church as the church of Rome of Ausbâ—ough Lyence And yet is y e churcâ—e otheâ—wyse taken and many wayes whiche it nedeth not nowe to recyte Here therfore I beleue that there is one churche of theÌ„ whiche haue the same one spyrite that assureth theÌ„ that they be verely thâ— chyldren of the family of God and these are the fyrst fruites of the churches This churche I beleue erre not in the truth that is to saye in these fyrst pryncypall articles of the fayth vpon the which our christen relygion standeth and is fouÌ„ded I beleue also the vnyuersall sensyble churche to be one whyle it holdeth this true confession spoken of before And I beleue them to be of the same churche who soeuer by christen profession obeyth it accordynge vnto the wrytteÌ„ worde and promyse I beleue Isaac Iacob Iuda beynge infantes and all that were of the sead of AbrahaÌ„ and also those infantes whose parentes in the prymatyue churche at the prechyng of thapostles turned vnto christ to be of this church For Isâ—ac oâ—her of the olde fathers excepte they had ben of the churche they had not receyued y e bagge and cognysance therof Syth they wâ—re then of the churche beyng infantes then aâ— well therof must our infaÌ„tes lytle ons be of the churche to Vvherfore I beleue and know that thynfantes coÌ„seigned with the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme be of the church For the infantê acknowledge it by the mouthes of theyr godfathers and owne fathers to in y t they be offered of theyr parentes vnto y e churche yea rather the promyse whiche is no lesse made vnto our infaÌ„tes but more largely oftener theÌ„ to thynsantes of the olde fathers offer them vnto y e churche These are the pryncypall grouÌ„des foundacions as touchynge the infantes to be baptysed coÌ„mended vnto the churche agaynst the which all the daâ—tes engynes of the Catabaptistes that is to saye of them y t wyll haue vs christened agayne may nothiÌ„g preuayll For they are not onely to be baptysed y t beleue but they that are of the churche by the reason of the promyse of gods worde For els shuld none of the apostles haue baptysed any man wheÌ„ none of y e apostles were sure of the fayth of hym y t outwardly aknowleged and obeyed theyr prechyngê For Symon y e iuggler charmer Ananias Iudas to and many mo were baptized wheÌ„ they obeyed and toke the name of christeÌ„ men and yet had they not fayth Agayn Isaac yet an infant was circuÌ„cised when he neither sayde he wold be of the church nor yet beleued but the ê“myse tolde theÌ„ y t he was of the churche of god Sith then our infantes be in the same place that thynfantes of the Hebrews were therfore doth y e promyse concernynge them made vnto our church both name them confesse them to be of the churche Vvherfore verelye aswell doth baptisme as circumcission we speke of the sacramente of baptisme nothynge els require then the one of these two either the aknowlegiÌ„ge or name gyuyng or els the couenant or promyse whiche all shall be more clere by these that folowe ¶ The .vii. article Seuently I beleue yea I knowe it verely that all the sacramentes neither gyue they grace nor yet bring it nor dystribute any grace at al. In which assercioÌ„ ê‘adueÌ„ture I shall seme to bolde to affyrme moste myghty Emperoure but yet my sentence standeth faste For grace for as moche as it is gyuen and made vs by the holy goste I speke latynely vsynge this worde Grace for forgyuenes indulgence absolucion and a free benefyte so doth this gyfte peerse and enter onelye into our spirites Nowe the holy goste nedeth nother gyde nor caryer for he hymselfe is the brynger and power and myght wherby althiÌ„ges are borne hauing no nede to hymselfe to be borne neither haue we red in any place of scripture that sensible thynges as are the sacramentes shulde certaynly brynge with theÌ„ the holy goste But yf the sensible thyngê be at any tyme brought with y e spirite theÌ„ was it the spirite that broughte them with hym and not econtrarie the sensible brought the spirite For when the vehemente wynde was brought and with the wynde was broughte the tongues the spirite brought them not they the spirite So dyd the