brought the price of the thinges that were solde and layde it down at the Apostles feete And distribution was made vnto euery man according as he had neede ¶ The tenth Article I Beleue in the forgeuenes of sinnes ☜ The confirmations I am he yea I am he which put away thine iniquities and that for mine owne sake and will remember them no more The Lorde shall put downe our wickednesses cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea Loke how wide the east is from the west so farre hath hee set our sinnes from vs. Yea like as a father pitieth hys owne children euen so is the Lord mercifull vnto all them that feare him For hee knoweth perfectly wherof we be made he remeÌ„breth that we are but dust Christ hath taken vpon hym our infirmities and borne our diseases The sonne of man came to seeke and saue that was lost All that beleue in Christ shall not perishe but haue euerlasting life Thys is a true saying and worthy to bee noted that Christ Iesus came into y â— world to saue sinners The bloud of Iesus Christ maketh vs cleane froÌ„ all sinne If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the truth is not in vs. But if we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and righteous to forgeue vs our sinnes and to make vs cleane from all iniquitie ¶ The xj Article I Beleue the resurrection of the body ☜ The confirmations I beleue that my redemer liueth and that I shall rise out of y â— earth in the latter day and that I shall be clothed again with this skinne and see God my Sauiour in my fleshe Yea I my selfe shall behold hym not with other eyes but with these same eies Thys hope is stedfastly set in my hart Thy dead men shall liue euen with my body shall they rise again Awake and sing ye that dwell in the duste For thy dewe is euen as the dew of herbes the earth shall cast out them that be vnder her O ye dry bones he are the worde of the Lord. Thus sayth the Lorde God vnto these bones beholde I will put breath vnto you that ye may liue I will geue you sinewes and make fleshe grow vpoÌ„ you and couer you ouer with skinne and so geue you breath that ye may liue and know that I am the Lord. Behold I will open your graues O my people and take you out of your Sepulchres The houre shall come in y â— which all that are in y â— graues shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and shall come forth they y t haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of damnation If Christ be preached how that he rose froÌ„ the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead If there be no rising agayne of the dead then is Christ not risen againe If Christ bee not risen agayne then is our preaching in vaine and your fayth also is in vaine Read the whole Chapter We know that he which raysed vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also by the meanes of Iesus If we beleue that Iesus dyed and rose againe euen them also which sleepe by Iesus will God bring againe with him Read y â— latter end of the chapter ¶ The xij Article I Beleue euerlasting life ☜ The confirmations Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life some to perpetuall shame reprofe The wise such as haue taught 〈◊〉 her shall glister 〈◊〉 the shining of heauen and those that haue instructed the multitude vnto godlines shal be as y â— starres world without end ¶ Read the. 2. Chapter of the 4. booke of Eâ—â—ras The righteous shall goe into euerlasting life My sheepe heare my voyce I know theÌ„ and they follow me and I geue them euerlasting life This is euerlasting life euen to know thee y t alone true God and whoÌ„ thou hast sent Iesus Christ. O Father these that thou hast geueÌ„ me I will that where I am there also they bee with me that they may see my glory which thou hast geuen me The eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither haue the thinges entred into the hart of man which God hath prepared for them thâ—t loue hym We know that if our earthly maÌ„sion of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building of God an habitation not made with hands but euerlasting in heauen Amen ¶ All these Articles aforesayd I with my whole hart beleue with my mouth vnfaynedly confesse to be true and agreable to Gods holy word ¶ The Prayer of the Apostles Lord increase our fayth ¶ Of Prayer ¶ What Prayer is PRayer is a lifting vp of a pure minde vnto God wherein we aske somewhat of God that is agreable to hys holy will ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures We know not what we shoulde desire pray for as we ought nevertheles the spirite it self maketh intercession mightely for vs with vnspeakeable gronings Howbeit he that searcheth the hart knoweth what the minde of the spirite is for hee maketh intercession for the sainctes according to y e pleasure of God The tyme commeth and is now already that the true worshippers shall worship in spirite and truth For y â— father will haue such to worship him God is a spirite and they that worship him must worship him in spirite and truth We are the circumcision euen