commaundement and pleasure in seuere iustice and immortali hatred and Ire for euer Io. 3. Saynct Paule in thepistole to the Ebrewes prouithe hym to be the prist callyd by god unto that function and office of the highe bishope Christus non glorificauit seipsum ut fierct Pontifex sed is qui dixerat ei Filius meus es tu ego hodie genui te alibi Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem meldizedek Caput 5. by whos obedience unto the crosse he gaue euerlasting healthe to as many as obeyd hym And in all thingis executyd the uerij trew office of à bishope To whom it apperteynyd to teache the people whiche was the chefist part of the hishopes office and most diligently and streightly cōmaundid by God As all the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes teach ad Christ commaundid Peter Ioan. 20. Paule all the bishopes and pristes of his tyme Act. 20. of Christes authorithe and preaching Moses and Stephin Acto 7. Deut. 18. sayth thus Prophetam suscitabit uobis Deus uester è fratribus uestris simi lem mei illum audietis He that will not harken unto his uoyce Shalbe as none of the people of God This authorite to preache te father gaue unto him in the hyryng of the Aposteles Matth. 3. 17. and bound his churche to reeeaue his doctrine sayng this is mydere belouyd sone in whom I delite hyre hyme He tawghe the will of his father unto the worold and how they might be sauyd from deathe infernall Ioan. 17. 6. Matth. 11. 5. 6. 7. so that they repentyd and beliuyd the gospel Matth. 3. Mar. 10. leaffte nothyng untawght But as a good doctor manifestyd unto his audiens all thynges necessarie for the healthe of man as the woman confessyd Ioā 4. Messias cū uenerit docebit nos omnia he prechid not only himselfe But sent his Aposteles an disciples to manifest unto te worold that the acceptable tyme of grace was com and the sacrifice for synne born into the worold Matt. 10. Io. 10. and after his resurrextion he gaue thē cōmauadement to preche and likwyce whatt hey shuld preache Ite in uniuersum mundum praedicate quae ego praecepiuobis Euangelium omni creature Matth. 28. Matth. ultimo the whiche doctrine luk thus expoundithe poenitentiam acremissionem peccatorum in omnes gentes in nomine meo initio facto ab Hierosolymis Lu ce ultim In his name to say in the knolege and faythe of his merites they shuld preche repentaynce and remission of synne unto all the worold As they dyd moost syncerely and playnly without all glosses or addicions of there awne inuencion and were as testimonies of the truithe and not the auctors therof Act 1. 1. Ioan. 1. So doothe Paule theache withe grauite and manifest wordes what is to be iudgyd of hym selfe and all other ministers Deus erat in Christo inquit mundum reconcilians sibi non imputans ei precata sua posuit in nobis sermonem reconciliationis Itaque nomine Christi legatione fungimur tanquam deo hor tante uos per nos Rogamus pro Christo reconciliemini deo Allwayes in there doctrine they tawght the thyng that Christ fyrst tawght and godes holy sprit inspyrid them Gale 1. 2. Cor. 3. holy Aposteles neuer toke upon them to be Christis uicar in the erthe nor to be his leaue tenent But sayd sic nos estimet homo ut ministros Christi ac dispensatores mysteriorum dei 1. Cor. 4. in the same Epistole he bindithe the Corinthious to folow him in nothing but where as he folowyd Christe 11. cap. Imitatores mei estote sicut ego Christi They ministryd not in the churche as thowghe Christ were absent althoughe his moost glorious body was departyd corporally into the heauens aboue But as Christ present that all wayes gouernyd his churche withe his sprit of truithe as he promisid Matt. ult Ecce ego uobiscum sum usque ad cōsummationem saeculi in the absence of his body he hathe commendyd the protection and gouernaunce of his churche unto the holy gost the same god and one god with the father and his diuinae nature Whoes diuinae puyssanc and poure ouer machithe the forse of the deuyll so that hel it selfe can not take one of Christes flock out of godes protection Ioan. 10. and this defense dury the not for aday nor here but shal demoure for euer till this churche be glorifieyd at the resurrexion of the fleshe Ioan. 15. it was no litle payne that Christe suffryd in wayshing away the sinnes of this churche Therefore he will not committ the defense therof unto man it is nolesse glorie to defend And kepe the thing wonne by forse then it is by for se to optayne the uictorye Adam Abel Abraham Moses nor Aron cold not wynne this churche out of the deuilles tyranny No more can they defend it delyuerid For althowghe by imputation of Christes iustice these men and all other ffaythfulles be delyueryd from the tyranny of the deuyll and condemnation of the law yet had and hath the deuyll his uery frendes Dwelling within the nature of man corrupt as long as he lyuithe The cōcupiscence and rebellion of mannes nature who seassythe nor day nor night to be tray man agayne to the deuill except with the motion of trew penitence this cōcupiscens be kept under in fere and faythe which too uertewes be so infirme in mā that be he neuer so perfet yet fallith he from god somtyme as Abrahā Isaac Iacob Moses and Aron Esa 43. Num. 19. therefore he kepithe the defence and gouernaunce of the churche only and soly hym selfe in whom the deuill hathe not à yot of right thowghe the Apostellis where instructyd in all truithe and lefft the same wroten unto his churche yet were they ministres seruantes testimonies and prechers of this uerite and not Christes Vicars in erthe and leaue tenent to kepe the Kayes of heuē hell and purgatory but only appoyntid to approue the thing to be godd that godes lawes commaundid ▪ And that to be yle that the word of god condemnyd Seing that Christ doothe gouern his church allwayes by his holy sprit and byndith all the ministers therof unto the sole word of god What abhomination is this that ony bishope of Rome Hierusalem antioche or else where shuld accleme to be Christis uicar in therthe and take upon hym to mak ony lawes in the church of God to bynd the consciens of man besyd the word of God and in placyng of there supersticion and Idolatry 〈◊〉 word of God out of his place by what law by whom or where hathe ony this title yeuen unto hym to be Godes uicar and leaue tenent upon therthe Moses and Aron the best Princ that euer was and most godly gouerner of the people Aron that fide le high pryst and preacher of Godes word neuer usurpyd this title to be as à second Christ and
