Christ by his comming and suffering hath abolished all figures and shadows of sacrifices and ceremonies ouercomming in déede sinne death and damnation and ascending bodily vp into heauen hath sent downe the holie ghost to beare witnesse and work with the preachers of his gospell vpon earth whiche as faithfull messangers of the Lorde earnestly exhorte and humbly beseech men in Christ that they woulde bée reconciled vnto god Wherfore now after sufficient experience and tryall of all things and vtter abolishement of such as nowe might bée euil or vnprofitable God the father of mercie and pitie through the merits meanes of Christ his son by the power and presence of the holie Ghost euer woorking and witnessing with the Ministers of the Gospell doth so mooue and dispose purifie and sanctifie the harts and mindes of men as teacheth and causeth them by fayth to flee dangers of dānation deserued by their owne déedes vnto assurance of saluation in Christes merites They be taught to beleue in God by the sonne the spirite the woorde and messangers of God. I do not meane that they be taught only to say I beléeue as the Church doth or only to say the summe of a good beléefe in an vnknowen language but that as God by the minister of his worde and power of his spirit teacheth so their heartes and minds conceiue their mouthes confesse and the fruites of their charitable works bée agreable in such wise as euery one of them most truly and comfortable doth think and may say with the holie catholike Church I beleue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth I which was by nature a childe of wrath borne and liuing in sinne vnder Sathan in the kingdome of darkenesse nowe of grace through the holy ghost by the immortall séede of Gods worde being newe begotten and new borne vnto the kingdome of God Do beleeue as certainely as of moste sure ground and as throughly as of great triall and experience I do know and trust in god the father almightie that God which is all goodnesse in himselfe hath of his fatherly loue and almightie power made mée his good creature and deer child so that he will for euer be a gracious God and louing father vnto me which is the maker of heauen and earth which hath created and made doth rule and order al things in heauen and earth vnto his honour and glorie and vnto my comfort and cōmoditie For as hée being the Lord ouer all hath declared himself to bée a father vnto me by his promise so I am sure of the inheritance of all being his childe by faith And in Iesus Chryste hys onely sonne our Lorde I haue good knowledge by sure truste in Iesus the Sauioure of his people from their sinnes that I shall bée saued from my sinnes and from all euilles throughe Christ the annointed King priest and prophet that I shall bée a christian that I shal be annointed with grace of Christes spirit to be partaker of the kingly priesthode and godly wisedome of Christ that in such holinesse righteousnesse and godlinesse as is acceptable before him I may offer the sacrifice of my selfe in seruing him al the dayes of my life and haue the crowne of glory with him in his kingdome in the kingdom vnto the which he hath redéemed vs that is of nature and substance vnto God his only sonne making vs his brethren and Gods children by grace and adoption so that wée must take him to be our Lorde obeying the authoritie learning the doctrine and following the example of him as of our onely gouerner scholemaster and pastour VVhich vvas conceyued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary Which in taking by the holy Ghost of a pure virgine our flesh vpon him hath purified vs from our sinnes to be sanctified in his righteousnesse VVhich suffered vnder Pontius Pilate Suffered vnder a Iudge the iudgement of death due for our sinnes to purchase for vs of god his father the reward of his righteousnesse to giue vs example and grace to followe his obedience He vvas crucified Bearing the curse of the lawe to get and giue vnto vs the blessing of grace hee Died and vvas buried So that nowe our bodies mindes with him should bée mortified and buried frō sin and not die and damned in sin for hee Descended into hell He suffered all extremitie not onely in bodie but also in soule that we should suffer no more than we might be able to bear and that no paynes or punishment for sinnes should be plagues of vengeance to destroy vs but rather corrections of fatherlie loue to amende vs. The thyrd day he rose againe from the dead The day and time appointed and afore prophecied with victorie ouer Hell Death and Damnation hée rising from the deade did make death a ready and spéedie passage for vs vnto life teaching and strengthning vs to ryse forth of sinne and walke in newnesse of life after him that Ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hande of God the father almighty And like as the sunne at midday so he in bodily presence lifte vp from the earth into heauen there in glory of Gods maiestie abiding doth from thence shine and shewe his vertue and goodnesse by the power of his spyrite most presently and comfortably vnto all creatures in euery place vpon the earth and as hée ascended bodily into Heauen to replenishe all things euen so in the same bodie From thence he shal come to iudge the quick and dead From heauen whither as he did ascende in the sight of his disciples so from thence in the sighte of all