wordê and sacrameÌ„tes be of efficacitie and strength although euyll menne haue the handlynge of them And in the meane season he teachethe that those wicked meÌ„ although they haue the societie of outwarde sygnes yet they be not the very kyngdome of Christe and the membres of Christe for they be membres of the kiÌ„gdome of the deuyll Neyther do we dreme of a Platonical citie as certain men do wyckedly belye vs but we do saye that this hath a beinge and is in dede euen the true beleuers and ryghtous men sparcled scatered abrode throughout the hole worlde And we put vnto tokens and markes the pure doctrine of the gospell and due administration of the sacramentes And this churche is proprely the pyller of trouthe for it holdeth faste the true and pure gospell and as Paule saythe the fouÌ„dation whiche is the true knowledge and faythe of Christ albeit there be euen amonge these also manye weyke persones whiche vpon the fundation do buylde stubble or strawe that shall perysshe that is to say certayne vnprofitable opinions whiche yet bicause they do not ouerturne and destroye the fundation be partly forgyuen them and partly also be amended But the wrytynges of the holy fathers do witnesse that otherwhiles they haue also buylded stubble vpon the fundation but yet suche haue not ouerthrowen theyr fayth But the most parte of these thynges whiche our aduersaries do defende do quite cleane ouerthrowe the faythe as for example that they do condempne the article of remission of synnes In whiche we do say that by fayth is receyued remission of synnes It is a a manifeste and a perylous errour also that our aduersaries do teache men to merite remission of sinnes by loue towardes god before grace For this also is to take awaye the fundation that is to witte Christe Also what shall we nede faythe if the sacramentes iustifie by the vertue of the warke that is wrought without the good motion of mynde And lykewyse as the churche hath a ê“myse that it shall alway haue the holy ghoste so hath it coÌ„minations and thretnyngê that there shal be wycked teachers and wolues But that is proprely the churche whiche hath the holy ghooste where as wolues and euyll teachers although they worke maistries in the church yet they be not proprely the kyngedome of Christe as Lyra witnesseth whan he saythe The churche staÌ„deth not in men by the reason of the power or dignitie ecclesiasticall or seculare For many princes and also byshops of Rome with other infeâ—iors haue ben fouÌ„de to haue runne out of the faythe Wherfore the churche standeth in those persones in whom is the true knowledge and confession of fayth trouthe What other thynge sayde we in our confession than that whiche Lyre sayth here But paradueÌ„ture our aduersaries do require that the Churche shuld be thys wyse defined that it is the hyghest outwarde monarchie of al the worlde in whiche the byshop of Rome ought to haue absolute power to do what soeuer hym lusteth with out rendryng accoÌ„ptes to any man Of whiche power no man ought to dispute or iudge â–ª whiche hath also power to make articles of the fayth to abrogate what soeuer scriptures he lyste to institute obseruauÌ„ces sacrifices Also to make what soeuer lawes hym lysteth to dispense and loose from what soeuer lawes he lyste whether they be goddes lawes or canonical lawes or ciuile lawes of whom themperour and all kynges shulde receyue power and ryght to holde theyr kyngdomes by the coÌ„maundement of Christe to whom sythe the father hath made all thynges subiecte we ought to vnderstaÌ„de that the same power and auctoritie is deryued and translated in to the pope â–ª Wherfore it is necessarye that the pope be lorde of the hole worlde of all the kyngedomes of the worlde of all thynges bothe publyke and priuate and that he haue fulnes of power in temporall spirituall thynges and that he haue bothe the swerdes the spirituall and the temporal And this diffinition not of the churche of Christ but of the kyngdome of the pope hath auctores for it not only canonistê but also Daniell in the .xj. chaptre That if we wolde define the churche after this facion ê‘aduenture we shulde haue more egall and indifferent iudges For many thynges there be vnmeasurably and wyckedly wryten coÌ„cernyng the power of the byshop of Rome for whiche no man was euer yet accused we only be rebuked punyshed bicause we preache the benefite of Christ yâ— by faythe in Christ we get remissyon of sinnes and not by ceremonies seruicê deuised by the bysshop of Rome But Christ the prophetes and all the apostels do