that I condemne all princes and Kynges as Ennymies of the gospell because they peaceable enyoi there kingdōes so I wishe thē allwaies so to do with harti praier to the glory god But of this one thing I will assure euery prince of the worold the more syncere he is in the cause of god the more shalbe his crosse I report me unto the Kynges maiestye that ded is whiche at the fyrst brount as sone as he toke godes cause in hand that Leopard and dragon of Rome did not only solicitat thole forene worold agaist him but also he suffryd souch an ungodly and detestable insurrection of his papyshe subiectes and other more crosses that neuer shuld haue ben mouyd had he not unquietid the best of her rest that sate aboue his maiesti and God also in this awne Realme they be flaterers of prynces that say euerything may be rulyd with ease they cō consider not what an Ennymye of godes order the deuill is that would not only the gospell of truith to be appressid but also euery prince that studithe the preferment and setting fortb of godes word the deuill neuer seasith to molest and unquiet euery Godly polytyke and commune wealthe where there no scriptur deuine to detect thart of the deuyll Aristotile in the 5. book of his politykes were sufficient to manifest the deuille ennymyte agaynst all comme wealthes farther the nature of man is infyrm and fare unable to sustayne the offyce of ony uocaciō be it polliticall Ecclesiasticall or domesticall with out à singuler ayde of god Wese be saul that noble man who in the begynning of his raygne dyd many noble actes yet the deuill gote the uictori in the end his successor Dauid was lik wyce so intanglid in the snares of the deuill that with mouche paine he could quit hym self from the wycchyd coupe that the deuill had ons browght hym god Luk of how be it god defendid booth him and his kyngdom so that not only the preachers but also he himself tawght the word of god unto the people as he had promisid Psal 6. 50. god preseruithe aboue humane reason his ministres as he dyd Iacob from the handes of Esau Dauid ffrom Saul daniell from the lyons and Paule in the shippe where as no humane hope of saluacion was at all but onli the protection of god Those examples declare that he dooth defend his people agaynst all the worold by his mighr poore Likewyce he gouernith this churche with his only lawes and would his subiectes to know hym to honor him and to obey him as he hathe cōmaundid in his lawe Paule expressith this law Roma 1. Euangelium uirtus dei est in salutem omni credendi Marci ultimo Predicate Euangelium omni creaturae The only law wherūto this congregation is bound is the gospell as Christ saith Io. 14. Spiritus sanctus docebit uos omnia rediget uobis in memoriam omnia quae ego dixi uobis Here Christ byndith the Apostelles and all the churche unto the thynges that he had tawght them This cōmune wealthe of the trew churche is knowyn by these too Markes the pure preaching of the gospell and the ringht use of the sacramētes thus prouith Paule Ephesios 2. that the churche is bound unto the word of god super fundamentum Apostolorum prophetarum extructi estis Likwyse Esa 59. Spiritus meus qui est in te uerba mea quae posui in ore tuo nō recedent ab ore tuo nec ab ore seminis tui in aeternum Of the right use of sacramentes it is tawght 1. Cor. 11. Mar. ult Luce ult Mat. ult souche as teachith people to know the churche by these signes The traditions of men and the succeffion of bishopes teache wrong Those too false opinions hathe yeuen unto the succession of bishopes pore to interpretat the scripture and pore to mak souche lawes in the church as it pleacid them There is nomā hath pore to interpretat the scripture god for the preseruacion of his churche doothe yeue unto certayne persones the giffte and knolege to opē the scripture But that yest is no pore bound to ony order succession of bishopes or title of dignite Te princes of the Erth dooth yeue allwayes souche pore of ciuile Iustice by succession as one is cheyffe iustice for the tyme of his office to do euery thing appettayning unto the same so hath allwayes his successor the like God hathe yeuē the ciuile magistrates poure and auctorite to make souche lawes for the cōmune wealthe as shalbe agreable withe reason and not agaynst godes lawe and like wyce pore to interpretat the same lawes But this is not to be admittid in the church unto whom god hathe yeuen the gospell and inter pretatyd the same by his only sonne tawght the mening and cōtentes therof himselfe To know god and his ire agaynst sinne the greatnis of sinne the iustice yeuen in Christ the fere of god The faith in his promises the persequution of his membres The ayed and helpe of god in aduersite the resurrexion of the ded Where and what the trew church is of Euerlasting lief Of the too natures in Chtist of the father the sonne and the holy gost These be contentes of the law wher unto god hath bound his churche and commandyd here to hyre his sonne conserning the interpretation of these poyntes And at the commandement of Christ the Apostelles were sent to preache these uerites in the sprit of god It is therfore necessary to retayne in the churche the doctrine yeuē unto us by the Apostelles ād to be the disciples of there doctrine and not to fayne interpretations of our awne hedes cōtrari unto there doctrine Souche as will be the mēbres of this churche must be adisciple of the gospell ād lern in fere and humblenys of sprit tharticles of our religion as they be tawght there and not stand unto the iudgēt of ony man what so euer hebe towghe he say truithe for his truithe is nothing except thauctorite of Godes worde conteyne the sayd truithe it is a great confirmacion of our faythe when we see souche as were godly persones before us interpretat the scripture and use the Sacramentes as we doo As when the heresye of semo satenus troblid the Christiāe brothers that sayd this word uerbum in Iohan In principio erat uerbum did not signifie ony person nor substaynce deuyne They were confyrmid by the te testimony of Ireneus that hard Policar pus Iohan the Euangelist Disciple interpretat uerbū in the gospell for the sane of God second person in Trinite thowghe we be bound to hire the churche to say the trew and fayhfull preachers of Godes worde as was in this case Policarpus and Ireneus Not with stōding our faithe Is not grown dyd upon the authorite of the churche But in and upon the uoyce of the gospell we pray and inuocat the son̄e of God second