men shall hée come not only in spirite and power as he is at all times in all places but also in his bodie glorified with maiestie as he is nowe in heauen and shall not come from thence vntill the last day when as all men both dead afore and liuing then shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortalitie vnto suche state as shall euer continue either in hel or in heauen according vnto the righteous iudgement of Christe in the which hee shall declare and take all vs that be vnfayned Christians to be the blessed children and heires of God with him in that kingdome which could neuer by any works or merites of any man haue bene deserued or purchased but onely in Christe vnto Christians of the only gracious goodnesse of god hath for euer bene prepared I beleue in the holie Ghost I haue knowledge with sure hope in the holy spirit of God equall with the father and the sonne proceeding from the father and the sonne to sanctifie beautifie Christes Church that I shall be sanctified from all sinnes and endued with all good giftes of grace as God seeth is moste necessarie expediente for mée to edifie and not to destroy Yea I beléeue that by him all Gods creatures be sanctified and made holie vnto all godly men and that without him there can be
no holinesse nor nothing holie vnto any man For it is not only the holy ghost in the heart and minde of man that sanctifieth that maketh and kéepeth pure and holy The holy catholicke church I knowe and thinke assuredly that I and all Christians be one church one congregation in suche vnitie of liuely faithe whiche worketh by charitie as dothe euer kéepe vs togither as members of one bodie in Christe although wée be farre asunder by reason of diuers times and places in the worlde and by the holy spirite worde and sacraments of God in this church is such holinesse as doth euer striue and preuaile against vngodlines such holinesse as is the continual purging of men from their sins to furnishe and garnishe them with godly righteousnesse in christ This Church or congregatioÌ„ is so catholike so made one of many so made one mysticall bodie in Christ of many men in all places as is one mannes naturall body of diuers members euery one seuerally hauing their own places and proportions all together ioyned accordingly in one body of one person And so the communion of Sainctes The vnitie of them that be sanctified redemed and deliuered from the seruice of the Diuell the flesh and the worlde to glorifie God in holinesse and righteousnesse is by Christ and in Christ a common comfort and coÌ„moditie vnto al them of euery thing that is good or profitable vnto any of them which although many times they caÌ„not bée séene and perceyued of worldely men nor well knowne one to another yet being all of one faith be euer altogether afore god in one mind as members of one body to haue communion comfort and commodity euery one with al other in Christ their head And as it was sayde they haue Moses and the Prophets let them heare them so haue wée always in this holy catholike Church the foundatioÌ„ of the Prophets Apostels Christ being the beade corner stone albeit not their personsin bodily preseÌ„ce yet their examples of liuing and truthe of doctrine in their wrytings so that euer therein wée may sée and perceyue that face and fashion of the holie catholicke Churche which God hath ordayned to be so shewed as moste expedient and sufficient vnto all men at al times and all places The Remission of sinnes In this Church of Christ and companie of Saintes I knowe and receiue freely by fayth forgiuenesse of sins which be so great and gréeuous debts as do deserue death and damnation and as the least of them could neuer haue bene dyscharged but onely by the precious passion and oblation of Christ once for all The resurrection of the body I know and loke that our bodies by sin of man deseruiug death to decay in corruptioÌ„ shall by the might and merite of Christ be raised to receiue glory immortalitie And life euerlasting And finally that bodies and soules in ioy and glory shal liue for euer in the kingdome of god when as we shall receiue our inheritaunce with Christ in whom according vnto Gods promises and our fayth al these things be most sure and certaine that is to say Amen So be it Now thus beleuing and comparing the kingdome of heauen with the pleasures of Paradise and the holinesse of regeneration with the purenesse of creation I finde and féele how that I do get more and better by faith in Christ than that which I did loose by sinne in Adam Yea I haue good vnderstanding and comfortable experience how that God hath concluded al men vnder sin to be mercyful vnto all how that the scripture truely describing declaring the righteousnesse of God and the sinfulnesse of man hath concluded all men vnder their owne sinnes that righteousnesse which coÌ„meth of the faith of Christ might be giuen vnto the beléeuers howe that through the righteousnesse of the lawe and infirmities of mannes flesh God doth make greate aboundance of sinne to appeare in all mens beedes and deseruings that more aboundaunce of grace might bée graunted and giuen by the merits of Christ vnto all that receyue and beleeue the Gospell O blessed be God for the gifte of this beléefe by the which he maketh the losse of the plesures of Paradise through maÌ„s sinne to serue vnto the inheritance of the kingdome of Heauen