that we are of the Ambassadours of the holy Gospell of peace and yet our attemptes and councels are not but of warres murders and effusions of mans bloud Oh most wretched that we are we rayse and lifte vp our handes to praye and call vpon thée which notwithstanding are all sprinkled and goared with the bloud of those whiche thou haddest made liuely by thy wonderfull prouidence Seing that such is our wisdome sprong of oure belâ—â—fe that is to say earthly sensuall and diuellishe accompanied with enute wrath trouble with all workes of peruersitie giue vs Lorde by thy bountie thy wisedome from an highe whiche may be pure peaceable moderate tractable full of mercie and good frutes and far from debates dissentions and all hipocrisie bring to passe lord that the frutes of iustice may be sowen in peace for those whiche vse make peace and by those which be the true pronouÌ„cers and shewers of the same peace bring to passe Lorde that we shewe our selues wise and well aduised not onely in vaine wordes and bable of Religion but let vs bring forth in our conuersation the frutes of the Gospell wherein we beléeue accompanying our faith with workes of humilitie and celestiall wisdome Take pitie on vs O Lorde by thy bountie and mercie for we confesse to haue offended thée greatly and withoute measure and we confesse that the rebukes whiche thou sendest vppon vs are but the iuste rewardes of our merites Thou Lord sufferest that we haue warre dissentions quarelles and debates and that we committe vnnaturall murder one vppon an other and that more for the cause of our particular opinions than in respect of zeale to thy glorie whereof notwithstanding we vaunte our selues thou sendest to vs the messangers and Heraldes of thy wrathe that is to saye infections of the aire contagious diseases pestilence famine shipwracks with other like arguments of thy heauy displeasure towardes vs and yet we harden our hartes thou sufferest that straunge Nations Barbarous and Idolaters do raise them selues against vs for the ouerthrowe of the Churches and Assemblies where thy name ought to be glorified and wée trusting in our owne forces industries and frayle wisdoms will not haue recourse to thée and therefore with good right oh Lorde thou leauest vs to the mercie of the infidelles and sufferest the superstitious to haue victorie ouer vs. Oh Father of mercie bestowe vpoÌ„ vs thy pitifull eyes reforme our hartes and oure affections engraue in vs the only zeale of thy glorie graffe in our mindes the true trée of life whiche is Iesus Christe our Sauiour and Redéemer the fruts of whom do make vs liuely let vs be filled with true fayth liuely hope mutual and brotherly charitie that we exercising in works of true mortification iustice innocencie and holinesse may be in the ende possessors of the eternal life for the obteyning whereof we haue bin chosen predestinate to the prayse of thée oh father of mercy and of thy Christ our only sauiour to whome with thy holy Spirit be glorie prayse for euer Amen A prayer to Iesus Christ for peace and vnitie in the Church by Geffray Fenton O Soueraigne Lorde who beyng the eternall worde and true GOD with God thy father didst take our nature to visite in forme of man the poore children of Adam lost by their infidelitie distruste and peruerse opinion against their Creator And also by thy meane and remedie hast eftesones restablissed the confederation betwene GOD and vs approuing the same most painfully in the mortall martyrdome of thy most innocent body bléeding on the crosse for the expiacion of our sinnes we beseche thée oh Sauiour of the world that euen as thou arte come to consuÌ„mate and confirme our recoÌ„ciliation thou wouldest also reconcile our hartes knitte oure wils and sende thy spirit of truth amongst vs to the ende that we all concurring in one iudgement and opinion may remember that we are called to bée members of one body whereof Lord we acknowledge thée to be the chiefe and supreame head and so detesting inciuill partialities we may be of one opinion agrée in one minde and vse one mutuall and charitable direction touching the matter of oure Religion Thou hast left vnto vs O Lorde the celebration of thy holly Supper as a memortal of oure communion and spirituall vnitie with thée and also to instructe vs in suche lawes of charitie as ought to be of familiar conuersation amongest vs all And yet we such is the nature of our fragilitie and condition of our vnworthinesse as we abuse the excellent benefite of that most high fauour séeing that in place to tye and conioyne our selues with thée we doe more estraunge vs from thée and that by reason of our quarelles and questions of contention In place to consider that we are one bodie one churche and one bread made of sundrie graines we shewe our selues proude and giue sundrie proues of our