Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A03632
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A godly confession and protestacion of the christian fayth, made and set furth by Ihon Hooper, wherin is declared what a christia[n] manne is bound to beleue of God, hys Kyng, his neibour, and hymselfe
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Hooper, John, d. 1555.
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1550
(1550)
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STC 13757; ESTC S117853
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21,202
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64
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As it is in the scriptures and in the seconde part of the common crede I beleue in Iesus Christ his onelye sonne our Lorde whiche was conceyued by the holy ghoste borne of the vyrgyn Marye suffred vnder Poncâ—us Pylate he was crucified dead and buried he descended into hel and the third day he arose agayn froÌ„ death vnto life and ascended into heauen and there sitteth on the ryght hand of God the Father almyghtie And froÌ„ thence he shal come to iudge both the quick the dead I beleue that by this meanes and no other the sinnes of al beleuers to be forgeuen without the merites and deseruiÌ„ges of Adams posteritie By AdaÌ„ sinne came into the world and bi sinne deathe Euen so wythoute all merites respectes and worthynes of Adam either of anye of his posteritie by Iesus Chryste came remission of synne and lyfe euerlastyng And euen as I beleue stedfastli sinne death bi this meanes to be ouercome and destroyed and euer lastyng lyfe to follow it so beleue I the sonne of God to be perfect God maÌ„ accordyng to the scriptures and do condemne the heresies of Arian and Marâ—ian with their complices adhereÌ„tes that wyckedly beleued the contrarye And as I confesse and beleue the measies of our saluation to be onely Christ so I condemne the Pelagian and all such other as beleued and taught that thei culd by their own powers streÌ„gth and wyll worke theyr own saluation which false opinion coÌ„culcateth frustrateth slandereth condemneth and blasphemeth all the deseruynges of Christ. Therfore the Pelagian is called worthyly the ennemy of grace Farther I beâ—eeue that the grace of God deserued by the passion of Christ dothe not onely freely and without all merites of man begyn teache and prouoke manne to beleue the promyses of God and so to begyn to worke the wyl of God but also all the woorkes merites deseruynges dooynges and obedience of man towardes God althoughe they bee done by the spirite of god in the grace of god yet being thus done be of no validitee worthynes nor merite before God except God by mercy and grace accompte theym worthy for the worthynes and merites of Iesus Christ that dyed vnder Poncius Pilatus So that I beleue grace not oneli to be the begynner of al good workes but that all good workes done by man in the greattest perfeccion haue neede and wanteth grace to pardon their imperfeccion I beleue in the holye ghoste equalle god with the father and the soÌ„ne and procedynge from them both by whose vertue streÌ„gth and operacion the Catholyke churche is preserued from all 〈◊〉 and false doctrines and teacheth the coÌ„munioÌ„â—f saincts in al truth and verity the whych holy spirit shal neuer forsake the holy church which is Christ his mystical bodye I beleue that this holye spirit worketh the remission of synne the resurreccion of the fleshe and euerlastynge lyfe accordyng to the holy scripture Thys is my fayth and doctryne concirnyng the Godhed and diuersitie of persons in the holy Trinitie and also of the two natures in Chryst hys godhed and manhed Abhorring and detestiÌ„g the heresies of Samosaâ—enes Arian Nestor Eutiches who wer condemned by godly couÌ„cels Nece CoÌ„staÌ„tinople Ephesin Calchedom other I detest and abhor the Martian Manâ—che that faineth to be two gods and both eternal one good the other euil alwaies at debate among them selus I detest abor y e monsterous doctrine of the Valentines so generally of all those that haue denied to be ani god or wold haue many gods Also al those I detest that haue erred and in aintaine theyr erroure in any thyng concerning the essence of god ordeined the plurality of persons as of the father the soÌ„ne and the holye goost This is the faith of gods spiryte in my conscience whiche I haue lerned in hys word haue fayethfullye and râ—lygyouslye preathed and taughte the same in all my sermons as I wyll be iudged by onne audytory Also the same doctryne I haue furthred set forth in al mi boks 〈◊〉 writings though sum CaluÌ„niators and sclaunderers wulde gladly make pore the