beleue they were true or to acknowlage that the faultes wherof they spitefulli slauÌ„dre vs were in vs in dede The scripture also by the euaÌ„gelistes and apostles commaundeth and bindeth vs to defende the truthe to refute lyes to beare recorde vnto the truthe and to acquyte the faythfull christianes in theyr innocencye and ryght But what can a man doo in so furyons a rageing rable of aduersaryes and Iniuryous entreatyng of men Or how shold a man begynne to defende the churche seyng such a sorte of cruell and maddebrayned enemies obiecte so many and so haynous crymes agaynst vs and dyng on as it were wyth quartre strokes on euery syde Whan S. Paule the preacher of the Gentyles and moste chosen vessell of Chryst was accused him selfe of the Iewes in a singular good cause euen the cause of the gospel furst before Antonius Felix and eftesones before Portius Festus lieutenauntes of Iewrye of many maters and was more than ouerlayde wyth the power eloquence autoritie and reputacion of hys aduersaries could obteyne nother place nor space to answere vnto euery point throughly he thought he should defende hym selfe and hys cause wel ynough yf he myght shewe by some euident most playne homely shorte reasons that he neuer taught contrarye to the scriptures nor agaynst the hope of Israel but that he was iniuriously enuyed pressed of hys enemyes for constantlye preachyng and defendyng of the hope of the Resurrection whych the Israelites holde And now folowyng his moste godly and singular good exaÌ„ple and vsyng the helpe ordre and almoste the very wordes of a certayn notable profouÌ„de learned Pastour who hath done the same in latine in defence and purgation of the christen gospellike flocke churche committed to hys spiritual charge seyng I am barred out of place and tyme as an abiecte out of my natural countrey so that I can not possibly answere to all theyr odious obiections in ordre one by one singularly by them selues I shal yet by the helpe of God do myn endeauour to declare and set before all mennes eyes by the waye of translation rather myne owne edicion that whyche is moste chief and generall mater in thys cause wyth the moste cleare and playne argumentes that I can that is to wete that the Churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the .vi. was no heretical schismatical nor sedicious Church and that all other Churches embraceyng the Gospel in assemblable wyse are no heretical nor schismatical Churches but the vndenyable churche of Iesus Christ bothe true faythfull and catholike Wherfore I beseche you ryght honourable lordes ryght worshipfull gentilmen and the rest of my charytable chrysten countreymen for the loue and loyaltye the you bare and owed to your most christen and moste louyng souerayne liege lorde and maister Kyng Edwarde the .vi. reade or heare thys simple shorte treatyse paciently and gentlye inasmuche as I shal do my diligence as euidentlye and in as fewe wordes as I possibly can to speake not of all thynges that myght be alleged in thys behalfe but suche reasons onely as chiefly and principally concerne thys present cause The fyrst Chaptre FYrst where Christ our Lorde sayeth â—he Gosâ—llerschur â—e receaâ—eth the â—ole Scriâ—tuâ—e my shepe heare my voyce the churche of Christe whyche to be knowne from the churche of Papistes is called the gospellers church as the churche of Englande in Kyng Edwardes tyme was dothe acknowlege and receaue the Canonical bokes bothe of the olde TestameÌ„t and newe as those that were proclaymed and spoken out of Boddes owne mouthe Ther is none of them that it denyeth or refuseth but receaueth and reteyneth theÌ„ al holly and perfytly Nother doth it capciously reason about the receauyng of those bokes who hath receaued them or who hath refused them nor whether is of greater force the autorite of the churche receauyng the scriptures or of the scriptures them selues receaued For albeit we read that S. Austen wrote thus Non crederem EuaÌ„ gelio nisi ecclesiae catholicae autoritas me coÌ„moue ret I wold geue no credeÌ„ce sayth he vnto the gospell if the autorytye of the catholike churche dyd not inoue me yet Berson the chauncellour of Parise Gerson a ryght excellent famous man in hys tyme dothe in hys seconde boke De vita spirituali like a discrete profouÌ„de learned clerke saye S. Austen in that place taketh the churche for the primityue congregacion of those faythful christeÌ„ men that harde and sawe Christ were his recorde bearours For whan ther crepte out dyuerse soÌ„dry Bospelles in the churche while the apostles disciples of Christ were yet lyuing they that hade sene Christ him selfe hade harde hys apostles could testifye whych were