we that serue God in spirite I will that all men pray in all places lifting vp pure haÌ„des without wrath and strife This people honoureth me with their lips but their hartes is farre from me verily they worship me in vaine Aske and it shall be geuen you Seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you For whosoeuer asketh receaueth and he that seketh findeth and to hym y â— knocketh it shall be opened Thys is the trust that we haue in God that if we aske any thyng according to hys will hee heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the peticious that we desire of hym What benefites we receaue of God by prayer By prayer we are deliuered out of trouble ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures When I was in trouble I called vpon the Lorde and hee graciously heard me Call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt honour me He shall call vpoÌ„ me and I will heare hym yea I am with him in trouble I will deliuer hym and bring hym to honour When any man in hys trouble did turne vnto the Lorde God of Israell and sought hym hee was found of hym By prayer we are preserued from our enemyes ☞
sonne of man be lifted vp that euery one which beleueth on hym may not perishe but haue euerlasting lyfe Ye seeke Iesus y t was crucified We preach Christ crucified Christ hys owne selfe bare our sinnes in hys body on the tree that wee being deliuered from sinne should liue vnto righteousnes By whose stripes ye were healed Dead After thys ixij. weekes shall Christ be flame and they shall haue no pleasure in hym When we were yet â—â—uâ—ers Christ dyed for vs. Christ died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures Buryed Hys grace was geueÌ„ hym with the condeumed First of all I deliuered vnto you that which I receaued how that Christ dyed for our sinnes agreing to the Scripture and that he was buryed Ioseph and Nicodemus tooke Iesus body and buried it in a new graue Hee descended into hell Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell neither shalt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption Thou through the bloud of thy couenaunt shalt let the prisoners out of the pit wherin is no water O death I will be thy death O hell I will be thy destruction Christ hath once suffered for sins the iuste for the vniust to bryng vs to God and was killed as pertaynyng to the fleshe but was quickned in the spirite In which spirite hee also went and preached vnto the spirites that were in prison ¶ The fift Article THe thyrd day hee rose agayne from the dead ☜ The confirmations I layd me downe and slept and rose vp againe for the Lord sustained me After two daies shall he quicken vs and in the third day shall hee raise vs vp so that we shall liue in hys sight Ye slew the authour of lyfe whom God hath raised vp from the dead Iesus Christ our Lorde rose agayne from the dead Christ died for our sinnes rose agayne for our iustification Iesus Christ rose agayn y â— third day according to the Scriptures Remember that Iesus Christ of the seede of Dauid rose againe froÌ„ death according to my Gospell ¶ The sixt Article HE ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almightie ☜ The confirmations Hee ascended into heauen God is gone vp with a mery noyse and the Lorde with y â— sound of the trumpe Thou art gone vp on hie thou hast led captiuitie captiue and receaued giftes for men It came to passe as hee blessed them hee departed from them and was caryed vp into heauen Iesus was taken vp on hie and a cloude receaued hym vp out of their sight And while they looked stedfastly vp toward heauen as he went beholde two men stoode by them in white apparell which also said ye meÌ„ of Galile why stand ye gasing vp into heauen This same Iesus which is taken vp froÌ„ you into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene hym go into heauen WheÌ„ he went on hie he led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men That hee ascended what meaneth it but that he also descended first into the lowest partes of the earth He y â— descended is euen the same also y â— ascended vp aboue all heauens to fulfill all thinges And sitteth on the right hand of God the father almightie ☜ The confirmations The Lord sayd vnto my Lord sit thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy fotestoole When the Lord had spoken vnto them he was receaued into heauen and is sitting on y â— right hand of God Christ is on y â— right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. If ye be risen againe with Christ seke those things which are aboue where Christ sitteth on the ryght hand of God Christ hath by hys own person purged our sinnes sitteth on the right hand of the maiestie on hie ¶ The seuenth Article FRom thence hee shall come to iudge the quicke and dead ☜ The confirmations The Lord shall iudge y â— world with righteousnes and the people with equitie Read the xxv chapt of S. Mathewes Gospell The father hath committed all iudgement vnto the sonne because that all meÌ„ should honor the sonne as