ambition in séeking to establishe a speciall estimation of our peculiar and priuat opinions in handling very often thy presence in thy holly Supper by subtill disputation we become farre from thy true and liuely presence in contending whether the sinners vnfaithfull may communicate thy body we make our selues sinners and incapable to receyue and enioye thy benefites lastly and in effect oh Lord our zeale is so indiscrete that in stryuing to enterteyne the puritie of the doctrine of fayth we breake the league and lawe of charitie yea in persecuting with rebuke such as we accompt to be heretikes in the doctrine of fayth our malice with want of discretion makes vs séeme transnatured into heretikes of charitie corrupting the meanes of coÌ„munication and brotherly vnitie I beseche thée therfore oh sonne of God let thy gracious pitie fall vppon vs and so open the eyes of our vnderstanding as we may discerne the true frute of thy holy institutioÌ„ and ordinance take from amongest vs all sectes and varieties of opinions and reduce vs at last to the obedience of thy holy and only worde reueale vnto vs thy holy spirite with this priuilege of grace that by hys vertue he may drawe vs all into one corporation and bodye whereof thou O Lord mayest be heade and lette him breath into vs strengthe and power to perseuer in workes of true Iustice innocencie and holynesse duryng oure course in this tragical and miserable pilgrimage and in the ende let we beséeche thee the same holy spirite translate vs into the eternall life purchased to our vses by the sacrifice and oblation of thy most precious death wherin thou raignest now gloriously with the Father and holy Ghoste and there shall remayne infinitely AMEN To my most dearely beloued in our Lorde Iesus Christ the only Redéemer and aduocate of men towards the heauenly Father my brother Ministers and Pastors in the church of Antwerp namyng them selues of the Churche of Auspurge Grace and peace from God and his Sonne IESV CHRIST to the ende that by the bond of
interpretation of these words the vine and that are you handlyng the branches coulde we say for all that that Iesus Chryst would comunicate his substance into a grape and that the Apostles should be transnatured into braunches sure who were of such opinion discouered sufficiently his ignorance and infirmitie 27 Notwithstanding you others my brethren make your principall piller vppon suche manner of speakings and all to make the poore ignorant people beleue that Chryste hath made promise to giue himselfe with the bread bycause that hauing taken bread and breaking it he said this is my body which woordes simply vnderstanded are as much as to say my body which is broken offered deliuered and sacrifised for you is bread or like too this bread whiche you breake eate and digest for the nouriture of your body In like sort I being the heuenly bread shal be broken for you to the end you may haue spiritual eternal life therfore do celebrate this that is to say this breaking and receite of bread in remembrance of me 28 To make cōclusion of this matter I vnderstand that our redéemer Iesus is Comparison betwene the first and second Adam the frute of lyfe who hauing put himself on the trée of the Crosse hath defaced the sinne and transgression whiche the frute of the trée defended brought to vs And euen as Adam hauyng eaten of suche a frute did make hymself enimie of God in contrary manner when wée participate with Iesus Christ crucified we are receiued into the good fauour and loue of oure Heauenly Father and that by the onely bountie merite and intercession of the self hée who on the trée of the crosse did constitute hymselfe the frute of lyfe for vs beyng assured that the participation of that precious Frute is not done either by water wine bread or any other creature whatsoeuer but by the woorke and operation indicible of the holy spirit who hauing called the chosen and predestinate of God doeth teache them their Meane to receiue Chryst Election Vocation Penance sinnes and abhominable transgressions by meane of the presentation of the holie Lawe hée sheweth vnto them theyr damnation sentence of eternall death the whiche they féele so in their heartes that by experience they may well assure them selues that the ire and wrathe of God hath bin so manifested to them that they haue swallowed pangs of death and The true preparation to knowe Chryst is to know the necessitie wee haue of hym séene before their eyes the throate of hell confounde and deuoure them there they fynd the frute of the trée of knowledge of good and euill they sorrowe and wéepe with a penaunce most bitter the miserable bankets or repasts whiche they haue taken of such a meate and fruite not only in the person of their father Adam but also with their proper mouth 29 After that by such means the holy spirit