Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	holy_a	tradition_n	unwritten_a	2,627	5	12.0852	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13257	A confession of fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed churches beyonde the seas: with an exhortation to the reformation of the Churche. Perused and allowed accordinge to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions.; Confessio Helvetica Posterior. English.	Bèze, Théodore de, 1519-1605.; Bullinger, Heinrich, 1504-1575.; Old, John, fl. 1545-1555.	1568 (1568)	STC 23554; ESTC S118060	120,110	316

their suppositioÌ„s I doo not onely dissent from them but I doo vtterly abhorre them so in their proposition I caÌ„ not agrÃ©e vnto them For if we sÃ©eke The chiefe patterne of the Church is in Christe and his Apostles the most beautifull face of the Church most perfect patterne I suppose that is it which was not onely begonne as these men imagine or shadowed out with the firste pouncinge or paintinge draughtes by the Apostles theÌ„selues which were the chiefe workemaisters the euer the Church hath had or shall haue hereafter but portered foorth moste beautifully most diligeÌ„tly with most liuely colours from the which the farther that thou strayest so farre wide wanderest thou more more from the rule of thy worke And after what sort that forme was why I should thinke that we ought to sÃ©eke it no where els saue onely in the writings of the Apostles the Apostolical Historie writen by Luke whome I doo graunt to haue The coÌ„trarietie and lies of Antichristes Churche painted this foorth most excelleÌ„tly not onely the contrarietie emonges themselues doth coÌ„pel me vnto it but also to speake plainly the fonde vanitie of theÌ„ which haue either perticularly recited or wholly collected the Apostolical Traditions as they terme them suche as those foolishe most false descriptioÌ„s of them attributed vnto Clement those that thei call the Canons of the Apostles whiche haue bene a greate while ago counted emonge the bookes the are to be reiected But if some will obiect that al thinges are not written by the Apostles and by Luke I praye you why doo they thinke so because there be but fewe Christ contented him selfe vvith fevv ceremonies and so did his Apostles thinges conteined in their writinges Nay would to God that they which boste theÌ„selues to be the successors of the Apostles could haue contented theÌ„selues with this smal nuÌ„ber For God would neuer haue had the rites ceremonies of Moises abolished to the inteÌ„t that others shuld be put in their places if it were not lawful to imitate the Iewes Ievves nor Idolaters may neither be folovved much more vnlawful is it to folow the Gentiles the which thing if the AncieÌ„t Bishops had remeÌ„bred Christian ReligioÌ„ had neither swarued so soone nor so shamefully first into vaine ceremonies triflinge Liturgies after the into manifest superstition last of all euen degenerate into an Atheisme For Paule woorthely doth call theÌ„ Atheists Godlesse whiche doo not woorship the onely true God as he ought to be woorshipped But shal we say that the Apostles did not properly treate of this argument matter Nay certainely it were a certaine kinde of impietie to thinke that the holy Ghost had not so great regard of the Church as was coÌ„uenieÌ„t and this dare I affirme that he which readeth diligeÌ„tly the History of Luke and the Epistles of the Apostles shall therby very wel learne not only the chiefe pointes of the Ecclesiasticall Folowe the Scriptures and thou shalte not neede vnvvritteÌ„ traditions order but also almost euery part therof so that no place nÃ©ede to be lefte at all to those vnwritten Traditions NotwithstaÌ„dyng how so euer this be seinge we staÌ„de nÃ©ede of a most perfect distinction to discerne the diuersitie of those infinite TraditioÌ„s by what rule By vvhat rule shall vve trie the diuersitie of Traditions and Ceremonies I praye you shall we trie them for we haue declared that there caÌ„ be no sufficient argument concluded neither by the Antiquitie nor Authoritie of the writers neither by the multitude of theÌ„ by whome thei haue bene allowed Therfore staÌ„de we nÃ©ede of the woorde of God onely euen of that woorde of God I say whiche is published by the Prophetes and the Apostles and as it were sette foorth in publike Tables wherby we may disseuer the holy from the vnholy the profitable from the vnprofitable and hurtfull the necessarie from the superfluous and to establishe those Traditions by good reason that are thus disseuered Now then if it be necessary the the light of Gods woorde Gods vvoorde is the touche stone of doctrine writen must be our guide to iudge the rites Ceremonies howe muche more necessarie is it vnto the knowledge of the doctrine it selfe that the same light muste be our guide in the whiche doctrine men are much more blinded and doo erre with farre more daunger For if nothing as we haue declared heretofore may be folowed of vs in doctrine but that either is expressed by playne woordes in the Scriptures of God or els is gathered necessarily by the conferringe together of places howe can I beware of the false Prophetes onles I doo compare the doctrine pronounced by theÌ„ with the woorde of God it selfe But thou wilt saye what if he brynge foorth the woorde of God also for so did An Obiection Arrius vrging this texte My father is greater then I and so was the disputation with Macedonius of the persone of the holy Ghost with Nestorius and Eutiches of the vnion of the two natures and with Pelagius of Grace and Nature So is the controuersie at this daye of the sacramentall Phrases and maners of speach whiles that one sort of the same woordes and those moste fewe in number that is to say this is my Bodie this is my Bloud doo finde out Transubstantiation others Consubstantiation others onely a Sacramentall Coniunction Finally saye these mediatours these halters in Religion that would sÃ©eme to appease the controuersies when the controuersie falleth not of the woorde but of the sence whether shall we runne rather then to the Churche to the writinges of the Catholike fathers that were of sounde iudgement finally to the true and lawfull Councels To the whiche I doo aunsweare as before that I doo The Ansvveare not thinke that the testimonies of the Church nor of the Fathers nor of the Councels are to be reiected but I suppose that in them men muste vse great warynesse First of all if any thinge be affirmed Bare names of meÌ„ vvith out Gods vvoorde caÌ„ not staye our faith without the woorde of God the bare names of the Churche of the Fathers of the CouÌ„cels are preteÌ„ded in vaine seyng that in this pointe the very Angels are not to be harde For that sayinge of Paule staÌ„deth still in force that if any Angel froÌ„ heauen should preach an other Gospell let him be accursed Neither is it the duetie of the Churche to speake in this but to here her husbande what he speaketh And the Godly learned Fathers would haue their writings none other waies to be redde neither with any other condition but that they should be examined by the rule of the woorde writen Finally this is not the office of the Councels to make any newe doctrine but to confirme by Gods woorde that which is already made and ordeined by him those Synodes that haue done otherwaies are the chaires of the wicked and the

foorth as the terrible face of Gorgon what is it els I pray you but a bare visar for if it be vnderstande of the doctrine seyng we haue the woorde writen what nÃ©ede we any thing vnwriten for surely this vnwriten is more vncertaine theÌ„ that writen and no man maye sÃ©eke a proofe at the vncertaintie of that whiche is certaine How be it here I doo sÃ©e that many thinges maye be obiected against vs. For first of all they will say that they vnderstande by the name of TraditioÌ„ An obiection not that whiche was not writen by no man at all and onely deliuered from hande to hande but that which though it be not comprehended in those holy bookes which men call Canonicall yet may be proued by some other woorthie wryters so that though at the firste it was vnwriten yet may nowe woorthely be called writen and suche they call the Traditions of the Apostles Moreouer they will also alledge that they vnderstand by this name Traditions certaine plaine and manifest explicatioÌ„s of the Christian Faith which were receiued in the olde Churche as of Christe how he is of the same Substance with the Father and of the vnitinge of these two natures and such like for these men vse to choose foorth such thinges as are certaine and moste plansible Now though I suppose that I haue sufficiently answeared vnto these thinges heretofore when I did speake of the Councels and of the writings of the Fathers yet haue I more The ansvveare to answeare For first of al they them selues will graunt that all suche Traditions are not to be receiued without exceptioÌ„ What rule then shal we kÃ©epe herein Againe if we depende of mens writinges and authoritie when the Mens vvritinges can not be iudges question peraduenture is of the rites and ordinaunces howe many thinges shal we finde not onely diuerse one froÌ„ another but cleane contrarie when that controuersie of kÃ©epinge the feast of Pasche or Easter was in the Church of most ancient time whiche proued tried most manifestly the vayne ianglyng the ambition the ignorance and the frowardnes of the moste parte of the Bishoppes of the whole worlde so that the whole worlde was shaken together none otherwise then if the coÌ„trouersie had bene of the whole Substance of our faithe and bothe parties doo alleadge the TraditioÌ„s of the Apostles what came to passe at the length but that both parties hauyng on their side as thei said the Apostles the strife was more styrred Let the Epistle of Irenaeus be red not to one couÌ„ted a Pope By the Epistle of Irenaeus vve may see the libertie in Traditions the Vniuersall Bishop of the whole worlde but to the most foolish ambitious B. of Rome therby it may easily be knowen what libertie hath bene in al Churches hertofore in these rites ceremonies vntill by the tiranny of some the Churches were oppressed Neither meane I here to recoÌ„pte vp euery thinge for we had nÃ©ede of a whole booke so to doo What then shall we folow here That say they which shal be fouÌ„de euery where to be receyued of al men as the oyle creame as they call it the signe of the Crosse and such like TheÌ„ let vs coÌ„clude this one point that the particular Traditions beyng shut out and secluded onely the Catholike and Vniuersall maye be receaued and of these we shall speake afterwarde Let vs come to the Traditions of Tvvo good kindes of Traditions doctrine They are such that either to resist the Heretikes doo make playne certayne thynges taught in the holy Scriptures whiche the Heretikes doo vse to darkeÌ„ as thei doo the most cleare matters or els they doo set foorth suche thinges as may be gathered by the coÌ„paringe of the places together though they be no where writen in the selfe Euell Traditions same woordes Either are they such as doo either adde or diminishe or alter and change either openly or priuely any thinge in the Propheticall and Apostolicall writinges Both those first kinde of Traditions suche as are the expositions or confessions of the faithe of the foure Councels we are so farce from refusinge of them that contrary wise with open armes as they say and most willinge mindes we doo embrace all suche But for the thirde kinde of Traditions how can we iudge that to be admitted The TraditioÌ„s that adde to the vvorde for if any thinge ought to be added to the woorde of God written it foloweth that all thinges necessarie to our Saluation are not writen in the Lawe and the Gospell But of the law this neither may nor ought to be spokeÌ„ for then God might sÃ©eme vniuste forbiddyng by plaine woordes any thinge to be added thereunto Neither doo I here care for the Cabalistes Talmudistes and all that kinde of shamelesse men For what can be spokeÌ„ more plainely by the Lorde And howe seuerely God hath aduenged this rashnes when any thing was added not onely in doctrine but also in rites ceremonies so many proclamatioÌ„s of the Prophetes the interpretours of the lawes criyng out against them and all the Historie of the Bible finally Christe him selfe is a sufficieÌ„t witnesse And shall we thinke that God hath cared lesse for his Church or prouided worse for it when he sent Christe and his Apostels sufficient teachers â–ª his sonne downe into the Earth or caÌ„ we suppose that the Apostles were lesse diligent in this pointe then the Prophetes Paule dothe protest vnto the Ephesians that he had holden nothinge backe but had declared all the counfasle of God vnto them so farre foorth at the least as appertained vnto their eternall Saluation Lette them shewe then what Paule hath taught that he hath not writen or els let them confesse the full doctrine of the Gospell which he calleth the power of God to saluation to be comprehended in his writinges But what nÃ©ede so many woordes when we come to the pointe what can they bringe foorth that is omitted in matters of faith by the Apostles and the Euangelistes PeradueÌ„ture that the blessed virgin Mary was ObiectioÌ„s for Traditions not conceiued in Originall sinne that she continued all hir life longe a virgine that children muste be Baptised that Baptisme is not to be reiterated that men muste fast in Lente the holy oyle and chreme the Holy water that Altars muste be hallowed the Crosse must be woorshipped and what ye wil. For they confesse that none of those thinges are founde in the holy Scriptures As for Transubstantiation auricular confession praying vnto Sainctes purgatorie fire they haue nowe a good while sought theÌ„ in Scriptures but all in vaine But concernynge the maner of conception of the virgine Marie not onely the holy Scriptures doo not teache it but neither any of the auncient writers doo make mention of it And although I doo willingly and reuerently beleue her perpetuall Virginitie vnto death yet as I once answeared Ansvveare to an

