new testament thus h Rom. 3.23.24 There is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus 25. whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud c. In the seuenth Article there are three contradictories of the lying erring multitude of Rome vnto the true religion For they i Concil Trident sessi 5. sess 6. canon 18. 25. say that Concupiscence in the regenerate after baptisme is no sinne although they confesse Saint Paule calleth it sinne 2. That there is nothing in him displeasing God but he is pure innocent and immaculate 3. A iustified man can keepe all Gods commaundements If these men had learned and beleeued the true religion they would not dare to speake so directly contrarie to truth seeing God teacheth far otherwise First in the old testament where the church is directed to say k Esai 64.6 Wee haue bin all as an vncleane thing all our righteousnes as filthy clouts And in the new testament l 1. Ioh. 1.8 If we say we haue no sin wee deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs. Which two places being spoken of the people being by the sacrament of initiation or Baptisme entred into the Church do shew plainely that original corruption is a sinfull matter in the flesh of the regenerate by which they are made vnable to doe any one worke perfect much lesse to doe all Gods commandements at all times in thought word and deede a thing which euerie man 's owne conscience doth testifie if he bee not too much besotted with the looking vpon his fruitlesse peacockes taile In the eight Article they make additaments namely that a Concil Trid. sess 6. canon 24. 33. 20. good workes are also causes of the encreasing of iustification and truely deserue eternall life and encrease of glorie and that the obseruing of the commandements of God and the Church are the condition of the promise of eternall life to which the iustified man is bound if he will be saued By which while they robbe Christ of his merits and giue more honour to the corrupt life of man and lesse to the redeemer and lay an other burthen vpon Christians then that which God layeth and such as no man can beare they leade themselues so farre from religion that either by a vaine hope of that which is not they forsake their owne saluation or els by a greeuous desperate downe-fall finding themselues as the truth is vnable to fulfill the condition they lay themselues open to euerlasting perdition But God alloweth no such additamentes where he teacheth vs in the old testament to say vnto him b Psal 16.2 Thou art my Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee And in the new c Luc. 17.10 When ye haue done all those things which are commanded you say wee are vnprofitable seruants c. And the condition of fulfilling the commandements is called d Act. 15.10 a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare and if it were possible to doe the commandements yet the holie Ghost teâ—â—eth vs that e Gal. 2.21 if righteousnesse bee by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Against the ninth Article the Romists do diuersly oppose themselues shewing themselues to bee of no religion For first they adde the commandement of the church making it equall vnto Gods written worde saying f Gret decreâ— pars 1. dist 20. cap. de libellis They which receiue not indifferently their Canons they profitablie effectually and to purpose holde or beleeue neither the catholike faith nor the foure holy Euangelistes They adde moreouer that g Distinct 19. all the decretals constitutions of that sea yea though it decree things scarce to bee borne yet must they bee borne with a godly deuotion though there bee as h Decret abbreuiat in versibus they say in one booke of decrees aboue 3000. Againe they say that i Concil Trident sess 4. decret 1. pari pietatis affectu reuerentia Traditions pertaine to faith and maners and that they doe receiue and embrace them with equall godly deuotion and reuerence as they doe the holy scriptures Lastly they set the Church before the scriptures as that by k Test Rhem. note vpon Gal. 2. vers 2. 6. D. Smith briefe treatise cap 2. 3. it the scriptures are so farre made knowen to all Christians as they are not bound so to take them vnlesse by the authoritie of the Church they knew them And that the authoritie of holy scripture dependeth and hangeth vpon the iudgement of the vniuersall or catholike church and that there are many vnwritten verities left by Christ and his Apostles to be beleeued and obeyed vnder paine of damnation Here is the mouth of blasphemie if wee may beleeue the vndoubted word of God how hee teacheth vs to esteeme of the holy scriptures and of the Church for in the olde Testament hee saith l Esai 8.20 To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them And in the new a 2. Tim. 3.13 The holy scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation c. Let then euery wise man iudge that if the scriptures bee able to make a man wise vnto saluation and that there is no light that is to say knowledge of truth and godlinesse in them which agree not to the holy scriptures what canons decrees decretals traditions or vnwritten verities can haue any authoritie vnlesse they agree to the written word of God or that they can containe in them any thing not written in the scripture which is of necessitie to saluation or which not to doe or beleeue is damnation Againe how can the scriptures take their authoritie from the church seeing that the church is of no light vnlesse it bee found agreeable to the scriptures and therefore no church except it bee approued by the scriptures and so the scripture is iudge ouer the church and not contrarie And if I say the scriptures can make a man wise vnto saluation it is the greatest follie in the world to clogge the people of God with so many thousand of needles canons decrees decretals traditions and vnwritten falsely called verities and so make the light and easie yoke of Iesus Christ most heauie and burdenous If these diuilish blasphemies were true alas who could be saued For who was euer found that did or could doe all the foresaid Canons and traditions Therefore in them is fulfilled which is said by the Lord of Hypocrites b Math. 23.4 They bind heauie greeuous burthens not to be borne and lay them on mens sholders but they themselues will not moue them with one of their fingers Let vs abandon therefore these painted sepulchers and enemies of all true
worketh together with the grace of God vnto merit and deseruing of saluation S. Paul taught the Romanes that c Rom. 8.8 they which are in the flesh that is the vnregenerate can not please God And again d Cap. 3.12 They haue all gone out of the way they haue beene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And he openeth himselfe els where saying e Eph. 4.17.18 The Gentils walke in the vanitie of their mind hauing their cogitation darkened being straungers from the life of God through the ignoraunce that is in them c. that is to say their ignoraunce is so great that they cannot doe any thing but sinne which he confirmeth by this maxime to the same Romans f Rom. 14.23 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Therefore his doctrine to them is this that by their exceeding ignoraunce the vnregenerate did nothing but such as was sinne in Gods eye-sight These late Romistes doe g Concil trident Ses 6. canon 7. accurse this doctrine of Saint Paule and all them that say that all the workes of the vnregenerate to bee truely sinne Saint Peter taught the Iewes h Act. 4.12 That there is saluation in none other meaning none other but Christ for that there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued These degenerate pretenders of Peter place saluation in others as in merites satisfaction and workes of supererogation and say there bee other names by which wee must bee saued as diriges religious orders and vowes pilgrimage pardons relickes and many other names by them deuised Saint Paule taught the auncient Romanes that i Rom. 4.25 8.33.34 Christ dyed for our sinnes and rose to make vs righteous and being hereby iustified of God nothing can bee layed to our charge nor condemne vs. By which it appeareth that the obedience and suffering of Chryst was the perfect working of our saluation These bastarde Romanes doe saye that wee yet neede the sacrifice of the Masse for quicke and deade and that the doing and fulfilling of Gods commaundementes and the Church is the condition on our part S. Peters doctrine saith that all the faithful k 1. Pet. 2.5.9 are an holy priesthood To offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ These counterfet successors of Peter adde a new deuise saying that their priests haue an especial office to offer vp sacrifice namely their Hoste S. Paul taught the old Romanes that l Rom. 8.34 Christ sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs. These declined Romistes say that the virgin Marie Peter and Paul and the Saints are intercessors for vs. Saint Peter taught the Iewes that he the said a 1. Pet. 5.1.2 Peter was an elder as other elders ministers of Christ and that such elders should not be Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that Christ was the chiefe shepheard These stately prelates make themselues Lords of sea and land disdaining at the low estate of the Apostles and elders of the primitiue church