God so acceptable as the people haue beleeued it to be woulde Christ haue giuen no commandement thereof no example of it no word concerning it what not one word Of preaching he gaue a special commandement saying Feede Feede feede my lambes And againe Goe ye in to all the world and preach the Gospel to al creatures Yet this office of preaching is counted amongst many scant necessarie and the messengers thereof so well looked to that they may studie their breake fast pray yea beg for their dinner and weepe out their supper as many other poore soules doe which thing God will shortly plague if speedie remedie bee not prouided or else his worde is not true which saith For the miserable calamitie of the poore oppressed and for the sighing and weeping of the poore that doe lacke I will vp saith the Lord. Many are sore offended thorough the outragiousnesse of vice slime and iniquitie increasing on euery side a fewe I meane doe studie for amendement and some wonder what should be the cause thereof At whome I doe not a litle maruaile For if the plough man fallowing his ground turneth it vp and letteth it lye and neither stirreth haroweth nor soweth it what marueile is it though it bring him no corne but weedes England is but yet fallowed with the plough of Gods word yet scant fallowed what marueile is it then that weedes growe faster then the corne It must needes be so vnlesse Gods worde be better sowne For manie that shoulde will not A fewe would and cannot and some that can may not because they that should will not To remedie it albeit I know I cannot but this I know and am sure of Where the worde of God is not preached the people perish Of masse we haue not so much as one tote or title of God Christ or his Apostles giuen vs. Notwithstanding how haue the people cared for Masse Masse Masse onely with Masse they haue bene satisfied Why doe they not cry now as much for preaching of the worde of God without the which they perish Nay why doe they crie so much against it Oh what murmuringes and complaininges haue they made since their masse decayed what lyes haue these idle braines inuented what slanders haue they imagined and what false rumours haue they sprinckled abroad in the worlde against them that haue sincerely preached the Gospell How conspire they against good Christian ministers whiche according to their vocation attend their flockes What tumultes vprores and rebellions haue they raysed against their superiours to the great hinderance of Gods holy worde May not a man manifestly beholde in them the monstrous beast that fighteth against the lambe and word of God No doubt as the deuill brought vp his Church at the beginning and increased it So would he now if he could vphold maintaine and defend the same That is not by preaching but by massing not by feeding but by loytering not by the regall authority that proceedeth from God but by tyranny by authority vsurped euen by a monstrous beast I call it a monstrous beast that is either without an head or else hath many heads Subiects vsurping the sword of iustice and executing vengeance vpon theyr superiours be a body without an head or else with many heads and therefore