séeke a newe Sacrifice to be offered And therfore it followeth that the holy church euen to the ende of the worlde doth acknowledge none other sacrifice propitiatorie for sinnes but the deathe and passion of Christe alone And that which of this only sacrifice of Christe I haue hither vnto spoken is most truely and manifestly confirmed by the euideÌ„t testimony of holy scripture as Leui. 16. Zach. 3. Hebr. 5. 7. 8. 9. and 10. chapters But to returne to the Lords supper it is not in that respecte that we do minister it a propitiatorie Sacrifice that by the doing and celebrating of it we should be deliuered from sinne For the deathe and sacrifice of Christe vpon the crosse if we haue faithe hathe deliuered and purged vs from oure sinnes Neyther is Christe in his supper crucified againe or his body offered in the same againe for why no Priest is able to offer it but there is onely celebrated a remembraunce of his Sacrifice once perfected and that not by the Priest alone but by the whole churche For so our sauioure Christ commaunded saying Doc this in the remembraunce of me wherefore S. Augustine very agreeable with the holy scripture wryteth againste the Manachees saying That before the comming of Christe the Sacrifice of his body and bloud vvas promised by the figured sacrifices of the olde Testamente but by his comming and passion it is finished and that after his ascention the remembrance thereof is celebrated Wherefore the opinion of those which say that the body and bloud of Christe is offered in the Masse for the quicke and the deade vnto the ende of the worlde can in no wise be confirmed by any testimonies of holy Scripture And to passe ouer that the deade haue already receiued their iudgement as it is already saide in the thirtie foure and thirtie fiue Questions they besides can not any more be made partakers of the Lords supper for the Lord saith Take and eate which thing the deade can not doe But in that they say the priest eateth for the deade they doe it contrary to the commaundemente of Christe To conclude the supper of the Lorde is onely the remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ once finished and not the sacrifice it selfe and that done only by those which héere doe liue The sacrifice of praise and thanks giuing comprehendeth first the praise and thankes which they offer to God by a pure faith for all his benefites bestowed on them And bicause in the Lordes Supper we chéefely make a remembrance of Christes death and our redemption therfore praise God and geue thankes vnto him the fathers haue called the same supper a sacrifice and we also doe willingly acknowledge that this sacrameÌ„t in this sorte is an acceptable Sacrifice vnto God and yet not bicause the priest offereth the body and bloud or prayers for to merite or gaine thereby but bicause the whole congregation in theyr prayers offer vnto God praise thanks geuing for the benefite of Christes sacrifice which once offered vp him selfe vppon the crosse Many things in déede are spoken of this Sacrifice in the holy scriptures as in the Psalmes the Prophets the Epistles of Paul and chéefely in the thirtienth chapter to the Hebrewes Yea also of the Fathers as Ireneus and Tertullian vppon the woordes of Malachie in his firste Chapter c. Furthermore the studie to obey the commaundemente of God to the encrease of oure faithe and the prouoking of others vnto good the forgeuing of offences and mutuall loue yea the studie of righteousnesse and holinesse the offering of oure bodies and soules is an acceptable sacrifice vnto god Like as the Psalmes Prophetes Euangelists and Apostles doe eche where exhortâ— vs and chéefely in the twelfthe chapter to the Romaines And we thincke it more necessary and profitable that men be wel instructed touching this Sacrifice and that these things shoulde be taughte them than to force them to beléeue the sacrifice of the Masse by the marchaundise whereof those which call them selues spirituall doe rather encrease enlarge their owne riches than the glorye of Christ and the saluation of the faithful Therefore lette euery good man well consider with him self the doctrine concerning the sacrifices of the Christians whereof we haue hither vnto spoken and leaning neither the one way nor the other let them dueâ—y coÌ„sider which is best for their saluation The. xiij Common place Of repentaunce and Confession The. xlix Question Whether they beleue that ther be three partes of repentaunce to witte contrition confession and satisfaction The Answere THere are many things wrytten in the Holye scripture of repentance and the amendemente of life bothe in the New and Old testament For the doctrine of repentaunce is very necessarie and profitable for all Chrystians And this worde Repentaunce séemeth to come of this worde repayring as when torne broken or things rente are renued and repaired The Hebrues call repentaunce returning or conuerting to god But he which is returned to God ought first necessarily to know and vnderstande how he fell from him and to knowe what God is howe wée fall from him and howe wée oughte to turne to him agayne So that he which must repente ought to know his owne naughtinesse and wickednesse and also by what meanes the same may bée amended whiche is broken or spoyled And these things can in no wyse be don of any