wynde bryng the quailes and toke awaye the locustes but neuer were quailes or locustes so swyfâ—e as to brynge the wynde with them So when the wynde beyng so great that it myght eueÌ„ hylles haue taken away goyng ouer Hel as yet was not the Lorde borne in that blaste And to be shorte lyke as the wynde bloweth whether his natural course lyeth we hearyng his voyce not knowing whence he coÌ„meth nâ—r where he falleth euen so is it with euery man that is borne of the spirite y t is to wytte that is inuisible and insensybly lyghâ—ened 〈◊〉 of the spirite and drawne of god the father The verite hath spoken these thynges Wheâ—fore it can not be that thorowe thie dopynge into the water nor by this draft nor y â— morsell nor that anoyntyng that the grace of the spirite be brought into vs for yf it be so then were it knowen howe where by whom into whom the spirite were brought For yf the present effect of grace were bounde vnto the sacramentes in the whiche it shulde nowe be brought and worke then were al they gracelesse whiche had not receyued the sacrameÌ„tes albeit they be elâ—cte and chosen whiche election is by the grace of god in Christe Ephe. i. Neyther doâ—h Materia or subiectum hynder the course of the spirite as our diuynes skold and dyspute it for that the matter must fyrst be disposed or the grace of baptisme or of the thaÌ„kes gyuynge as they saye be gyuen hym whiche muste fyrste be prepared vnto it For after them he that receiueth this grace by the sacrameÌ„tes either he himselfe prepareth hym selfe or els is he prepared of the spiritâ— yf he prepare hym selfe then may we of our selues do that same thynge whiche grace goyng before which they call gracia preuenieÌ„s shulde do so is gracia preuenieÌ„s put out of office If he be prepared of the spirit to receyue this grace then I aske whether this be done by the inducynge of the sacrament or withoute the sacrament yf it be done by the meanes of the sacrament theÌ„ must man be prepared vnto one sacrament by another and so shall we neuer come to the fyrst sacrameÌ„t but procede into infinite sacramentes for no man can be after this wayes prepared to a sacramente withoute another former sacrament yf we be withoute a sacrameÌ„t prepared vnto the receyuyng of the sacramentall grace theÌ„ must the spirite be present with his benygne grace before the sacrament be gyuen and grace receyued before the sacrameÌ„t be mynistred Of whiche we gather whiche thynge I do gladlye admytte in the sacrameÌ„tes that the
¶ The rekenynge and declaracion of the fayth and belefe of Huldrike zwyngly byshoppe of ziiryk the chefe town of Heluetia sent to Charles .v. that nowe is Emproure of Rome Holdynge a parlement or Counsayll at Ausbrough with the chefe Lordes and lerned men of Germanye The yere of our Lorde M.D.xxx In the moneth of Iuly ¶ Come ye to me all that labour and are laden and I shall refreshe you Mathe. xi ¶ The veryte wyll haue the victory Presse ye it downe neuer so strongly ¶ Translated and Imprynted at ziiryk in Marche Anno Do. M.D.XLVIII ¶ The Preface of the translatour vnto the reader WHen I had chauÌ„ced vpon this Rekening of the fayth of this so excelently lerned godly flok feder eueÌ„ the good heerdman that set his lyfe for his shepe and had seen it not yet vnto this daye to be confuted nor dampned of any christen lâ—rned man but as it was then openly exhybited vnto the Emprours Maieste and to his noble lerned counsell so stondeth it styll yet vntowched with any iuste contradiccion of holye scriptures I coulde not but thynke this his fayth to be christen catholyk word thy for the glory of god profyt of his churche to be translated into many tongues that many mought read it with frute Vvherfore sâ—thâ—â— England as they say be many hyghly lerned Byshopes and lawers in the speculatiue but fewe in practâ—k diuinite sharpe in naturall but dull in spiritual iugement me thoughte it conuenient the boke to be translated into theyr mother tongue that yet at the least the lerned in christ myght iuge therof and saye theyr myndes And for because therbe many laye men of better iugement knowlege then the speculatyue priestes and