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A08471 The acquital or purgation of the moost catholyke Christen Prince, Edwarde the .VI. Kyng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande &c. and of the Churche of Englande refourmed and gouerned under hym, agaynst al suche as blasphemously and traitorously infame hym or the sayd Church, of heresie or sedicion. Old, John, fl. 1545-1555. 1555 (1555) STC 18797; ESTC S101902 35,373 96

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to spare in theyr kyngdom wher hel fyre shal be theyr light They also make a most open lowd lye in sayeng the the gospellers church of Christ abateth and slaketh euery daye more and more Sure they prate that bycause Germanye was so lately assaulted and afflicted wyth warres bycause of the horrible alteracion in Englāde And do not the lyeng wretches see that as Bermanye was tryed as golde is in the fyre euen so is Englande by martires blood The Lorde said to Petre Symon Symon Satan hathe desyred to sifte you Luce. 22. as it were wheat but I haue prayed for thee that thy faythe fayle not And whan thou arte cōuerted streyngthē thy brethren As for Petre he fell and denyed hys maister yea hys maister was also hanged on the crosse and all hys disciples ranne awaye But yet who cā gather therof Ergo Christes doctrine is false Ergo the Apostles churche is not the church Are not our aduersaries aduised the all which wyll lyue godly must nedes suffre persecucion Or why do they not see the they are fayne perforce with a sorowfull hart to confesse it to be true that in al theyr hyghe pōpous ruffe their kingdom is euery daye more more rent cut of slydeth awaye that Christes gospel is clearly preached dayly more and more and taketh good roote in very Italye and Fraunce and is surely plāted for al theyr massing myschief and tyrannous tormenting in wooful England it putteth furth hys grene buddes in Polone in Hungarie in Ilandes not a fewe yea and in very Turkye also For as fast as kynges and Prynces by the incensyng of bishoppes and priestes psecute faithful christiā people with fyre sweord and for al that the wyse of thys world laye theyr heades together take coūsail amōg them selues how they may hyndre the kyngdome of Christe and thwyte awaye the preachyng of the gospel yet they are neuer the farther for all theyr adoo the gospel bloweth hys horne stil wil do let the worlde stampe and stare euen to the last day til the sonne of God shal come geue rest and glorie to hys afflicted frēdes and seruauntes and caste hys enemyes headlong from hys presence in to the lake of vrymstone that shall burne for euermore Now yf a man wyl gather out of al thys simple treatise declaraciō the very markes of the true ryght catholike church of Christ wyl wyth aduised diligence beholde the gospellers churche whom the Papistes charge wyth heresie obseruing whether the more sure right markes of the true churche maye be founde in the gospellers churche he shall vtterly confesse that the gospellers church is gorgeously furnished wyth them and therfore cleare acquieted from all accusacions and raylyng reportes of al traiterous papistes aduersaries For the gospellers churche receaueth al and singular holy sacred canonical bokes The true markes of Christes ●atholike ●hurche bothe of the olde Testament the newe To them we geue credence in al pointes wythout contradiccion or doubt as authencicall that is hauing of them selues ful and perfit absolute autoritie In them we affirme that all truthe is to be beleued and al mysteries offices of godlynesse are in them fully conteyned and taught and therfore we referre all the affaires and businesses of the churche and al questions vnto them and we geue sentence ordayne and refourme after the definitiue iudgementes of them How be it we receaue not euery mannes iudgement of the holy scripture but the most catholike ryght meanyng grounded vpon the mynde of the holy Goost and of the conference of scriptures one place to an other conformable in all cōdicions to sayth and charitie In thys behalfe we are not vnthankeful but thankful to antiquitis and set muche price by the labours and trauailes that the olde aūcient fathers bestowed vpon the expounding of the scriptures and we gladly vse the godly interpretacions of the auncient prelates of the church whych diffre not from the rule of holy scripture The gospellers churche permitteth not the interpretacion of the scripture and the charge of the cōgregacions to euery man at auenture but to suche as be therto lawfully chosen and apointed by the rule of the Apostles We beleue religiously embrace the chief principles of the christen fayth namely the fyrst health geuing promyse made of God in Paradise cōterning Christ our redemer breaking the head or kyngdome and power of the deuil We religiously embrace that only and eternal couenaunt that God made wyth our fyrst parentes at the begynnyng of the worlde and afterwarde many tymes renewed it wyth the holy fathers We religiously beleue obey the most holye tables of the couenaūt written wyth the fyngre of God and conteynyng the hole mysterye of al godlynesse We religiously receaue