wretched sinner onlesse they be drawen herevnto and therin instructed by the spirite and worde of God which they must also most stedfastly beléeue For these things are so necessarily required that onlesse GOD by grace through his spirite open and drawe the heart of the sinner and by his worde shewe vs the perfect way gouerne and kéepe vs in the same giue vs true faith wherby to quicken and iustifie vs that onlesse I say he giue vs these al repentaunce howe harde or gréenous soeuer it séeme is no true repentaunce Let Judas bée an example héereof who repenting for hys sinnes confessed the same to the Priestes in the Temple saying I haue betrayed the innocente bloud Yea and he in this part made satisfactioÌ„ that he threw the vnrighteous price of bloud into the teÌ„ple But what did this repeÌ„tance profite him although it had in it contrition confession and satisfaction they holpe him nothing at all and bicause he lacked true fayth he dispaired and hong him selfe On the other side the Lorde looking backe vpon Peter and the Cocke crowing he remembred the words of the Lord and beléeuing them departed from the wicked company wept for his sinnes and amended his faults and this his repentance was a true and perfecte repentaunce And Jeremie the Prophet confirmeth this doctrine who in his 31. chapter prayeth to the Lorde saying Conuert mee O Lorde and I shall bee conuerted for thou arte the Lorde my God and after thou haste conuerted me I shall repent and after thou haste shewed thy selfe vnto me I wyll strike my selfe
vvill of your heauenly father yea all the haires of your heade are numbred Bee not therfore afraide for you are more vvorth than many sparowes Euery one therefore that shall confesse me before men him also vvil I confesse before my father vvhich is in heauen and vvho so denieth mee before men him also vvill I denye before my father vvhich is in heauen And hee that loueth father or mother more than mee is not meete for me And hee that taketh not vppe his crosse and folovveth mee is not vvorthy of me VVho so vvill seeke to saue his life shall lose it and he that vvill lose his life for my sake shal finde it And vnto this doctrine that is so ful of consolation and comfort let vs earnestly sticke my brethren and so couple oure selues to the grace and power of Christe lette vs boldly confesse his name doctrine and refusing what so euer is contrary to the same Let vs call vpon him craue his grace and holy spirite to abide sted-fastly in his holy worde euen to deathe And so let vs ioyntly all pray vnto oure Lorde that he will haue mercy vppon al men and strengthen all those which suffer for his sake and lighten the harts of the persecuters that with S. Paule they may cleerely sée and vnderstande how hard a thing it is to kicke againste the pricke God oure heauenly father haue mercie on his poore afflicted Churche and comforte the same shortly with his comming through Jesus Christe our Lorde Amen FINIS Howe what we ought to beleue of the holye Trinitie There is but one Catholike Church The Church is holy Why the church is called Apostolicall Hovve the Churche is beleeued Wee muste not beleue in the Church What the Church is The Communion of saincts Sainctes 1. Cor. 12. Ephesi 4. Howe the vniuersal Churche is deuided Hipocriâ—s in the Church 1. Iohn 2. God gouerneth hys churche by his holy spirite Math. 28. 18 Iohn 14 The ende of this Question Howe the Church eyther erreth or doth not erre 2. Cori. 1. 6. Galat. 1. 1. Iohn 13. Iohn 15. The cheefe tokens of the Church The SacrameÌ„ts are signes of the Church The succession of Bishoppes Successâ—oÌ„ proueth nothing Succession of Bishops against Christ and hys Apostles Succession degenerated Of the Apostolicke seate What Paul teacheth touching the succession of Byshoppes Whether the Church of Rome be the catholick Churche What vve ought to thinke of the auncient Churche of Rome The new or late Church of Rome is not the Catholicke Churche 1 â–ª Cor. 5. 6. Ephesi 4. 5. To tye the Churche of Christ to onâ— place only The â—â—spell tooke not hyâ— beginning froÌ„ Rome There are many countryes that dothe not acknovvledge the Pope Out of the christian Churche there is no saluation There maye be saluation without the Churche of Rome Of the faythe and saluatioÌ„ of our forefathers 3. Reg 19. What is to breede Scismes or Heresies Deut. 4. 1â— Where in the vnitie of Christes Churche doth consist An example of the breach of vnitie in the Churche and faythe The first Heretickes Scismaticks in the Churche whither they be Heretycks which in our age doe peache the Gospell In what sort we must beleue the decrees of the Church Iere. 22. Esay 29. Math. 15. Tit. 1. Gala. 1. The purpose of this question How far the decrees of the fathers are to be beleued In what sorte general councels are to be beleued Constantinâ— Whether Counsels haue erred Psal. 1â— Rom. 3. â—acob â— Whether the articles vvhiche are decided coÌ„firmed may be disputed on agayne Whether it be lavvfull to dispute againste popish doctrin Augustines iudgement touching the counsels and the fathers The Papistes will be bothe accusers and Iudges Whether the Apostles admitted Hereticks into the Counsel The some of Paules doctrine and of his aduersaries Whither Heretikes ought to be admitted into a counsell Whether the Apostles admitted laye meÌ„ Heretiks into the CouÌ„sell It was not lawful for the Apostles to haue any agreement with their aduersaries Galat. 