person in Trinite Because the scripture prouithe him to be god Deus erat uerbuÌ„ Also Pater meus usque modo operatur ego operor sine me nihil potestis facere Item domine Iesu accipe spiritum meum The aduersarijs of the truithe defend many à false errour under the Name of the holy churche therfore thefe treasons and secreat conspirisis must be taken hed of And when the churche is Namyd diligently to consider when the articles thei wold defend were acceptid of the churche by whom and who was thauctor of them leaue not till the mater be brought unto the first originall and most perfet churche of the Aposteles if thow find by there wrytinges that there churche usid the thing that the preachet would proue then accept it or else not be not amasid thow the speake of neuer many yers nor name neuer so many doctors Christ and his Aposteles be graunt fathers in ayge to the doctors and masters in lerning repose thy selfe only the churche that thei haue tawght the by the scripture fere nether of the ordinary pore or succession of bishopes ner of the greater part For if ether the auctorite of bishopes or the greater part shuld haue pore to interpretat the scripture the sentence of the pharises shuld haue byn preferrid before the sentence of Zacharie Simion Elizabet or the blyssid uirgine consider that many time the trew churche is but à smale coÌ„gregation as Esay saith Nisi deus reliquisset nobis semen sicut Sodoma essemus Therfore is not the interpretation of the scripture obligatid unto an ordinarie pore ner the most part As Noe Abraam Moses Samuel Dauid and Christes time testifieth Beware of decete when thow he rist the name of the churche The uerite is then assaultyd they call the churche of the deuill the holy churche many times As Korahe and the rest of the people sayd unto Moses many times why haue ye deceauid the people of god and browght them out of Egypt They were the churche of god nothiÌ„g the rather thowghe it was pentyd with this holy title but the church of the deuill and à congregation of rebellious and seditious persones as god declaryd both by word aÌ„d fact Moses callid not theÌ„ the churche of god but the church of Korahe not the people of god but rebellions and godes Ennymies as god declarid theÌ„ to be by his cruell reuenging of them so many times had the moost part byn preferrid theÌ„ the truithe had byn confundid and Moses and Aron put to deathe Remembre Christiane reader that the yeste of interpretation of the scripture is the light of the holy gost yeuen unto the humble and penitent person that sekethe it only to honor god and not unto those persones that accleme it by title or place by cause he his à bishope or folowid by succession Peter or Paule Examine there lawes by the scripture and then shalte thow perceaue they be the Ennymyes of Christes churche and the uery churche of Korahe Remembre the refore to examine all kind of doctrine by the word of god For souch as preache it aright hathe there infirmites and ignorancy they may depart from the truithe or else buld some superstition and false doctrine upon the gospell of Christ superstitioÌ„ is to be auoy did false doctrine to be abhorrid who so euer be thauctor ther of prince magistrate or bishope As the Apostelis made answer Acto 5. Oportet magis obedire deo quaÌ„ hominibus The superiour poure hath autorite and maye make what lawes the list for the wealthe and preseruation of there subiectes so it repugnat the law of nature nor the law of god but as touching the churche of Christ whiche gouernith the soule of man only the law of god must be obedied The ceremonies ordeinid for à godd order to be obseruid in the churche shuld not be neglectid as the assemblauÌ„s of people in the sabboth day and other festes wherin the word of god is preachid and he sacramentes rightly ministrid But â—ese ceremonies that partly supersticion partly auaryce partly tyranny hath browght into the church ar to be eschuyed as the sayng of priuat masses blessing of water bowgh bread bell or candell with souch like As for the prayng unto dead saynctes or to haue there imagis in te churche it is not à ceremony mater But uery playne and manifest Idolatrie coÌ„trary uÌ„to the expresse word of god who forbid dith to make ony ymagie and he that prayth unto God in the name of ony ded saynct is an Ethnick and knowith not god For he folowith his imagination and not the word of god who teachith and commaundith that we shuld booth know and pray unto him in his sonnes name Ioan. 14. the neglecting of this commaundement deseruith eternall paynes Souch as hath à knolege of Christ from hensforthe let them yeue him his right honor and leaue this Idolatrie and supersticion Considering that with great payne he wan the churche out of the handes of the deuill defendith it with his holy sprit and gouernith it with the lawes of his only word And consider whether these iniuries blasphemis troble unquietnis and destruction of godes people by the law of the bishopes be to be permittid thowghe they cry till they be horse agaiÌ„e the holy churche the holi churche Were the like troble in ony realme among the kynges subiectes by the occacion and abuse of the kynges maiestis lawes doutles could they not shew under the kynges seale there law to be of auctorite they shuld as right is sonne be put to silence and there adulterous lawes and sophisticall glosses remouid out of the way thus I know that Christ knew best all the histories of the old lawe was the present teacher himselff of all uerite and moost wyse to prouide for the churche souch lawes as shuld preserue it in his absens NOw that we know what Christe and his office is in the churche of god It is likewyce necessary for euery man that is Amembre of this churche to know what manne is and his office towardes Christ for as god hath bound hymselfe by his promes to be our god and helper for Christ so hathe he bound man by his coÌ„maundement to be his seruaÌ„t and in his worde to folow Christ and in Christ god for the commaundementes sake untill souche tyme as thend wherfore man was made be optaynid whiche is eternall foelicite and man restoryd and made like unto the ymayge of god as he was at the begynning full of iustice obedience and loue towardes his creator and maker I will not studing breuite and to be short wret particulerli of euery membre and office therof where withe all the hole masse and substannce of man is framyd that I refer unto the lernid phisicions that wrytithe diligently of the partes of man and unto Lactantius de opificio dei Nethere what man was at his beginning before he sinnid full of godly knolege Allwaies