farre otherwyse define the churche of Christ than the kyngedome of the byshop of Rome Neither is that to be translated to byshops of Rome whiche apê‘teineth to the true church that is to wit that they be pyllers of truth that they do not erre For what one of them dothe sette his mynde on the gospell or doth iudge it to be worthy the redynge Many men also do openly scorne all good lyuers and the true syncere religion of Christ or yf they do prayse any thynge they prayse those thynges whiche are agreinge to the reason of men They thinke all other thynges to be but lies and tales and like to the tragedies of poetes Wherfore we according to the scriptures do thinke that the churche taken in his proper sygnifycation is the congregation of holy men which do truly beleue the gospel of Christe and haue the holy ghost And yet neuertheles we graunte that there be many hypocrites and euell men mengled amonge them in this lyfe which haue a societie feloshype of outwarde sygnes and sacramentes which be members of the churche as touchynge the societie of outwarde signes and therfore they beare offices in the Churche Neyther dothe thys thyng take away the effycacitie vertue from the sacramentes because they be mynistred by vnworthye persons sythe they do represente the persone of Christe by the reason that the churche hathe called them and nat there owne persons as Christ witnesseth Who that heareth you heareth me For when they mynyster the worde of Christ when they minister the sacrameÌ„tes of Christ they minister theÌ„ in the stede place of Christ. And this teacheth vs that sayenge of Christe leste we shulde be offended with the vnworthynes of the mynisters But as concernynge thê matter we haue spoken plainly ynough in our coÌ„fession where we do disalowe the Donatistes and the wiclevistes which thought that those men dyd syn which receyued the sacramentes of vnworthy persons in the churche These thynges at thê tyme semed to be sufficiente to the defense of the description of the church which we taught Nether do we se syth the churche in hys proper signification is called the body of Christ howe it shulde haue ben otherwyse discrybed then we haue destribed it for thê is vndouted that wycked men do belonge to the kingdome
acknowledge yâ— our harte naturally is voyde of loue of feare of trust towardê god Therfore saieth the prophete After that the haste shewed it vnto me I strake my thyghe Also I sayde in my traunce euery man is a lyar that is to saye an vntrewe thynker of god ⧠⧠Here the aduersaries do also reproue Luther because he wrote that originall synne remayneth after baptime They adde that this artycle was ryghtly coÌ„deÌ„pned by Leo the tenthe But the emperours maiestie shal espye here a manifest be spoken of ciuyle iudgement nat of the iudgement of god They sowe vnto them euen as wysely this sentence Nature is nat euyl this spoken in place is nat repreueable but it maye nat be wrested to the diminishyng of originall synne and yet these sentencies be red amonge scholemen whiche out of due season do mengle philosophie with the gospell Nor these were nat disputed only in scholes but froÌ„ the scholes they were brought to the people And those persuasions raygned and nourished the affiauÌ„ce of humane powers and oppressed the knowledge of the grace of Christe wherfore Luther wyllyng to declare the magnitude of original synne of humane infirmitie taught that the resydues or dregges of originall sine be of the owne nature in man nat indifferent thynges but that we nede the grace of god that they maye nat be imputed and the holy ghoste that it maye be mortified Albeit the scholemen do make lesse bothe the synne and the payne teachynge that man of hys owne power may do the commaundementes of god In Genesis is otherwyse described the payne due for originall synne For there nat only to deathe and other corporall punyshementes mans nature is made subiecte but also to the kyngdome of the deuyll For there is gyuen this horrible sentence I wyl put enmities betwexte the and the woman and betwexte thy sede and her sede Defaute and concupysceÌ„ce be punyshementes and also synnes Deathe other corporall euyls and the tyrannye of the deuyll be properly punyshementes For mans nature is gyuen into boÌ„dage and holden captiue of the deuyl whiche infecteth it with wycked opinions and errours and impelleth it to al kyndes of synne But as the deuyll can naâ— be vaynquyshed without the ayde of Christe â–ª so can nat we by our owne powers redeme our selues out of this bondage The very historie of