yet to presse into it Couetousnes worketh suche whiche is a roote of all iniquytie Lyke as loue is a roote of al goodnes as Paule sayth i. tim vi i. Pe. v Pryde cleaneth to them that be couetous There of speaketh Peter God resisteth the proude but geueth grace to the humble In Apocalypse writteth S. Ihon thus Apoc. iij Christe standeth euen nowe before the dore of oure hertes knocketh yf any man heare hys voyce and opē the dore vnto him vnto him wil he entre in and suppe with hym He prouoketh and beekeneth vs confortably to hym by hys holy word many wayes whereby we be delyuered frō the captiuite of mans lawe so that we wyll heare hym Vve be waxed so blynde that we se not oure redemptiō and lyberty Ioha v. and .xiiij Therfore sheweth he vs the waye and the dore sayenge Seke in the scripture for she beareth witnesse of me And I am the waye the trueth and the lyfe No man cometh to the father but by me Item I am the dore all they that haue entred any other waye Iohan. x than by my be theues and murderers He that entreth in by my shal besafe and shall goo in and oute and fynde pasture The thefe cometh not into the fold but to steale to destroy I am come that they myght haue lyfe and haue it more aboundantly Mat. xi Item come vnto me all ye that laboure and are ladē and I shal refresshe you Take my yoke on you and learne of me for I am meke and lowely in herte and ye shal fynde rest vnto your soules For my yoke is easy my burthen is lyght Of suche lyke sainges be here and there innumerable many Therfore lette vs ioyfully receyue and with greate diligence thankefully kepe the holy pure sincere worde of God the sustenaūce of the soule whiche the Lorde God agayne of newe mercifully hath manifested vnto vs. For Christ saith Luce. xi Deuter viij happye are they that heare the worde of god and kepe it Therewith maye we boldely praye in spyte of the deuill and all hys illusions And to thintente that we maye the more stedfaste lyer do the same here followeth moost compendiously cōprehended howe we oughte to holde vs in al Christian lyuinge concernynge the faythe in doynge and lyuing towarde God and man and where the same al together and euery parte therof is grounded in the scripture to the prayse of god and for the succoure crudicion of the simple Christen congregacion ordeyned and made to vse them selues in the holy scripture The mercyfull God vouchesafe to geue and graunte vs hys grace helpe and fatherly succoure there vnto AMEN ¶ The twelue Articles of oure Christen faythe with annotations of holy scripture wherein they be grounded By Vrbanum Regium to the pleasure of the worshipfull wyse man Caspar wytbrugge collected Prologe CYprian Ruffyn be of thys opinion mat xvi that the Apostles whan Christ had commaunded the gospell vniuersally in the worlde to be preached before theyr departynge the one from the other haue agreed and haue made a summe of all theyr predications to come what euery one dyd holde to thintent that they myght preache the Godly doctryne of Christe to all creatures with one accorde And that shoulde be the twelue articles of oure beleue as euery mā speketh them dayly Nowe be it as it wyll whether the Apostles or likewise their successours haue extracted it moost briefly The scripture ought men to reade them selues rom xv Vvhat we beleue is not all comprehended in the Crede it is good in myne opynyon notwithstandynge Let euery man also heare or reade the treasure of wysedome the Byble as the ryght well and springe where that and other thynges more for our instruccyon is written Vve beleue that in the Sacrament of the aulter is the body and blode of Christe That standeth not in these twelue articles and yet is an artycle of faythe therfore must men reade the scripture also In the twelue chiefe articles of faithe is the chiefest comprehended what to a christen man is necessary to beleue for hys saluacyon For as muche now that faythe is to vs so necessary mar cxvi Ebre xi Iohan iij that no man withoute fayth can be saued as Christe sayeth He that beleueth not is dampned Item he that