ryght and true and whych were not Ireneus also in the .xi. chapter of his .3 boke Contra haereses sheweth by many manyfest proues that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles and yet he maketh no mencion of the churche that ther ought to be but only 4. gospelles bycause the churche hathe receaued no moo but only 4. but bycause the Lord hath so appointed For ther was neuer man that in any Conuocacion or Synode assembled al for that purpose from the begynnyng coÌ„firmed the Canonical bokes of the scriptures or decreed which were canonical which were not but the thurche as it receaued them of the writours autours the holy Prophetes and Apestles theÌ„ selues eueÌ„ so dyd it delyuer them as it were by hande vnto her posteritie It was late ere it begoÌ„ne to be decreed in counsailes vpon canonical and not canonical bokes of scripture not that ther was no diuersitye of them before that tyme or that the bokes of holy scripture had none autoritye before that tyme as they hade and must haue dyuine autoritye in dede although ther hade neuer ben counsayl holden but that the holy men of God were disposed to shewe their iudgemeÌ„t also agaynst suche as bare to vnfrenly a minde agaynst the canonical bokes of scripture And we confesse al that the churche is buylded and set vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and apostles so if the doctrine of the apostles and prophetes be the foundaceon of the churche thaÌ„ it foloweth of necessytye that the autoritye of the doctrine must nedes be of greater force and importaunce than the autoritie of the churche We therfore in Englande dyd receaue as the Gospellers church elles where doth stil receaue al and singular Canonical bokes both of the olde Testament and newe and namelye those that the Greke wrytours Melito Origene and Eusebius Caesariensis and of the Latines Cipriane and Ierome haue affirmed by theyr owne haÌ„de wrytynges to be taken and reputed of the auncient fathers yea euen from the begynnyng for the vndoubted true Canonical scriptures ¶ The seconde Chapter AS touching the truthe and perfyte integritye of these bokes Of the truth and perfection of the canennical scriptures we doubt nothyng therof at al in such places
as be doubtful hard to vnderstand we teache men to make recourse vnto the oryginall fountaynes wherout they were translated S. Austen contra Adimantum the 3. chap. saithe Si admittamus haereticis quod caussaÌ„tur libros sacros esse corruptos nullus erit contentionum finis That is yf we graunt vnto the he retikes as they fynde fault the the bokes of holy scripture are corrupt ther wylbe none ende of coÌ„tencion And in the 2. chap. of hys .xi. boke CoÌ„tra Faustum Manichaeum he sayeth Si de fide ex emplarium quaestio verteretur sicut in nonnullis quae paucae sunt sacrarum literarum studiosis notissimae sententiarum varietates vel ex aliarum regionuÌ„ codicibus vnde ipsa doctrina coÌ„meauit nostra dubitatio dijudicaretur vel si ibi quoque co dices variareÌ„t plures paucioribus aut vetustiores recentioribus praeferrentur Et si adhuc incerta esset varietas praecedens lingua vnde illud interpretatum est consuleretur Yf questioÌ„ should be moued concernyng the credence to be geuen vnto the copyes of the bokes of holye scriptures as it chaunceth in some diuersities of sentences whyche are but a fewe and knowen at the fyngers endes to them that be studentes of holy scriptures eyther our doubt muste be resolued by the textes of other couÌ„treyes whence that doctrine came or elles yf the textes themselues dyd varye in that behalfe the greater nombre should be preferred before the fewer or the auncienter before the yonger And in case the diuersitye were yet still vncertayn it should be tryed bi the former tongue wherout it was interpreted or translated For the same Austen rehearceth in an other place it is alleged in the decrees Dist 9 vt veteruÌ„ libroruÌ„ fides de Hebraeis voluminibus examinaÌ„da est ita nouorum veritas Graeci sera monis normam desiderat That is like as the truthe of the bokes of the olde testameÌ„t is to be tryed by the Hebrue textes so must the bokes of the newe be ruled by the truthe of the greke tong And agayn in the .xi. chaptre of hys seconde boke De doctrina Christiana he saythe Latini homines duabus alijs ad scripturarum diuinarum cognitionem opus habent Hebraea scilicet Graeca vt ad exemplaria praecedentia recurratur si quaÌ„ dubitationem attulerit latinorum interpretum infinita varietas Latine men sayeth he had nede of two other toÌ„gues also to the perfyte knowlege of holy scripture that is to saye the Hebrue and Greke that they maye haue recourse vnto the original copyes in case the infinite