by gods grace And the sinfull sorowes in mans conscience to be coÌ„fortable signes and tokens of sauing health by Christes Phisicke and medicines And all dangers plagues and vengeance for sinne in the world to driue men to assurance of health and wealth by faith in the Lorde There can be nothing so sure certaine as this faith which commeth by hearing of Gods worde which is the worke of Gods spirite whiche is confirmed by the life doctrine and death of al that euer were Prophets Apostles Euangelists Martyres to teach and witnesse Gods truth For this faith is not only a knowledge of the grace mercy goodnesse of God but also an assurance of the same vnto mannes self by the word sprite of god So that it is the ground worke stay of al good hope the argument and euideÌ„ce of all such mysteries as be hid and couered from worldlings to be reserued and reueled only vnto Gods children Therefore any man may easely learne to speake these wordes but the goodnesse of God towards maÌ„ by these words signified is such as can not be knowne or perceiued of them which be of bloud or of the will of the Flesh or of the wil of man but only of them whiche be borne of God whiche be priuiledged by Christ to be the children of god For this beléef is not of the fréewill of man â—ut of the holy spirit of God not by keping customes or traditions of men but by hearing the word of God by hearing or reading the glad tidings of the Gospell in such sorte as can not be reueled but onely in Christ of the heauenly father by the holie ghost vnto Gods children The blind eyes of wittie worldlings in séeking for worldely wealth contemning Gods worde can sée and finde in déede nothing but the wrath and vengeance of God in al things and especially in sicknesse plagues wars and losse of any lands or goods but the cleare eyes of faythfull christians by the light of the Gospell seeking the kingdome of god and the righteousnesse therof in all things and especially in losse of anie góodes or suffering any paynes do euer sée the mercifull pitie and tender loue of their heauenly father alwayes keping them vnder the rodde of correction and the crosse of persecution â–ª as his most deare children All Iewish persons wil haue such a Messias as shall make them Princes and prelates in a worldely kingdome faythfull christians haue the sonne of god their Lord and sauior which hath bought and brought them from this world to bee a holie people and kingly priesthode vnto God in his heauenly Hierusalem The Crosse the passion death of Christ is an offence vnto all such
yoke of the law to force men thoroughe feare to fall into Desperation which should by the libertie of the Gospell be allured of loue to walke in the way of saluation And it is a perillous presumption of man with gréeuous offence against God and a great blemishing of the gospell to renue the same or deuise any other such like sacrifices or Ceremonies as God hathe now once abolished by the light of the gospel And finally there can be nothing more contrary vnto the truth of god the comfort of man than to imagin any bodily presence of Christ vpon earth with men vnto whome he sayde it was expedient that he shuld depart from them for else the holy Ghost the comforter should not come vnto them But if I depart sayth Christ I will send him and he when he commeth shal reproue the worlde of sinne of righteousnesse and of iudgement but he shall comforte you and hée shall remayne with you For beholde through his power and presence you preaching the Gospell haue me alwayes wyth you in all tymes and places euen vnto the ende of the worlde Thus therefore it is euident howe that al other things did serue in other times and places so that now remaineth vnto vs only the Gospell of Christe with suche spiriall presence of Christe as is the power of God vnto the saluatiō of all that do beléeue For all that do beleeue the Gospel be made children of God to enherite his heauenlye kingdome membres of Christes mysticall body to be liuely stones of an holy churche and temple garnished not with golde siluer copper or colour in caruings or paintinges to please the eyes of men but with holynesse and righteousenesse acceptable afore god The goodly costly ornamentes deckings of the tabernacle of Moses of the temple of Salomon curiously wrought by the hands of cunning workmen serued but for a season coulde no longer continue either to please God or profit man But faith which worketh by charitie is in hearing of the gospel wrought in the harts minds of men by the inspiration of the holy gost with beautiful frutes of charitable works shall alwayes shyne and set forth the glory of God in the church of Christe for Christes churche is the elect kinred the Kingly Priesthood the holie assemblie and the peculiar people which God hath called oute of darknesse vnto his maruellous light for to shewe and set forth his vertues They be surely built vpon the foundation of the Prophetes and the Apostles fast framed vnto the heade corner Christe in faithe euer working and fashioning them by charitie so conformably vnto the example and doctrine of Christe set forth by the Prophets Apostles and Euangelists that al diuelish deceytfulnesse in the world can neither blynde nor bring them to mistake and forsake their Lord and sauiour Christ ▪ and his holy Catholike Church for they in Faith doe euer sée the face of Christe and the forme