preach simple without dispensation of ony part of godes most necessarie word And whether all the occatious of Idolatre be taken away as ymagy ce whom Gregori callith the bokes of the lay men thowghe this title be agaynst the second commaundement and neuer approuid bythold testameÌ„t nor the new â—y word or examplewhere as thoccacion is not remouid the word of god must nedes stand in haserd for god will not Say the wysdom of man what it list haue his churche pesteryd with ony kynd of Idolatrie and to mak god and the deuill agre in one churche it is impossible Saynct Iohn hathe wounderfull wordes in the Apocalippes cap. 3. Vnto the churche of laodicensium scio opera tua quia neque frigidus neque feruidus Vtinam frigidus esses aut feruidus itaque quoniam tepidus es nec frigidus nec feruidus incipiam te euome re de ore meo These wordes aruero necessarie to be bonr in mynd For he that is nether hote nor cold But indifferent to use the kolege of godes word and Christes churche withe the word and glosse of man that teachith the use of ymagys in te church before he can proue by tauctorite of godes word that they may besuffryd in the church doothe not well they haue byn thoccacion of greathurt and Idololatrye the church of the old testament nor the new neuer tawght the people with ymagys Therfore it shalbe the office of euery man that louithe god and his word to folow the scripture onli And to be wayle the ignorancy of souche as hathe before our tyme or now in our tyme by wordes or wryting defend the same And with all humilite and humblenys submitt hymselfe to the iudgmet and Censure of the iudge of all Iugdes the word of god that he may wysely and godly dissern what is to be belyuid and acceptyd of ony doctors wrytinges and what is not to be acceptyd What is to be perdonid and what is not to be pardonid and by the perylles and dangers of other lern to be wyse that we commit not the same fault à fyne glosse and fere interpretacion cannot make godd an ile thing if I shuld say an ymage prouokyth deuocion holy waterteachith that the blud of Christ was sprynklyd for my sinnes the holy breade teachith that Christes body was torn for my sinnes what shall thesse glosses excuse the fact nay nay Christ that died for our sakes would not his deathe to be prechid this way but out of the scripture by the tong of man and not out of the decrees of Bishopes by adrop of water or peyntyd post he that tok the paines to dy and suffre his passion for te redeÌ„tion of the worold soly and only soly and only hathe taken the paynes to teach the worold how and which wai they shuld kepe this passion in mynd and lefft it unto the worold in wryting by the handes of his holy Aposteles unto the which wreting only he hathe bound and obligatyd his churche and notto the wretings of men In this passaige I admonishe the Christiane reader that I speake not of the lawes of magistrates or princes that daili ordey ne new lawes for the preseruacion of there comune wealthe as they se the necessite of there Realmes or cites require But of souche lawes as men hathe ordeinid for the churche of Christ whiche shuld be now and for euer gouernyd by the word of God In this cause loke as eue offendid obeyng the persuacion of the deuill contrary unto the commaundement of God so doothe euery man offend obeyng ony lawes or decrees that commaundithe ony thyng contrary unto the word of God This law must preuayle Oportet Deo magis obedire quâm hominibus The exampleherof we haue in Daniel of the thre chyldren that chose reather to burn in the firie furny se then to worshipp The ymiage that Nabucadneser had made so did the Aposteles Act. 5. let all the worold coÌ„sider whether these lawes of the Bishopes the Masse whiche is â prophanation of Christes supper to bynd meÌ„nes consciens to pray unto did saynctes to say Imagis be to be suffryd in the temples and constrayne the ministres of the churche to lyue sole contrary unto there uocacion ar to be obeyd or not they do no lesse offend God in obeyng these lawes then Eue dyd in obeyng the uoyce of the serpeÌ„t the wysdom of all the wittes in the worold cannot coÌ„prehend the greatnys of this yle mak what lawes they will for the body so the leaue the consciens fre with pacience it is to be suffryd only I lament the bondayge of the conscieÌ„s cursyd be these that make souche lawes and cursyd be those that withe sophistrie defend them that parasitus and bond man of the bishope of Rome pigius in his writiÌ„ges shamith not to say it is lesse synne for â prist to kepe an other mannis wief then to haue â wiefe of his awne Conserning actes indifferent whiche of them selfes or nether good nether yle as to refrayne from eating of fleshe the fryday obseruyng of the fests kept holy in the remembrance of souche holy martires as died for the faythe of Christ or in keping holy Ester and witsonday there is too respeects most diligeÌ„tly to be obseruid thone good and to be suffrid the other yle and to be eschewyd souche as abstayne from fleshe and think they do better seruyce to god and would lik wice obtayne remission of there synnes by those workes do declare boothe them selfes and there workes to be yle But souche as abstay ne because the sprite may be more ardent and the mynd more yeuen to study and prayer doothe well and as they be bound to do and to com unto the temple to pray for them selfes and the churche of Christ and to hyre the word of god doothe well for as god commaundithe his word to be preachyd and hard so he hathe apoyntid à certayne tyme as the sabbothe whenpeople shuld hyre it And not only this order to be obseruid in the churche but also in euery familye and houshold of what degre so euer he be He shuld cause his familie and chyldren to rede some part of the Bible for there erudition to know god Likwy ce he shuld constrayne them to pray unto god for the promocion of his holy word and for the preseruacion of the gouerners of the commune wealthe so that no day shuld passe witheout prayer and augmeÌ„tacion of knolege in the religion of Christ But our new Euangelistes hathe an other opinion they dreame of faythe that iustifieth the whiche nether repentaynce presedithe nether honesty of lyffe folowithe which shalbe to there doble damnacioÌ„ if they amend not He that will conforme his knolege unto the word of god let hym likwyce conuert his Itef withe all as the word requirithe and as all the examplis of Christ and his gospelle teachithe or else what will he do withe the doctrine of Christ whiche only