Saint Paule taught the Christian Romanes that b Rom. 3.28 A man is iustified by faith without workes These Antechristian Romanes say that by doing good workes a man is iust and iustified and not by faith alone Saint Paul taught the Christian Romans that c Rom. 7.7 Concupiscence in the regenerate was sinne and though he did will that which was good yet hee could not performe it These Antechristian Romanes do say that concupiscence is not sinne in the regenerate after Baptisme but onely left for the spirituall battell to bee resisted Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith That we must doe good workes d 1. Pet. 2.12.15 to shew forth the vertues of God and to glorifie him and to put to silence the ignoraunce of foolish men The new learning of these men is that we must do good workes that we might winne heauen thereby Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith e 1. Pet. 1.23 2.1 epist 2. cap. 3.1.15 That the Gospell is the word of God by which we are borne again that it is sincere milke and commendeth vnto them his owne and also S. Paules epistles And S. Paule taught the faithfull Romanes f Rom. 1.2 16.26 That God promised the gospell before by his prophetes in the holy scriptures and that God commaunded that it should bee taught all nations by the scriptures of the prophets These Romanes of the new learning do say that the g Reade Martin Peresius Aila de traditionibus scripture can not teach all the gospell but we must learne somewhat touching faith and saluation by tradition canons and the magisteriall power of the Church and equall these with holy scripture to teach that which cannot be found and learned in the written word of God Saint Paul taught the Romans the vniuersalitie of the Church when he said a Rom. 10.12 there is no difference betweene the Iew and the Grecian for hee that is Lord ouer all is right vnto all that call vpon him S. Peters doctrine agreeth thereunto where he saith b Act. 10.34.35 God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him These late builders place the Church in the citie of Rome and call it the Catholike Church of Rome S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith c 1. Pet. 1.3 2 5.17 that he prayed and blessed God and that the Christians should feare God and offer spirituall sacrifices vnto God And S. Paul d Rom. 1. 10 15. 16. taught the beleeuing Romanes by his own ensample in diuers prayers and by a generall example of the Church in these words whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord c. that they should worship and pray to God onely These new deuisers giue this honour of God to Saints relickes and images and teach men to serue worship and pray to them S. Paul taught the Romanes of the Primatiue Church that after e Rom. 4.11 iustification by faith the sacraments are signes to seale the righteousnes of faith and S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith that f 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth vs but not by the outward washing away of the filth of the flesh but by the spirit working in our hearts a good conscience to God 21. These new forgers of doctrine and sacraments make the sacraments in the worke wrought to containe to conferre grace and to iustifie together with faith and that without baptisme there happeneth no iustification Saint Paul and S. Peter wrote both in the Greeke tongue which was fittest for all nations to learne Gods word and wheresoeuer they gaue instructions a This appeareth Act. 2. all the whole storie following they did it in that language which might best be vnderstood of the people but these new religion makers deliuer instructions teach men
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
couenant of faith to be their God in the promise of Christ vpon this he requiring obedience in a godlie life doth insinuate that they which professe the faith that God is their God must declare their faith by obedience to his commaundements and therefore he saith in an other place e Deut. 6.11 Beware thou forget not the Lorde thy God not keeping his commandements c. which sheweth plainlie that where disobedience is there is no faith for how can he haue faith that forgetteth him in whom hee should beleeue Hereupon all their disobedience rebelling and prouoking of God in the wildernes is said to be this a Psal 78.22.32 Heb. 4.1 They beleeue not God And this doth Moises aime at when hee saith Thou hast set vp the Lord this day to be thy God and to walke in his waies and to keepe his ordinances c. whereby it appeareth that vnto faith in couenanting with GOD this is an inseperable consequent that if we embrase God by faith we ought to follow his commandements by our deeds and he that doth not this latter bewraieth that he hath not with a true hart and faith receiued the former Therefore the prophets which expound the law in the person of God say thus a Mat. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his Master If then I bee a father where is my honour and if I be a master where is my feare c. Nowe we know that wee are sonnes no way but by faith Therefore this prophet intendeth that we are not ioined to the Lorde by faith either as his people children or seruants or that hee is our God father and Lorde except our deedes shew the vnfainednes of our faith in honor and feare Therefore saith an other prophet b Psal 116.10 I beleeued and therefore I spake making it a most assured thing that a liuely faith cannot bee secrete and idle but will shewe it selfe by the outwarde deedes and namely profession Therefore a iust and righteous man in the prophets is thus described a Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the law of his God is in his heart c. Who is righteous but the beleeuer and how are we righteous but by faith this teacheth then that the beleeuer hauing the law of his God in his heart cannot but bring foorth good workes both in worde and in deed euen as the vnbeleeuer cannot bring forth any other but euill deeds therefore by the prophetes euill doers and beleeuers are made contraries as it is written b Verse 9. Euill doers shall be cut off but they which waite vpon the Lord shall inherite the lande And againe c Psal 32.10 Many sorrowes come to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercie shal compasse him But the Gospell doeth shewe this yet more brightly as namely where it is said d Gal. 5.6 In Iesus Christ neyther circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue that is to say faith doeth not onely take holde on Christ for righteousnes but also buddeth out before God and man the sweet blossoms of loue in the workes of pietie and honestie And therefore Christ challengeth them for no beleeuers in him which walke disobediently saying e Luk. 6.46 Why call ye mee master master and do not the things that I speake Whereupon the blessed Apostle is not afeard to say that he which is not a new man in holines righteousnesse but runneth greedily after his lusts in wickednesse hath not f Eph. 4.10.11 learned Christ as the truth is in Iesus And S. Iohn speaking of the hope of Gods children what they shal be at the ioyful appearance of Christ constantly affirmeth that i 1. Ioh. 3.3 euerie man who hath this hope purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And againe k Vers 10. In this are the children of God knowen the children of the Deuil whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother So that as clearely as the sunne is seene to shine in the middest of the day it is most apparant both by Abraham Moses and the prophetes and also by Christ and his Apostles that our faith and doctrine taught in England touching workes is most sound and catholicke namely that works necessarily follow faith declare it to be a true and a liuely faith and he that liueth licentiously and wickedly hath not faith The ninth Article of the meanes of religion which is the word of God 9 The word of God is the onely perfect rule of religion teaching all things whatsoeuer is necessarie vnto saluation and the same is fully wholy and onely contained in the holy and canonicall scriptures of the old and new testament IN this Article it is first necessary to know distinctly what is this word of God For some men confound this with the second person in the trinitie because the sonne of God is called the word by the holy Euangelist a Ioh. 1.1 1. Ioh. 5.7 S. Iohn Where they are to know that we consider in God two things what hee is in himselfe and what outwardly he doth or commeth from him Now the worde which is the sonne of God which is the second person in the trinitie is alwaies in God verie God as we truely say The father the word or the sonne and the holy ghost are ouer the same God But the word of God which wee heere speake of is the knowledge and reuelation of Gods wil touching godlinesse therfore called Gods word because it commeth not nor can come by the will or vnderstanding of man or any creature but by God himselfe is deliuered to his saintes as it were spoken by Almightie God as wee see in our first parente b Gen. 3. Adam after his fall hee was deade in sinne he had no will wit nor vnderstanding touching saluation till God called him and taught him by his word and gaue him the promise of Christ saying The seed of the woman should breake the serpentes head For which cause it is called c Eph. 1.9 Colos 25.26 The mystery of Gods will Which God in diuers maners in diuers times hath reueiled to his church d Numb 12. c. 7.8 2. Pet. 1.21 In darke speeches by dreames and vision openly and plainly as vnto Moses and by inspiration of the holy Ghost Of which it is thus written e Heb. 1.1.2 At sundrie times in diuers manners God spake in the olde time to our fathers by the prophetes in these last dayes he hath spoken to vs by his son And therfore these phrases in the prophets are plentifull The f Esai 1. Hier. 1. Lord hath said The word of the Lord came c. And many such like as all men know â—hich are acquainted with the holy scripture Now this being vnderstood we are to obserue