hath abased the arrogācie of man his pride and presumption and shewed him by experiēce the diffinitiue sentence arest irreuocable of the eternal ageinst sinners he beginneth to comfort and giue him good hope shewing him as a far off The faithefull feele the presence of Christ in their hart the Trée of lyfe and the viuifying fruite hanging vpon it the whiche by little and little degrée and degrée fayth and fayth and vertue and vertue makes him eate swallow and digest the heauenly bread Iesus Chryst yea with such experience féeling that no meat in the world of how great nouriture soeuer it be is so sensible in the bodie as the frute of life Iesus Chryst is in the soules of the faythfull with such manifestation by good woorkes outwardly that others may see knowe with what meate they be fed 30 For when we eate of euery other The life of a christiā sheweth that he hath Christ in him meate the body of him that eateth proueth only the presence of the meate But in suche as eate Chryst the true frute of the trée of life is discerned suche an example in their persons such ioy and pacience in afflictions such care to mortifie the old Adam such a renūciation of the things of the world with affection to the lyfe eternall that their neighbours and freendes acompanying them may sée that they eat other meate than the deuourers of ceremonies do 31 When they haue truely essentially and really participated of the bodie and bloud of Chryste by faith as is sayd of Iesus Chryste all entier true God and true man they assure them selues of suche a coniunction with him that they haue no néede to goe to searche hym eyther in the armorie of Préests or betwene the hands of men too receiue him either with the bread or with the water as being fully assured that Iesus Christ dwelleth in them and that they be flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones 32 And yet for all this they forbeare not to aproch to the holy table of the Lord to celebrate the holy Supper with theyr brethren and chyldren of the same heauenly father Neither go they thither to receiue Chryste of newe in bread or in wyne by grace or merite but their first cause of going thither is to certifie to al the church that they are of the number of those that receiue Iesus Christ for their only redéemer sauior for their eternal sacrificator their chief king lord souerain prophet doctor to teach them in al truth 33 Secondly they take the holy supper as a gage assurāce of the good wil of the heuenly father towards thē the same being so constant firme that it wil neuer change For euen as God hath promised by othe that the sacrificator shal be eternal euen so shall be the sacrificature and sacrifice for expiation of our sinnes 34 Thirdly they receiue in the Supper the seale of ratification cōfirmation of grace with recōciliation prononoūced by the preaching of the gospell to the end that by such mean faith might be augmented in them seing that God is not only cōtented to giue them y◠word of reconciliation to assign his promises with the bloud of his proper sonne but hath also signed and sealed his Gospell of reconciliation with seales declaring in a wonderfull maner the very things conteined in the letters patentes and promis of the gospel happy newes 35 Fourthly the faithful see in the holy Supper as in a table and liuely portrait the communion and participation which they haue inwardly in their hartes with Iesus Christ knowing also that al the noriture spiritual vigor which they see in thē comes of the presence of hym whom they consider and beholde figured represented in the holy and sacred Ceremonie of the Supper by meane of which consideration they render thanks to the Lorde Sacrifice of thanks giuing in the holy Supper for the fayth hope mortification constancie whiche they féele to be communicated to them by the power and benignitie of
his holy spirite we may al be knit in the vnitie and Confession of the Gospel of Christ AT my firste cōming to this town of Antwerpe ryght honorable in Christ and that at the request of certeine the Faithfull there I found cause of singular comforte in the view of the wonderfull woork raised vp by the Lorde by meane of his seruants and that in so shorte tyme as sauing to suche as haue assisted it it maye séeme no lesse impossible than incredible For if we wonder in certeine Trées and Fruits who sometimes yeld encrease aboue custome or against the cōmon course of Nature as though the Lorde were of purpose to releue and restore some countrey afflicted with hūger what may we say of these spirituall plantes whiche the Father of mercy so sodeinly and ageynst al hope of man hath set and planted in these Low countreys specially in this citie of Antwerpe Truly we are bound to acknowledge it as a worke of strange maruell of our God and to say with the prophet this incredible