prelats for all theyr latine and greke to therfore here haste thou it Oh laye reader whiche only knowest but the Englisshe tongue that eueÌ„ thy selfe myghtest also with thy Englysshe Byble frelye trye and iuge it as the apostle byddeth the proue all thynges holde y t at good is And IhonÌ„ bydddeth the proue the spiritâ— whether they be of god But se â—hat the scriptures be euer thy towche stone and as Agâ—sten teacheth fayth and loue to trye all meÌ„nes wrytinges And beware thou beeste none of thâ—m vnto whom aâ— is sayde Psalm lxxiiâ— all thynges stynke but onlye those which theyr selues thorowe malyce and arrogancie speake or wryte yea and that so prowâ—lye Many there are also amonge this saye sorte whiche be yet wâ—ake ignorant and in doubte what they shall beleue in y e more doubte for that they heare suche deuersâ—â—e of preching one agaynst another such coÌ„trâ—â—iccion amoÌ„ge them that shuld be lerned wise They se also daylye newe articles of theyr fayth made of newe bysshops in theyr newe bokes of newe institucions they se them confyrmed with non autorite of the olde fayth olde Scriptures but violeÌ„tly thrust in with autorite of newe actes swerde as thoughe hitherto the church of england had from the begynnynge erred in the fayth destituted so longe and many yeres these newe articles latelyer founde fayth whiche new inconstancye and inconstant nouite nowe makynge to morowe marryng this yere enactyng the next vnactynge this daye to be kept worke daye the next yere the same to be kept holy and ydle and such lyke of rokes hares pertriche The symple people I say sâ—yng this incoÌ„staÌ„cy no merueyle though they can not tell whom nor what they maye beleue Not longe a go it was heresye and treason to the scriptures to be had in Englysshe and nowe god be thanked the hole Byble is prynted oft turned redde of many lay men yea that with priuilege And yet they which made the testameÌ„t in Englysshe once treason heresy and for hauyng and readyng it they brent and prysoned many a godly innocent soule nowe alowynge the â—ame with penne hande and mouth for godly and profytable to christes Churche neuer vnto this day haue they founde the tyme to repent them opeÌ„ly of theyr open abhomynable blody murther nor yet in open pulpettes to recante theyr owne false doctryn open iniquâ—te But the Lorde â—e to it be theyr iudge requiring this tyranny at theyr haÌ„des Amen To stablishe therfore good christen reader thy faith and to setle it in peace all waueriÌ„g set a ê‘te thou haste here the rekeninge of this godly lerned Byshopes fayth confermed with the moste meghtye olde and ferme testimonies not of mennes actes and counsels but of the euerlastyng holy scriptures that where as hitherto for the diuersite of mennes opinions and sondry prechyng and teching without gods worde many haue ben in doubte and ygnorauÌ„ce now yf thou diligently readest this lytle boke thou shalte be certifyed and taughte playnly and truly the fayth in one God and iii. persons in trinite And howe the seconde person consisteth of god and man Thou shalt se his godly and infallible prouidence the fall and restoryng of man in which the mercy and iustice of god is declared Thou shalt clerely vnderstande the incarnacion of Christ the sone of god theffect and frut therof vnto thyne vnspekeable conforte the iustificacion onely by fayth into christ goddes eleccion orygynall synne what it is how by christ onely it is done away Vvhat is to be thought of infantes dying before they be baptized Here thou hast it clerly what is the church how many sacraments there be with theffect and ryght vse of them of the supper of the Lorde what Ceremonies may stonde and whiche ought to be abolyshed Of Images of the offyce of preachynge mynisters of the worde of the offyces of Kynges and rulers of purgatory of the frutes of the gospell preached of the frute of maÌ„nes doctrine The good pastours excuse his desyre godlye exortacion to the Emprour to all princes which god engraue into theyr hartes Amen But when the Pope had seen this godly Bisshoppes fayth religion so to prospere and preuaile and his euangelyke doctrine so wyde to spreade