coupled togyther conteining as it is aforesayde the obedience to the hole doctrine and religion of Christe And here is to be noted that euery man that dothe offende god dothe not lose his faythe therby For they that synne by frailtie and sodeyn motions whiche iuste men doo not auoyde and be taughte therfore of Christ to say in their Pater noster Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgyue them that trespasse agaynste vs Yet those men so breaking their promyse with god and slackyng in suche care and desyre as they shulde haue to please god neuerthelesse be not accompted to haue lost theyr fayth therby yea they also who after the knowlege of god fall into deadly synne aduisedly as they that committe murther adultery and other abhominations and soo falle from faythe as it is taken in the seconde acception and be therfore out of the state of grace and fauour of god for the tyme yet do not those men fall frome fayth as it is taken in the fyrst acception Luc. xii that is to saye from certayne and assured knowledge of god and his doctrine And therfore the gospell speaketh of a seruaunt that knoweth the wyl of his lord and dothe it not And saynt Iames in his epistle sayeth Iacob ii that Faythe may remayne without charitie Wherfore a transgressour of the lawe of almyghty God after baptisme kepeth styll a remorse of conscience and the lyghte of knowledge by Faythe wherby he seeth the remedyes howe to atteyne remyssion of synne and by a special gyfte of further grace is moued to vse the same remedyes and so by faythe walketh the wayes ordeined to atteine remission of sinnes as in the sacrament of penance shal be declared Thus we haue shewed two acceptions of fayth and declared that the fayth of knowledge may remayne in hym that hath fallen from fayth after the second acception But whether there be any special particular knowlege which man by faith hath certainly of him self wherby he may testify to him selfe that he is of the predestinates which shal to th ende perseuere in their callynge we haue not spoken ne can not in scripture ne doctours find that any such faith can be taught or preached Truth it is that in the sacramētes instituted by Christ we may cōstantly beleue the workes of god in them to our present comfort and applycation of his grace and fauour with assurance also that he wyll not faile vs if we fall not from hym Wherfore so continuinge in the state of grace with hym we may beleue vndoubtedly to be saued But forasmoche as our owne frailty and naughtynes ought euer to be feared in vs it is therfore expedient for vs to lyue in contynuall watche and continuall fight with our enemies the deuyl the fleshe and the world and not to presume to moche of our perseuerance contynuance in the state of grace which on our behalfe is vncertayne and vnstable For although goddis promises made in Christe be immutable yet he maketh them not to vs but with cōdition so that his promise standyng we may yet faile of the promise bicause we kepe not our promise And therfore if we assuredly recken vpon the state of our felicitie as grounded vppon goddis promise and do not therwith remēbre that no man shal be crowned onles he laufully fight we shal triumph before the victory and so loke in vain for that whiche is not otherwise promised but vnder a condition And this euery christen man must assuredly beleue ¶ The Crede or the .xii. articles of the christen faythe iI Beleue in god the fatheralmighty maker of heauen and earth ii And in Iesu Christe his onely sonne our lorde iii whiche was conceiued by the holy goste borne of the virgine Mary iiii Suffred vnder Pōce Pylate was crucified dead buried and descended into hell v And the third day he rose agein frō deth vi He ascended into heauen sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty vii From thens he shall come to iudge the quicke and the deade viii I beleue in the holy goste ix The holy catholike churche x The communyon of sayntes The forgyuenes of synnes xi The resurrection of the body xii And the lyfe euerlastynge Amen THE NOTES Here folowe certayne notes for the better vnderstanding of this Crede FIrst it is to be noted that all and singular the .xii. articles conteined in this Crede be so necessarye to be beleued for mans saluation that who so euer wyll not constantly beleue them or wyll obstinately affirme the contrary of theym can not be the very members of Christe and his espouse the churche but are very infidelles or heretikes and members of the deuel with whom they shall be perpetually damned Secondly it is to be noted that all true christen men ought and muste moste constantly beleue maynteyne and defende all those thinges to be true whiche be comprehended in this Crede and in the other .ii. credes wherof the one is vsed to be sayde at masse and is approued by the auncyen generall councelles the other was made by the holye man Athanasius And also all other thynges which be cōprehended in the hole body canon of