impudeÌ„t Munke in thy presence most noble Prince this thing perteineth nothinge to the mysterie of our Saluation For it is sufficient for vs to beleue that whiche is done in dÃ©ede declared by the Euangelistes that Christe our Sauiour was conceiued by the holy Ghost and borne of the virgine Mary And that the infantes ought to be Baptised that Baptisme may not be reiterate we doo not gether of any bare Tradition without the woorde of God As for those other thinges howe can the holy Scriptures expresse them the which coulde not be established in the Church but that the authoritie of the woorde of God muste firste be ouerthrowen as maye be proued with moste euident reasons But this muche at this present for we doo not vndertake nowe to declare euery particular matter Wherefore I come to that kinde of Traditions whereby Traditions that diminishe somethinge is taken from the doctrine of the woorde of God written as when the one parte of the Supper of the Lorde is taken awaye from the Laye men and when vnto the woordes of Paule that calleth the forbiddynge of mariage and the lawe of forbiddinge of meates the doctrine of Diuels there is added the exception of an aduised vowe and an other generall exceptioÌ„ whiche many will haue to be auaileable in all pointes Except it please our Lorde the Pope othervvaies But who Blasphemy I praye you that tendereth the glory of God as he ought to doo can suffer suche cursed sacriledge for assuredly if it be lawfull to take away any thing from that doctrine written then is it necessary that like as these men haue compted the doctrine taught by the holie Ghost a littell before to be haltyng and vnperfecte and to wante somewhat so nowe in other thinges they may say that it is redoundant superfluous neither of the which two things any good mans eares can heare without great offence But yet they saye that no man can denie but that the ceremonies of the lawe are altogether already taken away Howbeit we doo not treate nowe of the rites and ceremonies but of the very substaÌ„ce of the woorship of God whereof though we doo iudge that Ceremonies of old to haue bene a portioÌ„ yet serueth this nothing to defende their bolde sacrilege For what meruell is it though the lawe whiche was made to shadowe those things whiche were hoped for to come at the time apointed did vade and vanish away at the light and sight of the same but if these men bringe against vs that the loue feastes called Agape that Apostolicall decrÃ©e of things offered to idols the strangeled was takeÌ„ away by commen consent the anointinge Apostolical which we haue now abolished I doo answere againe that these are externall thinges of which we shal dispute afterwarde But this we conclude for certaine that the doctrine of SaluatioÌ„ conteyned in Gods woorde must be mainteyned safe sounde not onely in the whole substance but in euery the least and smalest parte therof without addition or diminution Now why should we once name or VVicked TraditioÌ„s make mention of that thirde kinde of Traditions which doo either shake the fundations of the SaluatioÌ„ by Christ eyther ouerthrowe the thynges that are builte vpon that foundation Such as are the Supremacie of the Bishop of Rome the praying to sainctes prayer for the dead the makyng and the woorshippyng of Idols the Magistrall and Doctorall determinations as thei call them of frÃ©e wil of merite of pardons and of such other filthinesse the which thinges sÃ©einge they coulde neuer be established so longe as the authoritie of the Heauenly doctrine stoode vnshaken in his full force so are they ouer impudent whiche doo thinke that these thinges maye be established eyther by the false forged title of the Church or by the prescription length of time Goe to then lette vs conclude this All Catholike Traditions are not alvvaies to be allovved place that they are farre deceyued which thinke that the Catholike rites are of necessitie to be receyued for there be also some Catholike errours whiche haue crepte into the Churche partely by the ignoraunce of many of the Bishops partly by their negligeÌ„ce partly by their blinde zeale and apishe imitation of others and also by theyr ambition couetousnes but chiefly by the moste grÃ©edy desire of honour which was in the Romish Bishoppes Furthermore wheras in the appointing of Externall rites and ceremonies whiche are perticular may be alvvaies chauÌ„ged and muste be abolished vvhen they become superstitious or Idolatrous rites orders wise men alwaies haue had regard to the time place and persons who dothe not sÃ©e that they are moste foolishe who in these kinde of thinges when the circumstances are changed will not onely haue nothyng chaunged but also such thinges as are for iuste causes abolished either by the continuaÌ„ce of time or other waies yet because they are auÌ„cient thei wil haue them to be againe reuoked but what shall we saye of those thinges that are degenerate into the most manifest madnesse of Idolatrie the whiche in that most cursed time wheÌ„ God was angry with our sinnes did preuaile though a fewe in the beginninge but in vaine did resiste the whiche thinges finally though they were not at this present vtterly polluted yet are they such as can scarsely no not all be kepte pure any longe space But here cometh to my minde the Politike GentlemeÌ„ voice of these meÌ„ that thinke theÌ„selues most witty of all others which thinke that the Churche ought to be reformed but not transformed And they call the reformation a restorynge agayne of those rites whiche were in vse in the florishyng time of the Church as they terme it takinge awaye some thinges which by the wickednes of times haue bene abused the whiche except we doo receyue they crie that the Churche is transformed and depriued vtterly of hir beautie and comelinesse Surely their woordes haue a greate shewe and a beautifull but it procedeth from the spirite of Satan whiche then bewrayeth it selfe when we come to the matter for theÌ„ there is nothyng so shamefull that they dare not couer vnder the colour of antiquitie and obtrude it vnto vs for comely and beautifull Those Rapsodies moste vayne and foolishe written of these matters by G. Cassander that bablynge Apostata with whose name I woulde not defile these papers doo declare these matters How be it I folowynge the example of Kinge Ezekiah so greatly commended had much rather to imitate such which doo Iudge that the offence and dauÌ„ger that lieth in the high way ought to be abolished and taken away though at sometimes there hath bene or maye be some vse therof rather then to appoint monitores to stande by which may admonish the passengers lest they at vnwares doo fall into suche perilles For what if they that are admonished doo not obey or the Monitors doo not their office Moreouer besides that in many of

Apocrypha Apocrypha of other Ecclesiasticall bicause they woulde haue them Read in the Churche but yet not to be alleaged as sufficient authoritie to confirme our faith as Augustine in his booke Deciuitate Dei 18. ca. 38. declareth that in the bookes of Kinges mention is made of names and bookes of certaine Prophetes but he addeth that thei are not recited in the Canon and that those bookes which we haue are sufficient to instruct vs in all poinctes of godlines Â¶ Of expoundinge the holy Scriptures of the Doctors Councels and Traditions Cap. 2 THe Apostle Peter saide that the 2. Pet. 1. The true interpretation of the Scripture holy Scriptures are not of any priuate interpretation Wherefore we doo not allow al kinde of interpretations neither doo we acknowledge that sence of that Romaine Church as thei cal it which simply God wote the defendors of the Churche of Rome would compell euery man to receaue but we accept that interpretation onely as true whiche is gathered out of the Scriptures themselues that is of the proprietie of that tounge in the whiche they were writen and examined according to the circumstance and so expounded as they may agrÃ©e with many other like and vnlike places not swaruinge from the rule of Faith and charitie but may moste auaunce Gods glorie and mans saluacion Therfore we dispise not the holy Fathers expositioÌ„s Greke or Latine neither doo we The holy fathers expositions reiect their disputations or treatises of holy thinges as longe as they agree with the Scriptures Howbeit we disalow after a modest sorte their iudgementes when they are espied to write thinges not agreyng or coÌ„trary to the Scriptures Neither thinke we that we doo them any iniurie in so doynge seinge they all with one consent are of this minde that they woulde not haue their writinges to be of equall authoritie with the Canonicall Scriptures but wille vs so farfoorth to allowe theÌ„ as they consente with the Scriptures biddinge vs to receaue those thinges which agrÃ©e with Gods woorde leaue that whiche swarueth from the same In like maner ought we to esteme the decrÃ©es or CanoÌ„s of Councels Wherfore Councels we iudge it of small force in controuersies of Religion or matters of faithe to be vrged with the bare senteÌ„ces of the Fathers or with DecrÃ©es of Councels much lesse with receaued customes or with coÌ„tinuance of time For we admitte none other iudge in VVho is our Iudge in matters of Faith matters of faithe then God himselfe pronouncinge in his holy Scripture what is true what false what to be folowed what to be auoided So that we are satisfied with the iudgements onely of spirituall men whiche iudgemeÌ„ts are taken out of the woorde of God Ieremie and other Prophetes did vtterly condemne the Councels of the Priestes holden againste the lawe of God earnestly admonishing vs not to heare those Fathers who walking in their owne inuentions haue gone astray from the path of Gods lawe We refuse also Mennes TraditioÌ„s Mennes TraditioÌ„s which notwithstandinge their glorious titles as though thei came of God his Apostels deliuered to the Church by expresse woorde of mouth and as it were by the handes of Apostolike men geuen to Bishoppes their successours yet being conferred with the Scripture doth dissent from them which argueth that they were neuer made by the Apostles scolers For as the Apostles taught not coÌ„trarie doctrine one to the other so their scolers published not repugnant doctrine to the Apostles nay it were rather impious to affirme that the Apostles in their life time by woorde of mouthe did appoint thinges contrary to their owne writinges Paule plainely affirmeth that he taught one kinde of doctrine in all Churches And 1. Cor. 4. againe he saieth We write none other thinges vnto you then that you reade 2. Cor. 1. or know In an other place he witnesseth that he and his Disciples that is 2. Cor. 12. to witte they that folowe his Apostolike steps doo walke all in one waye and doo all thinges together with one spirite The Iewes had in time paste traditioÌ„s of the Elders but they were confuted by Christe sayinge that the Mat. 15. Marc. 7. kepinge of them was an hinderance to Gods lawe and that God was woorshipped in vaine by them Â¶ Of God of his Vnitie and of the Trinitie Cap. 3. WE beleue and teach that there There is but one God is one God in essence or nature subsistinge by himselfe sufficient in all pointes of himselfe inuisible without a body infinite eternall maker of all thinges both visible vnuisible the soueraigne good euer liuinge geuinge life and preseruinge all thinges omnipotente of perfecte wisedome gentle mercifull iuste and true but we detest their Heresies that would haue more Gods then one For it is plainely written the Lorde thy God is one I am the Lorde thy God thou shalte haue none other Gods before Deut. 6. Exod. 20. me I am the Lorde and there is none other ther is no God besides me Am not I the Lord and there is none Esay 45. other but I alone a iuste and sauinge God there is none but I I am Iehouath Iehouah a merciful and gracious Exod. 34. God of longe sufferinge aboundinge in goodnes and truthe We beleue notwithstandinge and teache that the same God of infinite The Trinitie power beynge one God indiuisible is distinguished inseparably and vnconfusely into the Father the sonne and the holy Ghost so that the father begat the sonne from the beginnyng the sonne was begotten by vnspeakeable generation the holy Ghost procedeth from them both and that from the beginning and is to be adored with them bothe so that they be not thrÃ©e Gods but thrÃ©e persons consubstantiall co-eternall and coequall distincte touching their Substance the one goinge before the other in order but yet without any maner of inequalitie for by nature or essence thei be so vnited that they be one God and haue one diuine essence common to the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost For the Scriptures hath taught vs a manifest distinction of persons by the woordes whiche emonge all other thinges the Angel spake to the blessed Virgin The holy Ghost shal come vppon thÃ©e the Luc. 1. power of the most high shall ouer shadow thÃ©e that holy thinge whiche shal be borne of thÃ©e shal be called the Sonne of God In the baptisme also of Christ a voice was heard froÌ„ heaueÌ„ speakinge of him This is my beloued Sonne Mat. â— The holy Ghoste appÃ©ered in the likenesse Ioh. 1. of a Dooue when the Lord himself bidde his Disciples Baptise he coÌ„maunded them to Baptise in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Mat. 28. Ghost Also in another place of the Gospell he saide My father shal sende you Ioh. 14. the holy Ghost in my name Againe he affirmeth the same sayinge When the comforter shall