the worlde sheweth vs howe greate is the power of the deuyls kyngdome The worlde is full of blasphemies agaynste god of wycked opinions and with these bondes the deuyl hath in captiuite the wyse and ryghtwyse men in the face of the worlde In other sume appere more grosse vices But when Christe is gyuen vnto vs whiche taketh awaye these synnes these punyshmentes and destroyeth the kyngdome of the deuyll synne and death the benefytes of Christe can nat be knowen onles we vnderstande our owne euyls Therfore of these thynges our preachers do diligently teache and they teache nat any newe thing but the holy scripture and sentences of holy fathers This we truste wyll satysfye the Emperours maiestie as touching yâ— chyldyshe and colde cauillacions by whiche the aduersaries haue sclaundered our article For we knowe that we beleue ryghtly and with the catholyk churche of Christe But if the aduersaries wyl renewe this contencyon there shal nat lacke lerned men amonge vs that shall make them answere and defende the truthe For the aduersaries in this cause vnderstande nat for the moste parte what they speake OfteÌ„tymes they speake thynges repugnant and they neyther expresse ryghtly dialectically the formall cause of originall synne nor the defaultê as they call them But we wolde nat in thys place ouer subtylly discusse theyr vayne and sophistical argumentê we thought it ynough to recyte the mynde of the holy fathers whoÌ„ we do folowe with commune knoweÌ„ wordê The thyrde article the aduersaries allowe in whiche we confesse two natures in Christe that is to wyte the nature humane assumpt of the worde into the vnitie of hys persone And that the selfe same Christe suffered and dyed to the entent to reconcyle vnto vs the father and rose agayne to the entent to reygne to iustifie and to sanctifie the beleuers cÌ„ accordyng to the Symbole of the apostles and the Symbole of Nicene ⧠⧠Of Iustificacyon ⧠IN the fourthe fythe syxte and also in the twenty article they condempne vs because we teache that men obtayne remission of synnes nat for theyr owne merites but frely for Christe by faythe in Christ. For they daÌ„ne bothe two poyntes fyrste that we denye that men for theyr owne merites do obtayne remission of synnes and secoÌ„darily that we affyrme that by faythe is obteyned remissioÌ„ of synnes and that men be iustified by faythe in Christe But sythe it is so that in this case or controuersie the pryncypall poynte of our religion is debated whiche ryghtly vnderstaÌ„de setteth forthe the honour of Christe and bryngeth a necessarie and plenteous consolacyon to the godly conscyence we desyre that the emperours maiestie wyll heare vs benyngly of these so greate maters For the aduersaries where as they neyther vnderstaÌ„de what is remission of synnes neyther what faythe â–ª neyther what grace nor what iustyce is pytyfully do defyle this poynt obscuryng the glorie and benefytes of Christe and bereue fronâ— the godly consciencies yâ— propouned coÌ„solacioÌ„s in Christe And to the ende we may maynteyne our coÌ„fessyon and assoyle the obiections of our aduersaries we shall fyrste premitte certayne thynges to the ende that the fountaynes of bothe our doctrines aswell ours as the aduersaries may be knowen The hole scripture ought to be distributed iÌ„to these pryncipal places law and promyses For otherwhyles it sheweth the lawe otherwhyles the promyse of Christ as when it promyseth Christ to cum and promiseth for hym remission of synnes iustificacyon and lyfe eternall or where in the Euangell Christ after he ones appered promyseth remission of synnes iustificacyoÌ„ and lyfe eternall we call the lawe in thys disputacyon the preceptes of the Decalogie in what place so euer they be red in scripture Of the ceremonies iudiciall lawes of Moses at thys tyme we speake nothyng Out of these the aduersaries take the lawe because mans reason after a fashyoÌ„ dothe naturally vnderstaÌ„de the lawe For it hathe styl the same iudgement wrytten by god iÌ„ the mynde and by the lawe they seke remission of synnes and iustificacion But the Decalogie requyreth nat only outward ciuile workes whiche reason can after a fashyon fulfyll but also it requyreth other thynges ferre aboue reason as truly to feare god truly to loue god truly to call on god truly to beleue that god heareth vs and to loke for the ayde of god in deathe and all afflictions fynally it requyreth obedieÌ„ce towarde god in afflictioÌ„s and in deathe that we escheue them nat nor grudge nat at them whan god lay them on vs. Here the scholemen folowynge the phylosophiers only do teache the iustice of
