¶ A declararation of the twelue articles of the christen faythe with annotations of the holy scripture where they be grounded in And the righte foundation and principall comon places of the hole godly scripture a goodly short declaration to all Christians profitable and necessarye for to come to the right vnderstondynge of holy Scripture compyled for the commodite of al christen people By D. Vrbanum Regium Prologe WHan Christendome after the beginnynge of the churche thoroughe godly grace was growen vp into a myghtye increase the people thought them selues from daye to daye more and more sure and beganne after naturall flesshely inclination to forgette God hys worde as in prosperite is accustumable for the scripture saith The people sate downe to eate and drynke and arose to playe Exod. xxxiij Isay lvi They tourned euery manne in hys owne wayes euery one after hys own couetousnes from the hyest to the lowest They dispysed the holsome true doctryne and chose to themselues foregoers maysters after theyr owne wylle whiche taught mennes tradicions and inuentions as they delyted to heare contrary to the manifolde godly moniciōs in the olde and newe testament comprehended Deut. xiij Math. v. ij i. ii.miiij Isai xxx Theyr tongues and inuencions were agaynst the Lorde Therewith dyd they prouoke the eyes of his maiestye to displeasure Wherfor he visited thē by many fatherly corrections and benefytes lyke as in tymes paste the Israhelites yf they from suche theyr vngodly lyues woulde tourne agayne to hym to thintent that it myght go well with them But they woulde not sette theyr hertes that thei myght amende iiij Re. xxv Psal ij xxxiiij Therfore hath he permitted the Princes and Chiefe Capitaynes of the Assyrians to come vpon them theyr chosen forgoers whiche cruelly with cheynes and bondes of mannes wisedome and good intentes haue bounden taken them and spoillyng them of all Goddes ornamentes of the tempel of the cleare pure worde of God haue caryed them altogether towardes Babylon in theyr lawes and doctryne of mannes tradicion where for a great season thei haue serued heuely In so much that they by reason of the strayght and harde seruyce of the same were neuer able to serue the true goddes seruyce althoughe at the laste of great necessyte they woulde gladly haue done nor yet to know to lyue there after For the water vaynes of the word of God were stopped vp for thē with earth of mēnes lawes and tradiciōs Esay sayth Esa lvi Theyr wachemen and foregoers were all blynde and knowe not the lawe of God they are dombe dogges not beyng able to barke nothynge regardynge but mannes doynges they are sleapye and sluggysshe and the shameles dogges can neuer be satisfyed The shepeherdes also themselues haue had none vnderstandynge so holye hath mannes good thynkynge deceaued them all For all suche thynges had God often treathened vnto them before in case they dyd tourne awaye from hys commaundementes lyke as by Esay I wyll geue them children Esa xxx to be theyr princes and the wyuysshe shall ruelle ouer them he hadde fyrst warned them for mennys dreames whan he sayde My people Those which vphold thy cause and prayse thy therfore they deceyue thy beleue thē not But for asmuche as they willingely gaue thē selues into it he suffered them to decaye to thintent that they myght learne to knowe hym by them selues as Ezechiel sayth Ezechi xxxiiij In such anguyshe haue they acknoweleged them selues as lost shepe of theyr shepeherdes whiche haue fed them selues seduced haue ben sory repented with all theyr hertes for theyr synnes and haue called vnto God vnfaynedly for grace succour The lawe of God was holly alienated from them In so muche that they knewe it no more iiij Re xxij and toke it for inuēted newes Lyke as in the tyme of Iosia the good kynge at Ierusalem Helchias the priest founde the boke of the lawe in the howse of the Lorde which had lyen there for a great season When the same was reade before the Kyng as for an olde antiquite he rent hys clothes and cōmaunded the priestes to aske counsell of the Lorde thorough the Prophetes for hym and the boke for he feared God because that his forefathers had not liued thereafter and founde fauoure before God with thys answere For as moche as he had humbled hymselfe feared and weped before hym woulde he be mercyfull vnto hym and to the people After that