2. Why Paule vvent to Hierusalem Paul had the chefest place in the counsell The doctrine of free vvill is an arrogante doctrine Ioan. 15. 2. Corin. 3. 1. Corin. 4. Philip. 1. â— Fayth Hope Charitie Eche of these vertues haue their peculiar properties These three vertues are so coupled togither that the one springeth of the other Fayth is one but not all one Faythe iustifieth To be iustified before God. why god chose vs to be his sonnes heirs By what meanes rightuousnesse is impuâ—ed to vs. Why vvoorkeâ— do not iustifie Iob. 9. Psal. 14â— The summe of this doctrine Iohn 5. Iohn 8. Act. 8. How works are called righteousneâ— Fayth bringeth foorthe good works Of the discerâ—ing of workes Whether our mericeâ—â— are made meritorious by the merites of Christ The revvard of woorkes Rom. 6. Rom. 8. Luke 7. Marie therfore loued bicause hir sinnes were remitted Fayth to work miracles Why Christe wil iudge not according to fayth but according to works Math. 25. Christ is the onely intercessor with the father Heb. 9. Rom. 8. Heb. 7. 1. Tim. 2. 1. Iohn 2. The Scriptures maketh no mention of the intercession of Sainctes or Aungels Howe wee praye in Christes name when wee saye the Lordes praier Whether the Saincts in heauen do pray fos vs bicause they haue charitie Whether the sainctes bycause they prayed here on earth doe the same for vs nowe in heauen The glorie of the saincts which are in heauen Whether the rich maÌ„ in the 16. of Luke did praye for his brethren Of the worshipping of sainctes What wee ought to think of the blissed virgin Mary What we ought to think of the Apostles and other Sainctes How the saynctes are to be worshipped Rom. 10. We haue neede of an aduocate for vs to God. The Angels and saynctes send vs from themselues to Christ. Iohn 2. Act. 3. Of the reliques of sainctes 2. Pet. 1. Of Teâ—ples dedicated to sainctes The vse of candels in the churches Lactan. inst li. 6. cap. 1. Math. 5. Rom. 22. Lightes before the sacrament Of Images God nor hys sainctes can by Images be represented The making of holivvateâ— holy fire Eyther men dy in faythe or in infidilitie We are not counted pure for our own works sake Of praiers such lyke things done for the dead Thei are but filthy marchandise vvherevvyth they vvoulde haue vs redeemâ— souls We may not for purgatories sake truste in any thing Iohn 1â— Act. â—0 Hovve and vvherfore the apostles did pray Where Lazarus vvas that time he vvas dead Of the seconde booke of the Machebes Hovve many Sacramentes there be Of the vertue and power of the Sainctes Whether the sacramentes receiued do giue vs grace Of the Anabaptistes Baptisme of infantes Actes 10. Anabaptism Diners opinions touching Christes presence in the Sacramente The true and auncient doctrine of the sacrameÌ„t against transubstantiation The faythefull doe not receiue bread only in the Supper Howe the true bodie of christ must be receiued How ech man oughte to behaue himselfe in the controuersie of the sacrament The presence of Christ. Whether the Priests make bred wine the verie body and bloud of Christ. The true ordering or making of ministers Whether Christ be wholi vnder one kind The papistes wil eate vp al Christ and no more Whether the Lordes supper were giuen to the Apostles only Both the kinds in the sacrameÌ„t are due to al men The supper of Christ vvyth his tvvo disciples at Emaus The Corrinthians dydde not offend bycause they vsed the cup of our Lord. The councel of Constance touchyug bothe the kyndes of the decrees and sclanders that happe in the vse of both kindes Christes body is offered no more Of the sacrifices of Christians Christ is the onely sacrifice that taketh avvay sinne In the Lordes supper ther is onely a remeÌ„brance of his only sacrifice The sacrifice of praise thanks giuing What repentance is True repentance What confeâ—sion is good necessariâ— â–ª We must confesse vs vnto God. The confession to our neyghboure Against confession made to the priest Of popishe satisfaction The exercise of the faythfull Iohn â— Romish indulgences â—â—remi 7. Iohn 2. 〈…〉 21. Power is an office The kayes of the kingdome of heauen Of binding and loosing 1. Corin. 3. The office of priestes and ministers Of excoÌ„munication and the abuse thereof Not to heare the churche Mariage is frâ—â— for al 〈…〉 The vowes which are made in our daies are onely idle woordes without effect or workes Al vowes are not acceptable to god neyther yet to be perfourmed We must kepe promis Whither god giueth chastitie to euery man bicause he caÌ„ giue it An exhortation agaynst persecution The mariage of Priestes is lavvefull Whether 〈…〉 age vvhich is coÌ„tracted afterâ— vovv be lavvâ—â—â— â–ª Cyprians iudgement Against those vvhich sclander and forbid mariage What the holy Scripture teacheth of enoyling Actes 8. 10. 19. The spiritual Magistrates 1. Thessa. 5 Hebr. 13. Luke 10. The ciuill Magistrate The magistrate can coÌ„maunde nothing contrarie to the churche of Chryst. The godlyâ— Magistrate may make lawes and decrees against the false church â–ª Imprinted at London by Henrie Bynneman for George Bishop ANNO. 1572.