and vse the moste anntient articles of belefe called the Apostles Crede comprehēdyng al the mysterye of faythe whych we fully syncerely beleue wyth al our hartes and confesse it also wyth open mouth and therupon we directly cōdemne all heresyes heretical persons We stycke not also to receaue al declaraciōs and definicions of faythe whether they be of Coūsailes or of Fathers so they agree wyth the Apostles Crede Nother do we refuse olde auncient Tradicions yf they agree wyth the doctrine of the gospell and the apostles scripture We preache the grace and merccie of God in Christ we professe that faithfulle christianes are iustifyed by the only merite of Christ through only faith in Christ and not by mannes workes or merites And therwith all we teache that a true faithe can not chose but bring furthe good workes Iames. 2. and we affirme with S. Iames the apostle that a fruteles faithe is a dead faithe We acknowlage that al men are synners and that all do amysse in verye many thynges and therfore synners haue nede of perpetual salue and we affirme that penaunce is the healthe geuyng salue to them that beleue in Christ And in thys behalfe as in other cases the Keyes of the kyngdome of heauen haue place Herein we neclecte not discrete admonicion and brotherly reformacion In al these maters we praye continually to God wythout ceassyng We vse euer the pure callyng vpon God by the intercession of Christ alone We receaue and vse nother mo nor fewer Sacramentes than God hym selfe hathe delyuered vnto hys churche By Baptisme we haue entraunce into the churche thorough baptisme we are washed and bounden by vowe vnto God We also the poore churche of gospellers are nourished with the mystical Supper we celebrate the remembraunce of mannes redempcion purchaced by the bodye broken and blood shead of Iesus Christ We the gospellers churche geue thankes for goddes benefites and so we openlye professe our faythe We therfore abyde in the vnitie of the mysticall bodye vnder one onely heade and Kynge hygh priest shepeherde Iesus Christ we are not sondred frō the most faste knytte feloweship of the faythful mēbres We
or certaintie in the onely scriptures Whych sayeng as it is not spokē without great reproche of the eternal truthe euen so they take no hede but receaue those tradicions also at auenture wythout weyeng of them which the holy fathers themselues ser out for the Apostles tradicions For I see that the tradicions which they set furthe be not of al one kynde For ther are whyche they cal the fathers tradicions but not directly the Apostles tradicions Ther are also whych they wolde haue to seme all together apostolike tradicions And ther is a diuersitie in these also For ther are some that be vtterly historical tradicions that rehearse what Christ what Christes Apostles haue sayd or done of whyche sorte Eusebius reporteth that Papias rekoned vp many Eccl. histo i. 3. ca. 39. And the same wrytour clouteth in other maters as though they had ben tolde hym by lyuely worde of mouthe and certayn straunge parables and doctrines of our saueour wyth dyuers flyme flammes besydes And concernyng the tradicion of Iohn the Apostle touchyng the age of our Lorde Iesus Christ whych Ireneus speaketh of he that seeth not it to be a vayne flamme flewe Contra Walent ●i 39. seeth nothyng The tradicion of Policarpus Eccl. hist li. 3. ca. 28 that Iohn ranne awaye from the bayne wherin Cerinthus the heretike was least he should fal agreeth gayly with the scripturely doctrine of the Apostles Let vs therfore in thys kynde of tradicions holde that is to be holden in al pointes proue al thynges holde that whych is good Ther are also tradicions set furthe of rites and opinions De peccat meritis remiss li. 1. ca. 20. but yet they are not in al pointes lyke nother obserued nor receaued of al men S. Typriane and S. Austen reherse a tradiciō wherby the communion was vsed to be ministred vnto yong chyldren vnder bothe kyndes as a necessary mater vnto saluacion but who medleth wyth that tradicion at thys daye Epiphanius contra Aerium wryteth it to be a tradicion of the Apostles that folkes should .vi. dayes before Easter eate nothyng but bread and salt Eccl. hist li. 5. ca. 24. but Ireneus reporteth that all churches obserued not that as Eusebius telleth the tale In an other place it was said Damaseen Ang. dc Bap. contra Dona. li. 2. ca. 7. l●● ca. 42 li. 5 ca. 23 de cura pro mort that the Apostles commaunded the Passeouer to be celebrated after the maner of the Iewes But Socrates the historie writer in the .22 chap. of the .5 boke Eccl. histo speaketh agaynst them Epiphanius Contra Valesianos sayeth that the wyueles lyfe of ministers is a tradicion In an other place it is read that the Apostles cōmaunded by tradicion that folkes should pray and offre for the deade whyche onlesse it be vnderstandē of thankes gening who is it ● Cor. 7. ● Io. 5. ● Thess 4. that seeth not suche maner tradicions manifestly repugnaunt with the doctrine of the euangelistes and apostles and for that cause nothing is to be attributed to these and such like Finally I see S. Ireneus in sondry places wonderously preache and beate vpon the