te c. I haue prayed for thÃ©e that thy faith fayle not to proue that the Pope cannot erre Nor Nemo accendit candela ponit eam sub modio No man lighteth a candell and hideth it vnder a bushel to shew that candels should be set at none daies on the Aulter nor Lumen ad reuelationem gentium a lighte to lighten the Gentils for carriyng of candels on Candelmas daye nor Deus creauit hominem ad imaginem sui God created man accordyng to his owne image for erectinge of images in Churches nor Abrahams circumcisinge for sole and chaste life nor Omnia munda muÌ„dis nor Qui in carne sunt Deo placere non possunt Al thinges are cleane to the cleane They that are in the flesh caÌ„not please God to proue that Priests may not marry Nor Nisi abundauerit Iustitia vestra plus quam scribarum pharisaeoruÌ„ noÌ„ intrabitis in regnum coelorum Excepte your rightuousnes excÃ©ede the rightuousnes of the Scribes and Phariseis ye shal not enter into the kingdome of HeaueÌ„ to declare that a Bishop muste haue more garmentes at his masse theÌ„ Aaron had at his sacrifice After suche a phantasticall childishe sorte we violently wrest not the holy Scriptures to that sence whiche the holie Ghoste neuer meante Now touchinge our disagrement emonge our selues in the Disagreyng in Religion weightest matters of Religion Surely if we agrÃ©e no better then Papistes doo then were we at a great Iarre wherefore I counsell them to plucke the beame out of their owne eyes and then indeuer to remoue the mote from their brothers sighte be they so blinde that they sÃ©e not the ciuill warre betwixt theÌ„selues and that for the chiefest Articles of their Religion Is not that Popes supremacie a principall point Papistes disagree aboute Supremacie of their doctrine And neuer harde thei that Pope Clement denieth that it is lawfull for a Bishoppe to beare bothe swoordes saiynge If thou wilt haue bothe thou shalte disceaue thy selfe those the heare thÃ©e Contrary wise that Pope Boniface the. 8. was in a soleÌ„ne day decked in his Pontificalibus and caried about Rome on mens shoulders the great lobberly Babie woulde not goe alone but must be borne the next day glitteringe in his Imperiall robes he mounted on his Mule an vncomely sight to beholde an Asse ridyng vpon a Mule commauÌ„dyng a naked swoords to be borne before him he him selfe criynge with a loude voice Ecce duo gladij hic beholde here are two swoordes bostinge him selfe to be Lorde of the whole worlde muche like to Satans bragge bothe concerninge Temporall Spirituall matters Pope Pelagius affirmed that the Supremacie of the Bishoppe of Rome was ordained neither of Men nor of Counsell but by Christe his owne appointment Pope John the. 3. his next successour vtterly denied it Pope Gregory the firste called him the forerunner of Antichriste that would be named Vniuersall Bishop Pope Boniface the. 3. woulde be so called manger the tÃ©eth of his Cleargie and obtained that proude title by the mischieuous ayde of the impious Emperour Phocas that Trayterous murtherer and murtheringe traytour Pope Leo the. 3. acknowleged it to be the Emperour his right to elect confirme whome he liste to be Bishoppe of Rome Pope Adrian the thirde forbad the people to waight for the Emperours pleasure therein deniyng that he had any thinge to doo in suche matters Beholde these Popes agrÃ©e for their Headship like cattes dogges Is not erectinge of Images a principall Papists disagree aboute Images poincte of Popishe Diuinitie how happened it then that the GrÃ©eke Churche and the Latine Churche fell at such variance about theÌ„ that wheras before thei agreed friendly in other matters were vnited as one Church for Images they were seperated and neuer sithens ioyned againe Howe well agreeth Pope Gregory the firste who would in no wise haue Images to be woorshipped or knÃ©eled vnto with Pope Gregory the third who decreed that they shoulde be woorshipped had in greater reuerence then euer they were before that whosoeuer were of a contrarie opinion shoulde be condemned as an Heretike Is not TraÌ„substantiation DisagremeÌ„t about Transubstantiation a chiefe a principall most necessarie Article of Popishe Diuinitie how chauÌ„ced it then that not loÌ„g after the reigne of Carolus the great 840. yeares after Christe his incarnation there beganne suche maruelous great contention about it and the best learned could not agrÃ©e in the matter as the writinges and doynges of Bartram Iohn Scot Paschasius LaÌ„tfranke diuers others witnesse Lantfrancke confessed that the earthly substaunce of breade is turned into the essence or substaunce of the Lorde his Bodie so that it may truely be saide that we receaue bothe the selfe same true Bodie which Christ toke of the virgin Mary and that we receaue not the selfe same Bodie Many of our late TransubstaÌ„tiators affirme that the substance of Breade vanisheth away and the substance of Christe his Bodie coÌ„meth in place thereof M. Hardyng biddeth vs Articl 12. Diu. 7. beware that we thinke not that the Bodie of Christe is made of Bread as of a matter but sayeth that where bread was before after Consecration there is the very Bodie of Christe this good counsel he giueth least we should misconster his Augustine who as he sayeth albeit we can not reade it in him writeth that the Bodie and Bloude of Christe is made of the Substaunce of Bread and Wine The counsell called Concilium Vercellense allowed confirmed the opinion of the saide Lantfranke the Councell holden at Antegane and an other at Turone condemned that Vercellense Concilium Pope Innocentius 3. in his Laterane Sinode added to the. 12. articles of our ChristeÌ„ Faith Transubstantiation as the. 13. Article wheras diuers other Papistes thinke not that we are bounde to beleue it in payne of daÌ„nation or as the Articles of our beliefe Some say that the true and naturall Bodie of Christe is in the Sacrament but not naturally and sensibly some other that it is there naturally and sensibly as it is euident by Berengarius his recantation that Pope Nicolas the moste parte of the Cleargie present at the second couÌ„sell assembled at Rome then were perswaded A late writer not so wise as hardie shoting his croked bolte ouershoteth his fellowes and him selfe after a strauÌ„ge sorte saying that Christ his Bodie is present in the SacrameÌ„t not as a Creature nor as a Creator but after a maÌ„ner as a thing betwene both not after a grosse carnall manner but spiritually and supernaturally and yet substantially not by locall but by substantiall presence c. and to mende the matter he inferreth at the laste but in such a maÌ„ner as God onely knoweth Well fare a good helpe at a dead lifte disputinge of Christe his presence in the Sacrament tellyng how he is there how he is not there concludeth that he can not tell how he is there for

SathaÌ„ hath bene the president of some CouÌ„cels blinde men may easely sÃ©e that Satan was the president of these assemblies What now then if we doo sette before vs the Councels assembled for a rule since that time that most manifest tyrannie hath oppressed the Church suche as that late Councell of Trent was Yea what if those best and moste approued CouÌ„cels determine nothyng of any of the chiefe pointes of ReligioÌ„ onlesse it be of one pointe or twaine Agayne what if some be corrupted their Epistels falcified their decrees fayned forged Canons an infinite number cropeÌ„ into place That fraude Pope Boniface did falcifie the Nicene Councell and crafte of Boniface then Bishop of Rome whiche was perceiued in the time of Augustine in the Aphricane Councell is not vnknowen the which yet a certaine foolishe and most wicked Apostata whose impudencie also is wel knowen went about of late to excuse before thÃ©e most noble Prince To conclude what haue not these wicked men attempted and what durste they not take in hande in these Countreis in the whiche thinges were lawfull that they lusted Thus muche then for the Councelles Others doo flie vnto the writinges Those that call moste for the Fathers vvill not allovve the Fathers in all thinges of those that they call the auncient and Catholike Fathers but of so greate a nuÌ„ber of those whome I pray you shal we choose for we haue but fewe very ancient that is to say vnto the time of Constantine emonge whome the Latines vndoubtedly were the chiefe yet are they such as thei that haue the Fathers in most reuerence will not altogether agrÃ©e vnto without many exceptions Then Arius firste occupied the age that folowed vnto the manifest fall of the Romaine Empire and after him Macedonius deniyng the holy Spirit to be God and therefore was called ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ But chiefly Nestorius and Eutyches in the East vnto whom the principall moste excellent wittes did answeare and oppose them selues neither was there any age that had more plenty of learned Bishops The secte of the Pelagians did occupie the West whose dregges to this daye doo still destroy the Churche Here now I require that without the iniurie of any I maye vtter the matter as it is Therefore I demaunde this question VVhiche of the Fathers shall iudge these controuersies which one chiefly or whome of al these Fathers they wil haue for the iudges desciders of these controuersies that are at this daye emongst vs Firste of all thei them selues as becoÌ„meth them well refuse this authoritie for they crie with one voice that they doo bring that whiche the Lorde hath taught The Fathers vvill haue the vvoorde of God iudge and that they will haue their doctrine no farther mainteined then it is proued by the woorde of God written The saiynges of Cyprian Augustine and Chrysostome chiefly of all others are euident in this point wherby they call vs to the onely holy Scripture I will saye a little more also by the liceÌ„ce of them that haue studied their writinges Euen at that time in Grecia The learned Fathers permitted foule errours did Satan lay the first foundations of the inuocation of the dead the whiche errour the Bishops of moste reputatioÌ„ did not onely not resist neither yet other godly and learned men saue for suche faultes but were occupied to set foorthe their eloquence al together in writinge of their prayses Others of lesse learnyng busied theÌ„selues wholy in certaine vaine studies whiche that nation of the Grekes was alwayes ouermuche geuen vnto as to the buildinge of glorious temples for the honoring of the memories of the Martyrs and to the heapynge together of ceremonies Another sort partely of ignoraÌ„ce partely of couetousnesse and ambition in the ende of a manifest wickednesse did not onely not represse those open superstitions as they did grow but altogether did norish them Howbeit in that time thrÃ©e euels did principally reigne first that they that had bene brought vp in Philosophie Three euels in the dayes of those Fathers Philosophicall Diuinitie did not remeÌ„ber that moste graue and Apostolicall sentence Take you hÃ©ede least any doo spoyle you through Philosophie For besides that thei had many vaine speculations as in the appliyng to the Angels the imaginatioÌ„s of Plato concerninge the intelligences Platoes superstitious dreames spirites the whiche errour sÃ©emeth to haue coÌ„tinued from the Apostles time who coÌ„demneth plainely the superstition about the Angels they did manifestly wraste the woorde of God vnto those lessons that they had learned of the Philosophers Hereof sprange the opinions of the powre and frÃ©e will of man whiche are altogether Aristotelicall Aristotels Diuinitie wherwith at this day the Churche of God is shaken and had bene troden downe longe ago had not Augustine prouoked by Pelagius set him selfe againste it yet to passe many other thinges whiche I would gladly to be couered as the faultes of the Fathers he him selfe also sometimes bearing to highe a faile rusheth vpoÌ„ the rockes of humane Philosophie Yet was there an other euell the worst of al that like The thirde euell of Allegories as which a deadly disease all mens mindes were infected with a meruelous desire to turne and transforme all the Scriptures into allegories in the inuention whereof euery man thought euery thing in this point to be lawfull to him selfe Origene surely sÃ©emeth to Origene haue geuen occasioÌ„ to both those euels of folowyng the Philosophers and also of the Allegories whiche was the most vnpure writer as I do take him that euer did write vppon the Scriptures whome though many as he wel deserued did abhorre yet some of the other side had him in great admiratioÌ„ because he was very excellent in the knowledge of the languages artes and sciences and some did pursue him rather of enuie then of vpright iudgement But this euell did not staye in the East but spredde through Africke Italy France and Spayne so that all the Scripture was transformed into perpetuall Allegories In the meane reason Pelagius Donatus did arise against whome God set vp Augustine Augustine and caused the chiefe pointes of Christian Religion as of the prouidence Predestination of frÃ©e will of faithe and of IustificatioÌ„ by frÃ©e grace which were almost oppressed by the Philosophicall Gloses of the Gretian bishops to be knowen and published and yet notwithstandinge at the same time whiche is wonderfull prayer to the dead did growe into vse and also that foolish opinion of single life the which shamefull errours Hyerome is not Hierome ashamed to defende And the multitude of Ceremonies did encrease as Augustine complayneth to Ianuarius and many did honour the Monkes as they had bene Angels especially in Egypt and Syria the most superstitious of all nations and then began prayers to be made for the dead the question of Plato of the fire of Purgatorie did Plato his

Purgatory then arise the whiche yet was not generally receyued in the Church as the writings of Augustine doo manifestly declare Wherefore to returns to the matter whom of so great a multitude shall we especially choose for iudges if we will heare that Apostata of whome I haue spoken we muste chouse them that liued about the time of Theodosias the great And surely I graunt that there was at that time very learned Bishoppes but yet dare I affirme this thinge the whiche I doo protest that I doo not speake for the reproche of any that scarcely any of them caÌ„ be named which doth not bothe dissent from him The Doctors disseÌ„t one from another selfe from others in many thinges and those of no small importance And if peraduenture that Apostata that I did speake of shall denie it then let me be counted a lier onles I doo plainely proue it But here I knowe what exception he will make at the leaste by these wryters saith he it shal appeare what was the forme outwarde face of the Catholike Churche As though VVhat neede vve seeke for formalitie this were the chiefe pointe of our controuersie not rather of the doctrine it selfe or as though at all times al rites Ceremonies are to be receiued without exception whiche the Apostolike Church it selfe hath vsed either as profitable or necessarie for their times and as though they were not playne Buylde thy house before thou paynte it fooles which when the foundations of the houses were al falleÌ„ downe would be so carefull for building vp the roofe And what nÃ©ede many woordes I suppose that many of you most excellent noble Lordes haue in your remembrance how when we did treate of this matter at Poissy where we had rather a triflynge skirmishe alteration then a serious and earnest disputation we did thus coÌ„clude in fewe woordes that the waie and meane to finish the troubles and controuersies whiche some froward Newtrals and halfefaced meÌ„ Agree of the doctrine then talke of the comely Ceremonies to name them no worse doo so importunately craue was first of al that we should dispute and agrÃ©e by the woorde of God of the doctrine it selfe and of Faith the whiche beyng once established then should we agrÃ©e much more easely about the Ceremonial matters of the whiche we would reiect some as vaine and foolishe some as superstitious either by them selues or by circuÌ„stances some as altogether wicked and some finally we would willingly admit whiche coulde be proued either profitable or necessarie What then doo these men require any more assuredly most noble Prince they sÃ©eke this one thinge that they may bringe into hatred Many that seeme qualifiers of these controuersies seeke to spoyle the flocke still vvithout checke the faithfull Ministers of God as men seditious ambitious and louers of changes suche as woulde haue all thinges new that they theÌ„selues may still spoyle and destroy the poore flocke of Christe without controlment For they are like those without doubte of whome the Lorde speaketh that they neither will enter into the Kingdome of Heauen theÌ„ selues nor suffer others to enter in Thei are the most perilous men vndoubtedly that are suffered VVho are the moste perilous enemies to liue this day vnder the SuÌ„ne more daungerous by muche then the open enemies of the Gospell and therefore ought you principally that are the patrones and defenders of the Churches of God by the most Christian Kinges decrÃ©e to auoyde such men and beware of them who partely for their bellies sake partly for lucre partly for enuie and malice partely for fauour of them whom they flatter lie in waite to trap you But I sÃ©e that I haue bene somwhat longe in confutinge this opinioÌ„ therefore I doo returne to the matter For what shall we say or doo to those which imagine that the publike errour Publike errour caÌ„ not be the rule of ReligioÌ„ muste be folowed for the rule of Religion whiche set the bare names of fathers and custome against all reasons and proufes whiche finally doo sticke onely to that one Churche whiche no The Papists calling one church Vniuersall ioygne together coÌ„traries lesse foolishly then falsely they call the Catholike Romish Churche that is to say an Vniuersall particular Church surely I doo thinke that we muste let them alone least we shoulde sÃ©eme to labour to cure madnesse with reason But now if none of these that we haue God is the Iudge spoken of may sitte as Iudges in this cause but rather muste be iudged of others in what courte then shall this great controuersie be pleaded Verely before the iudgemeÌ„t seate of God onely Then will they say let him be called VVhere shall vvee finde him downe from his Heauenly palace Nay why doo they not draw him foorth of these their Chancels and holy corners forsooth because we stande in no nÃ©ede of a dumbe God that can doo nothinge but kÃ©epe silence suche one as their crusted God is in the wafer cake but of that good God that speaketh clearely and plainely vnto vs. And I praye you where shall we finde him no Not in the Boxe But in the Scriptures where doubtles saue in the writinges of those meÌ„ of God who as Peter witnesseth haue bene stirred vp by the holy Ghost to speake vnto vs of those I saye vpon whose doctrine as vpon the foundation the Apostle crieth that the Churche is builded euen vppon the bookes of the Apostles the Prophetes whiche are conteined vnder the name of the Olde and new Testament But say they the doubt standeth of the interpretation Obiection of this woorde whiche we say must be sought at the Church But first of all we must agrÃ©e whiche is the Ansvveare Churche for the Synagoge of Satan also doth abuse that fayre and beutiful name of the Churche And howe canst thou iudge this same thinge but by the kinde of the doctrine And how canst The worde is iudge of the Church thou put a difference betwixt the true doctrine and the false but by the holy Scriptures As for that succession wherein some sette all their succour it hath ceased loÌ„ge ago to haue any force or valure seyng this is most certaine that the most ignorant and wicked meÌ„ haue bene the successours for many yeares vnto the good and learned Bishops SuccessioÌ„ of doctrine not of persons requisite and that there doth appeare no steppe or token of any lawfull vocatioÌ„ in the Churches now for a longe ceason Furthermore we doo require a succession of doctrine not of the persons euen of the Propheticall and Apostolicall doctrine so that of necessitie we must runne againe to the bookes of the Prophetes the Apostles for the proofe of the true succession As for the name of Traditions the The bare visar of Traditions serueth not whiche some also that feare nothinge more then the triall of the Scripture doo holde