they honour the father Christ was ordayned of God to be iudge of quicke and dead We must all appeare before the iudgemeÌ„t seate of Christ that euery man may receaue the works of his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Our conuersation is in heauen from whence we looke for a Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ which shall chaunge our vile body that he may make it lyke vnto hys glorious body accordyng to the working wherby he is able to subdue all thinges vnto hym selfe The Lorde Iesus Christ shall iudge the quicke and the dead at his appearing in his kingdome God is ready to iudge y â— quicke and the dead ¶ The eight Article I beleue in the holy Ghost ☜ The confirmations The spirite of God moued vpon the face of the waters Take not thy holy spirite froÌ„ me When Christ was baptised the holy ghost came downe vpon hyâ— in the likenes of a doue Christ coÌ„maunded hys disciples to baptise in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy ghost The holy ghost shall reproue the world of sinne There are three which geue witnesse in heauen y â— father the sonne and the holy ghost and they three are one ¶ The ninth Article I Beleue the holy vniuersall congregation which is the fellowship of Sainctes ☜ The confirmations If he will not heare the congregation let him be vnto thee as an heathen man and as a Publicane Christ loued the congregation and gaue him self for it to sanctifie it and clensed it in the fountayne of water through y â— word to make it vnto him self a glorious congregation without spot or wrinckle or any such thyng that it should be holy and without blame I write these thinges vnto thee that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the congregation of the liuing God the piller and ground of the truth All that beleued kept themselues together and had all thinges common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all meÌ„ as euery man had neede And they continued dayly with one accorde in the temple brake bread from house to house and dyd eate their meate together with gladnes and singlenes of hart praysing God The multitude of them that beleued were of one hart and of one soule Neither sayd any of them that ought of the thinges which he possessed was hys owne but they had all thinges coÌ„mon And great grace was with them all Neither was there any among them that lacked For as many as were possessors of landes or houses solde them and
with the cares of thys life I had not knowen what lust had ment except the law had sayd thou shalt not lust Make not prouision for the flesh to fulfill the lustes of it Mortifie your earthy members fornication vncleannes vnnaturall lust euill concupiscence c. Godlines is great riches if a man be content with that he hath For we brought nothing into the worlde neyther can we cary any thyng out But when we haue foode and rayment let vs be content therwith They that haue a minde to be riche fall into temptation and snares of the deuill into many folishe and noysome lustes which drowne men in perdition and destruction For couetousnes is the roote of all euill which while some lusted after they erred froÌ„ the fayth tangled them selues with many sorrowes But thou man of God flie such things Follow righteousnes godlines fayth loue pacience meekenes c. Let your conuersatioÌ„ be without couetousnes and bee content with such thinges as ye haue alreadie Loue not the world nor those thinges that are in the worlde For all that is in the world as the concupiscence of the fleshe and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but of the worlde And the world passeth away and the lustes therof but he that doth the will of God abydeth for euer ¶ The summe of these x. CoÌ„maundementes and all other lawes of God Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thy hart with all thy soule with all thy minde and with all y e vttermost of thy power This is the first and greatest commaundement And the second is like vnto it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self In these two commaundementes are contayned the whole law and the Prophets Owe nothyng to any man but that ye loue one an other for he that loueth an other hath fulfilled the lawe For these commaundementes Thou shalt not coÌ„mit adulterie Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steale Thou shalt beare no false witnes Thou shalt not lust and all other commaundementes are briefly comprehended in these wordes Loue thy neighbour as thy selfe The end of the law is loue out of a pure hart and of a good coÌ„science and of a fayth not fayned What soeuer ye would that men should do vnto you do ye euen the same to them also for this is the law and the Prophetes ¶ Of Repentaunce ¶ What Repentaunce is REpentaunce is an inward sorow of the mind wrought by the holy ghost for the sumes tofore committed agaynst God ioyned both with a perfect fayth to be forgeuen for Christes sake and also with a full determined purpose froÌ„ henceforth to amend and to lead a new life ☜ Probations out