teachith and sufficiently teachithe all uerite and uerrewes lief let hym tary style in the doctrine of man and lyue as manly and as carnally as he list and not professe to know god nether his trewthe rather then so to slaunder them boothe This sufficithe to proueth only word of god to be sufficiēt to teache the truithe All other mennes lawes to be nether necessarie nether profetable and certayne we be that the churche of the Apostelles dyd waunt these decrees that papistre of late dayes faythyd the churche withe all Caput V. THe second office of Christ is to pray and to make intercession for his people This office Iohan wrytithe of in his fyrst epistole if ony man synne we haue an aduocate withe the father Iesus Christ that makithe intercession for us And as Paule saythe Christus qui mortuus est imo qui suscitatus qui etiam est ad dexteram dei qui intercedit pro nobis in his name and in the belyue and cōfidens of his meritis we may optayne the mercis of god and liffe euer lasting as Paule say the ▪ Accedamus cum fiducia ad tronum graciae ut consequamur misericordiam gratiam inueniamus ad oportunum auxilium Ebre 4. this intercession of Christ only sufficithe no man shuld secke ony other mediatour of intercession or expiacion of synne as Paule saythe declaring the sufficiency and abilite of Christes deathe and intercession Christus manet in aeternum perpetuum habens sacerdocium Vnde saluos facere ad plenum potest qui per ipsum adeunt deū semper uiuus ad hoc ut interpellet pro illis Vnto this intercessiō and prayer in Christes name he bound his churche by expresse commaundement Petite accipietis Aske and yt shalbe yeuen youe and in the same place he shewithe the cause wherfore it shalbe yeuen Quicquid petieritis patrem in nomine meo dabit uobis What so euer ye aske in the belyue and confidence of my merites it shalbe yeuen unto youe sainct Paule callith Christ Sytting at the right hand of god the minister and seruant of the saynctes to say of souche as be here lyuing in this troblyd and persecutyd churche to solicitat and do all there affars as a faythfull Embassadour with the father of heuen untill the consummacion of the worold this doctrine of Christes intercessiō must be all wayes diligently preachyd unto the people and like wyce that in all necessites calamites and troble the afflictyd person to syke none other meanes to offre his prayers unto God but Christ only according as the scripture teachithe and as we haue example of holy saynctes in the same Not only in the new testamēt were as he cōmaudithe us to pray in his name and Stephin in his martyrdom Acto 7. commendid his sprit unto this only mediatour sayng domine Iesu Accipite Spirituū meum But also in the ole Testament thus prayed the patriarks and Prophetis Iacob Gē 48. benedicat pueris istis Deus Angelus qui eripuit me de cūctis malis Dauid Psal 71. Et adorabūt ipsum semper For asmouche as Christis daily in heauen and praythe for his churche the churche of Christ must pray as Christe hathe towght it As the Patriarkes Prophetes and the Aposteles hathe yeuen us example whic neuer prayd unto ded saynct ye as Christ hathe yeuē us exāple hangyng in the crosse saing pater in manus tuas commendo spiritum meum What intollerable Ile blasphemy of God and Etnycall Idolatrie is this to admitt and teache the inuocacion of sanctes departyd out of this worold it takythe from God his trew honor it makythe hym â foule that only hathe ordeynid only Christ to be mediatour betwē man and him it dyminyshithe the merites of Christ takythe from the law of god here perfection and Maiesty where as God hathe openid his will and pleasure unto the worold in all thynges It condēnithe the old churche of the Patriarches and Prophetis likewyce the churche of the Aposteles and Martyres that neuer thawght thinuocacion of saynctes It accufithe the scripture of God to be false whiche saythe thow shalt nether ad nether dymynishe ony thyng it makith Christ alyer that sayd Spiritum quem ego mittam â patre docebituos omnem ueritatem If the men that teache sancta Maria ora pro nobis Be more holy then all the Pratriarches or Prophetes and Aposteles let the consciens of the Christia ne reader iudge This distinction of mediatours To be one of expiacion for synne Christ and an other of intercession the saynctes departyd is nawght it repugnythe the manifest text of the scripture It is the office only of Christ to be the mediator for synne and like wyce to offer the prayers of the churche to his father Ioan. 1. Ecce agnus dei qui tollit peccata mundi as concerning intercession he commendithe us only to ask in his name And prescribid the maner how to aske and what to aske Luce 11. souche as say if the saynctes that we pray unto here us not ner profet adee lyet it hindrithe notwe loost but our labour this mouche it hindrth it declarithe hym that praythe to be aninfidele To pray unto that god or goddes that is not able to healpe him nor hyre his prayer and no better thē he that prayd unto the imayge of iubiter in creta that had nether yares nor yees It declarithe hym to cōtemne boothe god and his worde who assurithe euery man in euery time and in euery distresse not only to hyre hym but also to yeue ayede Mat. 11. so now this worshiper of saynctes departithe from the knowen and all mighty god to an unknowen god and preferrith the doctrine of man and the deuill before the scripture of truithe and the lyuīg god I hope this detestable errour is cum to light and almen tawght to pray as the scripture Canonicall teachethe But there is an other yle as great as this to be reprehendyd of all souche as know how to pray a right the benig of ymagis in the temple whiche the worold saythe may be suffryd in the churches And say they be godd to put the people of God in remembrance of souche godly saynctes as died for Christes sake But this is allwayes the subtylty of the deuyll when à manifest yle cannot be born withall to syk â glosse and interpretacion that where ashe cannot walke in the churche openly like à deuill and haue candelles styctkyd before apost and the ymayges kissyd yet to desire som̄e man to put â fere Cote apon his bake that he may haue â place in the churche to lurke in untill souche tyme as occation be ministryd to shew hymselfe agayne as he is The auctorite of Godes word requirithe me to pronounce this trew iudgmet in the cause of ymagyes that be not worshippid in the churche that there presence in the churche is agaynst godes word as well