the bible Thirdly that all true christen men ought and must not onely repute take and holde all the sayde thynges for the most holy most sure and most certayne and infallible truthes of goddis worde and suche as neyther oughte ne can be altered or conuelled by any contrarye opinion or authoritie but also must take interpretate all the same thynges accordynge to the selfe same sentence and interpretation whiche the wordes of scripture do signifie and the holy approued doctours of the churche do agreably intreate and defende Fourthly that all true christen men ought and must vtterly refuse and condemne al those opiniōs contrary to the said .xii. articles of our crede whiche were of longe tyme paste condemned in the .iiii. holy counsels that is to say in the counsel of Nece Constanstinople Ephese and Calcidonense The fyrst article I beleue in god the father almighty maker of heauen and earthe FOr the plain vnderstandinge hereof euery materiall worde of this article shal be declared hereafter And first we muste knowe God that God is a spiritual and an inuisible substance or nature of infinite power and eternall without beginning or endyng of incomprehensible knowlege wysdome goodnes iustice and mercy and that there is but one very god thre persons the father the sonne the holy gost that these thre persons be not three goddis but all one god one nature one substance all one euerlastinge essence or being and all lyke and equall in might power wisdome knowlege rightwysnes and all other thynges belongyng vnto the deitie And that besyde or without this god there is none other god Moreouer we must knowe that god the father is the fyrst persone in trinitie Father and Father of his onely begotten sonne the second persone in
obserue the said lawes gyuen by his seruaunt Moyses After the whiche admonitions many tymes so gyuen by the prophetes and nothynge regarded almyghty god of his infinite goodnes and inestimable mercy for the loue that he beare to mankynde dyd send at the last in to the worlde his onely begotten sonne being his eternal wisdome by whome in the begynnyng he dyd create heauen and earthe and all creatures in them to take vpon hym mans nature for to redeme mankynde and to teache the world the truth of his lawes and by what meanes the world might by faythe to be gyuen to his wordes and doctrine amende theyr lyues and atteyne to comme to the lyfe in heauen folowyng hym in his doctrine who was the waye to come to the father the Truthe to atteyne the knowlege of the father and the Lyfe it selfe wherin he shulde finally leade them to come vnto the father vnto whom god the father commaundyng the worlde to gyue full credence sayd to all men Ipsum audire beare hym Mat. xvii Wherfore the sayd sonne of god in the wombe of the blessed virgin called Mary dyd take vppon him of her very fleshe nature and substance mans nature and beyng conceiued by the holy gost was borne of her body and dyd vnite and conioyne togither the same nature of man takē of the substāce of the said most blessed virgin with his godheade in one persone with suche an indissoluble and inseparable knotte and bonde that he beynge one persone IESVS CHRISTE was is and euer shall be in the same persone verye perfecte god and very perfecte man whiche holy worke of the incarnation was not wrought by the seede of man but by the holy goste in the sayde moste blessed virgine without any motion of concupiscence or spotte of synne and was accomplysshed without any violation or detriment vnto the virginitie of that blessed virgine saint Mary who bothe in the conception and also in the byrth and natiuitie of our sauiour IESV CHRIST her chylde and euer after reteyned styll her virginitie pure and immaculate and as clere without blotte as she was at the tyme that she was fyrst borne The fourth article Suffred vnder Ponce Pilate / was crucified dead buried and descended into hell FOr declaration of this article it shal be expedient brefely to repete the processe of a great part of our sauiour Christis lyfe from the beginninge vnto the tyme of his most glorious passion with the same passion also and the descense of his soule into hell wherfore we must vnderstande that Christe very god and man after he was conceyued and borne of his blessed mother waxed and lyued forthe here in the worlde vntyll he came vnto the .xxxiii. yere of his age and that in all this tyme of his lyfe he suffred and endured for our sakes and our welthe also for our example moche bodyly affliction moche labour moch trauaile moche hunger thyrst and pouertie moche iniury and ignominy and many other such miseries and infirmities as all mortall men be subiecte vnto syn and ignorance onely except so passed ouer al the hole course of his lyfe euen frō his natiuitie vntyll his death in suche perfect obedience vnto the lawes of god and man accordyng to the wyll of his father and in suche perfecte innocencye of lyuing that no faute or blame of lyuynge ne any offence or