beleueth not is condēpned all ready Verely the wicked spirite our enemy laboureth with many craftes to put vs awaye from the faythe of these articles wherfore it is necessarye that oure herte be very sure bound to these articles with a strōg stedfast faithe which in the felde of heauy temptacion may resiste Matth. iiij Deute viij Psa xci Ioh. viij Christe dyde set him selfe agaynste the deuyls temptacion with the scripture castynge before hym the saynges out of the scripture euē so shoulde we do also The wicked spirit feareth the scripture For as muche as he is a father of lyes Gen. iij Iho. viij he can not abyde the wordes of the euerlastynge veryte He is a Prynce of darkenes therfore flyeth he from the wordes of lyfe Therfore shall euery Christian surely walle rounde aboute and make stronge with saynges of the holye Scripture these twelue articles that the Deuyll be not able to ouercome hym ¶ The holy Scripture is here oure wall and refuge where vpon the hert may and shall surely truste whereout cometh confirmation of oure faythe Profyte of the holy scripture whatsoeuer she teacheth and biddeth vs the same is right and Goddes wille She is oure lyght and waye she cometh of God the holy gooste teacheth vs what is necessary for vs to oure saluacyon cōforteth vs in all tēptacions refourmeth vs in all errours illumineth vs in the darknes of oure ignoraunce rom xv Therfore sayth s Paule whatsoeuer is written afore tyme is written for our learnynge that we through pacience and comforte of the scripture myght haue hope And to Timothee ij tim iij all scripture geuen by inspiration of god is profitable to teache to improue to amende and to instructe in righteousnes that the man of God be perfect and prepared vnto all good workes god speketh through men ij Pet. i. Laudable perseueraunce vertue honoure of the godly scripture of the old and newe testament testifyeth to vs sufficiently that menne haue not of them selues but God hath spoken through the men Exo iiij They be not mennes but Goddes wordes Euen thus spake God vnto Moyses Goo to I wyll be in thy mouthe and wil teache the what thou shalt speake Christe asscrybeth hys doctryne to the father Iohā vij and .xiiij mat xvi as stondeth in Iohn God the father hath geuen hym vnto the congregacion as theyr ryght true doctour whome men should beleue as he sayth him selfe In the articles of oure holy faythe standeth thys worde beleue Ebr. xi before in the beginnyng For as saynt Paule sayth withoute fayth it is impossible to
redemer And in another place Lorde oure father arte thou thou arte the worke mayster we all be workes of thy handes Mat. vi Therfore pray we Our father which arte in heuen Father almyghtye God is almighty God is omnipotent all thynges are possyble vnto hym all thynges be in hys hande his power domynyon and beyng is euer lastynge and endles Therfore calle hym the Prophetes so often Dominum Zabaoth or exercituum a Lorde of hostes Itē Baruch speaketh Bar. iij. Ge. xvij Exo. xv and .vi Iudith xvi Iob. viij Luc. i. Apo. iiij Thou Lorde almightye God of Israel In the fyrst boke of Moyses I am the almighty God In the second boke of Moyses Almighty in hys name Itē in the boke of Iudyth The almightye Lorde had hyndered hym In Iob Yf thou wouldest pray to the almightye Item Iohā v. xiij xxi xxij xxiiij xxvij The Angel sayde Luce. i. with God is nothyng vnpossyble Item in the Reuelacions of saynt Ihon. Holy holy holy is the Lorde almighty whiche was and is and is to come Item in the .xi Gen. i Esaye xxxij xlvij lxv Chap. The Lorde the almighty God is theyr tempel Maker that hast thou in the firste boke of Moyses In the beginnynge made God heauen and earthe Reade thereof the xxxvij xl and xlv Chapit of Esay The scripture is full therof ¶ Here agayne marke the light of nature For nature can not vnderstōde the great wonderful workes of creation she can not comprehende howe oute of nought should become ought but the lyght of faythe vnderstondeth the creation Ebr. xi as saynt Paule witnesseth Nowe see howe blynde all sciences of the gentyls be