it is not of the willer nor of the runner but that we be saued it is of God which hath mercie Tenthly to confesse that pardon is geuen to them that aske according to the grace and mercie of God not according to their merites seeing the Apostle sayth that repentance it selfe is the gift of God where he saith of certaine men least God should giue them repentance which catholike faith is contrary to the new religion of Rome in those things First for the preparation vnto grace and workes of condignitie for they say then grace were no grace Secondly for the concurrence of free will to worke with the grace of God so to merite for they giue all to Gods grace and all pardon and saluation to Gods free mercie Loe here christian reader thou seest that the papists can tell vs of the particuler originall of the most part of their trumperie that the old christian churches in their counsels determinations were protestants touching the authoritie of Bishops and prouinces touching mariage eating of flesh priuate masse and receiuing the communion touching the holie scriptures and the reading of them touching weomens Baptisme and appeales to Rome and touching the grace of God freewill and merite therefore the heresie of the church of Rome being gathered since those primatiue times must needs be of a new generation lately sprong vp and come abroad into the worlde 5 And that thou maist yet further see Poperie hath lost the life breath of christianitie how they haue lost the verie life and breath of all religion and so are cleane fallen away from being any member in Christs church and to haue no part in the communion of Saints as in any sort to be called Gods visible people I wil shew thee fiue other points which are fundamentall and so farre of the foundation of christian religion that without them no man can be a mēber visible nor inuisible of the catholike church wherein thou shalt see that the protestant was the ancient true primatiue christian church of God Fiue fundamental points of christianity rased by poperie the papist a verie apostata comming in deed of a contrarie race euen of the very stocke of antechrist The first is of adoring God only the second of the condition of the couenant with God on our behalfe the third of the seales of the couenant the fourth of the writings of the couenant the fift of the soueraigntie and headship of Christ ouer his church And that these are foundamental consider with me that in the * 2. Idolatrie first they breake the spiritual wedlocke with God which giue his worship and honor to idols and images as thou mayst see God in a Cap. 16. Ezechiel complaining and saying Thou hast taken thy faire Iewels of my gold and of my siluer which I had giuen thee and madest to thy self images of men and diddest commit whooredom with thē c. * Merits of workes 2. In the second when they ioine workes and the fulfilling of the commandements with faith for they shut themselues from the righteousnes in the couenant whereby they should reioice with God as the Apostle saith b Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioice but not with God yea they abrogate the grace of God and make Christ die in vaine as the same Apostle teacheth saying c Gal. 2.21 I doo not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnes be by the law then Christ died without a cause * 3. Sacramēts In the third they annihilate and ouerthrow Christs institution in the seales of the couenant by their transubstantiation and vnbloudie sacrifice adored and make but a fanatical body of Christ and an imaginatie manhood where as Christ saith d 1. Cor. 11.24.25.26 Doe this in remembrance of me and Saint Paul expoundeth it saying As often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lords death till he come For if he bee contained in heauen as Saint Peter e Act. 3. 21. saith till the restoring of al things and that this sacrament is to remember and shewe his death till hee come what is it but a newe institution when they say it is turned into his person and adore him as present and what can that bodie or manhood which is in heauen bee in the sacrament really and corporally any otherwise but in fansie and imagination seeing in the same till he come to iudgement he is in heauen In the * 4. Scriptures fourth they blot out the writinges of the couenant when as Christ a Mat. 15. sayth They make the lawe of God of none effect by their traditions while they equall their own deuises with the written word of God make it in sufficient to saluation and set the church which shoulde bee ruled by it and obedient to it to be aboue it the people aboue the lawe and the ladie vnder the handmaide * 5. Supremacy Lastlie they commit treason against the person of Christ when they set the pope in his place without his assignement that a mortall man shoulde bee head of the vniuersall Church and bodie of Christ For Christ onely is called b Eph. 1.22.28 1. Cor. 3.11 The head in all thinges ouer his Church and the foundation thereof excluding all other Nowe then seeing that there can bee no foundation of Christianitie nor Church of God where the couenant is broken by spirituall whooredome and where there is no reioicing with God and the grace of God and Christ death is made vaine and where the seales of Gods letters patentes and his glorious image which is Christ is defaced and his holie writinges blotted and abased and man aduanced in the chaire of the son of God and office of Christ it must needes followe that they being guiltie in these thinges there cannot bee any part of the visible Church of Christ amongest them I thinke it therefore good to take some more paines in these fiue points that thou maist see howe that in the first primatiue ages the Catholike truth was to be founde amonge the Christian protestants and that the popishe heresie in these pointes came vppe afterwardes to bee openlie seene and closelie grewe vnder them Consider therefore good Christian reader what I say and the Lord giue thee the spirit of true discretion and wisedome in all that thou readest First in the question of adoring God the papist thinke they doo not commit fornication because they haue a fine shift to say they doe not adore the image as to account it their God to put their trust in it but onely reuerence it as a representation of God by bowing before it kissing it praying before it c. they adore him which the image representeth And they thinke themselues verie wel discharged from idolatry seeing their images are not dedicated vnto diuels and false Gods but vnto the true God Christ and his Saints
differing religion and faith concerning God from all people vnder heauen whatsoeuer b Rom. 1.1.2.3.4 The third sort in regard of the persons are the gentils that is all nations and languages after the comming of Christ and in regard of the things they had the gospel which Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD being made man of the virgin Marie did preach ordaine and commit to writing to be preserued for the euerlasting benefit of the church which being preached by the Apostles of Christ as well to the Iewes as to the Gentils at his commaundement and by his commission the Iewes for their vnbelefe fel away and being left to the hardnes of their hart were reiected and ceased to be the visible church of God remaine scattered ouer the face of the whole earth vntill this day and the gentils hearing and receiuing the gospell and submitting them selues by faith vnto the doctrin of Christ became Gods people againe and his visible church and so the true religion hath remained among the gentils in one place or other vntil this day and of this number are we of the church of Englande one happie part The Lord our God and merciful father in Iesus Christ be praised therefore 3. Now in all these times notwithstanding that the outward face of the church by the ceremonies and maner of gouernment did verie much differ yet in all these was but one substance of religion consisting in the knowledg of one true and liuing God and in the worship of his diuine maiestie by faith in the holy promise of Iesus Christ which promise was made vnto Adam Abraham and Dauid declared by the prophets preached to the gentils in the gospel For so Adam a Gen. 4.1.2.3 trained vp his sons by sacrifice to worship God arguing their expectation of the Messias or seed of the woman to come And therfore b Heb. 11.2.3.4 Abel Enoch Noe Abraham are wel reported of for their faith and to haue pleased God Vnto c 1. Pe. 3.10.11 Noe the ark vnto Abraham circumcision being types and figures of Christ were helpes in this faith religion so in the law all the priestes their sacrifices and seruice