seates of the scorners the whiche we are commaunded to flie that we may be blessed Moreouer if Doctors and Councels may be called as vvitnesses so that vve do iudge by the vvorde there be any doubte of the interpretation of the woorde writen I doo not refuse theÌ„ to be witnesses as I haue said but I suppose that first of all we muste diligently discerne the true Churche from the Synagoge of Satan the Fathers that are not suspected in Faithe nor coÌ„demned from such as either are meÌ„ manifestly without knowledge or Heretikes or otherwise suspected and the lawfull and vndoubted faithfull Councels from the Synodes and conuenticles assembled against Christes truthe finally the true bookes must be warely Iudged from the forged and counterfaite These thinges beinge determined God is only iudge by his vvorde then doo I saye that all these are to be hearde not as iudges for God is only the iudge by his written woorde but as witnesses cited and sworne and that certainely after the same maner as witnesses are heard by skilfull Iudges in publike controuersies euen so verely that they shew the causes reasons of their testimonies causes I say not borowed any where els but foorthe of the same woorde of the interpretation wherof the questioÌ„ is moued For Augustine renouncinge humaine reason saith very wel by the holy Scriptures we walke much more safely the which Augustine beinge shadowed with borowed speaches when we wil search them either that coÌ„meth foorth whiche is without controuersie or if it haue any doubte it may be determined by the same Scripture by the gatheringe and finding of testimonies witnesses of euery side Thus saith he and that very wel For if we must onely haue our wisdome by the onely writen woorde then may not the interpretation of this woorde be fetched any other where For as the same Augustine saith so hath the holy spirite tempered ordered the Scriptures the that thyng which is spoken in some place somethinge darkly in some other place is declared more plainly Finally what other man shal we folow VVho rather to be folovved then Christ and the Apostles Heretikes ouercome by the Scriptures then Christ him self and his Apostles and Christe did confute Satan abusinge the Scriptures by no other meanes but by the same Scriptures The Apostles confirme their doctrine by the writings of the Prophets And the Iewes of Beraea are praysed that wheÌ„ they had hearde the doctrine taught by Paule they coÌ„pared it with the writinges of the Prophetes to trie whether those thinges were so or no. Certainely the Councels of Nice did with none other weapon cut the throte of Arrius nor that of CoÌ„stantinople Macedonius nor the Ephesine Nestorius nor the Chalcedonian Eutiches nor Augustine Pelagius Donatus wherfore they that counte the Scripture so doubtfull and darke that it standeth nÃ©ede to haue light brought thereunto some other wayes are woorthie of all good men to be spitted vpoÌ„ as blasphemers and vtterly to be abhorred Yet doo I not disprayse the writings Doctors allovved of God of the Doctors and their interpretations seinge that he that hath ordeined pastors and doctors to the edificatioÌ„ of the bodie hath Authorised them bothe by woorde and by writinges to interpretate the same but I declare howe farre we must sticke vnto them euen so farre as they doo bringe nothinge of their owne no not at that time when as the controuersie is of the sence and interpretatioÌ„ of any place of Scripture but that they by the Scriptures doo interpretate the Scriptures accordinge to the proportion of Faithe the whiche who so dothe whether he be newe or olde a Priuate person or Publike officer in the Churche whether he come alone or with many whether he be an olde man or a yong man let hym bee heard For though order Order is necessary but not so that we binde Gods grace to persone place but measure all by the rule of gods word must nedes be kepte in the Churche of God yet are no men so farre deceiued as thei that dooe binde the grace of the holie ghost to certaine places and persones For who murdered the Prophetes Who crucified Christe Thei vndoubtedlie that should haue been the chief pillers of true religion Therfore doeth not the Prophete sende the people of God to those godlesse Priestes but to the Lawe and the Prophettes Neither assuredlie hath the condicion of the Churche a long while bÃ©en any otherwaies whiles the corner stone hath been reproued by the verie chiefe builders and Antichrist hath sitten in the temple and place of God hym self What shall we now conclude Verelie that by the woorde of God all controuersies muste bee ended and that it is necessarie that the false and forged The worde of God ende of all controuersies woorde bee iudged from the true like as also the true churche from the false and adulterous and the Synodes and couÌ„celles gouerned by the holie ghost from those wherein Sathan was presidente Finallie the truthe from lyes and errours by Gods holie woorde For we muste beleue that in thynges concernyng our saluacioÌ„ we haue no The want of the word the original of all errours where els the truthe reueiled The whiche thynges beyng true if followeth that that thyng is moste certain whiche I said in the beginning moste noble Prince to bee the originalle whence all these euils did flowe wherwith in our fathers daies the churche was almoste oppressed and therefore that this onelie is the waie and mean to raise it vp again if by the pure word of God these controuersies maie bee decided For so will it come to passe that of the moste parte of those thynges there shal bee no question at all aboute the whiche yet at this daie verie many partly by ignoraunce partly through malice and frowardnesse dooe moste stubbernely contende and striue And those thynges whiche shall seme to be staied by the testimonies of scriptures if thei be iudged not by custome which when it departeth from the woorde hath no aucthoritie at all in matters of religion neither by the bare aucthoritie of certaine menne bee thei newe or olde but by the comparison of the places together all the interpretacioÌ„s beyng examined by the proporcion and rule of faithe then finallie no thyng shal bee founde so harde that shall not easily be vnderstand nothing so darke that shall not be made cleare nothyng so doubtfull that shall not bee made plaine and euidente But who shall binde men to this order who shall directe this action and who finallie shall treate these thynges by common aucthoritie It is not our purpose to prosecute these matters at this presente although whiles I often and many times dooe thinke of this matter some thynges dooe come into my mynde of the whiche it maie be that I shal haue occasion to speake at some other time Now lette vs treate that wee haue in hande Seyng then all these controuersies must be

discussed by gods holy worde I suppose that this thing ought chiefly to be prouided for that seing all can not haue the knowledge to vnderstande the woorde of God in those peculiar A good and true copy of the scriptures very necessary languages the Hebrue and the Greke whiche were to be wished that there should be some true and apt traÌ„slacion of the olde and newe Testamente made the whiche diuers haue alredie laboured to bryng to passe but no manne hath yet sufficieÌ„tly enough performed it For the olde translacion The old texte whose so euer it is although it ought not to bee condemned yet is it founde bothe obscure and vnperfit and superfluous and also false in many places to speake nothing of an infinite varietie almoste of the copies The whiche text therfore for good cause many godlie and learned menne haue laboured to amende but not with like successe And yet how necessary a thing this is The learned Grecian fathers did not attain to the Hebrue veritie whosoeuer shall read those moste learned writers of the Grecians and shall compare their interpretacions which are many tymes farre froÌ„ the purpose with the Hebrue veritie he shall confesse it with greate sorowe And the â–ª same euill was not onelie hurtefull emonges the Latine writers but also the ignoraunce of the Greke tongue The Latin writers wer troubled for waÌ„t of knowledge of Hebrue greke where with many of them were troubled whiles thei did depende of the common translacion thei often times seke a knot in the Rushe according to the prouerhe and fall into moste foule errours This cause therfore hath moued me to compare moste diligeÌ„tlie the diuersitie of copies and to weigh the sentenses and iudgemeÌ„tes of the moste part of the learned men especially of theim that this age hath brought forthe skilfull in the languages who are moe in nomber doubtles and better learned then the Churche hath had since the time of the Apostles and so to ease theÌ„ The nombre of the lerned somewhat that desire a more pure interpretacioÌ„ And that it might be doen with the more profite I haue also added annotacions in the whiche I haue also conferred together the diuersitie of interpretacions and as muche as I could I haue laboured to make plain and euidente the sense and meauyng of all the moste darke places But when as I did see that thicke woorke and very painfull as I muste nedes by experience confesse it growe so greate when it came againe to the Printyng that many could not haue the commoditie of it I caused it to bee Printed alone without those annotacions In the place whereof yet I suppose that I haue sette suche thynges the which if I could haue doen them as thei oughte to haue been dooen I would not doubt to commende them not onely as profitable but also as verie necessarie There bee twoo kindes of interpretacioÌ„s The one is of that sorte which Two kinds of interpreters doe not consider properly the thyng it self and what is spoken but take in hande to declare with what woordes any thyng is spoken chaungyng onely the phrases the maner of speache The whiche kinde of interpretacion although it can scarsly no not at all rightly be performed of hym that vnderstandeth not the thyng it self yet standeth it in the woordes The other kinde is of them whiche dooe declare the thyng and matter it Caluine self with many woordes and geue the reasons In the whiche kinde of interpretacion in my iudgement and as I suppose in the iudgemente of all the learned that haue read his bokes that noble Ihon Caluine that man of blessed memorie and my father in Christe shal be founde so that no manne enuy my saiyng farre to haue passed and excelled all the writers bothe did and new Therefore though I some times in certaine places not in any poinct of his doctrine the whiche I haue alwayes marked to be moste pure sounds in his writynges as in any other interpreter besides but in the explicacion of certaine places doe dissent from hym yet dooe I iudge of his commentaries that which Cicero did iudge of Iulius Caesars commentaries in a kind of writing farre vnlike that is to saie that he made all menne of any witte affraied to write after him And would to God that wÃ©e that are ministers in Christes churche through the ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ of God and I my self especially might be occupied in learnyng and teaching rather then in writing But what shal we doe The importunitie of certaine of our aduersaries against whose practises it is necessarie that the louers of the truthe by all meanes oppose them selues doeth partly driue vs herevnto least the simple bee trapped at vnwares and partly Charitie whiche doeth admonishe vs to applie to the profite of our brethren what soeuer we haue receiued Now verie many haue seemed vnto me either because it is so or because I am deceiued to faile muche in this that in the particular rehersals of the Euangelicall and Appostolical The cheife points of christian ReligioÌ„ and the order of the writers are to be obserued historie in to that whiche is diuided doubtles by moste diuine arte thei do not marke nor coÌ„sider to what poinct chiefly of christian religioÌ„ euery thing ought to bee referred muche lesse also in those moste graue disputacions in the Epistles of thapostles whiche are written as is moste true with an excellente order do thei coÌ„sider what is the state of theim what is the order or finally what is the ende and purpose herof commeth it that in some of their writinges neither hed nor foote appereth many tymes And thei leauyng the scope and purpose wander to certaine notes and obseruacions confusedly and without order heaped together So that in many places of moste importaunce no regarde is had to the sentence it self This is the cause that in Paule cheifly who yet had as great a skill iudgement in writing as any writer that Paul of most diuine iudgement hath written most orderly euer did write vnlearned and vnskilfull men haue dreamed hertofore to be infinitie Hiperbatons and Anantapo dotons sentences and wordes not answering out to an other and haue in their commentaries vpon him euery where to their owne shame still inculcated the same in so muche that certainly this moste excellent declarer of gods secrets was no more knowen in the scholes then if he had lefte no monumentes nor writinges yea many did flye from him as from a rocke for feare of shipwrake Wherfore that I might fynde a remedy for this mischiefe I haue endeuored my selfe as much as in me lyeth to note the brefe Bezas annotations summaries of doctrine in the historie matters that who so euer shall saile as it were in that see maye marke a hauen before their eies where vnto thei may directe their course And in the Epistles I haue labored that the scope and order of arguments and the