Theyr chiefe poyntes be Of nothynge becometh nothynge The worlde hath lasted euer and alwayes The course of heauen hath nether begynnynge nor endynge The fyrste man neuer was the laste shal neuer be Gendryng and dyenge endureth for euer The soule hath no propre worke wherin she hath no nede of the body whatsoeuer dyeth ones that same thyng can no more come agayne Here doest thou see what an errouious vntrue thing Philosophie is for all the same is vntrewe and yet it is the chiefest that men learne oute of Aristotell Therfore is an old woman whiche beleueth hygher in the ryght Philosophye thē Aristotell She hath by her faythe That God hath created the worlde that Adam was the firste man that euen her owne body in the laste daye shal be raysed agayne that the soul of man as a cleare brightnes of the euerlastyng sonne which shall neuer ceasse to be but is immortall That the bodely dyeng beyng shal ceasse at the day of dome Therfore ought a yong christen man to be brought vp not in bokes of the gentylls but in oure boke of the Byble men learne nothyng in the heathen bokes but vngodly thynges whiche be cleane contrary to the scripture and the faythe and make vs erronious the sonne of god ⧠The second Article ☞ And in Iesu Christe hys onely sonne oure Lorde God hath but one naturall sonne of one beynge with the father in incōprehensyble wyse borne of the father from the eternyte Gal. iiij The father hathe not ben before the sonne they be coeternall The same sonne is sent in the fulfyllyng of the tyme Roma i and also temporally borne of a woman He was promysed by the Prophetes long before And euen by the eternall wysedome by the which God hathe fulmade the worlde Hebre. i by the same hath he brought her agayne from her heauy fall He is the ryght Messias redemer of the world whereof al the Prophetes haue writtē as he sayd vnto the womā of Samaria Ioh. iiij whan he said I knowe that Messyas shall come which is called Christe Then answered Iesus and sayde I that speake vnto the am he And the Samaritanes dyd also knowledge hym and sayde we knowe that thys is euen in dede Christ the sauyoure of the worlde Euen so doeth Peter and the other Apostles knowlege hym mat xvi Thou arte Christe the sonne of the lyuynge god he is that blessed sede of Abrahā wherein God hath promysed to oure father Abraham to blesse al the nations of the earth Ge. xxij Gen. iij He is the seede of the woman that shoulde treade downe the heade of the infernall worme Onely by hym are we reconsyled to God As Paule sayth Rom. v. Through the fayth in Christe be we made ryghteous and saued Ebre vi i timo i Ebre ix i. Cor. i. Ioha iiij Ioh. xiiij Ioha iij Matth. xxvi he is oure Kyng and prieste for euer by whome we haue a sure intraūce vnto God he is oure onely mediatoure A mediatour of the newe testament Oure hope and oure redemption No man cometh vnto the father but by hym For he is the waye the trueth and the lyfe God hath therfore sent hym into the worlde that he shoulde saue vs whosoeuer beleueth in hym shall not be dāpned He hath geuen hys lyfe for the redemption of many Vvithoute fayth in the mediatoure Christ could no man be saued The fathers before hys byrthe beleued in hym that was to come Vve beleue in hym that is present hys name is Iesus Zach. ix Esa lxii Ebre v. vi vij that is sauioure And Christus that is anoynted He is oure Kynge Bysshop as Zacharie sayth Lo thy Kynge cometh vnto the lowely Hys Priestly offyce withoute the whiche we come not vnto God declareth vnto vs Paul very connyngly The kynges of the worlde be annoynted with bodely oyle Esa lxi Luce. iiij Act. x but Christe oure Kynge whose kyngdome is not of thys worlde is annoynted of God through the holy Ghoste as stondeth in Esaye The spirite of the Lorde is vppon me for he hath annoynted me he hath sent me to preache the Gospell vnto the poore c. Iesus the sonne of Naue Lyke as Iesus the sonne of naue was an electe Lorde and Capitayne of the people of Israel whan they ware brought oute of Egypte that he shoulde brynge them into the lande promysed vnto them