dyd the kynge erecte al Goddes honour after the tenoure of the lawe and made a couenaunt with God for hym selfe and the people to kepe the same from thensfurthe the people consented therein After that dyd he breake down destroyed all Idolles with al theyr appertenaunces And god was with thē in al that they dide left vndone God sende vs such lyke foregoers Vvhen now the desolate Christianite haue done penaunce in such bōdage the in Babylonysh captiuite cryed to god with al their hertes for delyueraunce he hath immediatly heard thē brought again to lighte hys holy cleare pure lawe worde doctryne thorough meanes according to hys pleasure And as we dayly see before oure eyes namely that such aryseth of a fewe despysed personnes as also in tymes paste in the begynnynge of the churche hath ben done i. Re. xiij i. Esd ij Matth. xxij Roma ij as apereth here and there in the scripture whereby we see euidently that it is not harde to god to speke through many or thorowgh feawe for all multitude is before God as one man hys power is not in the multitudes or in many and there is no respecte of personnes by hym The lyght is come agayne into the worlde God graunte that oure foregoers loue no more the darkenesse but followe the good kynge Iosia than shalt them as the shepeherdes the people as the shepe gladly followe Ezechi xxxiij that the prophecye of Ezechiel come not ouer them Vvoo be vnto the shepeherdes that feede them selues the mylke haue ye eaten with the wolle haue ye clothed you and that which was fatte haue ye slayne but my flocke haue ye not norysshed the weake haue ye not strengthned the loste haue ye not brought agayne but with cruel authorite haue ye rueled ouer them me shepe haue ben scattered for so muche as they ware without a shepeherd as truely as I lyue saith the Lord. For so moche as my shepe haue ben robbed deuoureth of the wylde beastes because they ware withoute shepeherde for the shepeherdes haue not sought my flocke but thēselues and haue not fed my shepe I wyl requyre my flocke of theyr handes and make them to ceasse from feadynge my shepe any more yea they shall feede them selues no more and I wyl delyuer my flocke oute of theyr mouthes To be a foregoer is an offyce i. tim iiij pleasaunte and no Lordeshyp whosoeuer diligently consydereth the same wyll not couete to charge him selfe with it nor
yet to presse into it Couetousnes worketh suche whiche is a roote of all iniquytie Lyke as loue is a roote of al goodnes as Paule sayth i. tim vi i. Pe. v Pryde cleaneth to them that be couetous There of speaketh Peter God resisteth the proude but geueth grace to the humble In Apocalypse writteth S. Ihon thus Apoc. iij Christe standeth euen nowe before the dore of oure hertes knocketh yf any man heare hys voyce and opē the dore vnto him vnto him wil he entre in and suppe with hym He prouoketh and beekeneth vs confortably to hym by hys holy word many wayes whereby we be delyuered frō the captiuite of mans lawe so that we wyll heare hym Vve be waxed so blynde that we se not oure redemptiō and lyberty Ioha v. and .xiiij Therfore sheweth he vs the waye and the dore sayenge Seke in the scripture for she beareth witnesse of me And I am the waye the trueth and the lyfe No man cometh to the father but by me Item I am the dore all they that haue entred any other waye Iohan. x than by my be theues and murderers He that entreth in by my shal besafe and shall goo in and oute and fynde pasture The thefe cometh not into the fold but to steale to destroy I am come that they myght haue lyfe and haue it more aboundantly Mat. xi Item come vnto me all ye that laboure and are ladē and I shal refresshe you Take my yoke on you and learne of me for I am meke and lowely in herte and ye shal fynde rest vnto your soules For my yoke is easy my burthen is lyght Of suche lyke sainges be here and there innumerable many Therfore lette vs ioyfully receyue and with greate diligence thankefully kepe the holy pure sincere worde of God the sustenaūce of the soule whiche the Lorde God agayne of newe mercifully hath manifested vnto vs. For Christ saith Luce. xi Deuter viij happye are they that heare the worde of god and kepe it Therewith maye we boldely praye in spyte of the deuill and all hys illusions And to thintente that we maye the more stedfaste lyer do the same here followeth moost compendiously