people beleue the coÌ„trary But I do decline and appeale from such vncharitable spretes vnto the charitable reader and louyng herte of all theym that be indued with gods holy sprete for they wyll not constrayne nor force letter sillable word or senteÌ„ce coÌ„trary to the mynde of the speaker writer but wyll Iudge and serche for iudgement in the processes and circumstances of the writer content themselues with the writers mynde rather than to brynge theyr affection and corrupte myndes to make their own imaginations and fantasies an other mans doctrine as the Arrian Pelagiane Anabaptist Papist and other do and haue doone bryngynge corrupte myndes to the lesson and readyng of Christes testament and wold that their fals heresies and vntrue imaginations should be Christe his doctrine Seeyng bothe goddes lawes and mans lawes suffereth and geueth libertee to euery man in a cause of religion to be interpretater of his owne wordes it were contrarye to iustice to put any man from it For if the auctor may not be the interpreter of his owne mynde what wold not malyce enuy spite and disdayne gather of works most truly and faith fully mente and wrytten And seyng charitee and the lawes of this realme as it appereth in an act of parliament made in y â— first yere of the reigne of our Soueraine Lorde Kyng Edward the syxte geueth lybertee and lycence to hym that shalbe accused for a matter of Religion vpon malice euyll wil hatred disdayn or bee made and suborned recordes to repell and conuicte all suche false recordes and theyr accusers by other faithfull and indifferent Recordes The whiche acte of parliament God forbydde should be denied to any of the kyngs Maiesties preachers for yf the testimonye of theyr audientes shal not quitte theym from the spyte calumniacion of malicious vncharitable meÌ„ they shal not long preache the truth For ether the papistes wyll accuse theÌ„ bycause thei wishe theÌ„ pope al monumentes of papistry to be taken out of the way Ether the carnall gospellar that cannot abyde to heare his faultes carnal life rebuked And I thinke if the Kinges magestie his most honorable couÌ„sel prepare not the soner a brydle correction for synne the true preacher of God hereafter shal be more persicuted for reprehendynge of synne and vngodly lyfe then euer yet hyther vnto he hath bene persecuted by the papistes Thus I haue declared my fayth and belefe towardes God accordyng to the Scriptures in the which I trust to coÌ„tiune vntil deth end this myserable and wâ—fihed life Nowe I wyll declare also the same towardes the churche of Christe what I beleâ—e of the magistrates the mynisters of the woâ—de and the people I dwel wyth al. And of these thynges I wyl speake accordyng
rule the common wealth but manye tymes it toke not good effecte for lacke of the wysdom of God Esay the rest of the prophets gaue couÌ„sel not of them selus but froÌ„ god what prynce soeuer obeyed theyr couÌ„cel he prospered alwayes had good succes The same maie you se in the fashyons and maner of theyr warres Alexander thoughte hym selfe stronge inough by natural strengthe to conquer his enemies Kynge Dauyd added to hys sâ—yage stones the prayer and helpe of goddes name Therfore if heath in magâ—strates should be obeied muche more chrystian magystrates And in case the kynges mayestye of Englande maye fynde no lesse obedyence â—n his subiectes then Scipâ—o Alexander and other fouÌ„d amongs theirs England shalbe to strong with gods helpe for all the worlde But Englysh men I speake it with sorow and griefe of herte haue learned of Cleon a man that Aristophanes wryteth of that had one footein the senate and the other in the fielde so haue Englyshmen one hand at the plough and the other against y â— magistrates The ministers of the churche persons vicares one haÌ„d vpon the portesse and the other to strike at the kinges crowne They do followe the Ape that Harmogenes fable speaketh of that wold haue had other Apes to haue builded houses tounes cities to haue defeÌ„ded them selfs from the dominion of their Lord and ruler man and thought it not meete to liue in the state that God had appoynted them euen so subiects nowe a dayes God amende it wolde make them selues defences cities castels townes tentes pauilions to defend them against their king lord and magistrate and wil not be contente to liue in the state that god apointed theÌ„ vnto But it shal happeÌ„ vnto them as it did vnto the Apes their counsel and conspiracie shal neuer take place Let vs therfore remeÌ„ber s. Paul that saith the powers that be be of God and not suche as we wolde make and let vs be contented with them and obeye them for conscience sake for suche as disobey and rebel againste