of the holy Scriptures I now reioyce not that ye were sory but y â— ye so sorrowed that ye repented For ye sorrowed godly so that in nothing ye were hurt by vs. For the sorâ—ow y e is wrought by God causeth repeÌ„tance vnto saluation not 〈◊〉 be repented of coÌ„trariwise worldly sorow causeth death The seruaâ—nt of God must inâ—ourme them that resist the truth if that God at any tyme will geue them repentaunce for to know the truth and that they may come to them selues againe out of the snare of the deuill which are holden of hym captiue at hys will 〈◊〉 me O Lorde I shall be conuerted for thou art my Lord God â—ea as soone as thou turnedst me I repented and as soone as thou shewedst my sinnes vnto me I smote my thigh yea I was confouÌ„ded and right greatly ashamed O Lord turne thou vs vnto thee and so shall we be turâ—ed I will poure cleane water vpon you ye shall be cleane yea froÌ„ all your vncleannes froÌ„ all your Idols shall I clense you A new hart also wil I geue you and a new spirite will I put into you As for that â—â—ony hart I wil take it out of your body and geue you a fleshy hart I will geue my spirite among you and cause you to walke in my commaundementes to kepe my lawes to fulfill them And ye shall be my people and I will be your God O thou God of Hostes turne thou vs shewe vs the light of thy countenance we shall be whole ¶ Of the fruites of repentaunce declared by the worde of God Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call vpon him while he is nie Let the vngodly man forsake hys owne wayes and the vnrighteous his own imaginations and turne againe vnto the Lord so shall he be mercifull vnto him and to our God for he is very ready to forgeue O Israell if thou wilt turne thee then turne vnto me saith the Lord. And if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight thou shalt not be moued Be circumcised in the Lord and cut away y â— foreskin of your hartes that my indignation breake not forth lyke fire kindle so that no man may quench it because of the wickednes of your imaginations If the vngodly will turne away from all his sinnes that he hath done and keepe all my commaundementes and do the thing that is equall and right doubtles he shall liue not die As for all his sumes that he did before they shall not be thought vpoÌ„ but in his righteousnes that he hath done he shall liue For haue I any pleasure in y â— death of a sinner sayth the Lorde God but rather that he coÌ„uert and liue Be conuerted and turne you cleane from all your wickednes so shall there no sinne do you harme Cast away from you all your vngodlines that ye haue done Make you new hartes and a new spirite Wherfore will ye die O ye house of Israell seing I haue no pleasure in the death of him that dieth sayth the Lorde God Turne ye then and ye shall liue As truely as I liue sayth y â— Lord God I haue no pleasure in the death of the wicked but much rather that the wicked turne from hys way liue Turne you turne you from your vngodly wayes O ye house of Israell Oh wherefore will ye die The wickednes of the wicked shall not hurt hym when soeuer he conuerteth from hys vngodlines Turne you vnto me sayth the Lord of Hostes and I will turne me vnto you Turne you vnto me with all your hartes with fasting weeping and mourning Rent your hartes and not your clothes Turne you vnto the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull long suffering and of great compassion and ready to pardon wickednes Repent of the life that is past for the kingdome of heaueÌ„ is at hand Bring forth the fruites that belongeth vnto repentance For euen now is the axe put vnto the roote of the tree so that euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruite is hewen down cast into the fire
vp thy voice like a trumpet shew my people their offeÌ„ces and y â— house of Iacob their sinnes I haue set watchmen vpon thy walles O Ierusalem which shall neuer cease day nor night to preach the Lorde Behold I put my wordes in thy mouth behold this day do I set thee ouer y â— people and kingdomes that thou mayest roote out breake of destroy make waste and that thou mayest build vp and plant Thou sonne of maÌ„ I haue made thee a watchman vnto the house of Israell therfore take good heede to the wordes of my mouth and geue them warning at my commaundement If I say vnto thee coÌ„cerning the vngodly man that without doubt he must die and thou geuest him not warning nor speakest vnto hym y â— he may turne from hys euill way so to liue then shall the same vngodly man die in hys own vnrighteousnes but his bloud will I require of thy hand Neuertheles if thou geue waâ—ning vnto the wicked and he yet forsake not hys vngodlines then shall he die in hys own wickednes but thou hast discharged thy soule If thou louest me fede my shepe Woe vnto me if I preach not the Gospell We preach not our selues but Iesus Christ our Lord. We are not as the most part are which chop and chaunge with the word of God but out of purenes and by the power of God in y â— sight of God so speake we in