tradiciō of the apostles And that is it that our aduersaries wraste and wrythe to all their feyned trynkettes and tradiciones of the Masse of Images of Mōkery cloister life the rest of such trumpery Howbeit the holy man Ireneusin these principal places vnderstandeth nothyng clles by the apostles tradicion than the commune sense and vnderstandyng of our faythe and the very apostles Crede I wyll not desyre to be beleued in thys case if Ireneus hym selfe saye not the same that I haue sayde Reade hys .1 boke Contra valentinianos Ca. 2. .3 and hys .3 boke the .4 chap. In bothe places he dothe agreably rehearse the articles of fayth in ordre one by one whā he hath done he plainly calleth thys profession of the faithe a tradicion Of thys tradiction spake Constantine the myghty Emperour in his Epistles whyche Eusebius maketh reporte of almoste in the ende of hys .3 boke De vita Conslantini Thus farre therfore the gospellers churches wythout any busynesse embrace the tradicion that I haue now spoken of but as for other tradicions whether they be Apostles or fathers tradicions they lay them to the rule of Goddes worde as they agree or disagree they eyther reiecte them or receaue them accordyng to Christ our Lordes owne commaundement Math .15 and Col .2 Wherof I haue already spoken before And I pray you wherin thynke you the gospellers churche offendeth in thys behalfe Herein it hath nothing adoo wyth heretikes who hade deuised to teache false opinions vnto suche as were to symple vnder pretense of tradicions and contrarywyse to teare in pieces corrupt yea and to denye and stampe vnder fote the true tradicion that is the Apostles Trede In thys behalfe I coulde dryng furthe a great deale against our aduersaries who recken thys predense of tradicions of muche force agaynst the very scriptures and the simplicitie of tradicion yea for the affirmyng or confutyng of any mater what so euer it be But I wyl kepe thys in store tyl a better and a further leasure Hitherto I haue treated as briefly as I could of the most certain and pfytest principles of the Christiā faith Wherby I trust it dothe specially appeare the the Englyshe Churche vnder King Edward the .vi. the rest of the gospellers churches haue deuysed no newe doctrine of fayth but enibrace confesse the olde faythe wyth all theyr hartes and that they reiecte no point of syncere doctrine whether it be proued by the scriptures or by tradiciōs consonaūt to the scriptures and therfore we are most farre of from newe fangled felowes and obstinate heretikes The .xi. Chapter SO the poore gospellers church beyng confirmed by this true doctrine of the true faythe ●ustificati●n loketh to be iustifyed that is to haue full forgeuenesse of all theyr synnes ryghteousnesse euerlastyng lyfe of the only free mercye grace of God by Iesus Christ that dyed and rose agayne for vs. We beleue that Christ wyth al hys gyftes is receaued by faythe and that by faythe Christ dwelleth in our hartes And that fayth is learned by the worde of the Gospel is craued asked of God by prayers and geuē frely by the holy Boost We attribute not that vnto mannes merites and mannes workes whych we knowe is due onely vnto fayth naye vnto Christ our redemer and to the fre grace of God Eph. 2. For Paul sayeth By grace are ye saued through faythe and not of your selues It is the gyfte of God and not of workes that no man should boast For we are hys handy worke created in Christe Iesu vnto good workes whych God hath prepared that we should walke in them Therfore we knowe and acknowlage that workes which procede out of a true faythe by the spirite of Christ powred in to our hartes and done after the rule of Goddes worde christiā charitie are good workes in
dede and we affirme that excepte those that be iustifyed practise those workes diligentlye it is but lost labour of them to beast of theyr faythe as Petre the Apostle teacheth vs and sayeth Geue all diligence in youre fayeth ministre vertue in vertue knowlage Iacob 2. 2. Pet. 1. in knowlage temperaunce in temperaūce pacience in pacience god lynesse in godlynesse brotherly kyndnesse in brotherly kindnesse loue For yf these thynges be amōge you and be pleynteous they wyll make you that ye nother shal be idle nor vnfrutefull in the knowlage of our Lorde Iesus Christ But he that lacketh these thinges is blinde gropeth for the waye with hys hande hath forgotten that he was purged from hys olde synnes Thys doctrine of grace and merites of fayth and workes hath no smel of heresie And so it eftesones clearely appeareth that the gospellers churche is the true churche of Christ And if they laye to our charge that our doctrine is iustlye condemned bicause we constauntly affirme that man is iustifyed by only faythe thys is to answer them that we haue feyned no newe kynde of speakyng in thys behalfe nother doo we alone affirme that faythfull beleuers are iustifyed by only faythe For we borowed that maner of speakyng of the very scriptures of the apostles and euangelistes and of certain doctours of the churche that are no heretikes but true catholikes For I haue allready shewed playnly ynough that we contende not by thys our sayeng