encrease hath bin made by the Lord whom we find worthy of admiration in our eyes it is the right hand of God which hath reueled his vertue it is the right hand of God that hath exalted vs it is the right hād of God that hath manifested his power we shall not die at al but we shal liue to declare the doings of the Lord wherin as I entred more déeply into the view cōsideration of these things so I thought it also an office and duetie in mée to crie with the sayde Prophet Confirme Lord and aduaunce the woorke thou haste begon in vs buyld vp ageyne the walles of thy holy temple restore the ruines of thy Heauenly Ierusalem to the end that the Kings and Princes of the earth may come to doo thée homage and offer presentes gather together agein O God the dispersed of Israel 2 This was the cause wherin I reioyced for certeyn dayes with glad continuance till vpon further viewe of the matters of estate within the citie I found occasion to conuert my cōtentmēt intoo cōceites of sorowe as séeing on euery syde with what diligence Sathan laboured to hinder the aduauncement of this church not only by means of open enemies but also by the indiscretion want of regard in such as name themselues maister Masons in the house of God for such as feared God and wished a publication of his glory cried out exclamed that the chair of truth was becom the chaire of dissentiō seruing no more as a pulpit to preach Iesus Christ the appeasor of troubled cōsciences to pronoūce an vnitie a brotherly charity nor the mortificatiō of the old Adam with the wicked motions of concupiscence but rather it was vsed as a place of inuectiues iniuries with wordes of malice In the Pulpit oughte not be preached other words than of God to know serue Christ tending to a mutual hate of one towards another dissention of doctrine wherin vpon inquirie of such fault with the circumstance authors of the same I fynd your syde not least giltie as being suche amongest you who in open assemblie with woords and libels of malice are not ashamed to cal the other Ministers of the Gospel Heretikes Sacramentaries rebels ageynst the state people vnwoorthy of place in the common wealth with other words improper for the maiesty of such a place which is cōsecrated purposely to teach the word and will of our God 3 Now brethren if such or such lyke matter of reproche should be pronounced in the Pulpit of certein Moonks or monstrous Friers the very organs of the Romaine Antechrist sent of their suppostes to trouble the church of Christ to darken his glory and resist the aduancement of his kingdome we woulde endure them with pacience as knowyng well inough that such sort of Prophetes be the disciples of Balaam who sell theyr tongs to curse the people of God yea somtimes agaynst the sense of their propre conscience wée assure our selues that the mouth of suche hypocrites cānot bring foorth other than woordes of infection and full of tast of all euill for they as they are painted sepulchres so canne they not vomit vp other Description of the false Prophets and prechers of the Papistes matter than suche as is couertly couched within that is to say all infection and filthynesse And we are most certeine that those kinde of people bequeathed to Baall and contentement of theyr bellie séeing the fal of their Marmit by litle and litle will enforce them selues to exclaime agaynst them that discouer theyr abuses hypocrisies and villanous trumperies wee beléeue also that suche suppostes of Sathan who from the begynnyng hath bin the Authour of dissention a louer of murder with desire of effusion of bloud wil labor in the imitation of their father and maister and that vnder the pretence of the Gospell they will proclaime sedition trouble and as the Prophet sayth vomite furious matter agaynst suche as stuffe not their bellies according to their fansies and fashions of custome of suche sorte of railers wée receyue no greate care séeing wée are not ignoraunt with what iudgement and punishement God will visite them though hée be long for they be of that sorte of whome the Apostle Iude speaketh in his Epistle catholicke as vpon whom euill shall happen Reade the Epistle of S. Iudas the Apostle for they followe the trayn of Cain they abāden them selues into the error of the hyer of Baalam they shall perishe according to the contradiction of Corus They are stained at the Banket of the charitable and Faythfull feedyng them selues without feare they are cloudes without water caried away with euery wynde they be trées whose fruite is rotten corrupted and of no commoditie twice dead once by the vniuersall corruption of Adam wherewith all men be stained and the other by the death of theyr Monkery with the whiche they haue dedicated to Baal their bodies and theyr seruices they be ragyng waues of the sea skumming their villanies errant starres