yea al the law d Rom. 10.4 Gal. 3.22 ponited out Christ as thend therof and concluded all vnder sin that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen to them that beleeue And the prophets which best vnderstood the law shew the maine substance of their religion to be in faith when they say e Esai 26.16 He that beleeueth in him meaning Christ shal not make hast f Aaback 2.4 The iust shal liue by faith g Psal 34.8 Tast and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the mā that trusteth in him Which thing witnesseth the Apostle saying h Rom. 15.4 Whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that we thorow patience and comfort of the scripture might haue hope and that the i 2. Tim. 3.15 scriptures speaking of the law and prophets are able to make one wise vnto saluation thorow faith in Iesus Christ And lastly touching the gospell it is most cleare that by k Gal. 3.26 Act. 24.14 beleefe in Christ wee are made Gods people in this beleef we worship and serue God as in one true pure religion Therefore they which are taught l Math 28.19 Act. 2.38 cap. 16.31 Iacob 1.6 Heb. 11.6 are baptized when they beleeue and so receaued into the church such are said to be saued such are said to pray aright and generally such are said to please God 4. Now to conclude this place we may obserue the wonderful administration of God in vpholding of this one true religion faith of Christ in all ages of the world and that in two things First in his iudgments and secondly in the diuers manifestation of his spirit as concerning the first the ould world falling into a most horrible apostasie m Gen. 6. by prophane and vnequal yoking of the children of God with the children of men God stirred vp Noe the preacher of righteousnes in his family preserued the true faith when all the whole world was fallen away therefore drowned by waters Then after the floud som 400. yeres when idolatry had ouercrept the world in the posterity of Noe namely after the confounding of the languages and that they were become many nations God a Gen. 12. Ioshuah 24.2 called Abraham and taught him the faith and pure religion of Christ when hee gaue him the promise That in his seede all the families of the earth should be blessed and in his posteritie namly of his son b Gen. 17.19 Act. 14.16 Isaak when all the nations of the world were left to their own waies the same was preserued and althogh the Israelits c Ps 78. 106 many times departed from the true God to follow the maners fashions of the gentils yet he reduced thē home again by his plagues punishments somtimes by his d 1. Kin. 18 3◠Esai 6.13 prophets and somtimes destroying the multitude reserued a smal remnant as a seed plot among whom he preserued the true faith and religion And last of all when they had many times prouoked God by their vnbeleefe and rebellion he cast them vtterly off and ingrafted the gentils although among these there hath bin great * The first 300. yeres after Christ persecution a most horrible apostasy both by ₠Mahomet and the Pope east and west yet hath he alwaies had his witnesses who keeping the faith haue professed the true religion of Christ and nowe according to his e word the same is renewed and taketh hold againe in the open eyes of all the world amonge the elect of God his chosen people whō he calleth by his gospel A thing verily fore prophesied by f Gen. 9.27 Gen. 12.3 Deut. 32.21 Esai 49.6 Rom. 15.18 Noe taught and promised to Abraham threatned by Moses plainely foretold by the prophets and fully accomplished by Christ and of these things we haue now had 1602. yeres triall experience the Lords most holy name be praised But as touching the manifestation of the spirit marke with me that the same promise which to Adam was generall g Gen. 3. cap. 12. cap. 49.10 Esai 9.6.7 Matth. 1. in the seede of the woman was more speciall to Abraham to be in his seede and in his posteritie more certaine in Iuda and yet in Iuda more particuler in the house and linage of Dauid and yet more plainly and neerly by the prophets that he should be borne of h Esai 7.14 a virgin yea hee is also so thoroughly described in the prophets that there is scarse any action of Christ or accident befalling him which Matthew the euangelist in his historie doth not confirme by some prophet or other Yet is Iohn Baptist more cleere then they all
many moe seuerall braunches thereof But my second cause is more speciall and of greater wayght namely that God made choise of Abraham in calling of him to bee the father of all belieuers and that the same faith which hee receyued of God should bee the religion of all nations wherein and whereby they should bee saued to the end of the world Which thing Saint Paule teacheth when hee saith b Gal. 3.8 The scripture foreseeing that God woulde iustifie the gentilles through faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all the gentils bee blessed Where we learne that the gospell which teacheth this religion that men should bee iustified by faith was preached to Abraham and namely for the vse of the gentilles that they should bee made of the same religion with Abraham and with him by faith onely bee iustified as hee saith in the next verse Vers 9. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham This did GOD signifie vnto Abraham when hee chaunged his name saying a Gen. 17.45 Behold I make my couenant with thee and thou shalt bee a father of many nations neither shall thy name any more be called Abraham but thy name shall bee Abraham for a father of many nations haue I made thee Hereof the Apostle teacheth that Abrahams seede is twofold b Rom. 4.16 not onely of the law which is meant of the Iewes but also that which is of the faith of Abraham that is the gentilles who not hauing the lawe are yet his seed through faith and therfore he addeth He is father of vs all that is both of Iew gentil which belieue alleadging this place for proofe saying as it is written I haue made thee a father of manie nations c. Whereby it is pregnantly proued that Abraham is made in regard of faith and religion a father both to Iewes and Gentils The Iewes are first admitted to be his children to walke in his religion and steppes of faith after we succeed in their roome to walk in the same steps of faith religion of Abraham they as the Apostle els where c cap. 11.17.18 saith being naturall braunches for vnbeliefe were cut off But we though braunches of the wild Oliue are grafted in by faith Now because it is here manifest that Abraham receiued the couenant for vs and the whole religion of God as well for vs as for the Iewes and that God wold not haue the Iews to haue one religiō the gentils an other the one to be saued by one faith the other by another but both to be of that faith and religion which was taught and found in Abraham and that Christ comming of his seed should bee sauiour both of Iewes and gentils d Luc. 2.32 A light to be reuealed to the gentils the glorie of Israel religion then being one the same one being the same only which was taught Abraham I thought it best to choose him and his storie because that neither the law nor the gospel could or ought to differ in religion and faith from that of Abraham that if our religion in Englande agree with that of Abraham then it might bee knowen to be the true auncient and catholike religion and faith no new broached religion or doctrine such as that is of the Church of Rome as in the processe of this booke shall be seene But for thy better help good Christian reader I will follow this order I will shew the seuerall points of religion which are most materiall one after an other as they are in nature first second and then in euerie part or article Abrahams faith first And secondly except some special reason draw me to alter this order I wil shew how our religion agreeth with his faith and lastly how Moyses the prophets and the new testament confirme the same And thus they follow The first Article of faith and religion concerning God 1. There is one true euerliuing Almightie God and three persons God the father God the Son God the holy Ghost which are not three Gods but one God THis Article hath two partes first of the vnitie of the Godhead and secondly the trinitie of persons The first God taught Abraham when in his calling he brought him to forsake the a Ioshuah 24.2 strange and many Gods of his fathers to embrace one and the onely true God shewing this perfect marke that he could set downe order what should become of b Gen. 12.3 cap. 15.13 cap. 17.1 cap. 18.14 all the families of the earth and particularly of his posteritie that hee was God all sufficient and that nothing was harde to him Therefore Abraham hauing learned this professeth it to be his faith and religion calling the Lord c cap. 14.22 The most high God possessor of heauen and earth and hee gaue him this d Rom. 4.18.19 glorie of God that although himselfe were an hundred yeare old Sarah his wiues wombe now dead yet did he beleeue Gods word concerning his seed being assured that he which had promised was also able to do it The second God taught Abraham when hee e Gal. 3.8 preached the gospell vnto him in these wordes f Gen. 28.18 In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed For by the seed being vnderstood Christ namely the son of God to be made man of the seede of Abraham God speaking in these words to Abraham concerning his son Abrahā must needs vnderstand the first person of the father in him that speaketh and the second person of the Sonne in him that is spoken of And of this second person in the knowledge and faith of Abraham speaketh Christ saying g Ioh. 8.56.58 Abraham reioyced to see my day and hee saw it and was glad And againe before Abraham was I am And as concerning the holy Ghost the third person Abraham vnderstood that in all the wordes because they are as the Apostle teacheth h Gal. 3.14 the promise of the spirit which thing you shall perceiue if you looke vpon Abrahams seed for it came not by the naturall vertue and power of man but by the holy Ghost as first Isaacke was borne when Abraham and Sarah were past age of the naturall begetting and conceiuing of a child by the vertue of the promise of God which being performed by the power of the holy ghost he is said sometime i Rom. 9.7.8 Gal. 4.23.29 to be borne by promise and sometime to be borne after the spirit Secondly Christ the seed of Abraham by whom all are made blessed is also borne a man without the seed begetting of any man onely of a virgin and conceiued by the holy Ghost as the k Luk. 1.34.35 Angell in Luke declareth Lastly all the faithfull which are the spirituall seed and children of Abraham and made blessed by this promise of Christ are no otherwise made partakers of this blessing