diuersytye of latine interpretours haue caused any doubt Thus muche saithe Austen whythe hathe taught vs to be more fauourable vnto the sondry translaciones of the Bible and to iudge more purely of the authentike boke being written in bys owne language thaÌ„ those meÌ„nes wonted maner is whych takyng vpoÌ„ theÌ„ to haue the holy goost bynde all the churche vniuersally vnto the common receaued latine translacien contrary to the iudgement of all the auncieÌ„t doctours of the churche and condemine all godlye and faythfull interpretours of the Bible fowlly of ingratitude ¶ The .iii. Chapiter VVe of the churche of England refourmed and gouerned vnder Kyng Edwarde the All truthe and godlynesse to be sought in the scripture .vi. and al other gospellers churches doo constauntly beleue that all truthe is to be sought and beleued and that all godlynesse and true seruing worship of God is most pleyntifully coÌ„prised in the holy sacred authentike hoke the Bible so that the maÌ„ of God is perfytlye prepared vnto all good workes vnto all good partes of office and al dueties doyng And on thys wyse dothe the gospellers churche deme and thynke of the Canonical scripture Wherin it diffreth toto muche from the churche of heretikes that most vniustly eyther defame the scriptures of vncertayntie and imperfection or els do not receaue some particular bokes therof or yf they do receaue them yet they corrupt and myngle mangle them and contende with tothe and nayle that all thynges necessarye to godlynesse and saluacion are not fully conteyned in them The iiii Chapter ALso where S. The menyng of the scripture 2. Pe. 1. Petre pronouÌ„ceth in playne wordes that propherye that is to saye the declared scripture was not brought by the wyl of man but the holy men of God beyng enforced spake as the holye Goost taught them and that therfore the scripture whych is the worde of prophecye is not of mannes priuate interpretacion furthermore where Paule accordyng to S. Ro. 10. Petres wordes coÌ„maundeth vs to moderate prophecie that is the office of interpretacion after the proporcion of faith and that the interpretours vse a discrete sobrietie and abyde wythin the bandes of fayth as the Lorde hath bestowed vnto euery one the measure of fayth The gospellers churche admitteth not euery interpretacion of the scriptures after euery ones opinion but that onely whych is fette out of the scripture selfe whych is of the spirite of God by whom the scripture is inspired whych agreeth wyth hym selfe in euery thyng and accordeth wyth the rule of fayth and charitie wherof we shal anone speake more largely For the scripture can not be expounded by any other spirite than by the self same by whom it was deliuered and set furthe 〈◊〉 8. As Thrist saithe in the gospel If you haue God to your father why doo ye not knowe my speche â—â—m 8. And the apostle saithe He that hathe not the spirite of Christe is none of his And agayn what maÌ„ knoweth the thinges that be of man Cor. 2. but the spirite of man which is in him so the thinges that be of God non knoweth but the spirite of God But we haue not receaued the spirit of the worlde but the spirit which is of God that we may know what thynges are geuen vnto vs of Christ In dede after suche sorte we affirme that the scriptures are cleare whych the heretikes contende to be obscure so that in thys behalfe we haue no thyng to do wyth them The .v. Chapter IN thys case we do in no wyse reiecte nor contemne the disputacions reasons what is be attriâ—â—ted vnto the fathâ—â— the interpretours of scriptâ—re and expositions of the holy fathers I meane the auncient olde byshopes and doctours of the church vpon the scriptures as Ireneus Origene Chrisostome Ambrofe Ierome Austen and suche other lyke so theyr exposition iudgementes vary in no poynt from the rules of the Apostles For theyr mynde and wyl was that theyr wrytynges should be none otherwyse demed of nor no further fidelitie attributed vnto them Hereof let S. AusteÌ„ hym self tel the tale wher he wryteth to Fortunatianus in hys thyrde epistle in these wordes Neque quorumlibet disputa tiones quamuis catholicorum laudatorum hominum velut scripturas canonicas habere debemus vt nobis non liceat salua honorificentia