for whom is prepared the shaddowes of the euerlastyng darkenesse They are murmurers quarellers walkyng accordyng to theyr couetousnesse theyr mouthes pronoūcing words of venomous substance and louing men onely for their profite They incense diuisyons and are people of sensualitie impartyng nothyng with the Spirite They are the very paynter and portraite whiche the Apostle speaketh of in suche sorte of Preachers And therefore doe wée estéeme of them as they deserue not fearyng any harm they can do to the troupe or felowship electe of God for they discouer sufficiently their poyson and the leuyn of the Phariseys 4 But touchyng you deare and honourable brethren one woorde procéeding from your mouth pierceth the heart and giueth vs cause of singular sorrow with feare least the same stirre vp slaunder to the flocke of Iesus Christe And wo be to hym that shall bée the cause of suche slaunder ageynst one of the least
let vs rather remembre and reteyne that which the Prophet sayeth that God loueth not the wicked nor their wickednesse neither shall the vngodly dwell with him 67 Phillip Melancthon author of the confession of Auspurge in the apologie of the same confession doth teach that the participation of the body of Chryst is receiued of the faithfull by the meditation of his benefits then to receiue Chryst it is not nedefull too gnawe hym or breake him with our téeth Besides the wicked which haue no meditation nor godly recordation of the benefites of Chryste although they chaw the bread yet can they not receiue Chryste by the saying of the same Author to whome your doctrine is contrarie in this poynt 68 Martine Luther hath bin estemed a good interpreter vnderstander of the cōfession of Auspurge and yet he saith that the very iuyce and mary of the holy Supper is to receiue an assuraunce of the remission of oure sinnes by the sacrifice of Chryst Those then that say that the vnfaithfull and vnworthy receiue the bodye of Chryst which is the iuyce and marow of the sacrament be contrary to the said doctor and by consequent to the confession of Auspurge the which you do in your Article 69 The Duke of Wittenburgh wylleth and meaneth that his cōfession agrée with that of Auspurge and yet the article of the Supper in his confession is interpreted by the words of Ezechiell saying this Quarey or tyle is the towne of Ezech. 4. Ierusalem c. That is to say doth signifie or meane the town of Ierusalem c. Who then will not receiue this place in the interpretation of the Supper disagréeth with the confession of the said prince and by consequent with that of Auspurge amongst whom is Kemnitius who reiects wholly this place in the matter of the sacraments 70 Touching this woord vnworthy and who ought to be called so you be not of accorde for Heshussius your companion with large arguments goeth aboute to proue that the faithful cānot any way be called vnworthy Kemnitius in the cōtrary mainteineth that the place of S. Paule treating of the vnworthynesse of suche as receiue the Supper ought to be vnderstanded and interpreted by the other place of the Gospell where the Centuriō saith that he is not worthy that Iesus Chryst enter intoo his house as the aūcient doctors haue interpreted it Which of these shall we beléeue séeing they bée of contrary opinyon and yet bothe the one and other folowers of the cōfession of Auspurge 71 The .xiij. Article of the confession of Auspurge teacheth that the lauful vse of the Sacrament demaundeth necessaryly Fayth without whiche vse the Sacrament is no Sacramēt Those then which haue not faythe in the administration of your Supper haue not also neither sacrament nor body of Christ and therfore the Communion that the vnworthy doe make resistes your owne confession 72 The .xxj. article of the confession of Auspurge sayth that for the difference of ceremonies traditions of men a man oughte not to accuse the other churches and much lesse condemne them of error nor call them aduersaries who are of a contrary opinion And yet you my brethren call the other Ministers of thys churche aduersaries enimies and people cut off from your companie bicause they do not blysse at the aulter the bread afore they do distribute it with obseruation of other ceremonies that are of custome in your Supper 73 Touching this word with when you say the bodye of Chryste is receiued with the breade you are not of accorde for certeine of your confession affirm that Christ is enclosed within the bread others vppon the bread others as the fire within the hoat water others as the fire with in the burning iron others as the grange or house within the letters or wordes of contract in effect who woulde recite all the similituds and interpretations which they of the confession of Auspurge haue made vpon the wordes of the supper and all to maynteine the doctrine of the presence