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
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
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
many ought to be vnder the gospell and how these two differ in their special and particuler vse The confession of the church of England is altogether so and of the same consent For as touching the nature of a Sacrament we say the same in substance of truth a Sacraments ordained of Christ are not onely badges and tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certaine sure witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good will towards vs by the which he doth worke inuisibly in vs and doth not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirme our faith in him and againe b Articl 25. of the sacramēts b Apolog. part 2.10 diuis 1. Wee allow the Sacraments of the Church that is to say certaine holie signes and ceremonies which Christ would we should vse that by them hee might set before our eies the misteries of our saluation and might more strongly confirme the faith which wee haue in his blood and might seale his grace in our hartes and in the same places there are no more but two sacraments acknowledged which properly ought to be called by that name and as touching the speciall difference First we say of Baptisme a Articl 27. that It is a signe and a seale of our new birth whereby as by an instrument they that receaue Baptisme are grafted into the church the promises of forgiuenes of sinnes and our adoption to be the sonnes of God by the holie ghost are visibly signed and sealed c. and of the Lords supper we say b Articl 28. The supper of the Lord is not only a signe of the loue that Christians ought to haue among themselues but rather it is a Sacrament of our redemption Insomuch that to such as rightly woorthely and with faith receaue the same the bread which wee breake is a communion of the bodie of Christ and likewise the cup of blessing is a communion of the blood of Christ If all these things be compared together with the Scriptures you shall see that they doo verie fitly agree so that in the doctrine of the Sacraments we are of the auncient faith of Gods elect and of the holie vniuersall church The thirtenth article of the order of religious exercises and seruice of God 13. All religious exercises as prayer and Sacramentes c. ought to be done in the toonge or language which the people best vnderstande and as is most to edification HOw the pride presumption of man brought this great plague of many languages into the worlde and thereby great seperation of people and nations and diuersities of religion as c Gen. 11. Moses doth declare the originall so the story and experience of all times doo witnes And as it caused great toile and contention among men so it came to passe in tract of time that the true religion was found but in one people and language and that of Abraham and his seede the children of Israel Howbeit when the fulnes of time was come that the most glorious sonne of God our blessed Sauiour sanctified all nations vnto God by his death then were all languages made d Phil. 2.11 Esai 45.23 holie vnto the Lord that Euerie toonge should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord vnto the glorie of God the father Therefore what people so euer it pleaseth God to call to be of his church and teacheth them his holie religion the language of that very people is made holie to the Lord to talke of his woord to confesse his name to pray to his goodnes to celebrate his heauenly worship This appeareth by the storie of Abraham being an a Gen. 14.13 11.16 Hebrew comming of Heber that God reuealed his worde vnto him and his seede in the Hebrew tongue In that tongue which was to them naturall and knowne he and they vsed all their prayers and holy exercises and in that tongue did Moses the prophets write all the oracles of God Saue onely when Iudah was in captiuitie Daniell wrote some Chapters which concerned the Chaldeans all nations in that language of Calde which they best vnderstoode and fittest at that time for all nations the Emperor of the world being of that language and by mixture with other people the Hebrew writings of the prophetes do somewhat sauour of the language of the people among whom they dwelt Therfore it doth appeare that God was carefull as a matter best for the Churches edification to haue his will reuealed vnto his people in that tong they best vnderstood So when all the world in all nations was called by the gospel to know and worship the true and liuing God then were the scriptures written in Greeke namely so much as then was written by the Apostles and Euangelistes which language was at that time the most b Act. 21 37. common language of the worlde in so much as all c Gal. 3.28 nations are called Grecians in opposition to the Iewes and their language Also God d Act. 2. endued his Apostles with the gift of diuers tongues that euen in that gift it might bee made manifest that all languages are sanctified in Christ and that hee thought it need that euery country people should worship him in their owne language And therefore the Prophet Daniel prophesying of these daies directly saith e Dan. 7.14 All people nations and languages shall serue him Hereupon Saint Paul least the vse of gift of many languages should be abused spendeth one f Cor. 14. whole chapter about this matter and therein teacheth that it was most to edification that the prayers and exercises of Gods worship should bee in a language knowen to the vulgar and meaner sort of people a thing so familiarly knowen that I need not repeate it Therefore without any amplification in this point I may conclude that seeing the Church of England both by practise as is seene in our dayly seruice of God by the booke of common prayer and also by our confession in the Apologie g Apolog. cap. 18. diuis 1. Artic. 24. of the common prayers and Articles of our religion published for that purpose doth allow no other but the vsuall language best knowen to the people as best to edification it followeth that herein wee agree with the auncient and catholike riligion and order of Almightie God and of his seruants Moses the prophets and Apostles The 14. Article of libertie in religion whether it take away any naturall comfort or duetie among men 14 The true and catholike religion forbiddeth no man or woman of what caling soeuer to marrie so it bee in the Lord and commaundeth all sortes of men and that of all callings as well ecclesiasticall as ciuill to be subiect to the ciuill magistrate and higher power and to obey him in the Lord. IN this Article are two specials as mariage and the dutie to the magistrate which two may be as an instance for all of like sort for
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