thus Custodite vos ab Idolus non iaÌ„ ab idolatria quasi ab officio sed ab idolis id est ab ipsa eorum effige Indignum enim vt ima go Dei viui imago idolis mortui fiat That is kepe your selues from ydoles not now from ydolatrie as from the seruice doyng but from the ydoles that is from the very ymages of them For it were wrong that the ymage of the lyuing God should be the ymage of an ydole and of a deade thyng Therfore our churches are by these wordes acquieted from the cryme of heresie whych a great meignye of bishoppes preachers and Papistes wyth stampyng and staryng scolding and roaryng charge vs wythal and for none other cause but that the ymages of God and hys sayntes be throwen out of all Christes temples and were in no wyse receaued any more in Kyng Edwardes dayes but the scriptures of the lyuyng God set in their places Ther is no doubt sayeth LactaÌ„cius Li. 2. ca 19. ConstaÌ„tinus scholemaister but ther is no religion whersoeuer an ymage is And S. Austen in hys Cataloge wherin he rehearceth al the heresies of hys tyme reckoneth amoÌ„g them one Marcella a woman of Carpocratia whych worshipped the ymages of Iesus Christ of Paule of Pythagoras and of Homere wyth makyng addracion and incensing to them For the holy martir S. Ireneus in the 24. chap. of hys fyrst boke Contra haereses reporteth that the heretikes called Gnostici dyd worship the expresse lyuely painted ymage of our saueour Christ the paterne wherof they sent vnto Pilate the lieutenaunt of Iewrie who fouÌ„de the meanes to haue Christ set furthe as an heathen man by ymage lyke vnto hym selfe whan he was alyue by singular connyng payntours and caruers And yet that bishop and martir inueyed to the vttermost of his power agaynst that ymage whyche the Gnostici set so muche price by A and yf it were now to be had it should be reputed among the most holy reliques But thys Bishop was not a seuere earnest persecutour and enemye of ymages and ymage seruice alone for it is knowen to all men what Epiphanius the Bishop of Salamine Cyprus dyd 〈…〉 as he wryteth of him selfe in hys greke Epistle that S. Ierome translated into latine whych doubtles he wolde not haue done yf he had thought Epyphanius facte to haue beÌ„ sacrilege Epiphanius also sawe a vaile hanging in a certain churche dore stained and paynted and hauyng an ymage as it hade ben of Christ orsom saynt But he plucked it by the ende In tomo Hiero. 3. fo 73. b and reÌ„t it downe thinking it vnworthy that the image of a man should heng in the churche of Christ coÌ„trary as he saithe playnly to the autoritie of the scriptures And he exhorteth Iohn bishop of Ierusalem to charge the elders ministers of that place the they should heng vp no such vailes whych come against the religion of Christ For he sayd it was more besemyng the duetie of a bishop to see that such scrupulositie for so he termeth the vse of images in temples should be taken out of the waye whych is not worthy of the churche of Christ Now ther is no good grounde for the papistes to obiecte vnto vs the sentences and decrees of Gregorie B. of Rome Damascene the greke wrytour Bardiners great clearke and of the seuenth Synode whych they call the Synode of Nice agaynst these so cleare and so substauÌ„cial authorities For these that I haue alleged are of muche more auncientie certayntie thaÌ„ theyrs be Therfore who so euer reporteth vs to be he retikes bycause we lacke ymages let them fyrst proue the lawe of god heresie let them prone the testimonies iudgemeÌ„tes of the Prophetes and Apostles heresie and let theÌ„ proue the sayenges and doynges of Ireneus Tertullian LactaÌ„tius Epiphanius AusteÌ„ and Ierome to be heresie and whan they haue done so let them com and condemne vs of heresie also And so they wyl do one day whan they caÌ„ But yf they spare them let them be good to vs also Now wil we returne to our purpose Our churche called the gospellers churche dothe religiously holde and confesse that most excellent and most true godly belief called SymboluÌ„ apostolicum or the apostles Crede 〈◊〉 apostâ— Crede Whyche though it be purported in no place of the scriptures in the very same forme of wordes that we rehearse it in yet it is all holly and euery title of it fette out of the apostles writinges Thys Crede comprehendeth the most plenteous full forme of belief so that our elders did by it as a most tryed and certain sure rule alwayes proue and trye who were true ryght catholike beleuers who were false beleuers and heretikes Symâ—n is S. Cipriane in the exposicion of thys apostles Crede saythe that this greke worde Simbolum is a declaracioÌ„ a collacion or a gatheryng of sondry maters together into one forme And for thys cause thys same declaracion is set and compacte together by conference of the apostles doctrine that therby it myght be knowne who coÌ„fessed Christ truly according to the rules of the apostles The holy Martir Ireneus after the rehearsal of the apostles Crede saythe Li. conâ— haereses Ca. 3. Forasmuche as the church dispersed throughout the hole vniuersal worlde hathe receaued thys confession and Crede it obserueth it diligently as though the