Euen so is oure Lorde Iesus Christe geuen of God and ordeyned that he brynge vs oute of the thicke Egiptysshe darkenes of oure lyfe oute of all erroure of thys worlde into the lande of the lyuinge as the Angell sayth Mathei i. He shal saue hys people from their synnes Therfore calleth hym the scripture in the newe Testament so often oure Lorde as the Epistles of Paule manifestly shewe That is the onely sonne of god wherevpon the hole scripture doth poynte and leade vs as vpon oure onely sauioure as Symeon nameth hym Luce. ij But wheras the scripture doth calle vs Christen beleuers also the sonnes of god That is spoken after another maner Christe is alone the ryght natura sōne of god frō the eternite as the scripture testifyeth Our herte muste haue suche a myghtye Lord where vpō it may surely truste which is
He that through the sprete of faith vnderstandeth the great calamite of thys myserable lyfe Rom. ix and the blasphemye of god whiche through oure synfull lyfe dayly in the flesshe is committed reioyseth that thys calamitie sone ceasseth The vngodly But the vngodly whome Paul calleth vessels of ire where on God shal shewe hys strayght iudgement they woulde wysshe that this temporal lyfe myght laste for euer They woulde be content with a good wyl that god shoulde kepe hys heauenly kyngdome alone O how fearful shal be vnto them the face of Iesus Christe which shal shewe him self in the last day with such great glory maiestie Zach. ix vnto all men Angels and deuils His first comyng was despysed and a slight thynge before the world but then when god the father shal geue ouer vnto hym all hys enemyes into suche horryble euerlastynge and in tollerable paynes and punyshemētes Esa lxij And all the membres of Christe shall be sett from al calamitye and misery into all perfection ioye and glory ād in al certayntye withoute ende Verely then shall he ryde no more vpon an asse in mekenes and shewe no more necessite but all glorye then shall the greate daye of the Lorde be at hande the daye of wrath and sorowfulnes the day of myst and of stormy wynd as the Prophete Sophony wryteth Soph. i. He shall come to iudge the quicke that shall be founde and the dead that haue dyed Cyprian vnderstandeth that the lyuinge be the soules and the deade their bodyes But for as muche as Paule sayth i. tess iiij that we which lyue remayne in the comynge of the Lord shal be caught together with the deade also in the cloudes to mete the Lorde in the ayer and so shall euer be with the Lorde Truely so myght it be thought that there shal be some on lyue caught to the iudgement as also Saynt Ierome sayth vppon thys place They that be departed in Christe shall aryse fyrste and the sayntes whiche shal be founde lyuinge they shal be caught to gether with the fyrste Augustyn in the boke of the Citye of God sayth Lib. xxij Cap. xx That Paul here in this Epistle to Thessaloniens dyd not meane hymselues and those that lyued in hys daies But that he dyd meane those that Christe shal fynde on lyue He supposeth also that those whiche soon lyue shal be caught in the ayer to mete Christe shall together at one tyme in the same catchyng dye In Ecc. dog vi and .vij. and ryse agayn as he sayth in another place Nowe howe the same cometh to passe wil we committe to God it is not necessary for vs to knowe Witnesse of thys article out of th◠scripture Malachie descrybeth the comyng of Christe and the iudgemēt Mal. iij dan. vij Daniell dothe also note the comynge of the sonne of man to the iudgement Item of hys power and kyngdom that this power endureth foreuer Luce. i. Mic. iiij Matth. xxiiij and that his kingdō endureth vncorrupte as also Luke dothe writte and Micheas In Mathewe is descrybed the comynge of Christe whereas he saythe Euen as the lightenyng cometh oute of the easte and appeareth into the west so shall the commynge of the sonne of man be Then shal al the kynredes of the earthe mourne and they shall see the sonne of man commynge in the cloudes of heauen with great power and glorye and he shal sende hys Angels with the great voyce