promyse that free and the merytes of Chryst as a raunsom and redeÌ„ption Promyse is receiued by fayth this worde fre excludeth our merites signyfyeth that only by mercye is offered the benefyte of Chryst the merytes be the rauÌ„som for there must be some certaine redeÌ„pcion for our siÌ„nes The scripture oft times cryeth for mercy And the holy fathers many tymes say that we be saued by mercy So oft then as mencioÌ„ is made of mercy it is to be knoweÌ„ that fayth is ther requyred which receiueth the ê“mise of mercy And agayn so oft as we speke of faith we wyll that the obiecte be vnderstaÌ„de that is to say the promised mercy For faith doth not therfore iustify or saue because it is of it selfe a worthy worke but only because it receyueth the mercy promysed And thê seruice thêlatria is most highly coÌ„mended in prophetes psalmes wher as the law teacheth not fre remissioÌ„ of sinnes But the fathers knowe the promyse made of Christ that God for Christ wolde remyt synnes wherfore when they vnderstode that Chryst shuld be a pryce and raunsome for our synnes they knewe that our workes were not a raunsome of so great a thyng Therfore they receiued by fayth fre mercy and remissyoÌ„ of siÌ„nes lyke as the holy fathers of the newe testament do Here vnto belong tho oft repetycyons of mercye and faythe in the psalmes and prophetes as here Si iniquitates obseruaueris domine c. Yf thou markest iniquities o lorde lorde who shall susteyne Here he coÌ„fesseth hys synnes and yet he alledgeth not hê merytes He addeth For with the is mercyfulnes Here he lyfteth vp him selfe with the truste of the mercye of God And cytethe the promyse Sustinuit anima mea in verbo eius sperauit anima mea in domino My soule is susteyned in hys worde my soule hathe trusted in the lorde that is to saye because thou haste promysed remyssyon of synnes by thys thy promyse I am susteyned And Paule cyteth the hystorye of Abraham Abraham beleued God and it was recompted vnto hym for ryghtwysnes That is to wytte Abraham perceyued that God was vnto hym mercyful only for hys promyse sake He assented to the promyse of God nor suffered not hym selfe to be plucked away frome it all thoughe he sawe hym selfe vnclene and vnworthye He perceyued that God performeth hys promyse for hê owne truthe and not for our workes or merytes Trulye the affrayed hartes can haue no rest if they shulde thynke that for theyr owne workes or owne loue or fulfylliÌ„ge of the lawe they shulde please God for in the fleshe stycketh synne whiche alwaye accuseth vs. But then the hartes haue rest wheÌ„ in such affrayes they assure them selues that we therfore please God be cause he hathe promysed and that God perfourmeth hys promyse for hys owne truthe and not for our worthynes Thus Abraham herde thys saynge Feare thou not for â–ª I am thy protector Here he raysed vp him selfe and felte God mercyful vnto him not for hys owne deseruynge but because the promyse of god must nedes be iuged true this faythe therfore is imputed to hym for ryghtwysnes that is because he assenteth to the promyse and taketh the offered reconsilement he is nowe truelye iuste and accepted vnto God not for hys owne workes but bycause he taketh the free promyse of god Thys auctoryte of Genyses pleased Paule not without cause we se howe he layth on howe ernestlye he taryeth vpon that poynte because he sawe that the nature of fayth myght in that poynt be easaly espyed He sawe that the recorde of the imputacyon of iustice was added not with out a greate skyll He sawe that the lawde of desernynge iustyfycacyon and of pacyfyenge the conscyence was taken away from workes â–ª when Abraham is therfore pronounced ryght wyse because he assenteth to the promyse and taketh the offered reconcilement he pleadeth not in barre of goddes ire hys owne merytes or workes wherfore thys place dylygently consydered may plenteouslye instructe godlye myndes in thys matter whiche shall so be vnderstonde yf the affrayed myndes haue it before them and assure theÌ„ selue that they ought to assente to the free promyse For otherwyse they can not be quyete onles they presuppose that they haue god theyr good lorde because he hath so promysed and not bycause our nature lyfe and workes be worthye Therfore also the fathers were iustifyed not by the law but by the promyse and fayth And it is a wonderfull thynge that the aduersaryes do make so lytle of faythe syth they se it throughe out al scrypture praysed for the moste hyghe seruyce as in the .49 Psal. Call