transgression coulde iustly and truly be laid against him and yet the blynd ignorant and obstinate Iewes replete with enuy and malice as the very members of the deuyll by whom they were prouoked and enduced thervnto laboured continually by all craft and meanes they coulde to dystroye hym and at length conspiring togither they toke him serching and procuringe false wytnesse to accuse hym and after they had bette him and spette in his face and vsed al the vyllany they could vnto him they boūd him and brought him before Pontius Pilatus beinge than the chiefe iudge in Ierusalem vnder the emperour of Rome and there they most falsely accused hym as a subuerter of the lawes of god and as a persone that seduced the people and moued sedition amonge them and as a traitour against the emperour of Rome after whiche accusations our sayde sauiour and redemer Iesus Christ was greuousely scourged by the commaundement of Pylate and had a crown of thorne put vpon his head by the souldiours of the garrison and was by them not onely moste spitefully mocked and scorned but also most cruelly tormented and afflycted and after this he was at the last in publike and open iugement condemned by the sentence of the said iudge to be crucified to the intent he shoulde suffer that kynde of deathe whyche amonge the Iewes was euer most abhorred and detested and accompted to be the moste shamefull and cursed of all other and so accordynge to the sayde sentence the souldiours of the garryson crucified hym that is to say they nayled hym throughe handes and feete to a crosse and hanged hym vppon the same betwene two theues vpon a certayne hyll callyd Caluary vntyl he was deade and after he was thus deade one Ioseph of Aramathia beynge one of Christis disciples obteyned lycence of the sayde iudge to take downe the blessed bodye of oure sauioure IESV CHRIST from the sayde crosse and that done he and an other of Christis disciples callyd Nicodemus wrapped and foolded the same bodye in a cleane syndon and soo layde it and buryed it in a newe graue or sepulchre whyche the sayde Ioseph had made a stone wherein there was neuer man buried before and after he was thus crucified and deade vppon the crosse he descended in soule into hell and losed the peynes or sorowes therof wherwith it was not possible that he shulde be holden and conquered and oppressed bothe the deuyll and hell and also deathe it selfe wherevnto all mankynde was condemned by the falle of oure forefather Adam into synne The proces of our sauiour Iesu Christis life deathe buriall and discence to hell thus declared it is specially to be noted and to be beleued for a certaine truthe that our sayde sauyour in all the tyme of his moste bytter and greuous passion and in sufferynge his moste peynfull and cruell deathe not only indured and susteyned for our redemption all the peynes and iniuries and all the obprobries and ignominies whiche were done to hym mooste pacientely withoute resistence and like an innocent lambe but also that he did wyllyngly and gladly suffer this crosse and this kinde of deathe for our example that we shulde folowe the steppes of hym in pacyence and humylitie and that we shulde beare our owne crosse as he did beare his and that we shoulde also hate and abhorre all synne knowinge for suretie that who so euer dothe not in his harte hate and abhorre synne but rather accompteth the breache and violation of goddis commandement but as a lyght matter and of small weyght and importance he estemeth not the price value
daies yeres yet that not withstandyng they oughte to make this petition to god and say Giue vs this day our dayly bread for as moch as their substance thoughe it be neuer so great like as it coulde not haue ben gotten without god had sent it so it can not prospre and continue except god preserue it For how many gret riche men haue we knowen sodainly made pore some by fier some by water some by theft many other waies Was not Iob the on day the richest man that was in all the este lande the morowe after had vtterly nothinge It is therfore as nedefull to pray our lord to preserue that he hath gyuen vs as to pray him to giue it for if he giue do not preserue it we shall haue no vse of it Fourthly by this breade whiche we be taught to aske in this petitioÌ„ may be vnderstand the holy sacrament of the aultare the very fleshe and bloud of our sauiour Iesu Christe as it is write in the .vi. chapiter of saint Iohn Iohn vi I am the breade of life whiche came downe from heauen And the bread which I wyll gyue is my fleshe whiche I wyll gyue for the life of the world And in this prayer we desyre that the same may be purely mynistred distributed to the comfort and benefite of all vs the true chyldren of god And that we also may receiue the same with a right faith and perfite charitie at all tymes whan we do and ought to receiue the same so that we may be spiritually fed therwith to our saluation therby enioy the life euerlastinge Fynally by