beleue the remission of sinnes the resurrection of the body and life euerlasting Secondly it is called the Communion or felowship of Sainctes that is to say of the faithfull for as appeareth by the Epistles of S. Paul the Apostles and other blessed Fathers called the faithful or Christians Sainctes Bicause as I said before they are sanctified by Christ in his blud through the holy Ghost But bicause the church is a congregation or companie peraduenture therfore it is called in our mother tong Kuch by this letter L and not as some other Germanes do sound it by the letter R. For in the Hebrewe tonge the people or churche of God is called Kâ—haâ— and Kehâ—â—aâ— whereuppon the Germanes say Kilcha But whether it be deriued from the Hebrue or from the Gréeke it is all one For ech of those wordes signifie the congregation or felowshippe of Gods people euen as this worde Ecclesia amongest the Latines dothe also signifie which worde is borowed of the Grecians And although the vniuersall Churche of God in thys earth can not be brought into one company or felowshippe before the last day yet notwithstanding is the same neuerthelesse a spirituall and inuisible body perfectely compacte vnder one heade Jesu Chryste euen as diuers members hauyng sundry operations are ioyned in one body The vniuersall Churche of Chryst is deuided first into the congregation of them whych hauing finished the course of this their lyfe and passed ouer all corruptible things do now reioyce with christ their head in heauen prayse God for euermore Secondely it is deuided into the congregation of those which do yet liue here on this earthe in dayly battell in the Churche of Chryst and haue thys hope that at the time appointed by god they shall come to Chryst their heade and the felowship of their elect brethreÌ„ And in this coÌ„gregation there are some which haue true faythe and therefore are the liuely members of the Church vnder their head Chryste some lacke that liuely fayth and therfore are hypocrites being yet numbred in the visible Churche so long as their wickednesse springeth not foorthe nor they bewray theÌ„selues Touching these S John writeth thus They went out from vs by this it appeareth they were reckned in the Church for else could they not haue gone out theÌ„â—e but they were not of vs that is to say they were not the liuely members of the church true beleuers for if they had ben of vs they wold haue remained with vs. And herevpon it commeth to pas that many deuide the church into the inwarde and inuisible and into the outwarde and visible Churche Yea furthermore it is deuided into the congregation of those which haue liued froÌ„ the creation of the world vnto the coÌ„ming of christ into the coÌ„pany of those faithful which haue ben since the tune of christ and shal be to the end of the world And euery congregation of eche these parts are called the Catholike or vniuersall church yea eche of those churches which are scattered in this worlde haue but one spirite or faithe hath eche the name of vniuersall churche For in the scriptures there is mention made of particulare churches in this earthe as that Paule wryteth to the church of Rome Corinth Ephesus and suche others And therfore eueÌ„ as many Cities and Prouinces are contained in one kingdome and of many members is made one perfect body so also those churches which are dispersed vpon the face of the earth make but one church one kingdom and one spirituall body of Christe be being the head therof The fourth Question Whether they beleeue that the vniuersal church of Christ be guided ruled and gouerned by the holy Ghost The Answere GOd hathe alwayes euen froÌ„ the beginning of the world bene present with his people and churche gouerning the same by the ministerie of the Patriarkes Prophetes and Apostles and that throughe the holy Ghoste For oftentimes God speaketh in the old Testament saying Beholde I am alvvayes vvith you I vvill guide and defende you c. And in the new Testament our Lord Christ saith Beholde I am vvith you for euer vntill the ende of the vvorlde And againe I vvill giue my spirite vnto you that he may abide vvith you for euer And againe vvhere tvvo or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them But the purpose of this Question is to bring the godly and simple into perplexitie and doubte For when they confesse that god gouerneth his church by his holy spirite forthwith the popish bishops conclude therof that the churche neither hathe nor can erre and héereby they suppose that all other things are sufficiently proued to wit that what soeuer they vnder the tytle and name of the Church shal thrust vppon men are bothe good and enspired by the holy Ghost But vnto these mates we answere Firste that we doo not acknowledge that church whereof they bragge to be the true primatiue apostolike church as hereafter we shal proue Secondely we dâ—â— not confesse that the Churche can not altogither or in all points erre For so long as she is gouerned by the holy ghost and onely harkeneth vnto him dooing nothing but by his motion and worde she neither doth nor can erre But if she swarue at any time from the gouernement of the same spirite and gouerneth after hir owne luste then truely shée not onely may but also dothe erre But if any wyll aske whether the Church may swarue from the direction of Gods spirite I answere that it is euident and may in no wyse be denied that the Churche of God héere vpon this earthe often