that neither his furious droÌ„ken champion Eccius nor yet his fleckisshe slowe beaste Cocleus durste not once more penne agaynst the maiestie of zwynglie his moste eloquent Heroicall style rare erudicioÌ„ and moste excellent diuynâ— lernyng then he hyered certayne Lantsknyghtes to kyll hym which smyten thorow with a morispyke said My bodye haue ye slayne but my soule sley ye can not Then his body quartered brent on the morowe his harte was founde vnperisshed in the asshes of the whiche many a learned man is rysen in whose bokes sermones and sessons zwyngly yet lyueth here in a blessed memoriall and his soule lyueth in heaueÌ„ in the glorious fruicion of the blessed Trinite to whoÌ„ be honour praise for euer Amen ¶ The Preface of the Bysshop to the Emperour WE whiche preache the Gospel in the Cyties townes villages of the christen congregacions desyrously loked wayted euery howre most noble Charles sacred Ceaser vnto
vnite of the essence Yea it shulde be more able to seperate the vnite of thessence whyle one person adsumeth vnto hym a creature whiche the other in nowyse take not then the humanite to be in one place and the diuynite euerye where shulde deuyde the person when euen in the creatures we see the bodyes to be bounde to one place and yet theyr power and vertue to be spred excedyngly wyde As is an ensaÌ„ple in the sonne whose bodye is but in one place and yet is his vertue and powre stretched ouer all places And the mynde of man wrandreth euen aboue the starres and sercheth the depest of the earth whyle his body is but in one lytle place Agayne yet sayth christ yet agayne I leaue the worlde I go to the father Here is this worde LEAVe as before was this worde HAVE so that our aduersaries can not say and glose it out addyng we haue hym not visiblye For when he spake a lytle before of the visyble subtraction and withdrawyng of his bodye he sayd thus for a lytle whyle ye shall not se me c. who wolde here conteÌ„de of this sayinge ye shall not se me his bodye to be present but yet inuysible verelye none excepte suche as wolde iugle with his sayinges and his presence and absence bodely Vvherfore shulde he fle mennes syght which wolde be here and shewed hymselfe so ofte vnto his disciples after his resurrection But it is expedient sayth he that I go my waye But and yf he were here styll it shuld not be expedient that we shulde not se hym syth as ofte as his disciples doubted of his bodely preseÌ„ce he exhibited and offerd hymselfe manyfestly that neither sense nor mynde shuld not suffre any lacke of hym nor he diceyued but fully and certainly adsuered of his presence hymselfe sayinge vnto them fele and touche me and feare not For it is I my very selfe And vnto Mary he sayd Touche me not Albeit he shewed hymselfe to her visibyle And wheÌ„ he was nowe goynge hence and shulde commende his disciples vnto his father he sayd After this tyme I shall not be in the worlde Here is a verbe substantyue after this I am not in the worlde as well as is in these wordes This is my bodye So that nother here can our aduersaries say that there can be no trope whiche denye that verbe substantyues maye receyue any trope But the thynge it selfe nedeth no suche euasioÌ„s for it foloweth But these are in the worlde whiche Antithesis and contraposicion teacheth playnelye hymselfe as concernyng his manhed not to be in the worlde after that his disciples shuld be in it And to knowe wheÌ„ he went his way not as they rather fayne lye expouÌ„dynge it that he shuld but make hymselfe inuisible thus sayth Luke And when he shulde take his leue at them he wente his waye from them was taken pv into heauen He sayth not he vanysshed out of theyr syghtes or made hiÌ„selfe inuisible Of which thynge Marke thus wryteth The Lorde after that he hadde spoken vnto them he was taken vp into heauen and sytteth on the ryght hande of God he saythe not he taryed here styll and made his body inuisible agayne Luke in the actes when he had sayde these thynges they beholdynge hym he was borne vp and eleuated and the cloude toke hym oute of theyr syght The cloude couered hym which cloud it had ben no nede of yf he