the breade which our sauiour teacheth vs to aske in this petitioÌ„ is ment also the true doctrine of the word of god which is the spirituall breade that fedeth the soule For as the body is nourished brought vp groweth feedeth with bread and meate so nedeth the soule euen from our youth to be nourished and brought vp with the word of god and to be fed with it And like as the body wol faynt and decay if it be not from tyme to tyme releued refresshed with bodily sustenance euen so the soule waxeth feble weake towardes god onlesse the same be cherished kept vp with the worde of god according to the saieng of Christe A man liueth not with meat onely 〈…〉 but with euery worde that procedeth froÌ„ the mouth of god And surely the word of god is the very coÌ„fort remedy helth of the soule For if we haue aduersity in this world as pouertie sickenes imprisonment and such other miseries where shuld we seke for comforte but at goddis worde If we thinke our selues so holy that we be without synne where shulde we fynde a glasse to se our synnes in but in the worde of god If we be so full of sinnes that we be lyke to fall into desperation where can we haue comfort and learne to knowe the mercy of god but onely in goddis worde Where shall we haue armure to fight against our thre greate ennemies the worlde the fleshe and the deuyl Where shall we haue strength power to withstande them but as Christ did in by the word of god And finally if we haue any maner of syknes or disease in our soules what medicine or remedy can we haue but that is declared in goddis word So that the word of god is the very breade of the soule and therfore as well for this breade of the soule as for the blessed sacrament of the aultare also for the breade and dayly sustenance of the bodye our sauiour Christe teacheth vs to pray in this fourthe petition The fyft petition And forgiue vs our trespasses / as we for gyue them that trespasse against vs. IN this petition we be taught a fruitefull aduertisement of mans estate in this present lyfe whiche consydered no maÌ„ ought to glory in hym selfe as though he were innocent and without synne but rather that euery good christen man without exception oughte to knowledge him self to be a sinner and that he hath nede to aske forgyuenes of god for his sinnes and to require him of his mercy for doubtles we dayly commyt sinne whiche be commaunded daily to aske remyssion for our sinnes Ioan. i. And saynt Iohn sayth in his epistle If we say that we be without sinne we deceiue our selues and truthe is not in vs. Moreouer it is to be noted that we be taught to desyre god to forgyue vs our synnes lyke as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs so that if we forgyue in harte god wyll forgyue and not otherwyse as by many places of scripture maye appere fyrst by expresse wordes Maâ—…â—i Christe saythe If you forgiue men their offences done agaynst you your heuen-father wyll forgyue you your offences and yf you wyll not forgiue them that offende you 〈◊〉 viii be you assured your father wyll not forgyue you your offences And in an other place whan Peter came to our lorde and demanded of him howe ofte he shulde forgyue his brother whiche had offended him and whether it was not suffycyent to forgyue him seuen tymes Our lord answered him sayd I tell the Peter that thou oughtest to forgiue him not only seuen tymes but seuenty tymes seuen tymes meaning therby that froÌ„ tyme to tyme we must continually forgiue our brother or neighbour although he trespasseth against vs neuer so often 〈◊〉 viii And Christ also declareth the same by a parable There was sayth Christ a king whiche calling his seruauntes vnto a compte and findinge that one of them shulde owe vnto him the summe of tenne thousande talentes bycause he hadde it not to pay coÌ„maunded that the sayd debtour his wife and his children and al that he had shuld be solde but whaÌ„ the debtour came vnto the kyng and praied him on his knees to haue pacieÌ„ce with him promising him to paye all the king had pity of him forgaue him the hole debt it fortuned afterward that this man being thus acquited mette with an other of his felowes that ought him but one huÌ„dreth pence and with violence almoste strangled him and saide vnto hym Pay that thou owest And the sayd seruant his felowe fell vpon his knees and prayed hym to haue pacience promising to pay all whiche wolde not but cast him into prison vntyll all was payde and whan the rest of his felowes seing this cruelty had tolde the king therof the king forthwith sente for this cruell felowe and saide to him O wycked man I forgaue the thy hole debt at thy sute and request it shuld therfore haue besemid the to haue shewed like coÌ„passion vnto thy felowe as I shewed to the. And the kyng sore displeased with this crueltie coÌ„mitted him to tormentours that shuld roughly streitly haÌ„dle him in prisoÌ„ til he had paid the hole det Vpon this parable Christe inferreth and saith Euen so shal your