we deteste we haue made mention of them almost in euery Chapiter briefly recitinge reiecting them Men shall easely gather this also that we doo not by any wicked Schisme seuer or cut of our selues from Christ his holie Churches of Germany France Englande and other Christian Nations but that we well agrÃ©e with all and euery one of them in the truthe of Christe whiche here we haue acknowledged For albeit there is some varietie in diuers Churches aboute the vtteringe and settinge foorthe of their doctrine and aboute rites or Ceremonies Varietie of Ceremonies and dissent in trifels whiche they receaue as a meane to edifie their Churches yet that varietie neuer seemed to minister cause of dissention and Schisme in the Church For in suche matters the Churches of Christe haue alwaies vsed their libertie as we may Reade in the Ecclesiasticall Historie The Godly in time past thought it sufficient if they agreed Agrement in the chiefe pointes of their faith in the true meaninge thereof and in brotherly loue wherefore we truste that Christes Churches when they shall perceaue and finde that we consente in all Articles of our holy and eternall Gods doctrine in the true vnderstandinge thereof in brotherly loue with theim and chiefely with the auncient Apostolike Churche will likewise willingly agree with vs in those matters for the chiefest cause whiche moued vs to publish this CoÌ„fession was to sÃ©eke obtaine and once obtayned to keepe peace concorde and mutuall loue with the Churche of Germany and other foraigne Countries who be as we throughly perswade our selues so kind so sincere and perfect that if any of our doinges haue perhaps not bene well vnderstoode hetherto of diuers they will herafter hearing this our plaine CoÌ„fession not count vs Heretikes nor condemne our Churches whiche are true Christian Churches as impious But in especiall we professe that we are alwaies readie if any man require it more at large to declare all and eche particular thinge that here we haue proposed yea and to yeelde and giue them most hartie thankes and to obey them in the Lorde which can teach vs better doctrine by the woorde of God to whome be prayse and Glorie The firste of Marche 1566. All the Ministers of all Christe his Churches in Heluetia subscribed their names whiche be at Tygur Bern. Scaphonse Sangall the Court of Grisons and they whiche be ioigned in leage with them on this side and beyonde the Alpes Milhous and Bienne To whome the Ministers of the Churche of Geneua haue associated them selues also A briefe and plaine confession and declaration of true Christian Religion c. Â¶ Of the holy Scripture and of the true woorde of God Cap. 1. WE beleue and confesse The Canonical Scripture is the vvoorde of God that the Canonical Scriptures set foorth in the olde new Testament by holie Prophetes and Apostles is the verse true woorde of God and that thei haue sufficient authoritie not of men but of them selues For God himselfe spake to our forefathers the Prophets and Apostles and speaketh yet to vs The Scripture is sufficieÌ„t to instructe vs in al godlines by his holy Scriptures wherin the catholike Churche of Christe hath at full set foorth what so euer may truely instructe vs bothe how we should beleue to be saued and what life we shoulde leade to please God for the which cause he hath expresly commaunded that nothinge be added to his woorde or diminished from the same We thinke therfore that in these Scriptures we ought to sÃ©eke true wisedome and godlines reformatioÌ„ and gouernment of Churches instruction to gouerne our selues in all godlines to be shorte the proufe of doctrine reproufe or confutation of al errours with good admonitions accordinge to that sayinge of the Apostle The holy Scripture is geuen by the inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to improue c. 2. Timoth. 3. And againe these thinges I wryte to thÃ©e sayeth he 1. Timoth. 3. that thou mayst know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God and 1. Thes 2 when you receaued of vs the woorde of the preachinge of God ye receaued it not as the woorde of meÌ„ but as it is in dÃ©ede the woorde of God The Lord himselfe saide in the Gospell you are not they which speake but the spirite Mat. 10. Luc. 10. Ioan. 13. of my father speaketh in you therfore he that heareth you heareth me but he that dispiseth you dispiseth me Wherfore when this woorde of God The preach ynge of Goddes voorde is the vvorde of God is preached in the Church by preachers lawfully therto called we beleue that the very true woorde of God is taught and receaued of the faithfull and that we ought not to imagine or to looke for froÌ„ heaueÌ„ for any other woorde of God nor consider the preacher so muche as the woorde it selfe whiche is preached For albeit the preacher be euell sinfull The preachers sinne maketh not Gods vvorde the vvorse The invvard vvorkinge of the holye ghost disanulleth not the outvvarde preachyng Ier. 31. 1. Cor. 3. Ioan. 6. yet the woorde of God remayneth still true and good Neither doo we thinke that the outwarde preachinge is therefore to be compted vnprofitable because the true Religion dependeth of the inwarde lightninge of the holy Ghost or bicause it is written no man shall teache his neighbour for all men shall knowe me he is nothinge whiche watereth or planteth but God which geueth the sucrease For albeit no man come to Christe excepte he be drawen of his heauenly father and illuminated with the holy Ghoste yet we know that God wil haue his woord preached by some outwarde meanes also For he could haue faught Cornelius by his holy spirite or by an Angel without Peters ministerie yet not withstanding he sent him to Peter of whome the Angell speakinge sayeth He shall tell thÃ©e what thou muste doo For he whiche inwardly illuminateth by geuinge his holy spirite to men coÌ„maundeth also his Disciples sayinge Goe ye into all the world and preache the Gospel to euery creature as Paule preached the outward woorde to Lydia a sellar of purple at Philipie but inwardly the Lorde opened the womans harte And the saide Paule speakinge elegantly by degreese as it were Rom. 10. at the length inferreth Then faith is by hearinge hearinge by the woorde of God Howbeit we acknowledge that God can illuminate whom when he will euen without the outwarde ministerie suche is his omnipotent power but we speake of the ordinary waye showed to vs by Gods commaundement and declared by examples We detest therefore the Heresies of Artemon of the Maniches of Heresies the Valentinians of Cerdo and the Marcyonites who eyther denied the Scriptures to be of the holy Ghoste or els disalowed some part therof or maÌ„gled and corrupted them Not withstanding we plainely affirme that certaine bookes of the old Testament are called of some anncient writers

the profite and vse of Man We affirme that al those things did procÃ©ede of one beginnyng onely We condemne therfore the Manicheis Marcionites who impiously forged twoo substances or Manicheis Marcionites natures the one good the other euill also two beginninges and two Gods contrary to them selues a good and a badde Angels and men doo excell al other Creatures The holy Scripture pronounceth of Angels that God maketh Psalm 104. Angels the spirites his messengers and a flaming fire his Ministers also Heb. 1. Are they not all ministringe spirites sent foorth to minister for their sakes whiche shal be heires of saluation Our Lorde Iesus Christe himselfe testifieth of the Diuell Ioh. 8. He hath bene a The Diuell murtherer from the beginninge and abode not in the truth because there is no trueth in him when he speaketh a lie then speaketh he of his owne For he is a lier and the father thereof We teache therefore that some Angels did continewe in their obedience are appointed to the faithful seruice of God and Man and that other some fell of their owne accorde and beinge caste downe headlong into eternall destruction are become the enemies of al goodnesse and of the faithfull Now concerninge Man the Scripture sayeth Of man That at the first he was created good Gen. 2. according to the Image and likenes of God that God placed him in Paradise makinge all thinges subiecte to him whiche thinge Dauid dothe gloriously set foorth 8. Psalm He gaue him also a wife blessed them both we saye that man coÌ„sisteth of two diuerse Substances comprehended in one person of the soule whiche is immortall for beynge seperated froÌ„ the bodie it neither slÃ©epeth nor dieth and of the bodie which is mortall but shal notwithstandinge his mortalitie in the latter daye of Iudgement be raised from the dead to the ende that euer after the whole man both bodie and soule maye remaine alwaies either in life or death We condemne Heresies al them which iest at or by subtill disputacions call in doubte the immortalitie of the soule or that affirme the soule to slÃ©epe or to be a parte of God To be shorte we coÌ„demne all the opinions of al those whosoeuer thinke of Creation of Angels of Deuels and of man contrary to the doctrine which is taught vs by the holy Scriptures in the Apostolike Churche of Christe Â¶ Of the fall of Man of Sinne and of the cause of Sinne. Cap. 8. MAn was at the beginninge created The fall of Man of God after his Image in righteousnes and true holines good and vertuous but by the intisement of the Serpent and thorowe his owne defaulte he fell from goodnesse righteousnes and was made a bonde-slaue to sinne death sundry calamities Such as he became after his fall such are all thei which be his ofspring subiect I meane to sinne to death and diuerse miseries We vnderstande by sinne that naturall corruptioÌ„ of manderiued VVhat sinne is or spronge from those our first parentes to vs all wherwith we being drowned in wicked concupiscence geuen to no good but prone to all mischiefe ful of naughtinesse distrust coÌ„tempte and hatred of God are able of our selues to doo no not so muche as to thinke any good Moreouer increasinge in yeeres offendinge by wicked thoughtes woordes and dÃ©edes against Mat. 17. the lawe of God we bringe foorth corrupt fruite mÃ©ete for so corrupte a trÃ©e by reasoÌ„ wherof thorow our owne defaute being subiect to Gods wrath we stande in daunger of iust punishment and should in dÃ©ede vtterly haue bene reiected of God had not Christ our deliuerer brought reconciled vs to him againe By death therfore we vnderstande not onely bodely death wherof VVhat death is we must also ones fast for our sinnes but also continuall punishment due for our sinne and corruption For the Apostle sayeth We were dead in sinne Ephe. 2. were by nature the childreÌ„ of wrath euen as other were but God who is riche in mercy when we were dead through sinne reuiued vs with Christ Likewise Rom. 5. By one man sinne Rom. 5. entred into the worlde and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men for as much as all men haue sinned We acknowledge therefore that Originall sinne there is in al men Original sinne We confesse that all other sinnes whiche come of it be both in name and in very dÃ©ede sinnes by what name so euer they be called either mortall sinne or Actuall sinne Mar. 3. veniall or that sinne whiche is named the sinne against the holy Ghost whiche shal neuer be forgeuen We coÌ„fesse also that al sinnes be not equal but some 1. Io. 5. more heynous then other some although they spring out of one fouÌ„taine of corruptioÌ„ and incredulitie that accordyng to the Lord his saying it should Mat. 10. 11. be easier for them of the laÌ„de of Zodom in the day of iudgement then for that citie which despiseth the glad tidinges of the Gospell We condemne therfore also those which haue taught contrary doctrine to this Especially Pelagius all Pelagians with the Iouianistes who as the Stoyckes doo make all sinnes alike We thinke in all poinctes touchinge this matter as S. Augustine doth who gathered out of the Scripture and defended by them this doctrine Furthermore we condemne Florinus and Blastus againste whome Ireneus wrote also we condemne those that make God the author of sinne for it is God is not the author of Sinne. plainely writen thou art not the God whiche wouldest iniquitie thou hatest Psalm 5. all them that woorke mischiefe wilt destroy all those that speake lies Againe Ioh. 8. When the Diuell speaketh a lie theÌ„ speaketh he of his owne for he is a lier and the Father of lies but in our selues also there is vice inough so that there is no nÃ©ede that God should powre into vs a newe kinde of wickednesse or more iniquitie Wherfore when God is sayde in the Scripture Obiection to harden to make blinde to geue ouer in a reprobrate sence it is to be vnderstode that God so doth by rightuous iudgement as a iudge and iuste Solut. reuenger To conclude as oft as God in the Scripture is saide to doo or semeth to doo any euell it is not meant that man doth no euell of himselfe but it is signified that God suffereth euill to be done and letteth or hindereth it not by his iuste iudgement although he might haue stayed it if he would or else we may aunswere that God turneth the sinne of man to a good vse as he did the sinnes of Iosephes brethern or els we may say that God ruleth and bridleth sinne least it burst foorth and raunge further then it is mÃ©ete S. Augustine in his Enchiridion writeth after a wonderfull and vnspeakeable sorte that is not done without Gods will whiche is done notwithstaÌ„ding contrary to his will