had but onely haue had withdrawne the syghte of hymselfe and so to haue had ben here styll presente onely inuisible neyther had it haue ben neade to haue so ben borne vp and eleuated And euen there in the same place it is wrytten This same Iesus whiche is taken vp from you into heauen euen thus shall he come as ye haue sene hym go heÌ„ce into heauen Vvhat can be more clere manifest then these wordes FroÌ„ you saith he he is taken vp wherfore he can not se styl with them after his manhed nother visiblye nor inuisibly But wheÌ„ we shall se hym come agayne euen as he thus went his waye then shall we knowe hym to be presente in dede both bodely and visibly But so longe as he thus yet come not agayne we muste nedes beleue that as concernynge his humayne nature that is his maÌ„hed he sitteth on the right hande of the Father vntyll he come agayne to iudge the lyuynge and the deade And as for them that denye Christes bodye to haue a place sayinge that it is not in any place let theÌ„ loke howe openly they go bliÌ„dfolde agaynste the truthe For he was in the kryb vpon the crosse and in Hierusalem wheÌ„ his parentes sought hym in the sepulcre and without the sepulcre for the aungell sayd he is rysen he is not here behold the place where they had layd hym And yet leaste they wyll saye his body to be euery where let theÌ„ heare this The dores shutte Iesus came stode amonge them what nede were it for a bodye to come and to go from place to place that is in all places what nede was it for hym to saye I shall go before you into Galile syth his body was there already yf suche a body shulde be euery where that but inuisiblye He shuld haue left out these wordes he came and I shall go before you and haue sayd I beynge euery where presente wyll shewe my selfe visible here there c. But awaye with these tedious sophisticall vanites which take awaye from vs the verite both of the humanite of Christe and also of holye Scripture These testimonies proue euydently christes body to be nowhere present but in heauen to speake orderly and ryghte accordynge to the scriptures of the nature properte of the bodye of christe adsumpt taken vnto the person And as touchyng the confereÌ„ce of scriptures that apere contrarye what soeuer they tell vs of the myraculouse powre of god yet oughte we neuer so to wreste them to make vs beleue that God doth any thyng coÌ„trary to his owne worde for that were his impeteÌ„cye agaynst his power not with his power Also that the naturall bodye of Christe is not eaten with our mouth himselfe declareth it when he sayd the Iewes stryuynge murmuriÌ„ge vpon the bodely eatyng of his fleshe The flesh whose eatyng ye mysse vnderstaÌ„d profytethe nothynge at al that is to eate it naturally but to eate it spiritually by fayth it ê“fyteth moche for it gyueth lyfe Vvhat soeuer is borne of fleshe it is but fleshe what is borne of the spirite is spirite Nowe yf the naturall bodye of Christe be eaten with oure mouth what els but fleshe is it that coÌ„meth of that naturall fleshe so eaten least this argumeÌ„t seme but lyght to some meÌ„ let vs heare the tother parte what so euer is borne of y e spirite is spirite ergo what soeuer is spirite it must be borne of the spirite yf theÌ„ the
this sacrameÌ„t Euen that thynge whiche onely was but the signe of his bodye to be called y e body it selfe Let them go nowe they that lyfte and condempne vs of heresy so longe as they may se themselues to condempne by the same broyd euen the cheâ—e pyllers of the olde doctours diuynes contrarye to the decrees of the Popes Of these wordes it is full manifest that the olde doctours and diuynes dyd alwayes speake sygnificatiuely in the significacion therof when they attrybuted somoch vnto the eatyng of the bodye of Christe in the supper â–ª that is to wyt not that the sacramentaâ—l eatynge myghte pourge the soule but fayth in god thorowe Iesus Christe which is the spirituall eatynge dyd pourge it of the whiche fayth spirituall eatyng these outwarde thiÌ„ges are y e significacion and shadowe And as the corporall fode susteyneth y e body as doth wyne refreshe it make it glad so doth that fayth stablysshe our