hole churche were dwellyng all in one house and preacheth and confesseth it after all one consonaunt sort as if al the churche had but one mouthe For albeit the speches in the worlde be vnlike yet the vertue and power of the declaring therof is but all one the self same one And nother the laÌ„guage that is in Spayne nor the speche that is in Fraunce ne the languages that are in the east couÌ„treyes ne yet the Egipcians tongue nor the Lybianes speche nother the languages that are vsed in the mydle partes of the world but as the sunne of goddes makyng is but one and the selfe same one in all the hole vniuersall worlde so dothe the light preaching of the truthe shyne euery wher lighteneth all folkes that are willing to com to the knowlage of the truthe And nother the bishop of the churche hym self that hath the best vtterauÌ„ce speaketh any thyng elles but these articles nother doth he that is of slenderer vtteraunce speake any lesse For seyng ther is but one and the selfe same one faythe nother dothe he that is hable to vttre it at large speake any more nor he that can not vttre the mater so plenteously speake any lesse Thus muche hath Ireneus Therfore it is most certainly out of peraueÌ„ture that the ful forme of belefe is most fully comprehended in the Apostles Crede and he that constauÌ„tly and purely continueth therin to the ende shall doubtles obteyne euerlastyng lyfe as Athanasius sayeth who so euer wylbe saued before al thinges it is necessary that
filthynesse of religion and maners that they doo 1. Pet. 4. Therfore we are not sondred from the felowship and communion of the thurche that hathe ben from the begynnyng of that worlde vnto this daye We are souldyours with all sayntes vnder all one Emperour and captayn we haue the same hope and expectacion that they haue We repose all the necessaries of our life saluacion and helpe in one only and the self same paymaister euen our lorde God Iesus Christ So we be true membres of yâ— true churche of Christe though our aduersaries haue hitherto synfully accused vs the membres of the gospellers churche of heresye and sedicyon 〈…〉 vs vp theyr olde song â—â—uersaries obiections that we are fallen from the holy churche of Rome that we haue gathered a newe fangled schismaticall churche together whych hath nother head nor continual successioÌ„ of bishoppes and therfore that newe fangled churche is no churche but a conspiracie of a fewe mystye rascal knaues crept out of a sorte of obscure felowes and denounced accursed long ago and slaketh and abateth agayne daylye more and more to bewraye it selfe by that token seyng it is not stable as Bamaliel sayde it is of men and not of God Here vnto we make thys answere at fewe wordes Aboue all thynges it is to be weyghed and consydred whiche a one the true churche of Christ is and wher it is Not al that are called Israel sayrth the Apostle are Israel Rom. 9. euen so al that bragge of the name of the churche be not the true churche but the is the true churche that is knyt to her one onely husbande and head Christ that heareth the voyce of none but of her only husbande and shepeherde Christ and continueth wyth al sayntes in hym From thys maner church we neuer fel whether it beare the name of the churche of Rome the churche of Alexandria the churche of ConstaÌ„tinopole or the churche of Antioche For what so euer is or euer was of Christ of truthe and of true godlynesse in these or in other churches throughout the wyde worlde we embrace it with al our hartes and endeauour our selues to kepe that syncerely stil vnto the ende But in dede we are fallen from and abhorre the Romyshe wyckednesse the Romyshe errours the Romyshe corrupcioÌ„s the Romyshe lyes the Romishe false iugglyng knackes and all abuses wheÌ„ce so euer they be as we vtterly also abhorre the Ieweship and Mahumetes religion We do very wel agree wyth the olde states of the churches of Alexandria Antioche and Constantinopole but wyth Mahumetes corrupcion of them wherin they sticke all fast at thys daye we agree not We agree very wel with the olde church of Rome which the chosen vessel of God S. Paul made so muche prayse of but we agre neuer a wytte at thys daye wyth the extreme corrupcion of the churche of Rome whyche theyr owne very frendes can not chose but speake euil of bycause of the horrible abominacions of it Are we therfore falleÌ„ froÌ„ the churche of Christ bycause we accordyng to Christes owne mynde and coÌ„maundement renounce and caste awaye the errours of the churche of Rome The holy prophetes of God the natural soÌ„ne of God Iesus Christ our Lorde wyth hys chosen Apostles were vndoubtedly in the body of the true and catholike churche of