of Chryst linked with the exterior elements should finde the discourse long and the matter of small purpose In the ende Iohn Alasco superintendent of the Church of London being in the Church of Franckefort and seing such dissentions tending rather too dissolue the vnitie of the Churche than to redresse it is of opinion that that woorde of the confession of Auspurge where Chryste is receiued with the bread signifieth that when the faythefull eate the breade in the Supper with their corporall mouth their spirite with the mouth of Faith receiues Iesus Chryste whiche is on the ryghte hande of GOD. And suche interpretation of this woorde with was receiued of the Senate of the towne of Franckefort as a declaration agréeing with the confession of Auspurge whereby the poore straungers whiche are withdrawne thither lyued in peace and quyet vntill by reason of other quarels this Question was eftsoones renued by whyche meane they became in effecte the cause of the dissipation of so flourishing a Church There bée also amongest you that saye that the bodie of Chryste is presente in the Supper as Iesus crucified was present to the eyes of the Galathians and as the daye of Chryste was present too Abraham and yet are they receiued intoo the companye of those whiche maynteyne the Confession of Auspurge And bycause Heshusius being at the vniuersitie of Hidelbergh made himself enimie to this interpretation troubled the church with debates and questions it is sayd he was banished from the sayd vniuersitie like as diuers haue already put in writing many things belongyng to this dissention and others which we haue mentioned 74 Beholde brethren one chiefe occasion muche hindring many men to embrace the true religion and to bring thē selues into youre assemblie as seing amongest you so great diuersitie of opinions And for youre partes touching the matter of the Sacramentes you pursue them so eigerly so sharply and with such animositie and stomacke that the very blynde themselues discerne in you more desire to obteine victorie than zeale of God to instruct youre ignorant brother For when we haue a direct wil towards our neyghboure with a liuely touche of compassion of his ignorance and haue a christian desire to manyfest vnto him the truth we do not procéede by iniuries excomunications nor condemnations the same being in déede the very effectes and motions of a contentious and arrogant spirite with a minde full of felonie But of the contrary we vse swéete and softe woordes of inducemēt with persuasions of modestie as knowing assuredly that man is a kynde of creature so fierce of stomacke as hée is not to be qualified otherwise than by gentle admonishment and specially in the case and question of his religion which hauing hir true foundation in the bottom of his hart it is impossible to plant persuasions of Religion afore we haue ouercome and gained that place with gentle allurements and then with frute to plant there the
be of the Romish religion or reformed church praying always to the Lorde that he willighten vs in oure ignoraunces whiche wee ought to shew to euery one with all modestie and gentlenesse according too the example of oure maister and Redéemer Iesus who hath not disdained to receyue gently and teache myldely his very Iohn 3. enemies persecutyng him dayly and makyng coniurations to take from hym Luke 7. his life Let vs remember that being euē vpon the crosse pinched with the extreme pangs of death not mynding his owne paines he had remembraunce of his enimies with prayer to his heauenly Father to pardon their offences let vs imitate the Lorde our creator whose mercy and goodnesse are so plentiful that he maketh his sunne shine bothe vpon the good and the euill Let vs not vse regarde that this man hath suche an ignoraunce nor that man will receiue any article of our confession Let vs loue all helpe all embrace al and support the ignorances and infirmities of al. For better were it that we failed in this point if it be a fault at all than to make vs iudges of the conscience of an other and giue out sentence of condemnation ageinst those that agrée not with vs. 90 For ende deare brethren I besech you take in good parte this my epistle or letter mouing no otherwyse than of an affectioned hart towards you wherof the Lorde is my witnesse and I assure it in myne owne conscience and let it not I pray you be an occasion to you to write bookes nor Pamphlets séeing I haue no meaning too enter into armes or warre with the pen neither doth the time serue for it but rather of neede to vs all to apply oure selues to better things and let vs labour to encrease oure knowledge in that which we want to be doctors of the gospel for the acknowledging of our ignoraūce oughte rather to incense vs to a wil to learn than to make our selues inquisitours and censors of the Faythe