mynde and certyfieth it of the mercye of God in that he gaue vs his sone as he refressheth oure mynde with the bloude of hym when our fayth certyfieth vs that our synnes which so burned our coÌ„science be quenched in his bloude Nowe therfore let vs be contented with these places albeit a man myght compyle ryght great bokes to declare and confyrme that the olde doctours were of oure syde Neyther lette not the boke nowe lately made of Eccius of the sentence of the olde doctours moue and peruerte any man whose sentence the good maÌ„ promyseth hymselfe to defende so plainly y t al men may se it For we shall se shortly the confutacion of this boke by oure brother Decolampadius a man excellently learned whiche from the begiÌ„nynge of this stryfe hath taken vpon hym to affyrme and declare the sentence of the olde doctors in this matter And we whiche also are in this senteÌ„ce haue I thynke performed it plentuouslye in many bokes wrytteÌ„ vnto dyuers men what soeuer in this matter may be desyred required for a more playne exposicioÌ„ coÌ„futacion of oure aduersaries ¶ The .ix article For the nynth article I beleue that the Ceremonies whiche hurte not the fayth by any supersticion nor be contrary to the worde of god maye be suffred vntyll the daye starre of truthe be more and more yet sprongen and gyue vs lyghte albeit I wote not whether some suche may be founde to be tolerated for a tyme for charities sake But thus do I beleue that by the same mastres teacher euen charite say I syth suche ceremonies can not be vsed and stande without great offeÌ„ce that then they shulde be abolysshed taken awaye althoughe they reclame and barke agaynst it whiche are of no faythfull mynde For christ forbode not Mary mawdelen to powre forth her oyntmente vpon hym althoughe the couetousnes and infydelite of Iudas dyd swell agaynste it proudlye But the Images whiche stande forth to be worshypped I reaken them not amonge these ceremonies but to be of the noumbre of those thynges whiche dyrectlye fyght agaynst the worde of god But suche as are not setforth to be worshipped or where there is no perell that they shulde in tyme to come be worshypped so farre of am I that I wold dampne them that I aknowlege that science and crafte in paintyng and karuynge to be the verye gyftes of God ¶ The .x. article For the tenth I beleue the offyce of interpretynge scriptures or preachyng to be right holye as an offyce among all to be moste necessarye For to speake orderly we se amonge all men the outwarde prechiÌ„g of the apostles and Euangelistes or byssoppes to haue had gone before the fayth which fayth we ascribe onely vnto the holy goste For we se ahlasse a great manye hearynge the outwarde preachynge of the gospell but they beleue it not which coÌ„meth for lacke of the spirit whyther so euer therfore these preachers be sent there is it a token of the grace of God that he wyl make the knowlege of hym manifeste vnto his electe and chosen And vnto whom these preachers be denyed there is it an euydeÌ„t token of his wrath to be at hande as euery maÌ„ maye gather of the prophetes and of the example of Paule whiche was somtyme forboden to go to some men in the meane reason called and sent to other men Yea both lawes and prynces may haue no greater a presente healpe to defende the coÌ„mon iustyce then by preachynge For in vayne is it commaunded that that iuste is vnlesse they vnto whom it is coÌ„maunded haue a consyderacion of that at Iust is and so loue equyte mynister the same And vnto this loue and consideracion do the preachers as mynisters prepare excyte mennes hartes but the spirite is as the auctor both of the teacher also of the hearer These maner of mynisters which teache comforte fere take cure faythfullye ouerseyng and visitynge the people of Christe with the worde we acknowlege reuereÌ„ce and embrase But this offyce whiche baptiseth and in the supper do heare aboute distrybute the body and bloude of the Lorde for thus we call the holy breade and wyne of the supper euen the thyng signyfied for the sygne visyte the sike and fede the pore with thy ryches and in the name of the congregacion ye and these