God albeit they had no feloweship the while wyth that churche that vaunted them selues to be the true churche of God Naye that churche excommunicated and persecuted the Prophetes and Christ and the Apostles and condemned them openly for heretikes and schismatikes But yet they were true faythful men and catholikes neuerthelesse for al that And how cometh it to passe that the gospellers churche is called a newe fangled churche which haue theyr relacion from hence to the begynnyng of the worlde whych haue Christ the eternal sonne of God to be theyr fouÌ„dacion and acknowlage the Apostles and Prophetes to be her founders and sheweth in her selfe all the tokens of the true churche in the sight of all men That is not an headlesse churche whych acknowledgeth and reuereÌ„ceth Iesus Christ the sonne of God the same I meane whom the Apostles name the heade and the saluacion the king chief hygh priest of the church Nother is the gospellers churche without coÌ„tinual succession of bishoppes seyng it hathe her relacion euen vnto the Apostles of Christ Christ hade the continual rable of bishoppes and pristes in the cathedral churche of Ierusalem euer agaynst hym The same was agaynst the apostles also But yet who wyll therfore denye that the Apostles churches are the true churches Who wyl reproue Christes doctrine and hys Apostles of lyeng excepte it be a man to wycked to tel of Besydes thys I coulde tell what a maner one the succession of bishoppes of Rome is namely of them that haue made theyr neste in that Satanicall seate for these fyue hundred yeares yf I wolde do as Suetonius dyd and yf I lusted as he disclosed the most shameful filthy lyues of Emperours to blase out the cursed false partes and abominable wyckednesses of many bishoppes of Rome and yf I lusted to expouÌ„d thys sayeng of Paul Ther shal starte vp from among you Act. 20. men speakyng peruerse thynges to drawe disciples after them c. But it is ynough to play touche go in these maters bycause I speake to men of vnderstandyng That churche is not of a fewe folke that is dispersed al the worlde ouer and comprehendeth all those that be faythfull except our aduersaries peraduenture meane that whych Christ our Lorde spake in the Gospell Mat. 22. Many are called but fewe chosen And agayne Narowe is the gate and strayte is the waye that leadeth vnto lyfe and fewe ther be that fynde it Ther is also no conspiracie in vs to any euel purpose but an holy consent to the doctrine and obedience of Christ As for mystye knaues we are none for we cast no mystes nor darke clowdes to deceaue any man but we allure al meÌ„ to the most clear lyght of the gospel Nother is the gospellers churche buylded vpon obscure men and holden accursed but of Christes owne Apostles which were most famous notable men in all the worlde For albeit the preaching of the gospel was brought vnto vs by those meÌ„nes ministeries who are of most hygh coÌ„mendacion amoÌ„g the godly yet we geue not thankes for the begynnyng of so precious a Iewel vnto men but vnto Christ the sonne of God Paule was the furst that preached the Gospel to the Corinthianes but for all that he wolde not haue them called Paulinianes but he wolde haue them called Christianes If Christ whych is the true lyght of the worlde yf the Apostles whych are the lyght bear ours of the worlde be obscure men and accursed we graunt that our doctrine came of obscure and accursed men But I am sure they that go about to bryng them into that slauÌ„der shal haue light ynough and
to spare in theyr kyngdom wher hel fyre shal be theyr light They also make a most open lowd lye in sayeng the the gospellers church of Christ abateth and slaketh euery daye more and more Sure they prate that bycause Germanye was so lately assaulted and afflicted wyth warres bycause of the horrible alteracion in EnglaÌ„de And do not the lyeng wretches see that as Bermanye was tryed as golde is in the fyre euen so is Englande by martires blood The Lorde said to Petre Symon Symon Satan hathe desyred to sifte you Luce. 22. as it were wheat but I haue prayed for thee that thy faythe fayle not And whan thou arte coÌ„uerted streyngtheÌ„ thy brethren As for Petre he fell and denyed hys maister yea hys maister was also hanged on the crosse and all hys disciples ranne awaye But yet who caÌ„ gather therof Ergo Christes doctrine is false Ergo the Apostles churche is not the church Are not our aduersaries aduised the all which wyll lyue godly must nedes suffre persecucion Or why do they not see the they are fayne perforce with a sorowfull hart to confesse it to be true that in al theyr hyghe poÌ„pous ruffe their kingdom is euery daye more more rent cut of slydeth awaye