cōprehended howe we oughte to holde vs in al Christian lyuinge concernynge the faythe in doynge and lyuing towarde God and man and where the same al together and euery parte therof is grounded in the scripture to the prayse of god and for the succoure crudicion of the simple Christen congregacion ordeyned and made to vse them selues in the holy scripture The mercyfull God vouchesafe to geue and graunte vs hys grace helpe and fatherly succoure there vnto AMEN ¶ The twelue Articles of oure Christen faythe with annotations of holy scripture wherein they be grounded By Vrbanum Regium to the pleasure of the worshipfull wyse man Caspar wytbrugge collected Prologe CYprian Ruffyn be of thys opinion mat xvi that the Apostles whan Christ had commaunded the gospell vniuersally in the worlde to be preached before theyr departynge the one from the other haue agreed and haue made a summe of all theyr predications to come what euery one dyd holde to thintent that they myght preache the Godly doctryne of Christe to all creatures with one accorde And that shoulde be the twelue articles of oure beleue as euery mā speketh them dayly Nowe be it as it wyll whether the Apostles or likewise their successours haue extracted it moost briefly The scripture ought men to reade them selues rom xv Vvhat we beleue is not all comprehended in the Crede it is good in myne opynyon notwithstandynge Let euery man also heare or reade the treasure of wysedome the Byble as the ryght well and springe where that and other thynges more for our instruccyon is written Vve beleue that in the Sacrament of the aulter is the body and blode of Christe That standeth not in these twelue articles and yet is an artycle of faythe therfore must men reade the scripture also In the twelue chiefe articles of faithe is the chiefest comprehended what to a christen man is necessary to beleue for hys saluacyon For as muche now that faythe is to vs so necessary mar cxvi Ebre xi Iohan iij that no man withoute fayth can be saued as Christe sayeth He that beleueth not is dampned Item he that beleueth not is condēpned all ready Verely the wicked spirite our enemy laboureth with many craftes to put vs awaye from the faythe of these articles wherfore it is necessarye that oure herte be very sure bound to these articles with a strōg stedfast faithe which in the felde of heauy temptacion may resiste Matth. iiij Deute viij Psa xci Ioh. viij Christe dyde set him selfe agaynste the deuyls temptacion with the scripture castynge before hym the saynges out of the scripture euē so shoulde we do also The wicked spirit feareth the scripture For as muche as he is a father of lyes Gen. iij Iho. viij he can not abyde the wordes of the euerlastynge veryte He is a Prynce of darkenes therfore flyeth he from the wordes of lyfe Therfore shall euery Christian surely walle rounde aboute and make stronge with saynges of the holye Scripture these twelue articles that the Deuyll be not able to ouercome hym ¶ The holy Scripture is here oure wall and refuge where vpon the hert may and shall surely truste whereout cometh confirmation of oure faythe Profyte of the holy scripture whatsoeuer she teacheth and biddeth vs the same is right and Goddes wille She is oure lyght and waye she cometh of God the holy gooste teacheth vs what is necessary for vs to oure saluacyon cōforteth vs in all tēptacions refourmeth vs in all errours illumineth vs in the darknes of oure ignoraunce rom xv Therfore sayth s Paule whatsoeuer is written afore tyme is written for our learnynge that we through pacience and comforte of the scripture myght haue hope And to Timothee ij tim iij all scripture geuen by inspiration of god is profitable to teache to improue to amende and to instructe in righteousnes that the man of God be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes god speketh through men ij Pet. i. Laudable perseueraunce vertue honoure of the godly scripture of the old and newe testament testifyeth to vs sufficiently that menne haue not of them selues but God hath spoken through the men Exo iiij They be not mennes but Goddes wordes Euen thus spake God vnto Moyses Goo to I wyll be in thy mouthe and wil teache the what thou shalt speake Christe asscrybeth hys doctryne to the father Iohā vij and .xiiij mat xvi as stondeth in Iohn God the father hath geuen hym vnto the congregacion as theyr ryght true doctour whome men should beleue as he sayth him selfe In the articles of oure holy faythe standeth thys worde beleue Ebr. xi before in the beginnyng For as saynt Paule sayth withoute fayth it is impossible to