of trōpettes And they shall gather together hys chosen from the foure wyndes from the one ende of heauen vnto the other Marci xij Luce. xxi Matthei xix xxv xxvi fyndest thou also such lyke ij ii iiij Paule i. Corinth iiij i. Thessa iiij ij Thessal ij Item to Timothe I testitye before God and the Lorde Iesu Christe which shall come to iudge the quycke and deade Ro. xiiij at hys appearynge in hys kyngdome And to the Romaynes Vve shal be al brought before the iudgement seate of Christe Esa xlv For it is written as truely as I lyue sayth the Lorde Al knees shal bowe to me and al tonges shall geue prayse to God ij Co. v Item to the Corinthians we muste al appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe that euery man maye receyue the workes of hys body accordyng to that he hathe done i. Pe. iiij whether it be good or bad Peter Vviche shal geue accomptes to hym that is ready so iudge the quycke and the deade Act. ◠In the Actes of the Apostles sayth Peter Christe hath commaunded vs to preache vnto the people and to testify that he is ordeyned of God a iudge of the quycke and the deade The eyghte Article ☞ I beleue in the holye goost Here speakest thou In the holy gost therewith doest thou confesse that the holy goost is God For to beleue a thynge is to sett there on thy truste hope and loue thys is an honour whiche pertayneth onely to God hys maiesty The holy goost is the thirde person in the eternal deite procedynge from the father and from the sonne through an vnknowen Matth. xxviij and inexplicable wyse In Mathew sayth Christe Go and baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy goost Here is mightely shewed the deite of the holy goost for seynge he cōmanded to baptise in the name of the holy goost so must I beleue trust in the holy gost Shall I then truste beleue in hym then must he also surely be God for a man maye trust or beleue in none but onely in god Gen. i In the firste boke sayeth Moyses The spirite moued vpon the water There doeth Moyses geue and appropriate to the holy goost hys worke in the creation Psalm xxxiij Dauid sayth in the Psalme By the worde of the Lorde are the heauens made and all the hoste of them by the breath of hys mouth That is The heauens are made by the holy goost and al that is therein These wordes geue clearly that he is God seynge the creation is asscrybed vnto hym And in another Psalme Psalm cxxxix Whyther shal I go from thy spirite and whyther shal I flee from thy presence There geueth he also to vnderstande that he is euery where To be in all places belongeth onely to God and to no creature as Dauid sayeth Yf I clyme vp into heauē Psalm cxxxix thou arte there yf I go downe to hell thou arte there also Iohn sawe the spirite of god descende lyke vnto a doue Iohan. i and abyde vpon hym Christe sayeth in Iohan. I wyll praye the father Iho. xiiij and he shal geue you another conforter that he may abyde with you euer whiche is the spiryte of truethe The comforter whiche is the holy goost whome my father wil sende in my name he shall teache you all thynges Item in another place Iho. xvi yf I goo not awaye that
suffre onelye Goddes workes in vs. mat xvi This is the mortifyenge of oure selues and renewyng of oure selues He that wyl come to Christe must for sake hym selfe The Sonday and other holy dayes are permitted for this cause that men so muche the better and more conueniently maye come together in those dayes to praye with the congregation in one accorde to heare the worde of God and to receyue the Sacramente Vvhen that is done thē mayest thou worke without any synne Men dyd in the tyme of Ierome after the diuine seruyce vse bodely laboure in the congregation as he writteth hym selfe in Epitaph Pauli Vvherfore wyl they compel vs then to rest Gal. iiij Colos ij with manyfest hynderaunce of the body soule and goodes Reade Paule in the Epistle to the Galathians and Colossians Prayer The ryght and beste prayer Mat. vi is the Pater noster and it comprehendeth whatsoeuer is necessary vnto vs. A ryght Christen prayer must be made earnestly and