praiers in an vnknowne tongue giue them images to be their bookes Saint Peters doctrine touching mariage appeareth that he being b 2. Cor. 9.5 1. Pet. 5.2 an Elder had a wife as the other Apostles laid no other burden vpon Elders but to feed the flocke of God and yet these new law makers forbid mariage to the which Peter called elders S. Paul taught the Romans that c Rom. 13.1 1. Pet. 2.13 euery soule should be subiect to the higher powers and S. Peter commaundeth submission to all maner ordinance of man But these proude vsurpers take vpon them to dispence with the oth obedience of subiects bringing all superiour power vnder their seruant the Pope of Rome S. Peter taught d 1. Pet. 5.9 to resist the diuell stedfast in faith these afterwitted men teach vs to do it by coniuring by crosses and by holie water Saint Paul taught the first childe of the Romanes that e Rom. 14.2.3.4 in meate and dayes men should not iudge and condemne one another these men vnder the name of the Church forbid and commaund iudge and condemne men in meates and in dayes and that vnder paine of damnation S. Peter taught the Iewes f 1. Pet. 1.5 that wee are kept by the power of God thorough faith vnto saluation these mē say that faith without hope charity cannot performe it S. g 2. Pet. 3.18 1. Pet. 3.15 Peter would haue euery man grow in the knowledge of our lord Iesus Christ and to be so far instructed in the gospel that hee might be able to giue a reason of his faith These Antipetrians would haue men to content thēselues with ignorance to beleeue as the church beleeueth by this colour that ignorāce is the mother of deuotion they kepe the common people frō knowledge of the scriptures S. Peters doctrine doth say h Act. 3.2 that the heauens must containe Christ vntil the time that al things be restored S. Paul taught the Romanes i Rom. 8.24 that Christ is at the right hand of God yet say these shameles forgers that Iesus Christ very God and very man is really locally by the intention of a Priest vttering certaine wordes which they call cōsecration is in the sacrament as they cal it of the Aulter Saint Peter taught the Iewes that it was k Acts. 15.10 a tempting of God to binde Gods people to keepe the law because it is a yoke that neyther we nor our fathers were able to beare These presumptuous backesliders doe say that it is a condition of our saluation and righteousnesse to doe the commaundements of God and the Church that a man is able to fulfill the commaundements of God Saint Peter l Act. 10.25.26 Math. 17.24 forbad Cornelius a Captaine of a band when he fell downe at his feete and worshipped him saying that hee himselfe was a man and being directed and commaunded by our Sauiour Christ hee paide tribute and pollemonie vnto Caesar But the Pope the counterfeit successour of Peter refuseth no kinde of honour euen to the kissing of his feete done by Kinges or Emperours and taketh tolle and tribute out of all lands whom he can make his vassals and vnderlings Saint * Act. 3.12 Peter in the good works which he did renounced in plaine tearmes his owne power and godlinesse and laboured by all meanes to set forth the name of Christ that Christ onely might be glorified These filthie changelings haue no end in aduancing the power of Peter and therein of the name authoritie and glorie of the Pope Saint Peter neither a Act. 8. 11. 15. hauing nor taking vpon him any soueraigntie aboue other Apostles or aboue any estate was sent by the Apostles at Ierusalem to doe some Apostolicall worke in his ministrie and S. Iohn equallie with him and he obeyed his bretheren submitted himselfe to giue an account of his doings for his going to the Gentils and gaue place to Iames to determine the controuersie touching circumcision and the law of Moses to be imposed vpon the Gentils had no greater title in the counsell nor in any place of scripture then Simeon Peter or Cephas seruant and Apostle of Iesus Christ or Elder Also hee b Gal. 2.7.8.9.11 acknowledged the same authoritie in Paul ouer the Gentils which he had ouer the Iewes and therefore hee meekelie suffered reproofe for his weakenesse at the hands of Paul and c Act. 5.40.41 with all patience and ioyfulnesse tooke stripes with the rest of the Apostles for the name of Christ The Pope his pretended successor taketh vpon him farre otherwise namely the Primacie aboue all Bishops and Patriarkes aboue all Princes Magistrates and maketh Cardinals and Archbishops his Embassadors and Legattes disdaineth to giue an account of any thing and taketh vpon him to confirme all counsels and to annihilate whatsoeuer is concluded without his consent and authoritie entituling himselfe Bishop of Bishops cheefe Pastour head of the vniuersall Church of Christ He is so far from being reprooued that hee will iudge all men but himself be iudged of no man and that his determinations must not be reasoned nor disputed vpon and not onely ouer the Iewes but also ouer all nations he vsurpeth authoritie and is so farre from meek bearing of reproof or stripes for the name of Christ that he raiseth vp sedition rebellion and cruell wars against the lawfull superiour putteth downe Emperours and Kings for his owne name sake maintenance of his owne pride and vsurped iurisdiction In all the storie which is in the new testament concerning Paul and Peter we haue not one word that Peter should be head of the Apostles much lesse head of the vniuersall Church or ouer Princes neither is there any direct or indirect collection to be made out of holy scripture that if Christ had giuen him such authority the same should haue descended and gone to his successors And if to his successors yet it would be doubtfull whether Babilon or Samaria or Ioppa or Ierusalem might not be the place of succession for at these places it is expreslie said hee was and remained And as for Rome there is great reason to thinke that hee was neuer there or at the least some verie little while and if he were there at all yet neuer was hee Bishop of Rome First it is cleare that S. Peter kept at Ierusalem till the conuersion of Saint Paul a Act. 8. 9. 10. 15. which was sometime after the Apostles had begun the planting of the Church of Ierusalem and the Martyrdome of Steuen the Deacon Then b Gal. 1.18 three yeeres after Paul visited Peter at Ierusalem and c Gal. 2.1 fourteene yeeres after that he communicated with Peter Iames and Iohn at Ierusalem and then after this d Act. 12.1.2.3 was Peter cast into prison by Herode after the martirdom of Iames the brother of Iohn after e
all writings of Bishops prouinces and generall counsels as vncertain and vnperfect and such as may be amended but lifteth vp the scriptures and writings of the new and olde testament as the onely sure and sufficient truth b De baptism contra Donat. lib. 2. cap. 3. saying Who knoweth not that the holy scripture as well of the olde as of the new testament is contained within certaine boundes and the same to be preferred before all the letters of the bishops comming after as that there can be no doubt dispute of or about it But the letters of Bishops which haue bin written after the confirming of the Canon or are now written may be reprehended both by the speech perauenture more wise of any man more wise in the same thing and by the grauer authoritie of other Bishops prudencie of learned men and by counsels if perauenture any thing in them do erre frō the truth Also counsels which are holden in seuerall regions or prouinces are to giue place without any staggering to the authoritie of fuller counsels which are holden of all the Christian world and those verie fuller councels often the former may be amended by the latter when as by any experience of things that is made knowne which was hidden Cyrillus in that verie age sheweth himselfe in this matter a verie true protestant c Vpon Ioh. 20. cap. 68. saying All things which the Lord hath done are not written but those things which the writers haue thought sufficient as well for maners as doctrine that shining in a right faith and workes and vertue we may come to the kingdome of heauen through our Lord Iesus Christ And Theophilact one of the later writers of the Greekes condescendeth to this doctrine b Vpon 2. Tim. 3. and saith Nihil est quod nequeat scripturis dissolut There is nothing which cannot bee assoiled by the scriptures Here the Christian reader may see that the auncient Christian religion was the same of protestants holding the scripture for the onely Canon of faith the rule of righteousnesse containing all thinges necessarie to saluation most certaine and sure to discerne all truth and able to assoile all dobts and questions and that wee ought to follow no man because Bishops letters the most generall and fullest councels may be amended and that it is onely the holy scripture whereof there can bee no doubt or dispute so that it followeth that it is a new doctrine to say that the Churches authoritie is aboue the scripture or that the Church iudgeth the scripture and not the scripture the Church or that wee neede and must accept with equall reuerence traditions or vnwritten verities and canons of the church without disputing and such like blasphemies Gratian also the compiler of the decrees who c About Ann. 1160. liued in the chiefest growth of corruption did publish to all the world as an ecclesiasticall decree the soueraigntie of holy scripture For speaking of deuine lawes he sheweth the determination of ancient fathers to set the holy scriptures aboue all other lawes whatsoeuer And first aboue all customes in d Distinct 8. ca. Si solus Christus these wordes If Christ onely bee to bee hearde wee are not to regarde what any man before vs thought meete to bee done but what Christ who is before all hath first done For wee must not follow the custome of men but the truth of God seeing God speaketh by Esai the prophet and saith in vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching the commandements and doctrines of men Secondly that it is proper and peculier to the Canonicall scriptures e For so the glosse interpreteth the Canons of the distinction following of the olde and new Testament onely not to erre f Distinct 9. cap. Ego solit saying I haue learned to giue vnto those writinges onely which now are called Canonicall this reuerence and honour that I beleeue that none of them haue erred And againe g Cap. Noli frater Doe not desire brother to gather out of the writings of Bishoppes cauils against so many so excellent and vndoubted testimonies