on me in tyme of trybulacyon and I shal delyuer the. Thus wyll god be knowen thus he wyll be worshyped by receyuynge benefytes of hym and receyuynge them for hys mercyes sake and not for our owne demerytes Thys is the moste ample consolacyon in all afflyctyons And such consolacyons our aduersaryes go about to destroye and putte out of vre in that they make faythe so lytle a seruyce and onlye â—eache men to contende with god by our owne workes and merytes ¶ That the only faythe in Chryst iustyfyeth FYrste leste a man wolde thynke that we speake of the ydle knowledge of the Hystorye we wyll shewe howe faythe cummeth After we wyl shewe that it iustyfyeth and howe thys must be vnderstande then we wyll assoyle thobiections of the aduersaryes Chryste in the last of Luke coÌ„maundeth his dyscyples to preache repentaunce in hys name and remyssyon of synnes For the gospell argueth euery man to be vnder synne and to be gyltye of eternal ire and deth and offereth for Chryst remissyon of sinnes iustificacion which is receyued by fayth Preaching of penauÌ„ce which reproueth vs dothe fray the conscyence with true ernest afrayes In these the hartê ought agayne to conceyue consolacyon which shal be yf they trust to the promyse of Chryst that for hym we haue remyssyon of synnes Thys faythe erectyng and comfortynge vs in those affrayes takethe remyssyon of synnes iustyfyeth and viuifyeth For that consolacion is a newe and a spiritual lyfe These be plaine and open and the godlye maye vnderstande them also the churche haue recorded the same The aduersaryes neuer shewe truly howe the holye gost is gyuen They fayne that the sacramentes gyue the holye gooste ex opere operato sine bono motu accipientis euen of the verye worke it selfe without any good motyon of the receyuer as thoughe the geuynge of the holy goste were an idle thynge But where as we speake of suche faythe whiche is not an idle thought but which deliuereth from dethe and createth a newe lyfe in our hartes and nedeth the holy gost it standeth not with mortall synne but so longe as it is present it bryngeth forthe good frures as we shall say here after what can be spoken of the conuertynge of the vngodly or of the maner of regeneratynge more sympely and more
then meÌ„ Therfore when they teache wycked thynges they be nâ—t to be herde But so it is that these be wycked teachyngê that humayne traditioÌ„s be honours and seruices of god and that they be necessary seruices and merite remission of synnes and eternall lyfe Ergo. cÌ„ They obiecte also and lay to our charge the open offendynge of people and the troubles and seditions whiche haue rysen vnder the pretence and cloke of our doctrine To these we aunswere briefly Fyrste this is euidently knowen that through the benefite of god our prynces haue obediente people in theyâ— lordshyppes and dominions And this selfe same kynde of doctrine whiche we folowe because it dothe with moste large and hyghe prayse magnify the auctoritie of gouernours and rulers dothe encreace reuereÌ„ce towardes them This thing also is very profitable to retayne and kepe tranquilitie Furthermore if al offeÌ„sions were put together iÌ„ one heape yet these two articles that is to wete that we frely receyue remission of sinnes for Christes sake by faythe and that we be compted rightuous for Christes sake by faythe and nat for our owne fulfyllynge of the lawe And agayne that gouernaunces lawes and all the ordre of the coÌ„mon weale be the ordenaunces of god whiche a christen man may vse well and holyly these two articles I saye haue so muche goodnes in them that they ouercome al other incoÌ„modities and harmes For fearefull consciences can haue no sure coÌ„solatioÌ„ agaynst the wrathe of god onles they knowe the one article And the other article dothe greatly strengthen the tranquilitie of comen weales But with howe detestable and pestilente opinions bothe kyndes of doctrine hath ben oppressed before thê tyme euery man knoweth and the bokê of our aduersaries testify whiche no where make any mention of faythe when they speake of remission of synnes They teache in no place of the dignitie of ciuile thynges They in no place teache howe the gospel sheweth eternal iustice and yet in the meane seasoÌ„ in this bodely lyfe wyll that we vse political or ciuile lawes maners and customes The declaration of these thynges dyd at the beginning purchase great fauour to Martine Luther nat only amonge vs but also with many other meÌ„ whiche nowe be moste extreme aduersaries vnto vs. Thus as Pindarus sayth the olde fauour