attentyuely Take before the an extreme necessitie and bryng that before God The greatest necessite is lacke of faith loue and hope for these thre thynges oughtest thou to pray for therein consisteth oure saluation For thus sayth Christe Seke fyrste the kyngdome of God and his righteousnes al these thynges shall be ministred vnto you yf God doth fede the byrdes of the ayer with oute all care and clotheth the floures of the felde so costely verely truste in hym he shall also prouyde for thy lyuyng Abraham trusted well in God and be came ryche here and also hereafter Mat. vi The prayer must be shorte as Christe sayth when ye pray bable not moche as the heathen do for they thynke that they shal be hearde for theyr moche bablinges sake Superfluous wordes oughte to be auoyded in the prayer Therfore beware of Hortulus anime Rosarium The gardeyn of Herbes thy Myrour and suche lyke foolysshe baggage For therein is moche vnprofitable babblynge Euery man can not seke nor gather oute the golde out of the myre Iacob i. Matth. xxi Ioh. iiij Let the prayer be faithfull he that prayeth not in fayth obtayneth nothynge God hath promysed to heare vs therfore muste we be done in spirite and in truth Prescrybe vnto god no signe way tyme nor houre when and howe he shoulde geue the thy requeste he knoweth well ynough when it is beste for the putte it to hys discretion and saye alwayes Lorde thy holy wyll be done He heareth hym anone that prayeth in fayth but he geueth not alwayes so soone for he knoweth when it is tyme. Vowe ¶ We haue made a promyse vnto God in the holy Baptysme that we wyll forsake the deuyll and renounce all hys workes Here doth man promyse to fyghte agaynste hys owne flesshe agaynste the worlde agaynst the deuyll He is borne of hys father Eph. ij Iohn iij a synfull chylde of wrath he muste be renewed and borne agayne of water the holy goost The olde man muste be mortifyed thys is done through all maner of tribulatiō aduersite which greue the carnall man ij tim iij For thus sayth Paul Al that wyll lyue godly in christe muste suffer persecutiōs Mat. iij and. iiij And thys is the repētaunce or amēdemēt which Iohn Christe do teache This repentaunce is a mortifyeng of the old mā a renewyng of the spirite His tokē is Baptisme which is a newe byrthe Tit. iij whosoeuer wyl not suffre aduersitye and afflictions in thys worlde Ac. xiiij thesame is vntrewe and kepeth no promise nor doth the thynges whiche he hath promysed in hys baptysme Therfore is it good to see that there be but fewe ryght Christians in earth Mē oughte not to vowe or promyse any thynghe rasshely for euery man hath both hys handes full of workes The promyse of baptisme and ynoughe to do yf he wyll satisfye hys Baptisme The promises or vowes of freres c. The vowes of freres or monkes are foolysshnes and are made without faith To vowe chastite is not in their power for it is a specyall gyfte of God And a counseyl not a commandement The Euangelicall pouertye belongeth to vs all i. Co. vij Matth xix and is nothyng elles then in spirite not to desyre not to cleame the temporall goodes with oure herte and to vse the goodes for the commoditie and welthe of oure neyghboure as dispensatours and distributours not as owners and Lordes of the goodes Luc xiiij For thus sayth christe yf a man come to me and hateth not hys father mother wyfe chyldren bretheren and sisters Moreouer and hys owe lyfe he can not be my discyple Thys lawe doth bynde euerye man not onelye freres and Nonnes Ro. vij for it is spirituall euen as the hole lawe is and requyreth a cleane pure herte To forsake all thynges that is To forsake all thinges not to be entangled with any thynge with any inordinate or vncomely desyres And to vse the same onelye and not to hange or cleane thereon with wyl or desyre Therfore is not the Euangelicall pouerte Euangelicall pouerte to go a beggynge from house to house and to haue nothyng at al but not to hang vpō the goodes with a couetous mynde and desyre All ryches are geuen vs of God not that we should occupye thē alone but that we shoulde