that faythe is alone that is to saye vnfruteful If righteousnesse come of the lawe than Christ died in vayne but that faithe is the only cause of our saluacion For it is certain that we are iustified not for our owne workes sake but frely for Chrites sake and so our synnes are not imputed vnto vs and that iustified folke doo the workes of iustice and yet seing the faythfull knowe that they are iustified frely they ascribe not iustificacion vnto workes albeit they doubt not but God alloweth the workes of faythe If it wold lyke our aduersaries to condemne of heresie the doctrine of the Euangelistes and Apostles with Origene Chrisostome and Ambrose whych saye most many festly that the faythful are iustified by only faythe In dede we had rather be heretikes wyth them than ryght felowes and catholykes wyth our aduersaries The .xii. Chapter THe same poore Gospellers churche denyeth not absolucion to such as haue fallen The woundes of synne are healed by Penaunce but we cōfesse that pure penaunce is a holsome medicine to heale synners in the churche yf whan they be accused by the worde of God and enlumined wyth the holy Goost they acknowlege and confesse theyr faultes and synnes to God and be hartely sory for theyr offenses trust to be forgeuen through Christes merites then leade a newe lyfe Now it appeareth agayne in thys place that we ymagine no newe doctrine of penaunce in the churche of God It is newe fangled stuffe that is feyned of synnes to be confessed except a man wil be damned not only to God but also to hys owne prieste by all circumstaunces euen to the vttermost smal thoughte It is newe foūde marchaundise that is feyned of cases Papal and episcopal reserued Act 16. of satisfaccions and indulgences Whan the keper of the pryson at Philippos fell to the Apostles fete and besought them sayeng Sirres what must I doo that I may be saued they tolde hym Beleue in the Lorde Iesus thou shalt be saued and al thy hole house Saint Petre gaue none other coūsail to the citizines of Ierusalē Act. 2. that were pearced in theyr consciences sayd what shal we doo you men and brethren Petre answered Repent and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Itsus Christ to the remission of synnes c. And on this facion we reade that the Apostles vsed the keyes of the kyngdome of heauen The Key whan they receaued them of Christ after thys sorte they opened the kyngdome of heauen to faithful beleuers And on this wyse the gospellers church vseth yet stil the keyes that Christ hath geuen them So that we haue Christes olde keyes and not the Popes newe monstrous polling pikepurse crosse keyes Lactantius whych was neuer noted of errour in treating vpō penāce Li. 4. c. 20. after that he hade sayd ther is no saluacion founde but wythin the catholike churche he addeth by and by But for a smuch as heretikes thinke theirs to be also the catholike churche it is to vnderstāde that it is the true churche wherin is religion confession penaunce that holsomly cureth synnes and sores wherunto the fraile fleshe is subiecte Therfore seyng thys holsome medecine is not wanting in the gospellers churche wherin desperacion is also singularly beaten downe sure hope faste fixed and confirmed who can doubt that the gospellers churche is the true churche of Christ The .xiii. Chapter FVrthermore ther is in oure church brotherly admoniciō ●dmonici●n and ●rotherly ●●rrection correction and some reformacion of mennes faultes offenses For though all be not yet fully well herein as godly men could wyshe it yet ther is some Christiā discipline practiced in the gospellers churche Ther is two maner of disciplines the one of the clergie and the other of the laitie The gospellers churche by keping of conuocacions and other cōuenient meanes in Germany kepeth the cleargie in ordre to do theyr dutie And so Kyng Edwardes wyl and cōmaundement was to haue hys cleargie as for the discipline of the laytie it confisteth in good lawes and diligent execucion of them And how that is vsed among the Germanes let other men reporte As for me I knowe nothyng but heare that it is godlye handled And though al is not so perfite as it should be that theyr sharpe roughe censure dothe not thwyte awaye all offenses at once yet euery good man knoweth that many thinges are reserued to be plucked vp by the rootes in that iudgemet to come euery godly persone acknowlageth his fault and is sory for it as often as he dothe lesse than he perceaueth the Lorde requyreth hym to do I could demaunde of the Papistes to shewe theyr discipline whyche they haue in theyr churche but bycause I knowe them as shameles as wylde coltes wythout discipline I hade rather defende the innocencie of the gospellers churche wherof I am an vnworthye membre than at thys tyme to cast other men in the tethe with theyr faultes I leaue that to the discussyng of better learned and fyner wytted men than I am Thus farre I trust the chief markes 〈…〉 foūde in the poore gospellers churche and therfore we haue nothyng a doo wyth the churches of heretikes schismatikes The .xiiii. Chaptre Prayer and inuocacion of God by Christ THer is also reteyned kept in the gospellers churche as