times vnder Moses the Iudges and the Kings of Israell and Iuda hath erred Yea and that the Disciples of Chryst who yet neuerthelesse were the church of christ did erre and had their falles For who is ignoraunt what happened to Dauid Aaron Peter and other the holy Sainctes and Disciples of Chryst Yea wée must note that the Church is gathered not of Angels but of men Wherefore although it be inspired and gouerned by the spirite yet it is not thereby turned into the spirite for it keepeth still hir fleshe and the infirmities thereof yea euen vnto death Who is ignoraunte of those writings which Sainte Paule hathe generally vttered touching the battell betwéene the fleshe and the spirite and that not in the vngodly and vnbeléeuers onely whiche are not of the Churche but euen in the faythefull also and members of the Church And this battell is so vehemente and sharpe that euen thereby the godly are forced not to doo that good and iuste thyng whyche they knowe but to doo that which they ought not to doo Read S. Paules fifth chapter to the Galathians also the seuenth to the Romanes Yet neuerthelesse the same Apostle calleth the Galathians and Corinthians the true church of Christ as purified by his bloude and gouerned by his
the Pope to be the true onely Church of Chryst which the faythfull throughout the whole worlde without all maner of question ought to beléeue and obey as shall manifestly appeare by the questions following And this question truely is very absurde for it is alone as if it should be demaunded whether any one citie in a Realme be the whole Realme or no Or whether that any one man in a multitude be the whole coÌ„pany or no Or whether the hand or foote of some one body be the whole body or no For before I haue already shewed that this worde Catholike signifieth vniuersal and yet I am not ignoraunte also that it may be taken for any faythfull man But by these questions they openly shew vnto the world their foolishnesse or rather their excéeding and intâ—lerable pride whilest they woulde haue vs to acknowledge one parte to be the whole and to haue full power and authoritie to gouerne in the whole kingdome company and body Wherfore to this question VVhether the Church of Rome be the true catholike Church or no I answere thus If they demaunde of the auncient Church of Rome to the whiche Paule wrote his Epistle to the Romanes in the which also he remayned a prisoner and preached by the space of two yéeres then I confesse the same to be the true and faythfull Churche of Chryst but not the vniuersall Church or the head of all other churches but only a member of the vniuersall church vnder one head Chryst of like and equall power with other the churches of Chryst whiche are heere on the earthe and that the Ministers thereof are of no greater power and authoritie than the Ministers of other Churches The lyke hathe Saint Hierome written concerning the Churche of Rome and the Byshoppes thereof in these woordes Neither is it to be thought that there is one Churche of Rome and an other of the whole worlde For where so euer a Byshop is whether it be the Byshop of Rome or of EugubiuÌ„ or of Constantinople or of RhegiuÌ„ c. he is of like authoritie and like priesthoode By the whiche woordes he teacheth that the churche of Rome is no better than other churches wheresoeuer they be in the whole woride and that the Byshoppes thereof haue no more power or superioritie of Priesthoode than other Byshoppes whether they bee in small or in greate Cities But if they demaunde of the Churche of Rome whiche nowe is in the sorte and maner as all men sée vnder these Byshoppes and as it hathe bene also of late by the space of a fewe hundred yeres I aunswere that it altogither differeth from the state of the auncient and Apostolyke Churche of Rome and therefore may in no wyse bee acknowledged for the vniuersall and catholyke Churche whereof it boasteth For the signes of the true Churche of Chryst buylte by the Apostles at Rome and else where are no more there to be sounde Namely the spirite of Chryst whych loueth pure modest and humble hearts and departeth from all impuritie arrogancie and pride Yea the worde of truthe and that only voyce of the true Pastor is not onely not hearde any more nowe in the Churche of Rome purely and truely taughte but it is also forbidden and persecuted with fyre and sworde on the other side the doctrines of men whiche is contrary to the worde of GOD is by violence and all manner of deceytfull means mainteined and thrust vppo◠〈◊〉 That sincere fayth which ascribeth all mans saluation to that onely Meâ—iator betwéene God and man very God and very man our Lorde Jesus Chryst is obscured and those things which are to be sought in Chryst are appoynted to be founde in his creatures and in the workes of men The inuocation of God due to him alone through our only mediator Jesus Chryst is turned from God and attributed to many other his creatures whome they by images doo represent vnto the simple and all other christians to be honered euen in their temples The Sacraments of Chryst are moste shamefully abused for lucre and are so mingled with the opinions and ordinances of men that the sinceritie and firste institution of them can very hardely be perceiued yea euen of the faythfull What kinde of charitie and peace is in the Romishe