certayne the darkyn the simple and playne uerite therof with intollerable sophismes the make heuen hell and hell heuen torn upp side downe and peruert the order of God if the heauen and godes right hand whether our saniours body is ascendyd be euery where and notith no certayne place as these uncertayne men teach I will belyuc no ascension what nedith it seing Christes body is euery where with his goded I will interpretat this article of my crede thus Christus ascendit ad dextram patris patris dextra est ubique ergo Christus ascendit ad ubique Se what erronyus doctryne folowith there imaginacions As coÌ„serning the right hand of God it is taken somtyme for God hymselfe and his omnipotent poure Psalm 117. dextra domini fecit uirtutem dextra domini exaltauit me thus his right hand taken for his poore it is euery where But it is not so taken when whe say Christ sittithe at the right hand of God As mark saith capit ultimo and as Stephen sayd Act. 7. Video Iesum stantem à dextris Dei But it signifieth acertayne place of Ioy where as the sowles of the blessyd sanctes rest thether hathe God translatyd the body of Christ to be in as mouche Ioy as it was incontempt here in the erthe as Paule saythe Philip. 2. Sitting thus at the right hand of god his body is as trew man as it was upoÌ„ the erthe and in lenghe breath and weight as phisicall matematical and naturall abody as it was hanging upoÌ„ the crosse in the changing of mortale qualites the humanite of Christe is nether destroyd nor changid into his deite but as trewly as his godhed coÌ„cerning his essence cannot be sen so is his body wher so euer it be subiect unto the iudgmeÌ„t of the senses And as he that makith à house first conceuithe à trew form in his imaginacion and yet the imaginacion nor concept of the mind is not materiali the house so souche as dreame and imagine à certayne phantasie and reduce the form and figure of à trew body into there imagination is not à trew body but à coÌ„cept or imaginacion of à body as those men haue that say Christ is in the bread and with the bread yet ocopy yth it no place nor is not sensible This is a wounderful doctrine to make that glorious body of Christ to be à trew body and yet lackith all the qualites and quantites of à body if Christ could haue souche à dreming body as they spek of yet may I not belyue it is in the sacrament corporally because Christ sayth Nolite credere And where they would better the mater with these wordes that Christ in the tyme of his being upon therthe dyd many thinges aboue the nature of abody and caryd his body sometime inuisible and entryd the house of the disciples the gates being shut they proue nothing only the troble the simple consciens and stablysh souch as be more addict unto the wryting of man then unto the wryting of god in there errour Peter walkid upon the water yet was uery man nothing the lesse so it pleacyd god to use his creatures to his glori Christes body was nothing changyd all thoughe somtymes for fere of the stones he conueyd hymself out of the way thowghe his disciples knew not how he entryd the dores being shit it is possible Inowg that he openyd the dores and yet they perceauid it not mens yeyes be obedient unto the creatour that they may se on think and yet not à nother The scripture so teachite those yle men that would haue don uilanye unto the angelles in loothes house Gene. 19. were made so blynd they could not fynd the next dore to them yet byd lothes house still in one place the same may ye rede 4. Reg. 6. how god made blind the assirians hoste so that Elizeus led the hole army into the cite of Samarie Balaam saw to bet his Asse And yet could not see the angell that the Asse saw till he was reprehendid by the Angell Num. 22. here may ye se that those reasones ê“uith nothing that they would Christes bodi to be in the sacrameÌ„t because soÌ„times he would not be sen of his ennymys This is oure belyue that Christ is ueri man and lik unto his brothers Ebr. 2. therefore where so euer his body be it must haue the qualites and quantites of à trew man if his body be corporally in the sacrament and yet with out all propertis of à trew body this text is false habitu iuuentus ut homo likwyce this similis est fratri bus per omnia They graunt that only the sprit of man eatithe the bodi of Christ in the sacrameÌ„t then other the sprit of man is turnyd into â corporall substance or else the body of Christ lostithe his corporall substance and is becom à sprit for it is not possibile for the sprit of man to eat corporally à corporall body nomore then he that studith the scripture and commeÌ„dith the contentes of the Bible to his memorie eatith corporalli the booke but by the helpe of godes sprit and his awne diligence he eatith theffect Marie and doctrine of the Bible and incase it were corporally and substancially withe paper and ynk in the botom of the see yet the lernid man may coÌ„fort him selfe and teache the maryners in the shippe with the coÌ„tentes therof thowghe the corporall Bible be drowid So in the sacrament the Christiane hart that is instructid in the law of god and knowith the right use of the sacramentes by the holy goost and afyrm fayth that he hath in the merites of Christes body and soule which is ascendid corporally into heuen man in sprit receaue theffect Marrye swetnys and commodite of Christes precious body thowg it neuer descend corporally thus dooth faith and the scripture coÌ„pell the churche to be lyue WheÌ„ they say it is in the sacrament and yeth mouith not from the right hand of God I belyue not there sayng but require aprobation therof Christ hath not so great à body to fill heuen and erthe corporally similis est fratribus perfectus deus perfectus homo they make hym there and yet ocopy no place then it is no body for à trew body phisicall and matematical as Christes body is cannot be except it ocopi place they say I must belyue and say with the uirgine Ecceancilla domini I mai not seke to know the meanes how Well let them do asmouch to me in this mater as was don unto the uirgine Mari and I am content she could not comprehend how Christ was made man in here bely yet theffect and corporall natyuite of Christ assertaynyd booth here reason and senses that she had born à trew bodi It shal suffice me if they mak demonstracioÌ„ unto my senses and warrant my reason that they haue present à corporall body how it cummith and by what meanes I leaue that unto god