serue oure neyghboure with them yea with all that we haue Deu. xv Luce. x. thys requyreth the lawe of nature the lawe of God Moyses commaunded that no man shoulde be suffred to begge Christe sayth Go not frō house to house Into whatsoeuer house ye enter there eate and drynke suche as they haue Obedience Ro. xiij Philip. i i. Pe. iij Obedience must we kepe euen as wel as the freres or monkes as Paule and Peter teache euery man in his Citie or cōmunalty to hys Lord whatsoeuer the scripture sayth of the obedience of God and of his holy worde the same do the blynde guydes drawe by the heare vpon theyr inuented obedience Euen as also they wreste thys saynge in Samuel i. Re. xv Obedience is better sacrifyce drawe it vpon mannes traditions The vowes promyses of the freres or monkes come of ignoraunce of the free wyll whiche they presume to haue and to defende The vowe of freres is no counseyll in the Scripture nor yet commaundemente therfore is it nothyng but mere seduction Ipocrisye and vnbeleue Christe wyl that oure fayth purely onelye shall be buylded vpon hys onely worde For vpō thesame rock doth he buylde hys congregation mat xvi Iohn x. And in Iohn sayth he My shepe heare my voyce For as much now as there is no cleare or manifest worde of God which counsayleth or cōmaundeth that there should be a bonde of eternal vowes of chastite or of beggerye verelye so erre al they that teache freres vowes and take them for good and sure gere in the
Therfore wyll noman truely take the Gospel in hande mat xvi Christ hath geuen vs warnynge of such in Matt. Beware of the Leuen of the Pharises and of the Saduces that is of mēnes traditions Thereof reade further Deut. iiij Prouer. xxx Esaye xxxix Matth. xv xxiiij Marc. vij Luc. xvij Gal. i. Colloss ij i. Timot. iiij Tit. i. And .i. Pe. ij Yf thou wilt see with what coloure the Scripture doth counterfaite and paynte the wicked shepeherdes then reade Ezechiel xiij and xxxiiij Ieremie xxiij Esaye iij. Michee iij To the Philippians iij. Conclusyon AT the last wyl I admonyshe charitably euerye good Christian that he wyll beware and take good hede in thys last perillous tyme wherein Ante Christe hath also hys predication sheweth hys miracles and that he wil earnestly reade the Byble hym selfe with humilitie and not with presumption Whereas the spirite of God openeth any thynge vnto hym let hym be thankefull And wheras any thynge is to harde for hym there let hym not iudge rasshely and put no doubtes in it but that all thyng is well and good written by the spirite of God whiche can not erre But the faulte is in our selues Moreouer one daye teacheth another what soeuer thou vnderstandest not to daye thesame bryngeth the daye of to morowe with him The holy scripture wyl not be reade as other bokes thou mayest not rasshely and with vnwassheth handes as the common Prouerbe soundeth fall into it but with a precedent deuoute prayer and yeldynge of thy selfe that God may worke in the and that thou wilt not vnderstonde the Scripture after thyne owne brayne or brynge an interpretation in the Scripture after thyne owne phantasy but that thou mayest seke it euen there and be taught of god in the ryght hygh scoole of the holy Ghooste and gladly enquyre of the learned and learne withoute arrogancye and curiosite There must nedes be good experience of the language and the spirite yf a man wil truely handle with the scripture For the one helpeth the other i. co xiij Paul wyll that a man shal here knowe the language and prophecye Therfore let not hym that is not very expert in languages be rasshe and presumpteous to iudge in the scripture how doth it agree that men hādell the reliques of Saynctes with so greate reuerence and honorablenes handel so rasshely or vndiscretely the ryght and true reliques that is the worde of God whiche the sonne of God hath confirmed and stablysshed by hys holy bloude and whereby we be all made ryghteous and holy Howe be it thou shalt not therfore be abolished thinkynge that to reade and to knowe the scripture perteineth onely to prestes Mat. vi It