Churche from the which what great and exceeding bloody battels and spoyling of men and Regions are sprong vp and dayly doo arise within these fewe hundred yeares in the whiche an innumerable number of widdowes and fatherlesse children are encreased excepte they would willingly be blind all men haue knowen to be tootoo much But this miserable matter is rather to be lameÌ„ted than as doubtfull to be proued like as also the things whereof I haue before spoken are too wel knowen and that to the whole worlde And touching the lyfe and maners of the Romish courte and churche especially the principall states and chéefe spirituall persons it is right euidently knowen whereas neuerthelesse Paul saith that those which name them selues Christians and yet without repentance serue Idols are couetous pillers shamelesse whoremasters adulterers drouned in all other filthy and abhominable wickednesse giuing them selues to gluttonie dronkennesse hatred and backbiting shall neuer possesse the kingdome of God yea and no christian ought to haue any company or felowship with suche And sithe it is so euery christian may hereby gather what he ought to thinke of the churche of Rome and whether he oughte to bée bounde to that Churche or rather flée from it rather to Chryst and hys true Churche as the Lorde hym selfe hathe taughte hys in the seuententhe and eyghtenthe Chapters of the Reuelation Truely it is very lamentable that so greate turmoyles and vexations of godly men shoulde be for the Romishe Churche and that suche rumors shoulde be blowen abroade as thoughe shie were styll euen as the primatiue Churche of Rome was when all men may sée what manner of Churche shée is what is doone therein and what wée may hope to haue from thence Therefore wée muste departe and flée from hir and cleaue to Chryste our Lorde and to hys Christian Churche whiche in déede wée confesse to be holy and the communion or felowshippe of all the Saincts The. viij Question If any man doubt of the church of Rome that then he shewe where the true and Catholyke Church of Chryste hath hithervnto ben or as yet is and that he name the place wher the Church is and where it may be founde The Answere THe Donatistes agaynst whoÌ„ blessed Augustine wrote dyd thinke that the Churche of Chryste was tyed or bounde to one certayne place and that she coulde bée founde no where but in Africa and the secrete corners of the Donatistes bicause they thought that in al other places she was extincted or put out In like sort these men go about to include bring the whole church of Christ into the Papal See of Rome so as there should be no christian church
place he saithe what hast thou that thou hast not receiued wherfore if thou haue receiued it why bostest thou as thoughe thou hadste not receyued it And agayne he sayth It is giuen to you in the things appertayning to Chryst that not onely you shoulde beleeue in him but also suffer affliction for hys names sake Likewise he sayth For it is God that woorketh in you bothe the will and the deede euen of hys owne good will. And although the faythfull doo all that they doo with a frée spirite and willing minde yet neuerthelesse this their fréedome and willingnesse is let and hindered very much through the defectes and infirmities of the flesh whiche alwayes remayneth with vs euen vnto deathe Wherefore Paule greatly complayneth saying The flesh rebelleth agaynst the spirit and the spirite agaynst the flesh so that the things which I would not do that do I. Touching this matter read more Roma 7. And yet in this case doo we not attribute vnto man any more frée will than that which the frée mercy of God worketh by whose holy spirite he is fréely gouerned preserued But as touching the infirmity which dwelleth in vs the operation and working of the spirite is hindred and let thereby so that mans free will can doo nothing that is good and so that good which it is willing to doo and dothe is of the frée grace and holy spirite of god And therfore Paule attributeth not his good workes to hys owne free wil but to the grace of God saying By the grace of God I am that I am and hys grace was not in me in vayne but I labored more than they all and yet not I but the grace of God that was with me 1. Corinth 15. Marke well that he sayth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me But touching euill lyke as wée haue sayde already wée doo it not by compulsion or agaynst our will but willingly and that by reason of the corruption which is grafted in our nature And yet when wee runne headlong to the Deuill God can lette and stoppe vs and giue vs an other manner of mynde whereby wée may bée stirred and drâ—uen as it were to the things wherein before we had no delight The fithe Common place Of Fayth and good Woorkes The. xviij Question What they thinke of fayth hope and charitie The Answere TOuching these thrée being in déede the cheefe poynts of our Christian religion I thinke very wel and truely of them euen as the word of god hathe taughte Fayth is the sure confidence of a man that is lyghtened of God whereby he trusteth in God and in his onely son our Lord Jesus Chryst and his vndoubted worde and that to the remission of sinnes and eternall lyfe Hope is a stedfaste pacient and comfortable looking for of those things whiche we beléeue cheefly if the receiuing of them