perysheth and slepeth and the mortall men be vnrememberful Nowe if any troubles or seditioÌ„s haue bene the defalte may ryghtfully be layde on our aduersaries whiche fyrst raysed 〈◊〉 scisme and diuision scatered the congregations in sundre by the wronful coÌ„dempnation of Martine Luther and whiche nowe vse meruailous crueltie agaynst good men them that teache godly doctrine They stirre vp mennes myndes agaynst vs other maner wayes also whiche I lyste nat at this tyme to reherse Neyther be we so harde harted so without sense or felyng that the open offensions of people do nothynge moue nor trouble our myndes But we remembre that whiche Christe sayde Blessed is he whiche shall nat be offended in me For the deuill goeth aboute partly to oppresse and partly to deforme the gospell and bryng it out of fashyon by innumerable meanes In one place he kyndelyth tyrauntes agaynste the teachers of the gospell in another place he raysith vp warres in another place seâ—itions in another place he styrreth vp heresies and all to make this kynde of doctrine hatefull whiche semeth to gyue occasion to suche sedicioÌ„s and striues And wyse men can a greate deale more easely despyse theyr owne ieoperdies then they can those offensions of open seditioÌ„s But a christen mynde ought to be afore armed against these thingê also to the ende that he do nat for theÌ„ caste away the worde of god And althoughe it delyteth nat vs to make coÌ„parisons yet because our aduersaries with thê accusation do sore presse vs with the hatred euyl wyl of the people theyr vices defaltes may nat be hydde passed ouer with silence howe muche euyl is there amonge our aduersaries in the prophanation and abusing of Masses Howe muche fylthines is in theyr abstaynyng from mariage The worshyppyng of sayntes is full of manifest and open ydolatrie Be none offendyd with the ambition of popes Whiche nowe more thaÌ„ CCCC yeres kepe warre with our Emperours for the most parte in Italy and otherwhyles also euen in Germany it selfe where they haue set the father and the sonne together by the eares and kynsfolkê and citezens one agaynst another That if the causes of these warres be sought in histories there shall nothyng be founde semely ne condigne for bysshoppes for we wyll speake as moderatly as we can Howe great hurte and euyl is there in this that in making of prestê they do nat chose out able and mete persoÌ„s for that ordre What also in the byeng and sellyng of benefices Also in daungerfull disputations is there no defalte at all But these defaltes myght somewhat be pardoned if they had reteyned the pure doctrine in the churches Nowe howe this doctrine is defiled with wycked opinions and traditions the writynges of the canonistes and the bokes of diuines do witnesse whiche be full of prophane disputations whiche partely be vnprofitable to godly lyfe and partely also disagree from the gospel Furthermore in the expounyng of scripture they do but playe and deuise what soeuer they lyste This confutation of doctrine is the chiefeste cause of offence most peryllous of whiche Saynte IohnÌ„ chiefely complaynethe in his Apocalypse whan he describeth the kyngdome of the pope What whan we shall come to the superstition of religious ê‘sones whiche be infinite howe many greuous offensions be there what applyenge is there of merites if the deade body be huryed in the habite of religion Furthermore is none occasion gyuen vnto men to be offended whan nowe in these dayes they go aboute to oppresse the manifeste truthe of the gospell whan they cruellye kylle good men whiche teache true and godly doctrine whan they forbyd that doubtfull consciences shuld be healed by hauyng knowlege of the trouth whan they exhorte kynges to cruell robbery No god wote these thynges be not to be iudged occasions of offeÌ„sion but pure good and the true offices of byshops We lyste not here to multiplye wordes accordyng to the greatenes of the matier leste any man myghte thynke that we haue delyte and pleasure in this rehersall to whiche the makers The table ¶ Of the wedlocke of preestes ¶ Of the Masse ¶ What is sacrifice and which be the kynden of sacrifice ¶ The opinions of the fathers concernynge sacrifice ¶ Of the vse of the sacrameÌ„t and of sacrifice ¶ Of the names of the Masse ¶ Of abbey vowes ¶ Of the power of the Churche ¶ Finis tabule ⧠Imprynted at London in Fletestrete by me Robert Redman dwellynge at the sygne of the George nexte to saynt Dunstones Churche 1536. CVM PRIVILEGIO REGALI 1. Of the Trinite Heresyes 2. Of original synne Heresyes 3.