Christ. Though we our selues or an angell from heauen preach any other Gospell vnto you then that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed A Bishop must be apt to teach Geue attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Preach thou y â— word be â—eruent in season out of season improue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine ¶ Of life and conuersation God sayd to the vngodly Why doost thou preach my lawes takest my testament in thy mouth Seing thou hatest to be reformed hast cast my words behind thee When as y â— sawest a theefe thou coÌ„sentedst vnto him and hast bene partaker with the adulterers Who soeuer doth and teacheth the same shall be called great in the kingdome of heauen Be vnto them that beleue an ensample in worde in coÌ„uersation in loue in spirite in fayth in purenes Keepe thy selfe pure Studie to shew thy selfe laudable vnto God a workmaÌ„ that needeth not to be ashamed distributing the word of truth iustly In all thinges shew thy selfe an ensample of good workes in y â— doctrine with honestie grauitie and with the wholesome worde which can not be rebuked that he which withstandeth may be ashamed hauing no euill thing to say of you Feede ye Christes flocke as much as lieth in you taking y e ouersight of them not as coÌ„pelled therto but willingly not for y e desire of filthy luker but of a good minde not as though ye were Lordes ouer y e parishes but that ye be an ensample to the flocke And when y e chief shepeheard shall appeare ye shal receaue an incorruptible crowne of glory ¶ Of Hospitalitie Distribute vnto y â— necessitie of the Sainctes Be ready to harbour A Bishop must be a maintayner of hospitalitie Forget not hospitalitie for therby haue diuers meÌ„ lodged Angels vnwares ¶ The dutie of Parishioners vnto the Ministers of Gods worde THe dutie of Parishioners vnto the Ministers of Gods worde is outwardly to honour and reuerence them to receaue them as the Angels Ambassadors of God to regard theÌ„ as the ministers and stewardes of Gods misteries liberally to geue vnto theÌ„ what soeuer is necessary for the mainteinaunce of their degree and estate that they may quietly geue theyr mindes to y e studie of godly letters to prayer to the preaching of Gods worde and to the ministration of the Sacramentes ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Feare y e Lord with all thy soule honour hys ministers Loue thy maker with all thy strength forsake not his ministers Honor God with all thy soule reuerence hys priestes Geue theÌ„ their porcion of the first fruites and encrease of the earth like as it is coÌ„maunded thee The priestes that rule well are worthy of double honour most specially they which labour in y e word and teaching For y e scripture saith Thou shalt not mosell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne And the labourer is worthy of hys reward We besech you brethren that ye know them which labour among you haue the ouersight of you in the Lord and geue you exhortatioÌ„ that ye haue them in hie reputation through loue for theyr workes sake and be at peace with them Obey them that haue the ouersight of you and submit your selues vnto them for they watch for your soules euen as they that must geue accomptes that they may doe it with ioy and not with griefe In the priestes lippes should bee sure knowledge that meÌ„ may seke the law at hys mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hostes. Ye despised me not neyther did ye abhorre me but ye receaued me as an Angell of God yea euen as Christ Iesus For I beare you recorde that if it had bene possible ye would haue plucked out your own eyes and haue geuen theÌ„ vnto me He that receaueth you receaueth me and he that receaueth me receaueth hym that sent me He that heareth you heareth me he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth hym that sent me Let a man this wise esteeme vs euen as y e Ministers of Christ and stewardes of the misteries of God Bryng euery tith into my barne y t there may be meate in my house The workman is worthy of hys meate If the Gentiles be made partakers of their spirituall things their dutie is to minister vnto them in bodily thinges Who goeth a warfare at any time at his own cost who plaÌ„teth a vineyard eateth not of the fruite therof or who feedeth a flocke and eateth not of y t milke of the flocke For it is written in the law of Moses Thou shalt not mosell y e mouth of the Oxe y â— treadeth out the corne Doth God take thought for oxen Saith he it not all together for our sakes For our sakes no doubt thys is written that he which eareth should eare in hope and he which threasheth in hope should be partaker of hys hope If we sow vnto you spirituall thinges is it a great thing if we reape your bodily thinges Do ye not know how y t they which minister about holy things liâ—e of the Sacrifice They which waite of the temple are partakers of the temple Euen so also did the Lorde ordaine y t they which preach the Gospel should liue of y â— Gospel Let hym that is taught