naturall corruption of maner stickinge faste in vs to our liues ende Howbeit seinge that the streÌ„gth of the fleshe reliques of the olde man be not so stronge of such puisance as vtterly to suppresse conquere the woorking of the spirit therfore the faithful are said Note to be frÃ©e yet so that they acknowledge their infirmitie weakenesse without boostinge bragginge of their frÃ©e will For ã€ˆâ—Šã€‰ faithfull ought alwaies to kÃ©epe in minde that saying which so ofteÌ„ S. Augustine repeteth out of the Apostle what haste thou that thou diddest not receaue if thou hast receaued it why hastest thou as though thou receauedst it not Moreouer that thing commeth not straight waye to passe whiche he appointed The successe of thinges is in Gods hande Rom. 1. In outvvard thinges all men haue freevvill For that successe of thinges is in Gods hands Whereupon Paule desireth the Lorde to prosper his iourney euen for this cause then our frewill is but a weake frewill Howbeit no man denieth but that men regenerate and not regenerate haue frÃ©ewill in outwarde things for man hath his constitution as other liuing creatures haue that he will doo one thing and will not doo an other thinge so he may speake or holde his peace goe out of the house or tarie within doores Yet here the power of God is alway to be marked whiche brought to passe that Balaam Num. â—4 coulde not goe thether whether he woulde neither Zacharie returninge Luc. 1. out of the Temple could speake as he had a good will to doo We condemne Heresies in this behalfe the Manicheis who denied that frewill was to a good maÌ„ the beginninge of euill We condeÌ„ne also the Pelagians who affirme that an euill man hath frewill inough to kÃ©epe a good commaundement both of them are reproued by the holy Scripture whiche saieth againste the Manicheis God made man righteous and good against the Pelagians If the Sonne of God shal make you frÃ©e you shal be frÃ©e in dÃ©ede Â¶ Of Gods predestination and election of his Sainctes Cap. 10. GOd hath froÌ„ the beginninge predestinated God choseth freely of his grace or chosen frÃ©ely and of his mere grace for no respecte that is in men the Sainctes whom he will haue saued for Christes sake accordinge to the Apostles sayinge God Ephes 1. hath chosen vs in him before the foundation of the worlde And againe who 2. Tim. 1. hath saued vs called vs with an holy callyng not according to our woorkes but according to his owne determinate councell and grace whiche was geuen to vs thorow Christ Iesus before the worlde was created but is now made manifest by the appearinge of our sauiour Iesu Christe Wherefore not without a meanes although not for VVe are chosen or predestinated for Christe his sake our merites but in Christe for Christ God hath choosen vs so that they whiche are nowe ingraffed in Christe by faithe be also elected and they be reprobrate or caste awaies whiche are without Christe Agreable to the sayinge of the Apostle Proue your selues whether ye are in the faithe knowe 2. Cor. 13. you not your ownselues how that Iesus Christe is in you excepte ye be reprobates To conclude the Sainctes are choosen in Christe by God to a certaine To vvhat ende vve are chosen Ephes 1. ende whiche the Apostle declareth sayinge He hath choosen vs in him that we should be holy and without blame before him in loue who hath predestinated vs to be adopted thorow Iesus Christe vnto himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace And albeit God knoweth who be his and in a certaine place mencion be made of the VVe should hope the best of euery man small number of the elect yet we must hope well of all not rashely iudgynge any maÌ„ to be a reprobrate Paule saith I thanke my God for you all he speaketh Philip. 1. of the whole Churche of the Philippians because of the felowshippe whiche ye haue in the Gospell beinge perswaded that he whiche hath begon this good woorke in you wil perfourme it vntill the day of Iesus Christe as it becommeth me so to Iudge of you all And when the Lord was demaunded whether there were fewe in number VVhether fevve be chosen that shoulde be saued he aunswered not that a fewe or many shoulde be saued or damned but rather exhorted euery manne to labour that he mighte enter in throughe the strayte Luc. 13. gate as though he had saide it is not your parte so curiously to enquire of these thinges but rather to endeuer that by the right way ye may enter into Heauen Wherefore we allow not their wicked ObiectioÌ„ talke which prattle that a few are chosen and sÃ©einge I am not certaine whether I be any of that smal nuÌ„ber or not I will take my pleasure Neither those that saye If I be predestinate or electe of God nothyng shall hinder me from the SaluatioÌ„ alreadie certainely appointed for me whatsoeuer I doo for if I be one of the reprobrate no faith no repentaunce shall helpe me seyng that Gods determinate sentence can not be chaunged and therfore all teachinges Solution and admonitioÌ„s are vnprofitable that sayinge of the Apostle maketh against 2. Tim. 2. Admonitions are not in vaine them The seruaunt of the Lorde must be apt to teache instructing them with mÃ©ekenes that are contrary minded prouinge if God at any time will geue them repentauÌ„ce that they may know the trueth and that they may come to ameÌ„dment out of the snare of the Deuill which are taken of him at his wil. But Augustine in his booke intituled De bono perseuerantiae Cap. 14. and the residue folowyng doth shew that both must be preached not onely the grace of frÃ©e election and predestination but also holsome admonitioÌ„s We disalow therfore those which demaunde without Christe whether they be elected from the beginninge and what God determined of them before the worlde was made for thou muste heare the preaching of the Gospell and beleue it VVhether vve be elect and muste vndoubtedly thinke if thou beleue and be in Christ that thou arte one of the electe For the father hath opened to vs by Christ as euen now I declared out of the Apostle ij Tim. j. the eternall sentence of his predestinacion Wee ought therefore to teache and to consider aboue all other thynges how muche loue our heauenly father hath reueled to vs thorow Christ We must heare what the lord hymself daiely saieth to vs in his Gospell and marcke howe he calleth vs saiyng Come vnto me all ye that labour and Math. xj are heauie laden and I will refreshe you So God loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne for the worlde to the ende that all whiche beleue Ihon. iij. in hym should not perishe but haue life

iuste what is euill and vniuste Therefore wÃ©e confesse that it is a good and a holie lawe Rom. 2. The lawe of nature and that this lawe was bothe written with the finger of God in the hartes of men and is called the lawe of nature and also that it was grauen with the finger of God in the twoo Tables of The twoo Tables of Moyses Three kinde of lawes Moises and at large expounded in his bookes we deuide it for plaines sake into three partes Whereof the first is the Morall lawe whiche is conteined in the tenne commaundementes The seconde is the Ceremoniall Lawe which intreateth of Ceremonies and Exod. 20. Deute v. worshippyng of God The third is the Iudiciall Lawe whiche consisteth in Ciuill matters Wee beleue that in this Lawe of God the will of God and all necessary God his law is perfect preceptes for our whole life is fullie taught for otherwise God would not forbid to adde any thing to his lawe or to take ought therfro Neither would Deut. 4. 12. he haue had commauÌ„ded to walke vprightly in this law declinyng neither to the right nor left hande We teache also that this Lawe is not geuen to man to the ende he should be iustified why the lawe was gyuen by the keepyng and obseruyng it but rather that by the knowledge of the lawe he might acknowledge his infirmitie sinne and condeÌ„nacion and dispaire of any helpe by his owne streÌ„gth might be conuerted to Christ through faithe For the Apostle saieth plainlie The lawe causeth wrath And Gal. iij. Ro. iii. iiii By the law cometh knowledge of our synnes For if there had been a lawe giuen whiche could haue giuen life surely rightuousnes should a been by the lawe but the scripture concludeth all vnder synne that the promes thorowe faithe in Iesus Christe should be giuen to theim that beleue wherefore the lawe was a schole master to bring vs to Christe that wÃ©e made bee made rightuous by faith Neither could nor yet any flesh is able to satisfie the law Fleshe cannot fulfill the lawe of God and to fulfill it for the weakenes that is in our fleshe and still remaineth in vs euen to our laste gaspe Againe the Apostle saieth that whiche Roma v. the law could not bicause it was weakened by the fleshe that God performed by sendyng his owne soonne in the forme of fleshe subiecte to synne Therefore Christe is the perfection of Roma x. the Lawe and hath fulfilled it for vs who as he did beare the cursse of the lawe while he was made accursed for our sakes so he maketh vs by faithe Gala. v. partakers of his fulfillyng the Lawe his rightuousnes and obedieÌ„ce beyng accepted as though it were ours In this respect therefore the lawe of God In what respect the law of God is abolished is abolished in that it dooeth no more condemne vs nor cause wrathe to fall vpon vs For we are vnder grace not vnder the lawe Moreouer Christ hath fulfilled all the figures of the Lawe wherefore the shadowe ceassed when the bodie came for that now in Christ wee haue the truthe and all fulnesse Notwithstandyng we dooe not therefore disdain or dispise the lawe for we remember the woordes of the Lorde saiyng I came not to breake the lawe Math. v. and the Prophettes but to fulfill theÌ„ We knowe that in the law is shewed sundrie kindes of vertues and vices we are not ignoraunt that if the lawe be expounded by the Gospell it is profitable to the churche and therefore we affirme that the reading therof ought not to bÃ©e banished out of the churche For although Moises face was couered with a Vele yet the Apostle affirmeth that Vele to be taken awaie and abolished by Christe Wee condemne all that the olde and newe heretikes Heresies haue taught against the lawe of God Â¶ Of the Gospell of Iesus Christe of his promises Of the spirite and of the letter Chapit 13. THe Gospell doubtlesse is coÌ„trarie to the Lawe for the lawe causeth wrathe declareth the curse but the Gospell preacheth grace blessyng IhoÌ„ i. Ihon. i. saieth the lawe was giuen by Moises Our forefathers had promises of the gospell but grace and truthe sprang by Iesus Christ Yet notwithstaÌ„ding it is moste certain that thei who were before the lawe and vnder the lawe wer not altogether destitute of the Gospell For thei had maruelous large promises of the Gospell as these The sÃ©ede of the Gene. iii. Gene. xxii Gene. xlix Deut. xviii Actes iii. woman shal breake the serpentes hed and in thy fÃ©ede shall all nacions bee blessed The scepter shall not be taken awaie from Iudah vntill Silo come The Lorde shall raise vp a Prophette from the middest of his brethren And surely wee acknowledge that Two kindes of prounses our forefathers had two kindes of promises reueled to them as wÃ©e haue to vs Some were of yearthly matters as are the promises of the land of Canaan of victories and suche as are to this daie made to vs concernyng our daiely bread Some other were then and now also be of heauenly and eternall thynges that is to witte of gods grace of remission of synnes and life euerlasting by faithe in Iesus Christ Our forfathers had in like maner not onely outward and yearthly but also Spirituall and Celestiall promises in Christe For of saluacion speaketh Peter i. Peter i. The Prophetes haue inquired and searched who prophesied of the grace that should come vnto vs. c. Of this also the Apostle Paule writeth Ro. i. The Gospell of GOD was promised before by gods Prophetes in the holie scriptures Hereby then it is euidente that the old fathers were not quite destitute of all the Gospell But although thei had the Gospell What the gospell properly is after this sorte in the writynges of the Prophetes wherby thei obtained saluacion in Christ by faithe yet the gospell is properly called that glad and happie message by the whiche first by Ihon Baptiste then by Iesus Christe hymself our Lorde afterwarde by his Apostles and their successours it was preached to the worlde that GOD had nowe performed that whiche he promised from the beginnyng of the worlde in sendyng or rather giuyng to vs his onely soonne and in hym attonement with the father forgiuenes of synne all fulnesse and life euerlastyng Therefore the Gospell is truely called that historie whiche is written of the fower Euangelistes declaryng how these thinges were doen and fulfilled of Christe and what he taughte and did And that thei whiche beleue in him haue all aboundaunce of grace The preachyng and writing of the Apostles wherein thei shewe vnto vs how the sonne of God is giuen to vs of his father and in hym all life and saluacion is in like maner truely said to be the doctrine of the Gospell So that eueÌ„ to this daie if it be sincerely preached it loseth not so worthie

a name The preaching of the gospell is called The spirite and the letter ii Cor. iii. also by the apostle the Spirit the seruice of the Spirit because that it is made of great efficacy liuely by faith in the eares or rather in the hartes of beleuers by the holy ghost illuminating theÌ„ For the letter whiche is contrary to the spirit doeth surely signifie euery outward thyng but chiefly the doctrin of the lawe whiche causeth wrathe to vnbeleuers and prouoketh to synne without the aide of the spirit and faith woorkyng in their mindes For the whiche cause the Apostle calleth it also the ministerie of death For here vnto beloÌ„geth that saiyng of his the letter killeth but the spirite quicekneth The false Prophetes preached the gospell corruptly mingelyng the Lawe therewith as though Christ could not The heresies saue vs without the lawe Suche as the Hebionites are said to be who sprang of the heretike HebeoÌ„ Suche wer the Nazareans whiche were in olde tyme called Minei whom euery one we coÌ„demne Preachyng the Gospell purely teachyng that by the spirite alone and not by the lawe beleuers are iustified But of this matter we will intreate hereafter more at large in the title of Iustificacion And albeeit the Preachyng of the Gospell compared with the Pharises The doctrine of the Gospel is not newe but a moste auncient doctrine doctrine of the Lawe sÃ©emed when it was firste preached by Christe to bÃ©e a newe doctrine whiche Hieremie also prophesied of the new Testament yet in verie dÃ©ede it was not onely then and now is olde doctrine as now adayes Papistes call it newe comparyng it with their longe receiued doctrine but also is the moste auncient doctrine in the worlde For God from the beginnyng predestinated she worlde to be saued by Christe Whiche predestinacion and eternall counsaile of his he hath opened to the worlde by the Gospell whereby it is manifeste that the Religion and doctrine of the Gospell is the eldest of all that euer was is or shal be Wherefore we saie that all thei are fouly deceiued and speake vnsemelie of Gods euerlastyng counsaile whiche affirme that the Gospell and this religion is sprong vp of late and is a faithe scase thirtie yeres olde In whoÌ„ that saiyng of Esay the Prophete Esaie v. is fulfilled Wo be to them that speake good of euill and euill of good whiche put darkenesse from light and light from darkenesse and that putte bitter for swÃ©ete and swÃ©ete for sowre Â¶ Of repentaunce and the conuersion of man Chap. 14. THe Gospell hath ioigned vnto what repentaunce is Luke xxiiii it the doctrine of RepentauÌ„ce For so saied the Lorde RepeÌ„pentaunce and remission of synnes muste bÃ©e preached in my name to all nacions By repentaunce we vnderstande the amendement of the mynde in the sinfull man prouoked therevnto by the preaching of the Gospell and inward woorkyng of the holie ghoste and receiued with true saithe wherby the synner doeth straite waie acknowledge his naturall corrupcion and all his synnes reproued by the woorde of God and beeyng hariely sorie for the same doeth not onely bewaile his iniquities but beeyng ashamed thereof confesse theim but also with disdaine deteste them mindyng earnestlie to amende and alwaies indeuouryng to leade an innocent and vertuous life as long as he liueth And this assuredly Repentaunce is a true conuersion from satan to God is vnfained repentaunce to wit a true conuersion to God and all goodnesse with a spedie departure from satan and all euill We also plainly affirme that this repentauÌ„ce is the mere gifte of God and not the worke of our Repentaunce is the gifte of God ii Cor. ii strengthe For the Apostle biddeth a faithfull minister diligeÌ„tly to instruct theim whiche resiste the truthe assaiyng if God at any tyme will giue theÌ„ repentaunce that thei maie knowe the truthe Moreouer the synfull woman mencioned in the Gospell who wasshed Christes fete with her teares and Peter who wept bitterly be wailyng Luke vii and. xxii his deniall of Christe doe plainly declare vnto vs what maner of minde the penitent should haue when he earnestly lamenteth his sinnes which he hath committed The prodigall sonne also and the Publicane mencioned in the Gospell and compared with the Pharisie are fitte examples for vs to imitate in confessing our sinnes The prodigall sonne saied Father I haue synned against heauen in thy sight nowe I am not worthie to bee called thy soonne make me as one of thy hiered seruauntes The Publicane not beyng so bolde as to lifte vp his yies to heauen knockyng his breast cried O God bee mercifull to me a synner These penitent offendours we doubt not but that God receiued againe to his mercie and fauour For Ihon the Apostle saith If we acknowledge our i. Ihon. i. synnes he is faithfull and iuste to forgiue vs our synnes and to clense vs from all vnrightuousnes If wee saie we haue not synned wÃ©e make hym a lier and his woorde is not in vs. WÃ©e beleue that this plain and frÃ©e confessioÌ„ which is made onely to God either priuately betwixte God and the offendour or openly in the Churche when the generall confession of synne is recited dooeth suffice and that it is not necessarie to obtaine remission of synnes by confessyng our offences Popishe confession with whisperyng in a Priestes eare or by hearing his absolucion while he laieth his handes vpoÌ„ our heddes For of suche maner of repentaunce there is founde in the holie scriptures neither any commaundement ne yet example Dauid protested saiyng I acknowledged Psal xxxii my synne vnto thÃ©e neither hid I myne iniquitie from thÃ©e I thought I would confesse against my self my wickednesse vnto the Lorde and thou diddeste remitte the punishmente of my synne The Lorde also teachyng vs to praie and eke to confesse our iniquities saied Thus shall ye praie Our father which art in heauen c. Math. vi Forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue theim that trespas against vs. It is therefore necessary that wÃ©e confesse our faultes and that wee reconcile Note our selues to our brother if we haue offeÌ„ded hym Of the whiche kind of confession Iames the Apostle speaketh saiyng Acknowledge your synnes Iames. v. one to another How bee it if any what priuate Confession is allowed man beyng oppressed with the burtheÌ„ and temptacion of doubtfull synne would aske counsaile and seeke comfort priuately either of the minister of the church or any other learned in the Laws of God wÃ©e disalowe it not In like maner we greatly commeÌ„de that Publike confession generall and publike confession of sinnes whiche is accustomed to be rehersed as we saied before in the Churche and holy assemblies Many babble maruelous thynges of the Keies of the kyngdome of God The forged keyes of the kyngdome of heauen and forge thereby swoordes speares scepters crounes and absolute auctoritie ouer the greateste kingdomes to