be deferred and appeare otherwise thaÌ„ they were beléeued to be charitie is poured into our hearts encreased and preserued and is due both to God man so that we should loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe euen as Chryste also hath loued vs The places of Scripture from whence these descriptions are taken I haue therfore willingly left out least this Booke shoulde grow and encrease vnto an huge volume The. xix Question Whether these three vertues faith hope charity are but one thing or else distinct vertues in the holy Scripture and chiefly whether the one may not be taken for the other The Answere TOuching these thrée singuler giftes of God S. Paule speaketh distinctly giuing to ech of them their peculyar properties 1. Thes. 1. VVe giue thanks vnto God almightie for you all making mention of you in our praiers remembring alwayes your effectuall fayth diligeÌ„t or working loue and stedfast hope in our Lord Iesus Chryst. c. And forasmuche as he giueth thankes and prayers vnto God he teacheth that these vertues are fréely giuen froÌ„ him vnto men and that therefore they ought to pray and render thankes vnto him And vnto faythe he attributeth a certayne effectuall working bicause that from hir all good works yea hope and charitie do spring And he calleth charity diligeÌ„tor working bicause true charitie or loue laboreth and exerciseth hir selfe to please bothe God and man And to hope he attributeth stedfastnesse and pacience bicause Paul in the eight to the Romanes sayth That wee are made safe throughe hope But hope if it be seene is no hope For how can a man hope for that which he seeth But if we hope for the thing whiche we see not by pacience wée looke for them Therefore fayth hope and charitie are distincted vertues and haue eche their proper operations And therefore are they seuerally reckened by S. Paule 1. Corin 1. in which place he sayth that these thrée are Agayne these vertues are so coupled togither and depende so one of an other that they can not in any wise be hadde seuerally For who so rightly beléeueth in God and his word the same also hopeth to receiue the things he looketh for Lyke as Paule teacheth out of the Prophet Abacuc in the Epistle to the Hebrues cap. 10. Againe who so rightly beléeueth in God loueth him as his chefe and euerlasting good and loueth man bicause he is the image of God redéemed by him as S. John teacheth in his Epistle And therfore Paule to the Hebrues Cap. 11. interpreteth fayth by hope saying Fayth is the substance or grounde of thynges which are hoped for And in hys firste Epistle to Timothe he sheweth that charitie springeth from faythe saying Furthermore the end of the commaundementis loue from a pure hart a good conscience and fayth vnfayned Therefore like as there is but one sunne and yet he is not alone so is there but one fayth and yet is she not alone But as from the sunne procéedeth two seuerall things so that thereby three things are in the sunne that is the globe or body of the sunne from whiche procéedeth brightnesse and heate and these thrée are so ioyned in one sunne that by no meanes they can be separated and yet are they three distincted things hauing eche their seuerall properties So lykewise these three vertues faythe hope and charitie are so knytte togither that by no meanes they may bée separated and yet are they seuerally distincted Wherefore euen as from the Globe or substaunce of the sunne as from one spring lighte and heate doo flowe so from faythe also bothe charitie and hope doo spring And as the body of the sunne is not the lyghte or the heate so Fayth is neyther Hope nor Charitie Yet neuerthelesse the bodye of the Sunne is not wythoute Heate and Lyght and Fayth is not without Hope and Charitie And as the sunne shineth by his brightnesse and not by his heate so faythe inasmuche as shée receiueth Chryste iustifieth vs before God and not through charitie Therfore
true body and bloud of Chryst The Answere SAinct John in his Gospell biddeth men to attribute no more vnto them selues than they haue receiued froÌ„ aboue Therfore tell vs where the professors of the Gospell did at any tyme take vppon them authoritie or power to make of bread and wyne the body and bloude of Chryste No they neuer receyued any suche authoritie from god But wee are not ignoraunt what the Churche of Rome teacheth of thys matter and howe those whiche are coÌ„secrated by that church of their Byshops into priests shorne anoynted with oile haue these words by their Bishops pronouÌ„ced ouer them O Lord voutchsafe to consecrate and sanctifye these handes by this Oyntmente and through our blessing that what soeuer they blesse may be blessed and what so euer they consecrate or hallow may be consecrated or halowed c. And again Receiue thou power to offer sacrifice to God and to say Masse aswell for the liuing as for the dead c. But we besech them of their curtesie to tell vs who gaue them this authoritie or power Did they receiue it of Chryst If they did then let them tell vs where and wyth what wordes he commaunded them to doo it But had the Apostles trowe youe thys power and gaue the same in lyke manner to others and so after thys sorte dydde consecrate and ordeyne Ministers in the Churche For the thyng it selfe whereof they speake is very greate and the power and authoritie suche