He that through the sprete of faith vnderstandeth the great calamite of thys myserable lyfe Rom. ix and the blasphemye of god whiche through oure synfull lyfe dayly in the flesshe is committed reioyseth that thys calamitie sone ceasseth The vngodly But the vngodly whome Paul calleth vessels of ire where on God shal shewe hys strayght iudgement they woulde wysshe that this temporal lyfe myght laste for euer They woulde be content with a good wyl that god shoulde kepe hys heauenly kyngdome alone O how fearful shal be vnto them the face of Iesus Christe which shal shewe him self in the last day with such great glory maiestie Zach. ix vnto all men Angels and deuils His first comyng was despysed and a slight thynge before the world but then when god the father shal geue ouer vnto hym all hys enemyes into suche horryble euerlastynge and in tollerable paynes and punyshemētes Esa lxij And all the membres of Christe shall be sett from al calamitye and misery into all perfection ioye and glory ād in al certayntye withoute ende Verely then shall he ryde no more vpon an asse in mekenes and shewe no more necessite but all glorye then shall the greate daye of the Lorde be at hande the daye of wrath and sorowfulnes the day of myst and of stormy wynd as the Prophete Sophony wryteth Soph. i. He shall come to iudge the quicke that shall be founde and the dead that haue dyed Cyprian vnderstandeth that the lyuinge be the soules and the deade their bodyes But for as muche as Paule sayth i. tess iiij that we which lyue remayne in the comynge of the Lord shal be caught together with the deade also in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayer and so shall euer be with the Lorde Truely so myght it be thought that there shal be some on lyue caught to the iudgement as also Saynt Ierome sayth vppon thys place They that be departed in Christe shall aryse fyrste and the sayntes whiche shal be founde lyuinge they shal be caught to gether with the fyrste Augustyn in the boke of the Citye of God sayth Lib. xxij Cap. xx That Paul here in this Epistle to Thessaloniens dyd not meane hymselues and those that lyued in hys daies But that he dyd meane those that Christe shal fynde on lyue He supposeth also that those whiche soon lyue shal be caught in the ayer to mete Christe shall together at one tyme in the same catchyng dye In Ecc. dog vi and .vij. and ryse agayn as he sayth in another place Nowe howe the same cometh to passe wil we committe to God it is not necessary for vs to knowe Witnesse of thys article out of th◠scripture Malachie descrybeth the comyng of Christe and the iudgemēt Mal. iij dan. vij Daniell dothe also note the comynge of the sonne of man to the iudgement Item of hys power and kyngdom that this power endureth foreuer Luce. i. Mic. iiij Matth. xxiiij and that his kingdō endureth vncorrupte as also Luke dothe writte and Micheas In Mathewe is descrybed the comynge of Christe whereas he saythe Euen as the lightenyng cometh oute of the easte and appeareth into the west so shall the commynge of the sonne of man be Then shal al the kynredes of the earthe mourne and they shall see the sonne of man commynge in the cloudes of heauen with great power and glorye and he shal sende hys Angels with the great voyce of trōpettes And they shall gather together hys chosen from the foure wyndes from the one ende of heauen vnto the other Marci xij Luce. xxi Matthei xix xxv xxvi fyndest thou also such lyke ij ii iiij Paule i. Corinth iiij i. Thessa iiij ij Thessal ij Item to Timothe I testitye before God and the Lorde Iesu Christe which shall come to iudge the quycke and deade Ro. xiiij at hys appearynge in hys kyngdome And to the Romaynes Vve shal be al brought before the iudgement seate of Christe Esa xlv For it is written as truely as I lyue sayth the Lorde Al knees shal bowe to me and al tonges shall geue prayse to God ij Co. v Item to the Corinthians we muste al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe that euery man maye receyue the workes of hys body accordyng to that he hathe done i. Pe. iiij whether it be good or bad Peter Vviche shal geue accomptes to hym that