this Decree as though it were godlie for immediately he addeth As Elders knowe by the custome of the Churche that thei are subiecte to hym who is their ouerseer so let Bisshops knowe that thei more by custome thaÌ„ by the Lordes ordinaunce are in greater auctoritie then the elders and that the Churche ought to bee ruled in comen by other as well as by theÌ„ Thus muche Ierome Therefore no man by right maie lette vs to retourne to that olde gouernement of God his church and to receiue it before the custome of manne There are sundrie dueties beloÌ„ging to ministers whiche notwithstanding what the dueties of ministers are for the most part maie be restrained to twoo wherein all other dueties are comprehended The one is preachyng of Christe his Gospell the other is ministeryng the Sacramentes For it is the ministers duetie to assemble the holy congregacion in it to expounde the worde of God and to applie all his doctrine to the coÌ„moditie of his churche that those thynges whiche are taught maie profitte the hearers and edifie the faithful It belongeth to ministers to teache the vnlearned to exhort them and to pricke forward those that geue ouer or walke slowlie in the waie of the Lorde It is also their partes to comfort and confirme those that are weake harted to arme theÌ„ against the sunderie temptacions of Sathan to rebuke sinners to call into the right waie those that goe a straie to lift vp those that fall to conuince gainsaiers to driue Wolfes froÌ„ the lordes shepefolde to reproue synne and synners with wisedome and grauitie not to winke at or to conceile wickednesse to minister the Sacramentes to commende the right vse of theim and to prepare all menne with wholsome doctrine to the worthie receiuyng therof to kepe the faithfull in holie vnitie to forbidde Schismes and Heresies to instruct the rude to declare to the congregacion the necessitie of the poore to visite the sicke and those that be troubled with sundrie temptacions to informe and keepe theim in the waie of life Furthermore to prouide for publike praier in the tyme of necessitie and for fasting that is to saie holie abstinence and with all diligence to loke to all thynges that belongeth to the traÌ„quilitie peace and sauegard of the Churche That the minister maie accomplishe all those thynges the better and with more ease it is required chiefly that be feare God praie earnestlie geue his mynde to the readyng of the scripture In all thynges bee alwaies watcheful shew a good example to all other of purenes of life And seyng that there ought to be discipline in the Discipline Churche and our auncitours vsed excommunicacioÌ„ and the people of God Excommunication had Ecclesiasticall Indgementes the whiche Discipline was exercised by wise and Godlye men it hath also belonged to ministers for better edifiynge to measure this discipline as the time the common state and necessitie required Where alwaies this rule is to be kepte that all thynges ought to doen to edifie comely deceÌ„tly honestly or without tyraÌ„nie or sedicioÌ„ For tha postle witnesseth that he had ii Cor. x. power geuen hym in the Churche of God to edifie and not to destroie The Lorde hymself saieth that the Darnell Math. xiii in the Lorde his lande should not bee rooted out wheÌ„ there is daunger least the Wheate also be plucked vp therewithall But wee deteste the Donatistes errour Ministers albeit they be euill shoulde be hearde who thincke preachyng and ministerynge the Sacramentes to bÃ©e of efficacie and vertue or not of efficacie accordyng to the good or euill life of ministers For we knowe that the voice of Christ is to be beard euen out of the mouthe of euill ministers seing the Lord himself hath saied What soeuer thei bid you obserue that obserue and dooe but after their workes dooe Math. xxiii not We knowe that the Sacramentes by the institucion and by the wordes of Christe bee sanctified and are fruitefull to the godlie although thei be offered of vnworthie ministers Of this matter Augustine the blessed seruaunte of God reasoned muche allegyng the scriptures againste the Donatistes But there muste bee also due discipline emong ministers For diligent Disciplines for ministers Synodes inquisition must be made in Sinodes of ministers learnyng and maner of liuyng Offenders ought to bÃ©e corrected of the Elders and broughte into the right waie againe if thei bee curable Orels beyng paste amendemente thei should bÃ©e deposed and as wolfes thruste by true shepherdes out of the Lorde his flocke For if thei bee false teachers thei are in no wise to be suffered Neither doe we disalowe generall Councels counsailes if thei be holden according to the example of the Apostles to saue and not to destroie the church Furthermore al faithfull ministers as good workemen are worthy of their rewarde Thei synne not then when The true minister is worthie his rewarde thei take a stipeÌ„de and all thinges necessarie for them and their familie For the Apostle declareth that these thynges are lawfully giuen of the churche and receiued of the ministers in j. cor ix and j. Tim. v. other places wherby the Anabaptistes are coÌ„futed who disalowe and raile at those ministers Anabaptistes that liue by their ministerie Â¶ Of the Sacramentes of Christe his Churche Chapi 19. GOd from the beginnyng annexed SacrameÌ„tes or Sacrament Sacramentall signes to the preaching of his word For so plainely witnesseth al the holie scripture Sacramentes what sacraments are are misticall signes or holie Rites or Ceremonies ordained by God hymself consistyng in the woorde of God in signes and in thynges signified whereby he kepeth in mannes memorie and somtymes renewcth his large benefites bestowed vpon his churche Wherby also he sealeth or assureth his promises and sheweth outwardlie as it were laieth before our yies those thynges to beholde whiche inwardly he worketh in vs yea by theÌ„ he streÌ„gtheneth and increaseth our faithe by the holie ghoste workyng in our hartes And to be short by his SacrameÌ„tes he separateth vs froÌ„ all other people from all other religions consecratyng vs and bindyng vs to hym onely and signifieth what he requireth of vs to bÃ©e dooen There are some SacrameÌ„tes of the old Testament and other some belonging The Sacraments of the olde and new testament are not all one to the people of the newe Testamente The Sacramentes of the olde lawe were Circumcision the Pascall lambe whiche was offred vp For the whiche cause it is referred to the Sacrifices whiche were offered from the beginning of the worlde The Sacramentes of the newe Testamente are Baptisme and the Lordes Supper two Sacraments of the new testameÌ„t Some recken seuen Sacramentes of the newe Testamente of the whiche we acknowledge Repentaunce makyng of Ministers yet not after the Popishe sorte but accordyng to the Apostles maner and Matrimonie to bÃ©e profitable ordinaunces of God but no Sacramentes Confirmacion and

therefore those whiche haue taken froÌ„ the faithfull the one kind I meane the Cuppe of the Lorde For thei offende greuouslie againste Christe his Institucion who saied Drinke ye al of this whiche commaundement he gaue not so expreslie of the bread What the Masse was in tyme past The Masse emong our forfathers whether it wer to be suffred now wÃ©e dispute not but this we frelie affirme that the Masse which is now vsed in all the churches of Rome is banished out of our churches for sundrie and moste iuste causes Truely we could not allowe it bicause it was made a vain sight or spectacle why the masse is not to be allowed of a profitable action bicause it was compted meritorious bicause it was saied for money for siluer gold bicause in it the Prieste is affirmed to make the Lordes bodie and to offer it really for the remission of sinnes both of the quicke and the dedde and also bicause it is saied For the honor worship and remembraunce of the sainctes in heauen Â¶ Of the holye and ecclesiasticall assemblies or commynge to the Churche Chap. 22. ALthoughe it be lawfull for all men to reade the holye scriptures what ought to be done in holye assemblies priuatlye at home and to instructe or edifie one an other in true religion yet holy congregations and metings together in churches is very necessarie to th ende that gods words maye be soundly preached to the people that prayers supplications maie be made publikely the Sacramentes rightlye ministred and almes gathered for the poore and other necessarie charges and expenses of the Churche For it is euideÌ„t in the apostolike primitiue church that there were such assemblies frequented of all the godlye Who soeuer dispise these congregations Refrainers from the churche witholde them selues froÌ„ them contemne true religion and ought to bee compelled by the ministers and godlie magistrates to seuer them selues no more so stubbernelye from faithfull people assembled in the churche Let their metinges in the churche be not secret but publike and ofte excepte persecution and the cruell enemies of the Christian congregation wyll not suffer it For we knowe what maner of assemblies there were in time paste in the primitiue The place of their assemblies churche in hidden and secret places during the tyranny of the princes of Rome Let also the places wher the faithful mete together be honeste and in al pointes conuenient for the churche of God Let the Churches therfore be large yet suche as are clensed from all those thynges that become not the Churche Let all thinges be furnished comelie and as necessitie and Godlie honestie requireth Lette nothyng bee lacking requisite for necessarie vses of the Churche But as wÃ©e beleue that God dwelleth not in Temples made with handes so we are not ignoraunt that places dedicated to God for the worshipping of him are not prophane but holie that thei whiche be therin ought to vse theim selues reuerentlie we shuld vse our selues modestly in the Churche and modestly bicause thei are in an holie place before the sighte of God and all his blessed Angels Wherefore all excesse of apparell all pride and all Deckinge of Temples thynges whiche become not Christian humilitie discipline and modestie oughte farre to bee remoued from the Churche and places of praier The true deckyng of Temples consisteth not in Iuerie in Golde and precious stones but in the honeste behauiour godlie loue and vertue of theim who are in the Temple Let all thynges bÃ©e dooen in the Churche comelie and orderlie to bee shorte to edifie Let all straunge language ceasse in holy congregacions and let al seruice be saied Seruice should not be sayed in a straÌ„ge tonge in the vulgare tongue and in suche language as the people in that place vnderstandeth Â¶ Of praiers in the Churche of synging and Canonicall howres Chapit 23. IT is lawful doubtles to pray To praye in the mother tonge priuatlie in any toÌ„gue which thou vnderstandeste but publike praiers in the Churche ought to be in the mother tongue Lette all the praiers of the faithfull bee made with faithe and loue to God onely in Christ To whome we shoulde praye and in whose name his name aboue The Priesthoode of Christe our Lorde and of true religion forbiddeth vs to call vpon the sainctes in heauen as our intercessours Sainctes muste not be prayed to Wee ought to praie for Magistrates for Kynges and all that be put in aucthoritie for the ministers of the churche For whome we shoulde praye when and all thynges necessarie for the same In all miseries of the Churche especially wee ought to praie without ceasyng bothe priuatlie and publikelie WÃ©e muste also praie of our owne wherfore accorde not by compulsion or for any rewarde Neither is it mete that prayer where should bÃ©e supersticiouslie tied to a place as though wee mighte praie no where els but in the churche Neither Howe is it requisite that common praiers be like in al churches touching the forme or fashion or tyme. Let eche Churche dooe in that behalfe as thei liste As Socrates in his historie saieth In no Socrates Note place or religion thou shalt finde twoo Churches whiche fullie agrÃ©e in praiyng I suppose that thei who wer rulers of the Churches froÌ„ tyme to time were the causes of suche difference Howbeeit if thei agree it is highlie to bÃ©e commended and ought to bÃ©e imitated of other But it is well that there be a meant A meant in prayer as in euery thing so in common praier also that thei bee not to long or to tedious Let the chiefeste parte therfore of the seruice in the Churche be preaching and expoundyng of the Gospel Preachinge with prouision that the people bee not wearied with too long praiers leaste when the sermon should be heard thei beyng wearied desire either to go out of the Churche or wishe that all were doen To suche that sermon semeth to loÌ„g which otherwise is short inough The preachers also ought to keepe a meane In like maner where singyng is vsed it must bÃ©e moderated and not Singynge excede a meane The singyng whiche thei call Gregories singing hath many thynges in it without time or reason Gregories singyng Wherefore our Churches and diuers other haue worthely reiected it If there bee any Churches wherein there is faithefull and lawfull praier without singyng thei ought not to be disalowed For all churches are not able to maintain singing in them And it is moste euidente by testimonies of great antiquitie that as singyng was vsed of old in the OrieÌ„tall Churches so it was lately receiued into the Occidentall Churches Our forefathers neuer knewe their Cannonicall houres Canonicall howres disalowed that is to saie praiers appoincted for certaine houres in the daie whiche Papistes syng and saie As maie bee proued by the Lessons of the houres and by sundrie other argumeÌ„tes