but untill souch tyme as they shew me that glorious and perfeit mannes body of Christ as it was shewid unto the blessid uirgine there sayng belyue belyue shall not com into my belyue for Christ saith Nolite credere Of Christes wordes Marci 13. de die illo nemoscit the moment of the last tyme No man knowithe nether the sonne of god in asmouche as he is man I gather this argument A maiori if it be denied Christ concerning his man hed to know the last day mouch more to be euery where or to be in diuer places at one tyme is denied his humanite for it is more iÌ„possible and wounderfull to be euery where then to know many thinges I kno the Geographus conceuithe and coÌ„prehendithe all the worold in his hed But to be in all places where as his thowghtes and sprit is ocopyed it is impossible farther Christ is body hathe not loost his corporall qualites but wher so euer he be corporaly there is he with all qualites of abody and not withe out qualites as these dreamers imagine I will not iudge my sauiour that died for the sinne of the worold to haue abody in heuen sensible with all qualites of trew man and in the sacrament with out all qualites and quantites of à trew body But abhor and detest with the scriptura this opinion as an heresy so litle differing from marcion that I can scarse put diuersite as corporally is the corporall and substantiall body of all Englond in the hed of hym that describith by mape or cart the hole Realme in Italy or other wher so corporally is the body of Christ in the hart of the Christian The concept imaginacion or form conceuid of Englond is not the body mater nor substance selfe of inglond no more is the spirituall coÌ„cept of Christes body the corporall body it selfe thowg Auicen and Auerrois would prow souch à conclusion yet the fayth of our Religion will not suffre it à Pantasticall imagination to be à trew substannce to say that Christes uere naturall body is in the erth and yet inuisible it is to destroy the body and not to honor the body Aristole li. 5. metaphisicoruÌ„ cap. 22. definit what inuisible is inuisible inquit est quod non habet omni no colorem Take this from Christes body that it is trewly in the sacrament corporally and yet inuisible is to say Christ hath lost all the colour shape and form of his humanite But what shall Aristolle do in this our fayth the scripture teachith what we shuld belyue ascendit ad coelos sedet ad dex tram Dei patris omnipotentis Inde ueÌ„turus est iudicare uiuos mortuos Act. 1. Mar ultimo Luc. ultimo And hath leffte us à sacrament of his blessid body the which wear bond to use religiousy and many times to exercise and stablish our fayth and he being absent corporally dooth communicat by fayth in sprit that most precious body and the merites of the same and would to god peple would use it with more reuereÌ„ce and more awght as the scriptur teachith with trew amendemet of lieff and fyrm fayth I pout out a book in Septembre last past dedycatyd to my lord of wincheffter where in I haue declarid all my fayth conserning this blessyd and holy sacrament therfor I will passe to the other offyce of Christes pryshed Caput IX THe fourthe offyce of Christ is to consecrat and sanctifie these that beliue in him He is not onli holy him self but makith holy others also As he saythe IoaÌ„ 17. Pro eis sanctifico meipsum ut sint ipsi sanctificati perueritatem this sanctification is none other but à trew knolege of God in Christ by the gospell that teachyth us how unclene wear by the sinne of Adamme an how that wear clensid by Christ for who is sake the father of heauen doothe not only remitt the sinnes wrowght willyngly agaynst the word of God but also the imperfectioÌ„n and naturall concupiscens whiche remaynythe in euery man as long as the nature of man is mortall How the father dooth sanctifie his people the prayer of Christ shewith Ioan. 17. sanctifica eos per ueritatem tuam sanctifie them by thy word purche the hart teache them halow them make them apt for thy kyngdon wherwithe withe thy worde which is euer lastiÌ„g uerite The meaÌ„s to sanctifie is the word of God the holy gost and faith that receuith the word of our redemption so doothe Peter say Acto 15. Fide purgari corda nostra Here is the cause expressyd wherby we accept our sanctificacion by fayth sayth sanct Peter saynct Paule 1. Corint 6. shewith for whois sake and wherfore we ar sanctified Abluti estis sanctificati estis iustificati estis per nomen domini Iesu ê‘ spiritum Dei nostri For the merites of Iesus Christe by the operacion of the holy goost This is to be allwaies markyd that when Christ had prayed his father to sanctifie his church by his word and by his holy sprit and destityd hym to preserue them from ile for his mercys sake He addid the pryce the merites and iust deseruyng of Godes graces and sayd I sanctifie my selfe for them because they may be sanctified by the truith He sanctified hymselfe for the churche when he died for the detestable unclenys and fylthinis therof more stynkyng and fylthy theÌ„euer was the thaborryd and leporous bodi of Lazar 9. as tawghe he had said for asmouch as I offer aÌ„d submitt myselfe unto the bytter and cruell payne of the crosse for the church thow must most holy father sanctifie them and accept them as sanctified norysh theÌ„ loue them and defend them for the price and satisfactioÌ„ of my deathe what à consolacion is this for euery troblyd consciens to undrestond althowgh it be unworthi of remission of sinne for the gratnys therof yet for the prayer of Christ he shall not be a cast away so that he belyue as Christ said he praid not only for his Apostelles but also for as many as shuld beliue his word till the woroldes end as many as wilbe gospellers as the Ioue the gospel aÌ„d there awne saluacion let them not daily and play with it as thowgh god were à babe to be pleacid with à figg for syn let hym thynk upon the most uile and tyrannous deathe of hym that only was able to clense us from sinÌ„e and from hens beware of sinne it suffycit as Paule saythe that before we knew the truith to lyue want only 1. Cor. 6. Caput X. Of this verite and truit that the gospell reachith us only to be sanctfiied in the blud of Christ is confutyd the blaspemus pryde of the Bishope of Rome THat namith hiÌ„selfe the most holy father and takith upoÌ„ him to sanctifie all other men of therth as Godes uicar and leaue tenent to absolue à poena à culpa to pull out of hel aÌ„d send to heuen with his pardons Masses and