and fashion of Christes churche in holy Scriptures euen so as God by his worde dothe sufficiently shewe to be séene knowne and reuerenced of all men at all tymes and in all places But suche men as care not for the scriptures can not cléerely sée or knowe any thing that is good and godly but boldly and blyndely in all thinges misiudge mystake and mislike Christ and his holye Churche according vnto the common custome and mannes fonde imagination For when as they will not learne to vnderstand know the truthe by the worde of God then they do deserue to be deceiued with lyes by the crafte of the Diuell in learning suche sayings as lacketh all knowledge and vnderstanding What knowledge or vnderstanding gette they which learne to saye that they doe beléeue as the Churche teacheth and bée taught to say and confesse their beléefe in a straunge Language When as they say I doe beléeue as the Churche teacheth and the Churche teacheth them that vnderstand no Latine to say Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem c. Surely in suche sayings they learne to vnderstand and perceiue nothing but take what soeuer commeth by the craft of the deuill into their imagination so highly that they wil neuer hūble themselues to be taught of gods spirite by gods word truly For there is no lesson that lyketh and pleseth them so wel as the lesson of that Doctor which sayth Say that thou beléeuest as the Church doth and my soule for thyne O what auayleth it a man to say wordes the whiche he doth nothyng perceyue in mynde nor declare in déeds or who is able in heauen or earth to paye the price or guage the pledge of mannes soule but onely Christ the sonne of God Take héede for the falling of their Doctor or teacher into the Dungeon of damnation is no excuse for them that wylfullye folowe a blinde guide They are wilfull and blynd which refuse the gospell of God and folow the Doctrine of men They deserue to bee damned for folowing a blinde guide which will not be taughte the Christian Beléefe but in suche a tongue as they can vnderstand neuer a worde which wil not be persuaded to beleue the holy catholike church but in such sort as they shal neither beléeue nor know the Gospell of christ For they which learn by the Gospel to know Christ and beléeue in him haue a lyuely Faythe working by charitie not of selfe loue séeking by their owne merites to saue themselues or to haue vainglorie but knowing and beléeuing that they be saued wholly by Christes merites onely of a pure loue towardes God and their neighbour without any truste or looking vnto the worthynesse of their owne déeds they be earnestly bent vnto good woorkes to the glorie of God and the profite of all men Thou that lackest the light of the gospel maist say that thou beléeuest as the church doth and yet thinke in thy heart that thou by thy good déedes maist be saued yea that thou wouldest not do good deedes but that thou beleeuest by them to win heauen And so trusting to winne Heauen by thy good workes which the truth of the gospel teacheth can not be purchased but by Christes bloud and doing all thy workes for loue of thy selfe without pure loue of God and thy neighboure albeit thou say vnto men that thou beléeuest as the Church doth yet afore God thy heart and mynde is voyd of Christen faith and godly charitie and far from any true loue of Christ and his Gospell CHAP. VI. Certayne differences of chaste loue and of corrupte loue of Christianitie and of Idolatrie of Christes Churche and of Antichristes kingdome of the Masse and of the Communion THere is a greate difference betwixte the pure loue of honeste matrimonie and the filthy loue of vile harlotrie If the harlot knowe she shall not be forsaken then will she set light to offend hir paramour in daliance with other the more assured that an honest matrone is of hir husbandes loue the more diligent will
shée be to please him only and to passe for none other So there is great difference betwixt the godly charitie of Christians the selfe loue of worldlings For tell the worldling that God so much doth loue him that he can not be vtterly forsaken and damned then will hée care litle to forsake God and fal into sinne the faithful Christian perceiuing in Christ most certaine assuraunce of gods loue and saluation is so satisfied and comforted therin that nothing can separate him from the loue of God in Christ Iesu. The loue of harlots is soone extinguished in pouertie and sicknesse the loue in wedlocke is then thorough pitifull prouision of the one for the other wonderously purified and increaced betwixte man and wyse Worldlings be wearie of Religion lacking wealthe and prosperitie Christians finde comfortable increase of pure loue vnder the crosse of Christ. Harlots vse outwardly muche curious trimming many gorgeous vanities being inwardly infected with filthy fornication many vile vices Matrones haue outwardly a comfortable countenance plain apparell being inwardly beautifyed with modestie honestie and such vertues So comparing Idolatrie vnto Christianitie it is euident to be séene howe on the one parte outwardly places and persones with imagerie and crosses copes and vestments ceremonies and shews be solemnly set forth which inwardly be filled with spiritual fornication hypocrisie and superstition And on the other part how outwardly persons and places after moste playn maner and fashion without any