hath broughte in newe commaundementes and a newe maner of seruing God we thinke it moste reasonable to preferre the coÌ„maundmentes of God whiche is the truthe it self to the coÌ„maundementes of men who naturally are enclined to lesyng and vanitie And what soeuer our aduersaries preteÌ„de against vs yet dare we saie bothe before God and manne that we suffer for none other cause but for maintainyng our Lorde Iesus Christe to bee the onely Sauiour and redemer and his doctrine to be the onely doctrine of life and saluacion And this is the onely cause why the handes of hangmen haue been so ofte embrued with the bloodde of your poore subiectes Who sparyng neither life nor gooddes for maintainaunce of this Confession of faithe haue manifestly declared to all the worlde that thei wer moued therto by a farre mightier spirit then any spirit of manne whiche is more carefull of quietnes and commoditie then of the honour and glorie of God And therefore accordyng to the goodnesse and clemencie whiche your Maiestie promiseth to shewe to vs your poore subiectes wee moste humblie beseche you to bee so gracious as to take in hande the knowledge of the cause by whiche beyng daily pursued to death or banishemente wee lose the power and meane to shewe to you that most humble seruice whiche of duetie wee owe. Maie it therfore please your Maiestie in stede of fire and sweard heretofore vsed to examine our Confession by the worde of God and to graunt vs sufferaunce and sauetie in the meane while And then wee hope that your self shall iudge of our innoceÌ„cie well perceiue that there is neither heresie nor rebellion in vs but that we onely tende to this ende to liue in quietnesse of conscience serue God as he hath coÌ„maunded and to obeye your Maiestie in all humble obedience and seruice And bicause the preaching of the word of God is necessarie to putte vs in remembraunce as wel of our duetie towardes hym as towardes you wee moste humbly beseche your Maiestie that we maie sometymes gather together to be exhorted to the feare of God by his woorde and confirmed by the administracion of the Sacramentes whiche our Sauiour Christe hath appoincted to his church And if it would please you to graunte vs some open place where all the worlde might see our assemblies that onely sight should discharge vs of those hainous crimes that heretofore our said asseÌ„blies haue been charged withall For there is nought to been but modestie and chastitie nought to be heard but praise to God exhortacion to his seruice and praier for the conseruacioÌ„ of your Maiestie and kyngdome And if it please not your grace to shew vs this fauor yet maie it please you at the leaste to graunte that wee maie particularly vse that quiet order whiche is established Moste humblie besechyng your Maiestie in readyng this present supplicacion to coÌ„sider that it is the cries and groaries of an infinite nomber of your poore subiectes whiche craue suche mercie at your handes that it maie quenche the fires that your cruel Iudges haue kindled in your realme And so that huÌ„blie seruyng your maiestie wee maie lawfully serue hym that hath exalted your highnes to this dignitie and state And if ye refuse to beare vs yet maie please you to heare the voice of the sonne of God who geuyng you power ouer oure bodies goodes liues requireth of you that the power and gouernment ouer our soules and consciences whiche he so dearely bought by the price of his hart bloud should be reserued to hym onely The same God we beseche to guide you with his holy spirit and with pour yeres to encrease your might and power to geue you victorie ouer all your enemies and establishe for euer in all equitie and iustice the throne of your Maiestie Before whom it maie please hym to graunte vs to finde suche fauour that we maie obtain some frute of our presente supplicacion That so chaunging our grieffes and afflictioÌ„s into quietnesse and libertie wee maie also chaunge our sighes and teares into perpetuall thankyng GOD for your Maiestie for grauntyng a thing so agreable to hym so worthie of your goodnesse and Iustice and so necessarie for the conseruacion of your most humble and obedient subiectes and seruauntes Â¶ A confession of faithe made by common agrement of suche Frenchemen as desire to liue accordyng to the puritie of the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ The firste article WE beleue and confesse that there is a Deut. 4. 35 39. 1. Cor. 8. 4. 6. one onely GOD which is one onely and simple substaunce b Gene 1. 3. Iohn 4. 24 2. Cor. 3. 17. spirituall c Exod 3. 15 16. 18. euerlastyng d Rom 1. 20 1. Tim. 1. 17 inuisible e Mala. 3. 6. vnchaungeable f Rom. 11. 33 Act. 17. 24. 7. 48. endlesse incomprehensible vnspeakable g Ier. 10. 7. 10. Luc. 1. 37. that can doe all thynges who is h Ro. 16. 27 whollie wise i Mat. 19. 17 whollie good k Iere. 12. 1. whollie iuste and whollie mercifull 2. This God declareth himself to men l Exod. 34. 6. 7. so to be Rom. 1. 19. and first by his woorkes as well in creatyng conseruyng as guidyng of the same n Heb. 1. 1. But secondlie and more plainlie by his worde whiche in the beginnyng was o Gene. 15. 1 reuealed by Oracle and afterwardes p Exod. 24. 3. 4. written in bookes whiche we call q Rom. 1. 12 holy scripture 3. All this holie scripture is comprised in the Canonicall bokes of the old and newe Testament whereof the names hereafter followe Firste the fiue bookes of Moises that is to saie Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Nombers Deuteronomie Further Iosue the Iudges Ruth the firste and seconde bookes of Samuel the firste and seconde bookes of the Kynges The firste and seconde bokes of the Chronicles otherwise called Pariâ—â—pomenon and the firste booke of Esoras Also Nehemias the bookes of Hester Iob Psalmes of Dauid Prouerbes of Salomon the booke of Ecclesiastes otherwise called the Preacher The Canticles of Salomon Likewise the bookes of Esaie Ieremie the Lamentacions of Ieremie Ezechiell Daniell Osee Ioell Amos Abdias Ionas Miche Nahum Abacucke Sophonie Agge Zacharie Malachie Also the holy Gospell of S. Matthew sainct Marke S. Luke S. Ihon Furthermore the seconde booke of saincte Luke otherwise called the Actes of the Apostles and one Epistle of sainct Paule to the Romaines twoo the Corinthians one to the Galathians one to the Ephesians one to the Philippians one to the Collossians twoo to the Thessalonians twoo to Timothe one to Tite and one to Philemon Also the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Epistle of sainct Iames the firste and seconde Epistles of saincte Peter The firste seconde and third Epistles of sainct Ihon The Epistle of saincte Iude and the Apocalipse or Reuelacion of sainct Ihon. 4. We knowe these bookes

to be Canonicall and a moste certaine a Psal xix viii and. ix Psal 12. 7. rule of our faithe not so muche because of the common agremente and consente of the Churche as through the witnesse and inwarde perswasion of the holie spirite whiche causeth vs to discerne them from the Ecclesiasticall bookes On whiche although thei bee profitable wee maie not grounde any article of faithe 5. We beleue a 2. Tim. iii. xv and. xvi 2. Pet. 1. that the worde contained in these bookes proceded froÌ„ God b Ihon. iii. xxxi 34. and. v. 34. of whoÌ„ it taketh aucthoritie and not of men c Iho. 15. 11. Act. 20. 27. and for asmuche as it is the rule of all truthe containyng al thynges necessarie to the Seruice of God and our saluacion that d Deut. 12. 32. and. 4. 2. Gal. 1. 8. Apo. 22. 18. and. 19. it is not lawfull for any man no not for Angelles to adde diminishe or chaunge any thing therein Whereby it followeth that neither e Mat. 15. 9 Actes 5. 28. and. 29. antiquitie custome multitude mannes wisedome iudgement statute proclamacion decrÃ©e counsail vision or miracle can bee compared with the said holie scripture f i. Cor. 11. 1. 2. and. 23. but that contrariwise all thynges ought to bÃ©e tried ruled and reformed by the same And accordyng thereunto wee allowe the thrÃ©e Simboles or Credes that is the Apostles Crede the Crede of Nice and Athanasius Crede because thei be agreable to the worde of God .6 This holly scripture a Deu. 4. 12 Mat. 28. 19. i. Ihon. 5. 7. teacheth vs that in this onely and simple substance diuine whiche we haue confessed there are three persones The Father the Sonne and the holie ghost the Father the firste cause beginnyng and original of al thinges the b Iohn 1. 1. 17. 5. Act. 17. 25. Rom. 1. 1. SoÌ„ne his worde and euerlastyng wisedome the Holie ghost his vertoe power and efficacie The SoÌ„ne from euerlasting begotten of the Father The holie ghoste procedyng from bothe The three persones not confused but distincte and neuerthelesse not deuided but of one onely substaunce eternitie power and equalitie And therein wee also allowe the determination of the auncient Councelles and deteste all suche sectes and heresies as haue been reiected by the holie Doctors as fainct Hillarie sainct Athanasius S. Ambrose S. Cirill 7. We beliue a Gene. 1. 1. Iohn 1. 3. Iud. 6. Col. 1. 16. Hebr. 12. 14. that God in three persones together woorkyng by his vertue wisedome and incomprehensible goodnes hath ereated all thynges not onelie heauen yearth and eche thing therrein containe dibut also the inuisible spirite b 2. Pet. 2. of whiche some are fallen hedlong into perdicion c Psal 103. 20. 21. other some continue in obedience d Iohn 8. 44. That the first beyng corrupt by malice are enemies to all goodnesse and consequentlie to the whole Churche The seconde beyng performed by the grace of God e Heb. 1. 7. 8. are ministers to glorifie the name of GOD and serue to the sauetie of his chosen 8. We beleue a Psal 104. that not onely he hath creater all thinges but that he gouerneth and coÌ„ducteth b Pro. 16. 4 Mat. 10. 29 Rom. 9. 11. Actes 17. 24. 26. 24. disposeth and ordaineth according to his will all thinges that come to passe in the worlde c 1. Iohn 2. 16. Ose 13. 9. 1. Iohn 3. 8. Not that he is the aucthour of euill or that any faulte maie be imputed to hym d Psal 5. 5. 119. Iob. 1. 22. seyng his will is the seueraine and infallible rule of all rightuousnes and equitie e Act. 2. 23. 24. 27. But he hath suche wonderfull meanes to vse the seruice of Deuilles and wicked men that he can conuerte to good the euill whiche thei dooe and wherein thei are culpable And f Rom. 9. 19. 20. 11 23. sa confessing nothing to be doen without the prouidence of God we reuerence with all humilitie those secretes that are hidden from vs without further searchyng for that whiche is aboue our reache And rather applie to our vse that whiche is declared vnto vs in the holie scripture to bee the better in quiet safetie g mat 10. 30 Luke 21. 18. because that God to whoÌ„ all thynges are subiecte so watcheth ouer vs with a Fatherly care that one heare can not fall froÌ„ our heddes without his will h Iob. 1. 1. Gene. 3. 15. And in the meane while so bridleth the Deuil and all our enemies that thei can not harme vs without his leaue 9. We beleue that man a Ge. 1. 26. Eccls. 7. 30. Rom. 5. 12. Ep. 2. 2. 3. beyng at the beginnyng created cleane perfite and like to the Image of God is through his owne proper fault fallen from the grace whiche he receiued b Gene. 6. 5 and. 8. 21. and is so estraunged from God who is the fountaine of rightuousnesse and all goodnesse that his nature is whollie corrupt and beyng blinded in spirite and corrupt in harte hath loste all perfitenesse without hauyng any residewe thereof c Rom. 1. 21 and 2. 18. 19. 20. And though he be yet able to discerne good from euil d i. Co. 2. 14 we safe that that light is tourned into darkenesse when he goeth about to knowe God For that by all his reason and vnderstandyng he is not able to reache any thyng nere therevnto e Iho. 1. 4. 5 and. 8. 36. Rom. 8. 6. 7 And although he haue a will that moueth hym to do this or that yet that it is so thrall to synne that he hath no libertie to dooe well but suche as God geueth hym 10. Wee beleue a Gen. 8. 21. Rom. 5. 12. Iob. 14. 4. that all the ofspryng of Adam is infected with suche contagion whiche is the originall synne and naturall vice and not onelie an imitacioÌ„ as the Pelagians go about to proue whom wee deteste with their errours And thinke it not nÃ©edefull to enquire how synne cometh from one man to an other seyng it suffiseth that that whiche God gaue hym was not to hym alone but to all his posteritie And so that in the persone of hym wee are spoiled of all goodnesse and ouerwhelmed in all pouertie malediction 11. Wee beleue also that this vice is verie synne a Psal 51. 7. Ro. 3. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 5. 12. whiche is sufficiente to condenme all mankinde yea eueÌ„ new borne children and to so reputed bofore God b Rom. 7. And after Baptisme it remaineth synne as concernyng the fault though the condemnacion be taken awaie from the children of God who of his free goodnesse imputeth it not to them Further c Rom. 7. 5. that it is a peruersitie bringyng for the continuallie the fruites of malice and rebellion so d Rom. 7.

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