is ready so iudge the quycke and the deade Act. ◠In the Actes of the Apostles sayth Peter Christe hath commaunded vs to preache vnto the people and to testify that he is ordeyned of God a iudge of the quycke and the deade The eyghte Article ☞ I beleue in the holye goost Here speakest thou In the holy gost therewith doest thou confesse that the holy goost is God For to beleue a thynge is to sett there on thy truste hope and loue thys is an honour whiche pertayneth onely to God hys maiesty The holy goost is the thirde person in the eternal deite procedynge from the father and from the sonne through an vnknowen Matth. xxviij and inexplicable wyse In Mathew sayth Christe Go and baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy goost Here is mightely shewed the deite of the holy goost for seynge he cōmanded to baptise in the name of the holy goost so must I beleue trust in the holy gost Shall I then truste beleue in hym then must he also surely be God for a man maye trust or beleue in none but onely in god Gen. i In the firste boke sayeth Moyses The spirite moued vpon the water There doeth Moyses geue and appropriate to the holy goost hys worke in the creation Psalm xxxiij Dauid sayth in the Psalme By the worde of the Lorde are the heauens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of hys mouth That is The heauens are made by the holy goost and al that is therein These wordes geue clearly that he is God seynge the creation is asscrybed vnto hym And in another Psalme Psalm cxxxix Whyther shal I go from thy spirite and whyther shal I flee from thy presence There geueth he also to vnderstande that he is euery where To be in all places belongeth onely to God and to no creature as Dauid sayeth Yf I clyme vp into heauē Psalm cxxxix thou arte there yf I go downe to hell thou arte there also Iohn sawe the spirite of god descende lyke vnto a doue Iohan. i and abyde vpon hym Christe sayeth in Iohan. I wyll praye the father Iho. xiiij and he shal geue you another conforter that he may abyde with you euer whiche is the spiryte of truethe The comforter whiche is the holy goost whome my father wil sende in my name he shall teache you all thynges Item in another place Iho. xvi yf I goo not awaye that
suffre onelye Goddes workes in vs. mat xvi This is the mortifyenge of oure selues and renewyng of oure selues He that wyl come to Christe must for sake hym selfe The Sonday and other holy dayes are permitted for this cause that men so muche the better and more conueniently maye come together in those dayes to praye with the congregation in one accorde to heare the worde of God and to receyue the Sacramente Vvhen that is done thē mayest thou worke without any synne Men dyd in the tyme of Ierome after the diuine seruyce vse bodely laboure in the congregation as he writteth hym selfe in Epitaph Pauli Vvherfore wyl they compel vs then to rest Gal. iiij Colos ij with manyfest hynderaunce of the body soule and goodes Reade Paule in the Epistle to the Galathians and Colossians Prayer The ryght and beste prayer Mat. vi is the Pater noster and it comprehendeth whatsoeuer is necessary vnto vs. A ryght Christen prayer must be made earnestly and attentyuely Take before the an extreme necessitie and bryng that before God The greatest necessite is lacke of faith loue and hope for these thre thynges oughtest thou to pray for therein consisteth oure saluation For thus sayth Christe Seke fyrste the kyngdome of God and his righteousnes al these thynges shall be ministred vnto you yf God doth fede the byrdes of the ayer with oute all care and clotheth the floures of the felde so costely verely truste in hym he shall also prouyde for thy lyuyng Abraham trusted well in God and be came ryche here and also hereafter Mat. vi The prayer must be shorte as Christe sayth when ye pray bable not moche as the heathen do for they thynke that they shal be hearde for theyr moche bablinges sake Superfluous wordes oughte to be auoyded in the prayer Therfore beware of Hortulus anime Rosarium The gardeyn of Herbes thy Myrour and suche lyke foolysshe baggage For therein is moche vnprofitable babblynge Euery man can not seke nor gather oute the golde out of the myre Iacob i. Matth. xxi Ioh. iiij Let the prayer be faithfull he that prayeth not in fayth obtayneth nothynge God hath promysed to heare vs therfore muste we