mynisters also whiche reade interprete scriptures teache and instruct other or professe that they them selues or other myghte be so enformed and taught that in tyme to come may be very pastours and trewe curates ouer the coÌ„gregacion we loue reuerence and kysse But as for these myterd mynisters and crosyerde clâ—rkes whiche rablemeÌ„t is borne to consume and deuour fruites we beleue that they be vnprofytable dunge sakes and dyrtie burdeÌ„s of the earth and to be euen the very same in the body of the church that they deforme croked buÌ„ches crouched shulders vpon a maÌ„s bak ¶ The .xi. article For the .xi. article I knowe that Prynces rulers iustly consecrated and promoued vnto theyr offyce to syt in the stede of God no lesse theÌ„ do the preachers For as the precher is the mynister of the celestial wysdome and goodnes as he that shulde teache faythfully and briÌ„g forth errours into lyghte to be knowen euen so is the prynce or ruler the mynister of goodnes and iustyce Of goodnes as when with faythfulnes modestlye lyke god he both heareth delybreth with couÌ„cel vpon the causes of his subiectes Of iustyce as when he breaketh the audacite of the wycked and defendeth the innocentes These gyftes yf a prynce once haue them I beleue his coÌ„scieÌ„ce can feare nother enemy nor nothynge els But yf he wante them albeit he shewe hymselfe terrible be dreaded yet beleue I y t in nowyse can his conscieÌ„ce be absolued that he be dewlye consecrated and put in the offyce NotwithstaÌ„dyng yet beleue I that a christen man oughte to obeye suche maner a
tyrant vnto that occasion of the whiche Paule speketh yf thou mayst be at lyberte vse it rather whiche occasion yet beleue I to be shewed of god onely not of man ye and y t not darkely but so apertly as was kinge Saule cast away Dauid receyued to be his successour Also as concernyng tribute custome tol to be gyueÌ„ to prynces for the defence of y e realme I coÌ„sent constaÌ„tly with Paul R. xiii ¶ The .xii article In the .xii. I beleue that fained lowde â—ye of Purgatorie fyre to be a thynge so contumelious and iniurious vnto the free redempcion gyuen thorowe Christ as it hath ben lucrose and profytable to auctors and inuentorâ— therof For yf it be necessary that our synnes muste nedes be purged with suche fyery tormentes then were Christe deade in vayne then were grace and fauour voyde Vvhiche what can be inuented more pernicious in all christen religion either what christ haue they whiche wyll be called christen yet fere they this fyre yea smoke rather then fyre but hell wherwith Ixion and TaÌ„talus the vnfaythfull rebelles and stourdye aduersaries to god are punyshed for euer I do not onely beleue but I knowe it also For the verite when he speaketh of the vnyuersall iudgemente he affyrmeth that after that iudgemente some shall go into fyre euerlastynge Vvherfore after the generall iugement there shall be fyre perpetuall By whiche saying the Catabaptistes may the feblyer pretexe cloke theyr errour with this theyr Perpetuum wherby they teache that theyr perpetuum dure no loÌ„ger then vnto domes daye For here speaketh christe of the ê‘petual fyre to burne after that iugement to torment the deuyll with his auÌ„gels with the vngodly that contempne god with those myscheuous tyruÌ„tê which oppresse the truth with lyes not healpynge of fayth mercy theyr pore neighbours beyng in necessite These sayd articles constantly I beleue I teache defende not by myne owne wordes but by the scripture of God And I promes professe god wyllynge so to do whyle I lyue excepte any man can as apertly and playnly as we haue now done the same say forth confyrme the contrary by the very holy scriptures truly vnderstaÌ„den For vnto vâ— it is nolesse ioyous and plesaunt then trewe and iuste to submytte these our sayinges vnto the holy scriptures and to the churche that iugeth by the spirite accordyng to the Scriptures We myght haue had declared these thiÌ„ges all plentuouslyer and more at leÌ„gth but when the occasion wolde not suffer it we are contented with these as they are whiche we thynke to be suche articles as meÌ„ may lyghtly carpe and touche at as it is