of others with employing the time to fill bookes and papers with questions altogither impertinent to edification 91 I humbly beséech the soueraine maiestie of our good God heauenly father that it will please him too furnishe youre iudgements and vnderstādings with the knowledge of his holy woord to the ende that by the meane of youre preachings youre audience may learne a true faithe an assured hope in Iesus Chryste and a carefull mortification of the olde Adam and that the same Lorde so renue youre harts enflame your wills in the affection of charitie towards your neibors that from hence forth wée being ioyned with you and you with vs may liue in peace and tranquilitie of body and spirite in the assembly of oure Lorde Iesus soueraigne pastor of our soules who hauing bought vs by the inestimable price of his obedience and bloude moste precious it may also please hym too garde vs ageynst all dissentions make vs liue in the vnitie of himselfe vntill that béeing spoyled of this corruption wée may perfectely reioyce in the coniunction of him and the eternal glorie promised vs by his meane of the which in his own person the rather to make vs inheritors therof he hath alredy takē possession sitting on the right hād of God with all power in Heauen and earth To whome bée all glorie and empire for euer Amen In the towne of Antwerp ij of Ianua 1567. Your affectioned brother in Iesus Christ and humble companion in the work of GOD Anthonie de Corro called Belle Riue To the Churche of Antwerpe THis only deare brethren was intended by this Epistle or Sermon to imparte it by conference with the prechers of the church naming themselues of the confession of Auspurge without meaning to communicate it by publication albeit bycause diuers written copies are comen into the hāds of sundry and seuerall persons I thought it to better purpose to spread abroad and deliuer it in print than to suffer it to be argued in secrete leaste the same mighte moue cause of sinister iudgement ageinst the simple and sincere integritie of my meanyng wherein as the labour was peculiar in my selfe without the enteruiew or counsell of any so if it include any matter to edifie or confirme your cōsciences it may please you to be thankfull to the Lorde as author of al goodnesse And for the errors I beséech you let them be layde wholly vpon me as vpon a man who liuing yet in the peregrination to our heauenly countrey where wée shall haue perfect knowleage may erre and faile in many things For wée know that we are 2. Cor. 5. trauailers and iorneymen in this body we are absente from the Lorde and walke by Faith and not by view For ende I wipe my hands afore God and you all of any intent eyther to redarguate or confute the articles presented by those that call themselues of the Confession of Auspurge but rather to let them sée vpon what small causes they haue formed greate quarels maynteinyng dissention for a thing of small importaunce and forbeare too deale in matters more necessary SEing also good brethren that vppon the impression there remained certeine leaues voyde and vnfurnyshed of matter I thought it not oute of purpose to fyll them wyth certeine places of Holie Scripture persuading the Faythefull to actes of Charitie wyth brotherly vnitie one to an other yea not to forbeare to loue oure proper enemies and suche as pursue vs with persecution a vertue at this day moste importaunt and necessary the rather for that Sathan employeth a wonderfull diligence to sowe séedes of dissention and quarrell with speciall endeuour and strange meanes too corrupt the league of charitie lefte vnto vs by Chryste of suche commendation and all thys vnder a pretence of diuersitie in religion wherein as wée oughte to stand vppon our garde ageinst the subtilties and policies of the Diuel so assuredly God hath not lefte vs eyther lycence or lybertie once to thinke that it is lawfull for vs to hate any man in respect to maynteine our religion séeing wée are expresly enioyned by the wordes of the same to loue suche as despise vs and pray for those that persecute oure bodies and doings But alas wée are slipte into a time so miserable and infected with such corruption and blindnesse that in the maynteyning of the integritie of oure faith we become preiuditiall to the league of charitie with a negligent care of the vertue of the same For my part I allow iustly such diligence as is vsed in the purgation of abuses and errors to the end our holy faith and Religion may the rather be purifyed and remayne without spot albéeit I wishe a precyse obseruation of Christian charitie least in making warre ageynst the Heretikes of oure fayth wée become not heretikes ageynst charitie For which cause and to the ende that euery one be priuie to the bond and obligation which God in this purpose demaundes at our handes I haue heere