it is wroten Esa 43. Populum istum for maui mihi ut laudē meam annunciet and likwyce ca. 66. the Prophetes and Apostelles dooth use many times this word annunciare pro laudare gratias agere so doth Paule 1. Cor. 11. Mortem domini annunciabitis donec ueniat ye shall shew the deathe of the lord untill he com id est ye shall celebrat the death of Christ with all preses and yeuing of thankes souche as be sanctified by Christe must lyue an honest and holy lief or else his sanctification auaylith not as god for soke the chylder of Israel for sinne so wil he do us they were electyd to be his people with this condition si audiendo audieris uocem uocē meā custodieris pactum meū Exo. 19. Eritis mihi in peculium de cunctis populis He that fauoryd not the Israelites but toke cruell uengēce upon them because they walkid not in there uocatiō will do and dooth dayly the same unto us Rom. 11. Therfore one of these too we must nedes do that say we be iustified and sanctified in Christ ether from the botom of our hartes amend or else be eternally loost with all our gostelie knolege for the ax is put to the rote of the tre So far is the malice of man procedid that the Ire of god can be nolenger differyd a great tyme hath the gospell byn knowen of many men Yet the lief of the gospell as new to syk as thowgh it were but now begon therfore see we how God beginnyth againe to permit the darkenys of errour to ouer whylme the worold souch blindenis euer folowith the contempt of godes word and the unthankfull receuing therof Tberfore as we be sanctified by Christ so let us bare hym and sanctifie hym in our brestes or else we peryshe Ro. 6. for fayth intendith and allways makyth hast unto this porte as Paule saith Tit. 2 ut sancte iuste ac pie uiuamus men knowith not what the gospell is they rede it as they reade beuis of hāptō or the gestes of Robin hode If they may know what the scripture sayth they iudge it sufficiēt wher as it is cleane cōtrary men shuld not only reade the scripture to be wyser but to be better we bare the name of Christ and confesse him We must therfore be those persones in who is lieff the stappes of Christ must appere or else we blaspheme our master wois name we bare Ro. 6. 13. because after baptisme we shuld lyue à modest and remperat lief Christ departid into the desert and fastid Making this answer unto the deuill Non in solo pane uinit homo man is not creatyd to the fond pleasures of the worold but to regard what the will of god requirith They deceaue them selfes that trust to fayth where as honesty of lief folowith not Faythe is matres in the soule of the Christiane and entertaynithe no souch seruantes as be adulterours Thyffes slaūderours dronkerdes Couetous persones Swerers ille and unocopyed raueners of the meat of the pore But cherite peace temperaney prayer liberalyte and flyyng thoccation of yle 2. Pet. 1. lacob 2. 1. Cor. 12. Caput XI AS the scripture teachīte Christ to be the ueri trew prist ād bishope the church prayth for the churche satisfieth the Ire of god for the sinne of the church and only sanctifieth the churche So doothe it proue Christ to be the Kyng Emperour and protector of the churche And that by thoffice and property of à kyng that defendithe his subiectes not only by his godly lawes but also by forse and ciuile resistance As the Ennymies of his commune wealthe shall ministre occaciō By those too menes euery cōmune wealthe is preseruid as the scripture teachith princes Christenid and Ethnikes Aristotelle in his politikes Iustiniane in the proeme of his institutions The scripture euery where Pharo that would this churche of god and commune wealth of the Israelites to be destroid was loost and all his Armie in the see the idolaters that would mak the cōmune wealthe of Christes churche one with the cōmune wealth of Egypt were destroyd souche as Rebellid Koreh and Rubinites agaynst the gouenrs of godes churche Moses and Aron were destroyed withe the artillyrie of godes ire all the princes and nations that possessid the land of Chanaan god destroyed to set his cōmune wealthe in an order In the later dayes when the kyng of this commune wealthe shuld be born the Angell declaryd unto the blessid uirgine of what puissance and poure this Kyngdom of Christ shuld be Regnabit inquit in domo Iacob in aeternū regni eius nō erit finis Lu. 1. althow now the cōmūe wealth of the churche hath no certayne place apointid where it shall remayne as it was appointid in thold law yet certayne we be that this kingdon of Christ remaynith upon the erthe and shall do till the erthe be burnyd Matth. 16. 28. 1 Corint 15. How be it as Christ wan and optaynyd this kyngdon in the later days with out shyld or spere so doothe he preserue it with his holy sprit and not will carnall wepynes as Christ sayed unto Pilate Ioan. 18. Regnum meum non est de hoc mūdo Menyng that he would not raygne in this worold as aprynce of this worold with pompe and pryde but defend his people with his holy sprit that the deuill nether the worold shuld not breake there pacïence thowghe many afflictions and sorowes shuld fyght against them for the truithes sake Christ doothe not deny to be the kyng of the worold Before Pilate But that he ment not to raigne woroldlye to the hindreaunc and defacyng of temperours dignite and title as the Iewes falsly accusid hym as Cirillus libr. 12. capit 10. in Iohannem sayth and so is the mind of saynct Augustine in the same place This kyngdom is spirituall Christ sitting at the right hand of God the father praithe for us yeuithe us remissiō of sin̄e and the holy goost to fight and ouercom the worold Hathe leffte here in the churche his gospell thonly wepyn to fight with all for the tyme of this mortall liefe Ioan. 17. Where he definithe lyffe euerlasting to be the knolege of god So doth Paule Ro. 8. proue this kyngdom to be spirituall And that concerning the body it apperith that Christ defendith not his people because they liue in souch disdayne and aduersite but here after it shall appere as Paule sayth Col. 3. And Ioan. 1. Io. 3. Nunc filij dei sumus sed nondum manifestum est quales erimus This kingdom shalbe euer persequutid till the woroldes end Psal 2. 115. 71. Esay the prophet describid the churche of this present lief sayng Dabit uobis dominus panem arctū aquam exiguam non auferet à te ultra doctorem tuū cap. 30. thus the church shall remayne but alwayes in affliction I know souche as fauorith not the truith will interpretat my wordes