be done in spirite and in truth Prescrybe vnto god no signe way tyme nor houre when and howe he shoulde geue the thy requeste he knoweth well ynough when it is beste for the putte it to hys discretion and saye alwayes Lorde thy holy wyll be done He heareth hym anone that prayeth in fayth but he geueth not alwayes so soone for he knoweth when it is tyme. Vowe ¶ We haue made a promyse vnto God in the holy Baptysme that we wyll forsake the deuyll and renounce all hys workes Here doth man promyse to fyghte agaynste hys owne flesshe agaynste the worlde agaynst the deuyll He is borne of hys father Eph. ij Iohn iij a synfull chylde of wrath he muste be renewed and borne agayne of water the holy goost The olde man muste be mortifyed thys is done through all maner of tribulatiō aduersite which greue the carnall man ij tim iij For thus sayth Paul Al that wyll lyue godly in christe muste suffer persecutiōs Mat. iij and. iiij And thys is the repētaunce or amēdemēt which Iohn Christe do teache This repentaunce is a mortifyeng of the old mā a renewyng of the spirite His tokē is Baptisme which is a newe byrthe Tit. iij whosoeuer wyl not suffre aduersitye and afflictions in thys worlde Ac. xiiij thesame is vntrewe and kepeth no promise nor doth the thynges whiche he hath promysed in hys baptysme Therfore is it good to see that there be but fewe ryght Christians in earth Mē oughte not to vowe or promyse any thynghe rasshely for euery man hath both hys handes full of workes The promyse of baptisme and ynoughe to do yf he wyll satisfye hys Baptisme The promises or vowes of freres c. The vowes of freres or monkes are foolysshnes and are made without faith To vowe chastite is not in their power for it is a specyall gyfte of God And a counseyl not a commandement The Euangelicall pouertye belongeth to vs all i. Co. vij Matth xix and is nothyng elles then in spirite not to desyre not to cleame the temporall goodes with oure herte and to vse the goodes for the commoditie and welthe of oure neyghboure as dispensatours and distributours not as owners and Lordes of the goodes Luc xiiij For thus sayth christe yf a man come to me and hateth not hys father mother wyfe chyldren bretheren and sisters Moreouer and hys owe lyfe he can not be my discyple Thys lawe doth bynde euerye man not onelye freres and Nonnes Ro. vij for it is spirituall euen as the hole lawe is and requyreth a cleane pure herte To forsake all thynges that is To forsake all thinges not to be entangled with any thynge with any inordinate or vncomely desyres And to vse the same onelye and not to hange or cleane thereon with wyl or desyre Therfore is not the Euangelicall pouerte Euangelicall pouerte to go a beggynge from house to house and to haue nothyng at al but not to hang vpō the goodes with a couetous mynde and desyre All ryches are geuen vs of God not that we should occupye thē alone but that we shoulde serue oure neyghboure with them yea with all that we haue Deu. xv Luce. x. thys requyreth the lawe of nature the lawe of God Moyses commaunded that no man shoulde be suffred to begge Christe sayth Go not frō house to house Into whatsoeuer house ye enter there eate and drynke suche as they haue Obedience Ro. xiij Philip. i i. Pe. iij Obedience must we kepe euen as wel as the freres or monkes as Paule and Peter teache euery man in his Citie or cōmunalty to hys Lord whatsoeuer the scripture sayth of the obedience of God and of his holy worde the same do the blynde guydes drawe by the heare vpon theyr inuented obedience Euen as also they wreste thys saynge in Samuel i. Re. xv Obedience is better sacrifyce drawe it vpon mannes traditions The vowes promyses of the freres or monkes come of ignoraunce of the free wyll whiche they presume to haue and to defende The vowe of freres is no counseyll in the Scripture nor yet commaundemente therfore is it nothyng but mere seduction Ipocrisye and vnbeleue Christe wyl that oure fayth purely onelye shall be buylded vpon hys onely worde For vpō thesame rock doth he buylde hys congregation mat xvi Iohn x. And in Iohn sayth he My shepe heare my voyce For as much now as there is no cleare or manifest worde of God which counsayleth or cōmaundeth that there should be a bonde of eternal vowes of chastite or of beggerye verelye so erre al they that teache freres vowes and take them for good and sure gere in the