deuine c. Whether they bee ours or Hillarius or Cyprian and Agrippinus before the part of Donatus was seperated And first this kind of letters is to bee distinguished from the authoritie of the Canons for they are not so reade as though a testimonie were so brought out of them that it is not lawfull to thinke contrarie if in any place they vnderstood otherwise then the truth doeth require And againe Neither ought wee to account the disputations of any men whatsoeuer although Catholicke and reuerende men like vnto the Canonicall Scriptures that it shoulde not bee lawfull for vs sauing the reuerence due vnto these men to improoue some thing in their wrytinges and to reiecte it if happely wee shall finde that they thinke or imagine otherwise then the truth hath In the next age after Gratian I finde Bonauentura a Franciscan a man of great account in h De profect◠religiosorū cap. 6. He liued about Ann. 1280. his time with cleare tearmes to teach the doctrine of protestantes in these wordes Nam quod ratio nostra lippa facta est c. Whereas our reason is become as bleare eied our vnderstanding darkened through sinne that wee cannot finde the truth of our selues God came downe vnto vs least we should bee in error and gaue vs the knowledge of the truth in the scriptures which he would haue vs beleeue where we might find sufficiently and truely all thinges necessarie for vs vnto saluation that in them we should not follow our sence but humblie submit our sence vnto the rule of faith if we will not erre Nicholas Lyra in the a 1315. next age protesteth for the scripture in like maner b Vpon the Prouerb ca. 31. saying Sacra scriptura continet firmam c. The holy scripture containeth the firme and inuiolable truth as in a merchants shippe are caried diuers thinges necessarie for mans life so in scripture are contained all things necessarie to saluation But that I ouercloy not the reader with many testimonies for the authority of holy scriptures I wil now turne to the other side to trace the footsteps of the popish doctrine how it came vp that the scriptures hath lost their first authority and honour Surely by the witnesse of the papistes themselues not in 400. or 600. yeares after Christ For then saith the glosse vpon c Vpon distinct 9. cap. noli me 15. Gratian that about the times of Augustine Augustina scripta aliorū sanctorū patrum non erant autentica c. The writings of Augustine and of other holy fathers were not autenticall but d that is about Anno 1200. now they are commanded to be holdē to the vtmost Iod. And this Gratian e Distinct 15. cap. sancta Romana sendeth vs to Gelasius for the first founder of the authoritie of councels
fathers and decretals epistles so that by the papistes owne account and confession the holy scriptures raigned alone many ages together after Christs ascention as Lady Queene to bee the onely law to rule iudge and know the Church and whatsoeuer necessarie to saluation And the Church presumed not ouer the scriptures but was squared ordered by them This Gratian sheweth vs f Distinct 16. Cap. Canons that the Canons of the Apostles were pronounced by g He liued Anno 530. Isidorus not to haue bene receiued of the Church nor of the holy fathers because they were knowne to be made of heretikes vnder the name of the Apostles After he h Distinct 19. cap. Si Romanor Ann. 865. telleth vs that Pope Nicholas giueth autenticall authoritie to the decretall Epistles of his predecessors And that i Distinct 19. cap. sic omnes Anno. 680. Pope Agatha first breathed out this blasphemie that all sanctions of the Apostolicall sea are to be receiued as confirmed by the deuine voice of Peter And k Distinct 20. cap. de libellis Anno 850. Leo the 4. followed him in the same rebellion of Gods word pronouncing that they who do not receiue al their canons indifferently do not beleeue the Apostolicall faith and the foure Euangelists effectually as they should And here the maker of the glosse is touched in conscience for the East churches that did not receiue these decretalles all this while whether they were not heretikes Much about this time came in the Legenda aurea which is l Bernard de Girard hist Franc. lib. 4. Albert. Krant Saxonia lib. 2. fathered vpon Carolus Magnus And after this others in these things kept on this new deuotion and presumption But the battell was not full and strong till Gratian himselfe m Anno. 1160. came vp and set them in aray by compiling the booke of decrees containing more then halfe a legion the Ciuilians and Canonistes muster themselues to make the first squadrant then Lombardus his brother bringeth forth a second in foure bookes of sentences and in the reare warde march n Anno 1270 Thomas Aquinas and o Ann. 1295. Scotus Duns with many Franciscans and Dominicans and make a strong battell of distinctions questions philosophie Aristotelians and all the forces of reason a Anno 1230. Gregorie the 9. bringeth forth his barbed horsemen of decretall as flanckers to make incursions in fiue troopes or bookes well armed with Apostaticall ordinaunce and Boniface the eight added a sixth Then come in the light horsemen of Clementines and extrauagantes readie for many seruices amongst whome there commeth in a monstrous huge b Seruice in a strange tonge came in after the adoring of Eucharist Anno 1220. read Lyra vpō 1. Cor. 14. beast to make way for the rest called Lingua Latina seu peregrina that is seruice and scriptures in an vnknowen tongue which casteth such a mist into the eyes of Gods people that they are brought vnder the antechristian bondage and from the glorious lawe of libertie which is the gospell of Christ Iesus before they be aware By all these there came vp such great and vniuersall studie of the Canon and Ciuill lawes and such honour of schoole learning amongst all the learned and wise men on the one side and such palpable ignorance in the common people that it was impossible that the worde of God could haue his primatiue dignitie witnesse the councell of Trent c Reade Caesar Baron vpon the Martyrolog Non Martij who often clapped handes and gaue great applause to Thomas Aquinas And that when Luther beganne to preach the gospell his greatest aduersaries fought against him eyther by Canons decrees of some scholasticall conclusion and witnesse the conscience and knowledge of all men that haue looked into the estate of religion Thus is it easie to see what a strong force the deuill had by this meanes to bring the holie scriptures of God into a base and low remembraunce and how in tracte of time hee hath made his owne lawes traditions decrees and counsels not onely equall but far aboue them And as iustly complaineth Anthonius de Rampegolis a man of their owne side who as Tritte then d De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis writeth flourished personally in the counsel of Constance e Figurae bibliae cap. de sacra scriptura Sacram scripturam in honorantes trahunt in obsequium philosophiae faciunt ancillā dominam de domina ancillam many dishonoured the holy scripture and made it obedient to philosophie causing the handmaid to be mistresse and the mistresse to be handmaid and thus was fulfilled that which Hilarius wisely obseruing did f Aduersus Arianos Et facta est fides temporum potius quā Euangeliorum say in his time When the vse of writing innouating of faith beganne to bee in vre after it did rather beginne to make new thinges then keepe that which it had receiued it neither maintained the old nor confirmed the newe and so faith became to bee of the times rather then of the gospels That is to say men leauing that which they receiued and learned by the scriptures and writing themselues opinions and decrees of their owne it came to passe in time that the faith of the Church was not that which the Gospell of Christ teacheth but such as liked men of the seuerall ages and times such as counselles decreed and Bishoppes ordained Which thing Erasmus being a great Scholler did see to be happened vnto the Church of Rome and thereof giueth admonition to a great Bishoppe and amongst other thinges touching humane constitutions g ad Christoph Episcop Basil de interdicto esu carmum c. he saith Haec primum obrepant honesti specie c. These thinges first creepe in by a colour of honestie after they ouerflow more aboundantly then after a while being confirmed by vse they raigne as tyrants c. 5. Of the supremacie Now let vs come to the last foundation of popery and banishing of Christ and his lawes Namely the royal primacie of the Pope clyming into the seat of Christ and aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God And let vs examine whether it be Euangelicall and of the Christian religion and ancient profession of the primatiue Church First it is manifest and cleare that the first sixe hundred yeare neuer knew him but they were all protestants allowing no vniuersall Bishop but Christ onely and honouring the Emperors and kinges where they liued as Lordes and supreame gouernors ouer all persons ecclesiasticall ciuill euen as they had learned of Saint Paule who did commaund a Rom. 13.1 euerie soule to bee subiect to the higher power and of Saint Peter b 1. Pet. 2.13 who would haue them submit themselues to the king as the superior And herein I will call for the papistes themselues to be my witnesses First Gratian c Distinct 21. cap.