superioure powers rebel agaynst god so god punisheth it with eternal damnacion This is ynoughe to kepe euerye good man and trew subiect in obedience to theyr hyer powers If the reader of the scripture of god note the first the secoÌ„de chap. of Gen. he shuld perceyue rule policie or euer man wist what sinne menre for the Lord gaue the superioritie dominioÌ„ to AdaÌ„ ouer al beasts Of whoÌ„ now we may right wel lerne obedieÌ„ce yf we wer not worse theÌ„ bestes Now a word or two of the magistrates duty Aristotle calleth the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A keper of the law Let hym vse it therfore indifferentlye wythout respect of persons in punishynge suche as trouble by inordinate meanes the common wealthe and also suche as blaspheme the liuing God as godly kinges Rulars haue done Dauyd Iosias Nabucodonozor ConstaÌ„tine and other For although a Eyuyl Law and punishment can not chaunge the Herisies of the minde neyther the desire that men haue to do euell yet when they breake forth agaynst the honoure of GOD and trouble the common welthe they shoulde be punished For the maiestrat is as one that hath the two testaments tyed at hys necke and should defend them as hys owne life and therefore saynte Paule calleth him not only the reuenger of euyll but the mayntener of good and Esay the Prophet sayth the same Nowe I wyl declare my fayth concerning the external visible churche of Christ of the ministers thereof I call thys visible churche a visible congregation of meÌ„ and womeÌ„ that heare the gospell of Christ and vse his sacramentes as he hath instituted them In the whyche congregatyon the spyryte of God worketh the saluacion of al beleuers as saynte Paule sayeth The gospel is the power of God to the saluaryon of the beleuer As thoughe he hadde sayed the gospel of Christ wher it is hearde and beleued the mynde is chauÌ„ged by the vertue of the holy gost from the loue of synne vnto the loue of vertue The wyl is wrought to consente and the consente so assisted by the holye ghooste that saythe obteyneth the remission of fyâ—ne and the beginning of euerlastyng life And these two markes the true preachiÌ„g of gods word right vse of the sacrameÌ„tes declare what wher the true church is â–ª Vnto the which churche I woulde all Christian men shoulde assosiate them selues although there may happen to be some things desired in maners and discipline For no church as touchyng thys parte can be absolutely perfecte But where as the doctryne is sounde and no Idolatry defeÌ„ded that church is of God as farre as mortal man can iudge And wher as this doctrine and right vse of Sacramentes be not ther is no church of Christ though it seme neuer so holi For in the blessed virgins time the Pharisies and bishops wer accompted to be the true church yet by reason their doctrine was corrupt the true Church rested not in them but in Simeon zacharye Elisabeth the shepherdes other The same doth saynte Paule teach vs that whatsoeuer he be that preacheth other doctryne then the worde of God is not to be credited though he were an Angel of heauen Neither wyl 〈◊〉 as knowe God harken vnto theÌ„ but wyl heare Christ the Prophetes and Apostles and no other The other marke is the right vse of sacramentes wherof were two in noumber wyth the fathers in the ministerye of the church and so many yet be wyth vs in the ministerie of the churche and haue annexed vnto them the promyse of eternal saluation and also of eternall damnacion if they be contemned and may be lawfully hadde In the lawe of Moses was Circumcision and the Pascall Lambe in theyr places we haue Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord dyuers in externall elementes and Ceremonies but one ineffect misterie and thing it selfe sauing that theyr Sacramentes shewed the graces of God to be geuen vnto men in Christ to come and ours declare y â— graces of God to be geueÌ„ in Christe that is alredye come so that the Sacramentes be not chaunged but rather the Elementes of the SacrameÌ„tes And euerye of these Sacramentes haue theyr peculier proper promyses vnto the which they hange annexed as a seale vnto the writynge And there fore be called after Saynte Paule the confirmations or seales of goddes promises Thei haue peculier Elementes by the whych thei signifie the heauenly misteries that sacrameÌ„tallâ— thei coÌ„tain be the thynge in dede They are called Sacramentes That is to saye visible sygnes of inuisible grace They haue their proper ceremonies that testifie vnto vs the obsignation and confirmation of Goddes heauenly gyftes The haue also their proper commaundement because we shuld not chauÌ„ge adde nor take from them anything at our pleasures Thus in general