nowe a dayes the coÌ„mon maner but yet shall there noman confute plucke them quyte awaye But yet who soeuer wyll tempt it to touche theÌ„ away he shall not escape quyte hiÌ„selfe for yet haue we more armour in store which we shall bryngeforth but for this tyme we haue suffyciâ—ntly proued our parte Wherfore moste myghty Emprour and ye other prynces Lordes and nobles the legaâ—â—s and heades of the coÌ„mon weale I beseche praye you by Iesus christe the lorde and our brother for his mercy and ryghtwysnes sake for his iudgement when he shall render vnto euery man as he is worthye whiche seeth all mennes councele myndes whiche distroubleth and subuerteth the purposes of euyll Prynces vngodly delyberynge and agaynst God decreynge and enactyng and wickedly coÌ„maundyng euen our god I saye that exalteth the humble casteth downe the proude I desyre you I saye that ye neglecte not nor conteÌ„pne not the pore selye symplenes of me nowe monysshynge in tyme. For often tymes haue euen the verye rude deluers herbes and worte sellers spokeÌ„ in tyme that it behoueth Yea and the verite hymselfe hath chosen weake symple persons to promulge and preache hiÌ„selfe Besydes this remembre that your selues be but men which your selues may both dyceiue and be dyceyued also of other For euery maÌ„ is a lyer And excepte a man he otherwyse taughte by thynspiracion of god then hymselfe either may knowe or desyre there is no hope of hym but that thorow his owne craft and councell he shall cast hymselfe down hedelynge For full truely verely sayde the prophete Ieremy Beholde the worde of the Lorde haue they cast awaye what wysdome then may be lefte them Vvherfore syth your selues be the standerd berers of iustyce there oughte no man so clearely and so redelye to knowe and haue the wyll of God as you Whiche where els can it be fetched theÌ„ out of his scriptures Abhorre not therfore theyr seÌ„tences whiche cleaue vnto the worde of god For this thynge we se coÌ„monly chaunceth y t the more the aduersaries to y e worde repugne and fyght agaynst it the more it coÌ„meth into fyght and falsnes is cast forth But and yf there be any among you whiche I knowe full well there be whiche boldlye and stoutly deforme and accuse me vnto you to be of no knowlege nor learnyng yea I wysse and to be full of malyce to so yet coÌ„syder this thiÌ„ge with youre selues Fyrst whether we that folowe this waye of the gospell and the ryghte vse of the sacrament of thaÌ„kes gyuyng haue euer instiâ—uted and ordred our lyuynge that there can any good man hitherto doute whether we oughte not to be had in estimacion and place of good faythfull meÌ„ Also whether that euen from our cradles haue we ben so far from wytte leaâ—nynge that all hope of erudicion ought to be cast awaye from vs Surely yet do we of neither of these thynges glorye nor boste our selues wheÌ„ Paule hymselfe affyrmeth to be the same that he was by the grace of god NotwithstaÌ„ding yet yf our lyfe hath chaunced to be a lytle prosperous and iocounde yet dyd it neuer fall to tary in lust and shameles fylthynes neither yet dyd it degener into cruelnes pryde or coÌ„tumacy so that the testimonie of oure lyuynge hath so astoned the councels of oure aduersaries that they haue reuoked repelled them from theyr purposes agaynst vs. As for oure learnynge and erudicion althoughe it be greater theÌ„ our enemies eyther maye beare resyste or without coÌ„science can cotneÌ„pne yet is it far inferior in our opinion theÌ„ these that so fole hardely persecute vs iudge it to be But yet that we maye atayne vnto our purpose we haue so laboured nowe not a fewe yeres and redde both the scriptures and other humayne letters that what we nowe teache it is not vnaduysedlye nor rasshlye done for we may lawfully prayse the grace and gyftes of god so lyberally diuyded vnto our congregacioÌ„s Dubtelesse so haue oure congregacions whiche heare the Lorde by vs receyued the worde of God that nowe all lying and false dealynge are repressed pryde and wantones are broken rebukynge chidynge dyuision are gone awaye from amonge vs. Whiche all verely yf these be not the fruites of the holye goste what