that Christes gospel is clearly preached dayly more and more and taketh good roote in very Italye and Fraunce and is surely plaÌ„ted for al theyr massing myschief and tyrannous tormenting in wooful England it putteth furth hys grene buddes in Polone in Hungarie in Ilandes not a fewe yea and in very Turkye also For as fast as kynges and Prynces by the incensyng of bishoppes and priestes psecute faithful christiaÌ„ people with fyre sweord and for al that the wyse of thys world laye theyr heades together take couÌ„sail amoÌ„g them selues how they may hyndre the kyngdome of Christe and thwyte awaye the preachyng of the gospel yet they are neuer the farther for all theyr adoo the gospel bloweth hys horne stil wil do let the worlde stampe and stare euen to the last day til the sonne of God shal come geue rest and glorie to hys afflicted freÌ„des and seruauntes and caste hys enemyes headlong from hys presence in to the lake of vrymstone that shall burne for euermore Now yf a man wyl gather out of al thys simple treatise declaracioÌ„ the very markes of the true ryght catholike church of Christ wyl wyth aduised diligence beholde the gospellers churche whom the Papistes charge wyth heresie obseruing whether the more sure right markes of the true churche maye be founde in the gospellers churche he shall vtterly confesse that the gospellers church is gorgeously furnished wyth them and therfore cleare acquieted from all accusacions and raylyng reportes of al traiterous papistes aduersaries For the gospellers churche receaueth al and singular holy sacred canonical bokes The true markes of Christes â—atholike â—hurche bothe of the olde Testament the newe To them we geue credence in al pointes wythout contradiccion or doubt as authencicall that is hauing of them selues ful and perfit absolute autoritie In them we affirme that all truthe is to be beleued and al mysteries offices of godlynesse are in them fully conteyned and taught and therfore we referre all the affaires and businesses of the churche and al questions vnto them and we geue sentence ordayne and refourme after the definitiue iudgementes of them How be it we receaue not euery mannes iudgement of the holy scripture but the most catholike ryght meanyng grounded vpon the mynde of the holy Goost and of the conference of scriptures one place to an other conformable in all coÌ„dicions to sayth and charitie In thys behalfe we are not vnthankeful but thankful to antiquitis and set muche price by the labours and trauailes that the olde auÌ„cient fathers bestowed vpon the expounding of the scriptures and we gladly vse the godly interpretacions of the auncient prelates of the church whych diffre not from the rule of holy scripture The gospellers churche permitteth not the interpretacion of the scripture and the charge of the coÌ„gregacions to euery man at auenture but to suche as be therto lawfully chosen and apointed by the rule of the Apostles We beleue religiously embrace the chief principles of the christen fayth namely the fyrst health geuing promyse made of God in Paradise coÌ„terning Christ our redemer breaking the head or kyngdome and power of the deuil We religiously embrace that only and eternal couenaunt that God made wyth our fyrst parentes at the begynnyng of the worlde and afterwarde many tymes renewed it wyth the holy fathers We religiously beleue obey the most holye tables of the couenauÌ„t written wyth the fyngre of God and conteynyng the hole mysterye of al godlynesse We religiously receaue and vse the moste anntient articles of belefe called the Apostles Crede compreheÌ„dyng al the mysterye of faythe whych we fully syncerely beleue wyth al our hartes and confesse it also wyth open mouth and therupon we directly coÌ„demne all heresyes heretical persons We stycke not also to receaue al declaracioÌ„s and definicions of faythe whether they be of CouÌ„sailes or of Fathers so they agree wyth the Apostles Crede Nother do we refuse olde auncient Tradicions yf they agree wyth the doctrine of the gospell and the apostles scripture We preache the grace and merccie of God in Christ we professe that faithfulle christianes are iustifyed by the only merite of Christ through only faith in Christ and not by mannes workes or merites And therwith all we teache that a true faithe can not chose but bring furthe good workes Iames. 