their decrees framed and ordained Beside this all these latter counsels haue not beene made with vniuersall consent but the church hath been deuided into two parts East and West vntill the time of this counsell of Basill and then it was sewed together with rotten threed and presently rent in peeces againe as it were in a moment and there was one counsel at Basill and an other set against it a Florence Now I say seeing these counsels of Constance Basil Trident in which the most part and chiefest of Popery hath been in the most generall maner determined published for the acts and determination of the church were but a verie smale part of the vniuersall church Namely of the Westerne parts I know not howe they can assure vs that in them we haue the churches determination except they could proue these counsels ecumenical and vniuersall of all Christian churches as was the first general counsell of Nice vnder Constantine the great Againe the counsels for sixe hundred yeeres after Christ did not decree as they haue done since and the faith of the church was not the determination of the Church but the sentence of holie scriptures and many points of faith haue been since determined not by but without holie Scriptures what should wee esteeme the auncient primatiue Churches to haue erred in faith or that they knew not or held not the true faith because that in verie many articles they lacked the ecclesiastical determination Lastly seeing that euerie day they bring foorth new deuises and sanctions and the latter many times contrarie to the former who can tell when he is in the truth or out of the truth or when the Church hath made her true and right determination Hee that readeth ouer Gracian and the Tomes of the counsels with the histories of the liues of the Popes or doo but well marke and consider that little which I haue penned out of them in this Chapter shall easilie perceiue that they are euer learning but neuer come to the knowledge of the truth they dote about questions which are endles and strife of woords there is no certaintie in their religion little trueth and vncessant innouation Therefore I may conclude that as this monster is of a later generation and a new continuall conception so no mortall man can tell when hee will come to his full birth and bee a perfect bodie or when he will haue his certaine determination right shape and proportion and finall growth and compleate stature I will leaue him therefore to the high Iudge and Lord of all flesh vntill that great and fearefull day a Reuel 19.20 When the beast shall bee taken and with him the false prophet and they both cast aliue into the lake of fire which burneth with brimstone Come Lord Iesus come quickly CHAP. V. Heere is shewed that all men ought to flie poperie First because of the exceeding daunger it bringeth to them selues to their seede and countrie Secondlie It is of all heresies and Apostasies the most pernitious Thirdlie It is not tollerable or to bee wincked at in any Christian common wealth Fourthly We of England haue great cause to praise God that we haue nothing to do with it NO sooner had my penne concluded the former Chapter but that me thought I hearde the great comaunder of all the worlde calling vnto all Christians concerning the Romish religion and saying a Esai 52.11 Departe depart go out from thence and touch no vncleane thing For seeing that poperie is so directly and manifold differing from the true ancient and catholike religion so agreeing with all filthie heresies and lately sprung vp out of the vncleane brood of humane inuention and diabolicall suggestion bearing downe all puritie of faith and true holy worship of God that hereby the Romish Church is certainly found to approue it selfe to bee that great Babilon which is become the habitations of deuils and the hold of foule spirits and a cage of euerie vncleane and hatefull bird I can no otherwise vnderstand the duetie of all Christians but that they bee obedient to that heauenly voice which els where calleth vs out of that prophane sinagogue of Rome saying b Reuelat. 18.4 Go out of her my people that ye bee not partakers in her sinnes that ye receiue not of her plagues It behoueth therefore euerie soule to consider wisely of this thing because of the daunger that may happen to himselfe to his seed and to his countrie For as it was no pleasant thing to Noe to liue among those proud and cruell people of the first worlde whose destruction hee knew to be most certainly approching and as Lot dwelling at the gate of Sodom vexed his righteous soule in hearing and seeing their vnlawfull deeds his verie life was hazarded in the destruction of the wicked if God had not beene singularly mercifull vnto him So all men that feare God cannot but know that such wicked and filthie heresie as poperie is must needes bee as a canker that fretteth euen vnto destruction of the soule For it not onely draweth vs vnto many noysome and hereticall prauities but also to most abhominable idolatrie and the verie ouerthrow of the couenaunt of grace and true faith by which we stand in the fauour of God and haue the hope of eternall life by Iesus Christ They which speake most fauourablie for papists seeme willing to haue them in some sort of the visible Christian Church doe endeuour the same by making their apostasie to bee no greater then the apostasie of the ten tribes of Israel after their falling away from the house of Dauid vnder the hand of Hieroboam At which time they left the temple at Hierusalem and the pure worship word of God and made them calues in Dan and Bethel and worshipped God as it pleased the kinges of Israel But if men would consider the a 1. King 2. 2. Cron. 18. 19. storie of that good king Iehoshaphat when hee ioyned affinitie with Ahab they might easily see this thing how neere hee was to leese his life for such fellowship what losse hee had of shippes and how God rebuked him saying Wouldest thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is vppon thee Loe heere the Israelites are counted wicked the haters of God and such as for whose fellowship Gods wrath commeth vppon his children Therefore seeing the papistes are much more worse it must needs bee verie daungerous to haue any fellowshippe with them And if the soule bee farre more precious then the bodie then is the hazarde the greater And doubtlesse no man is able to expresse the greatnesse of the mischiefe which that wicked broode may bring vpon a man for so much as they transgresse the worde of God and follow not the doctrine of Christ and haue chosen their owne waies and their soule delighteth in their owne abhominations For it is written b 2.