counterfaited garmentes images ceremonies or any solemnities in comfortable preaching of the Gospel ministration of the Sacramentes be inwardly replenished with faithe hope and charitie The whoorishe church of Antichriste taketh of all maner of men what so euer she can catche to make hir selfe to séeme gay and goodly The holy Church of Christ wil receiue nothing of any man but of Christe onely that she in déede maye bée chast pure and holy Therefore the Masse made of manye mennes inuentions is taken as a thyng moste profitable and plesant vnto the one nothing but the plaine preaching of the gospel sealed with the sacramentes of Christes only institution and ordinance can be receiued as comfortable and commodious vnto the other Into the Masse be nowe gathered suche solemne shewes dumme ceremonies with straunge words and whisperings as alore haue bene vsed of the Gentiles in Idolatrie of the Iewes in Superstition and of sorcerers incantations and coniuryngs which were all vtterly cōdemned refused and separated of Christe and his disciples from suche preaching of the Gospel ministration of the Sacraments as the churche of Christ hath receiued of Christ and doth kéepe and vse according vnto Christs onely institution ordinance For in holy scriptures be written all suche things as Christes churche did receyue of Christ by hym and his disciples so instituted and taught as should euer after bée obserued and kept And therfore it is verie euident by playne writings in the holy Scriptures how that Christe and his Apostles by preachyng of the Gospell and ministration of the sacramēts did teach men in all places to sanctifie themselues to be offered as a sacrifice to serue God in holinesse and righteousnes as liuely membres of Christes mysticall body but how by saying Masse to make of bread and wyne turned into Christes naturall bodye a sacrifice for the quicke and the dead there is not one worde in al holy scripture no there is not in all holy scripture any maner of Masse now vsed taught or commaunded by Gods worde For Moyses and the Prophets set foorth in writings all sacrifices and Ceremonies pertaining vnto the law And lyke wise do the Apostles and Euangelistes all suche as belong vnto the Gospell And all that is written in the new Testament by the Apostles and Euangelistes contaynyng all suche doctrine and déedes of Christ and his disciples as God woulde by them should be taught vnto vs doth as muche reproue the Masse as in the old Testament Moses and the Prophetes did reproue the sacrifices of the Israelites in Dan and Bethell For as vnlike is the Masse at the Altare vnto the Lordes Supper at the Table as were the Calfes sette vp by Ieroboam in Dan and Bethel vnlyke vnto the Arke and propiciatorie betwixt the Cherubins in the temple at Hierusalem And as the Prophetes and Priestes of God did teache suche a memoriall and presence of God at Hierusalem as shoulde moue and stirre vp the minds of men there to remember and reuerence God in heauen but Ieroboam and his Priestes did teache and make men to beléeue that their Idolles were not onely images of remembrance but the same God that brought thē out of Egipt in such corporal presence then there in Dan and Bethell as did kéepe the Israelites myndes from heauen and theyr personall presence from Ierusalem euen so now godly preachers do teach such a remēbrance presence of Christe in the Lordes supper as should moue and make all christen men to remember reuerence Christe in heauen but vngodly priestes do pretend such a bodily presence of Christ vpon their altares as doth draw mennes minds from heauen and their personall presence from the Lordes supper at the Lordes table Then were the Israelites blynde and bolde to set vp Calues imagining so to honor and please god in Dan and Bethel vnder Ieroboam as their forfathers did mrst dishonor and displease God in wildernesse with Aaron And what a bolde blindnesse is it nowe of Christians to set vp a sort of their Ceremonies vnto the honour of God when as God by the light of the Gospell hathe abolished his owne Ceremonies as vnprofitable vnto his seruice And what a boldnesse is it to say that Christes bodily presence is kept vpon earth vnder the forme of bread which according vnto the scriptures is ascended vp from the earthe and glorified in heauen in the forme of man The light of the gospell hath vanquished ceremonies afore ordeined of God as now vnprofitable can any ceremonies deuised by man now blemish the gospell not be abhominable The comfortable abundance of the holie Ghoste did not come vntill the bodily presence of Christ was departed and gon and howe then can they receiue abundant comfort of Christes spirite whiche bée infected and blynded with a grosse imagination of Christes body The flesh profiteth nothyng sayth Christ the wordes that I speake bee spirite and lyfe he dothe not saye that the wombe whiche did conceiue and bear him or the breast that gaue him sucke is blessed but Blessed be they which heare the word of God and kéepe it as though he had sayd Not those whiche woulde haue him God and man in bodilye presence or imagine him to be in any visible thyng But those which know and honour God in the truth of his worde and presence of spirite be blissed Those in wyldernesse whiche did not knowe what was become of Moses being in talke with God vppon the toppe of the mountain bycause they did desire and