is the worde whereby thy soule make lyue whereby thou arte made a Christen man Vve are called all together to one kyngedom of heauen and inheritaunce of God There is one Baptisme Eph. iiij one worde and one fayth Vve muste al knowe what God requyreth of vs. Therfore as deare as thy soule health and saluation is vnto the euen so earnestly let the worde of God be committed vnto the. It preuayleth nothynge vnto the that thou sayest I wyll continue in my fathers belefe The belefe of oure forefathers Paraduenture thy father was taught that he shoulde be made righteous by workes that he should institute many soule masses buylde Churches that then all were well Yf thou shouldest fynde thy father in hel thou shouldest fynde an euyll fyndynge The sunne of ryghteousnes Iesus Christe is rysen the holy Gospell is purely and syncerely preached he that nowe openeth not hys eyes and shutteth the trueth withoute the dores shal surely fynde hymselfe deceaued Yf Sayncte Paule woulde haue beleued as hys father and the great multitude then shoulde he haue beleued that withoute the bodely circumsion no man coulde be saued what case hadde he byn in thou Yf my father hadde beleued that whatsoeuer a Byshoppe dyd institute or ordeyne were the holy Gospel shoulde I therfore folowe hym in thys errour Christe my hope and redemption saue me frō so doynge whiche vouchesafe through the quickenyng spirite to teache vs his scripture hym selfe that we may vnderstande the vnspeakeable ryches of hys grace AMEN Vvhosoeuer sayth I wil beleue as my father hath done before me and wyl not be instructed and infourmed to heare the Gospell the same wil not knowe the trueth and paraduenture Christ wyl not knowe hym also therfore shall he stande to hys owne daunger vnto hym is the Sunne rysen in vayne he is blynde and a blocke or he feareth the trueth of the Gospell he feareth that he shoulde be fayne to be good Hys euyl workes are espyed in in the cleare lighte of the Gospel whiche he hath couered with mennes traditions This is then as Christ sayth Iohn iij the condemnation that the lyght is come into the worlde and the men loued darkenes more then light Euery man that doth euyl hateth the lyght Thou wilt saye vnto me The Gospel hath bē darkened with mennes doctryne The Gospell hath alwayes ben preached But I saye naye to it The texte might wel be tolde vnto the whiche afterwarde was so darkened with mens gloses that the Gospell that is the glad tydynges was made a heauy tydynges vnto the. For they haue onely taught and preached many institutions but the conforte in the Scripture was hydden namely the inenarrable treasure of grace purchased vnto vs by Christe They haue not taught Christe but Antichrist Thou hast not ben set from thy selfe vnto Christe that thou mightest haue learned wherfore Christe is geuen vnto the. Item to knowe the secretes of the Gospel what is the right peace and ioye of al hertes and consciences but we haue ben brought leadde frō Christ vpon and into our selues that we shoulde be iustifyed and saued by the workes of oure free wyl O Lorde what misery and calamite haue we ben brought vp in in what great vnquietnes For the conscience can neuer be in quiete sure and content yf she must be iustifyed by workes She can neuer be sure in what case she standeth with God as Paule declareth Ro. iiij Gal. iij. But thys is vnto a troubled conscience a great conforte when she heareth that man is not iustifyed by workes but by the fayth in Iesu Christ Thys is the ryght preachinge of the Gospell Rom. iij iiij Gal. ij Rom. iij iiij v Ge. xv Lyke as oure father Abraham was iustifyed before God euen so must we be iustifyed also The scripture calleth hym a father of all beleuers and saith in the fyrst boke of Moyses Abraham beleued God and it was counted vnto him for ryghteousnes And so doth Paul dryue it alwayes euery where we are iustifyed by fayth Thys shalt thou vnderstond thus for a conclusyō Two maner of faith We haue two maner of beleuynges or knoweledges of Christe The one is called an Actual knoweledge As when I haue