and so wonderfull that it is Diuine Wherefore it is necessarie that they shewe some commaundement or ordynaunce of the worde of GOD to ratifie this their ordynaunce consecration and power But as touchyng any one of these â—hynges it is vndoubted true that they haue no manner of commaundemente nor sufficiente warraunt from the woorde of god And therefore wée may not allowe or ratifye their ordyâ—ance In déede there are certaine thinâ—es written in the old Testament touâ—hing the annoynting of Priestes but â—ll men know that the Leuitical priestâ—ood with all his ceremonies was abroâ—ated and so detested of God and forâ—idden to be renued in the Churche of christ We know that the Apostles did in â—â—e making or ordring of ministers vse â—nely prayers and putting on of their â—â—ds And in the new Testament there is no mention made no not a worde of this Romish custome touching the consecration and offering of sacrifices in the Masse Neither did our Lorde say I giue you this power to pronounce the wordes of consecration ouer the bread and wyne and of the same to make the true body and bloud of Chryste But he sayde Take and eate this is my body Take and drinke yee all of this this is my bloud Besides this there are diuers opinions amongst the Doctors of this Romishe Churche wyth what wordes our Lorde dyd consecrate And the Apostles did not vse this fourme of consecration which the Romish church vseth But in the reformed Churches of the Gospell the Ministers are ordeined by election and by laying on of hands and the prayers of the congregation according to the doctryne of Chryste and his Apostles And therfore we doo not put the efficacie or force of the Sacraments in the power déedes or wordes of the Ministers but in god hys institution power and worde And bycause God hathe commaunded that Baptisme and the Lords supper should be administred by them we stedfastly beléeue that when the minister doth recite the wordes and institution of the Lorde and the Congregation doo reuerently obey the worde and ordynaunce of God that then the Lorde him selfe is present at hys institution and ordynaunce making the same effectuall by his holy spirite which thing the faythfull doo chiefly regarde And hereof we haue else where more largely written The. xliij Question Whether there be not as much comprehended vnder the Elemente of Breade as vnder the two Elementes of Breade and Wyne so that Chryste wholly may bee conteyned vnder the one Elemente of the Sacramente and that therefore the whole body of Chryste may bee giuen to the lay men vnder one kinde onely The Answere THere is no néede of these subtyle questions But gyue you vnto the faythful rather the same whyche Chryste ordeyned and appoynted for them For wée know that the true and lyuely body of Chryste is not without bloud but that they are ioyned togither neither was christ ignoraÌ„t hereof yet neuerthelesse he dyd not institute this Sacrament in the forme of bread only but also of wyne But if this Sacrament béeing receiued vnder one kinde bée sufficient for the lay people vnto saluation for that therein is the whole bodie of Chryste then also why shoulde not whole Chryst be sufficient for your Priestes and then so to receiue but the one halfe of the Sacrament But by this their Question and doing the institution of Chryste is broughte into doubte But the Lorde hymselfe teacheth that this is the manner of them which defende and set vppe the ordynaúnces of men for throughe these their traditions the commaundements and ordynaunces of God are violated and broken Mat. 15. The xliiij Question Whether they beleeue that Chryste dyd celebrate his Supper wyth the Apostles onely and that the Lay men dyd not thus receyue both kindes The Answere IF the Apostles as an example for Priests only dyd alone receyue the Sacramente of the Lordes Supper then by good reason wée demaunde of you by what power or by whose commaundemente the Priestes doo not onely not delyuer the Cuppe but why also they gyue the breade or why they doo admitte women to the Lords supper sith they also being numbred amongst lay men were not present in the first institution of the same If therefore the lay men oughte not to receiue the Cuppe of Chrystes bloud bycause they were not at Chrystes last Supper and that it belongeth to the Priestes bycause they were there it must néedes follow that the whole Sacrament belongeth only to the priests and that neither the one nor the other kinde of the Sacrament oughte to bée giuen to the laitie For the Priests doo very ill and without al authoritie giue those things to the laytie which Christ gaue onely to them selues But this is a detestable saying But the doctrine of the Gospel and of the Apostles is farre better and fuller of comfort which teacheth that Chryst our Lorde in his last supper spake of the redemption of all mankinde which he should obteine by his body giuen on the crosse and by the shedding of his bloud And therfore he most playnly and euidently sayth This is my body which is giuen for you This is my bloud which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sinnes Wherfore sithe the body and bloude of Chryst are the onely saluation foode drinke of all the faythfull whether they bée Priestes Ministers of the Church women men laye people or of what name or condition soeuer they bée it