2. and we affirme with S. Iames the apostle that a fruteles faithe is a dead faithe We acknowlage that al men are synners and that all do amysse in verye many thynges and therfore synners haue nede of perpetual salue and we affirme that penaunce is the healthe geuyng salue to them that beleue in Christ And in thys behalfe as in other cases the Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen haue place Herein we neclecte not discrete admonicion and brotherly reformacion In al these maters we praye continually to God wythout ceassyng We vse euer the pure callyng vpon God by the intercession of Christ alone We receaue and vse nother mo nor fewer Sacramentes than God hym selfe hathe delyuered vnto hys churche By Baptisme we haue entraunce into the churche thorough baptisme we are washed and bounden by vowe vnto God We also the poore churche of gospellers are nourished with the mystical Supper we celebrate the remembraunce of mannes redempcion purchaced by the bodye broken and blood shead of Iesus Christ We the gospellers churche geue thankes for goddes benefites and so we openlye professe our faythe We therfore abyde in the vnitie of the mysticall bodye vnder one onely heade and Kynge hygh priest shepeherde Iesus Christ we are not sondred froÌ„ the most faste knytte feloweship of the faythful meÌ„bres We
thynke honourably of Princes and magistrates that they are the ministers of God and therfore they ought to be obeyed and to haue theyr duetie We cōdemne nothyng in the political or ciuile states that is not repugnaunt wyth godlynesse We forbydde not meates whych God hathe made to faythful folkes vse We forbydde not mariage to any ordre or state eyther of man or woman Fornicacion wyth al vncleanes intemperaunce we vtterly deteste Specially we commende charitie to be kepte towardes al mē We serue God with willyng liberalitie to our power We do paciently beare the crosse that is layde vpon vs for the name of our Lorde Iesus Christes sake that abydyng constaūt in the felowship of the body of the churche we maye receaue rewarde wyth al the sayntes whyche from the begynnyng of the worlde haue suffred persecucion for ryghteousnesse sake Ther is no newe fangled stuffe in the gospellers churche all is of the olde sorte doctrine of Fayth Belefe the Keyes Prayer the Sacracramentes and all together It departeth not fom the head Christ it is not torne from the membres that is from the cōmunion of sayntes These true markes of the true right tatholike churche of Christ whan thou fyndest in the gospellers church why doubtest thou to cal and frely acknowlage it to be the true right catholike churche of Christe Why doutest thou to forsake al them as lyers traitours and slaunderous railours that reporte it to be an heritical schismatical sedicious church I do not nowe nor in all this hole treatise speake of them that goo on wyth theyr religion vpon a certayn zeale and speake euil of vs rather through instigacion of other thā vpon theyr owne mynde beyng not yet so fully skilled as to knowe how pure and syncere our religiō is God lightē theyr hartes But I speake of those specially whych are called learned men and the leaders of the common sorte and are not ignoraunt of our doctrine and doynges and for that cause they most doggedly and falsely slaunder vs of enuye hatred and malice against the truthe yea rather of couetousnes thā ignoraunce and yet they cā make non ende of theyr false slaunderous railing Now forasmuche as it is more cleare than the light at none dayes hauing wyped and dryuen awaye all the mystye darke clowdes of all our aduersaryes that the gospellers churche is the true right catholike churche of christ it shal be our partes doubtles to contynue constauntly in thys true gospellike churche of God and to goo on forewarde chearefully in the waye of the lorde which we haue once allready entred in to If thys worlde condemne and persecute vs we knowe that the lorde hym self in tymes past tolde vs before hande of non other of no pleasaūter of no better for the world first persecuted him If the rable of mytred maisters of mischief which vaunt them selues to be the general counsail laufully assembled to gether in the holy goost doo accurse vs let vs considre that the lord hym selfe was condemned before vs of the highe bishop college of priestes and elders Let vs remembre that our God dothe blesse them that blesse the sede of Abraham and dothe curse them that curse it and that we for our true faithe in Christ are the true sede of Abraham In the meane tyme let vs contynually make our hartye earnest prayers to GOD our father by Iesus Christ our lord and saueour without whom we can doo nothyng that he wold graūt vs streynght to perseuer constauntly to continue in the blessed truthe of hys gospel to abyde stil in the right catholike churche of Christ Amen Truthe hathe the victorie 3. Esdr 4. This is the victorie that ouercomethe the worlde euen our faithe 1. Io. 5. ☞ Emprinted at Vvaterford the .7 daye of Nouembre 1555. ☞ *