FOr asmouche as all mightye God of his infi­nit mercye and Goddenys preparyd Ameanes wherby Ada­me and his posterite might be resto­ryd agayne unto there Originall iusti­te and perfection boothe of body and soule and to lyne eternally unto the same end that they were creatyd for to blysse and magnifie for euer the im­mortall and lyuyng God. it is thoffice of euery trew Christiane before all o­ther studies, trauelles and paynes that he shall susteyne for the tyme of this brieffe and miserable lief to applye hymselfe with all diligēte forse and labor to know perfetlye this meanes or­deynid by God for our saluation and the thing ons knowen diligently with hart soule and mind to folow the meanes untill souche tyme as theffect and [Page] end be optainid wherfore the meanes was appoyntid. The meanes was she wyd unto Adame at his fyrst and ori­ginall transgression the sede of awo­man which shuld breake the hed of the serpent destroye the kingdome of the deuill and Restore Adame and as monye as knew and belyuyd in this sede unto lief euerlasting and as the sin­ne of Adame thonly occacion of all mannes miserie was deryuid into all his posterite and made subiect unto deathe and the ire of God for euer. so was this sede frō the begynning aueri trew and sufficient remedie to as mo­ny as belyuid and god for his promes sake, quit and deliueryd man from the right and cleame of the deuill and by marcy restorid the place that was by malite ād cōtēpt lost he that would cō sider diligētli these to thynges the sin­ne of Adame and the marcy of God shuld fynd hym selfe far unable to expresse [Page] or sufficientli thinck the grea­mis of the one or of the other. When they ar so far passyng the reason and undrestondyng of man. All the sola­ce and Ioy of Adames posterite consi­stith soli and only in this, Rom. 5. Vbi abundauit delictum: super abundauit & gracia, the benefitis and merites of this seade aboundith and is more auayle able before the iudgment of God. then sinne the flesh the deuyll and the worold. this treasure and in e­stimable ryches must beperfetly kno­wen of euery person that wilbe sauyd it is onli in Christe and in the knolege of hym what he is and what is his offyce.

HE is the sone of the lyuing God and perpetuall uirgine Marie: [Page] Booth god and man the trew Messias promisid unto man from the begyn­ning of his falle. Whom sainct Iohn callythe the word of eternall essens and deuine maiestie saing, In princi­pio erat sermo, & sermo erat apud deū & sermo erat deus, Ioan. 1. sainct Pau­le ad Coloss. capite 1. Callith hym the ymaige of god &c. Vnto the ebrewes cap. 1. the bryghtmis of god the creade of Nece callith hym lumen de lumine the naturall sone of god in whom dwellith the fountayne of all diuinite naturally as Paule saith Coll. 2. in eo inhabitat plenitudo diuinitatis corporaliter meaning that he is not the sone of god by adoption or acceptation in­to grace as Abraam. Dauid and other holy saynctes. But naturally the sone of god equall with the father in all thīgis as Iohn saythe, Vidimus gloriam eius tanquam unigeniti â patre cap. 1. so dooth sainct Iohn proue hym in all [Page] his writinges to be the uery trew and euerlasting god and not as Ebion and Cerinthus sayde that he was but uery man only, he was made mortall man as Iohan sayth. Et sermo ille caro fa­ctus cap. 1. est. to saue the Dan̄id man from imortall deathe: and to be à me­diator and intercessor unto god for man Matthaei. 11. Iohannis. 3. Esaiae. 11. This scripture dooth not only teache usi the knolege of saluacion but do­oth confort us agaynst all the assaules subtiltes and crafftes of the deuill. that god would of his inestimable loue, rather suffre his only sonne to dy for the worold, then all the worold shuld pe­ryshe. Remayning allways as he was uery god immortall receauyd the thyng he was not, the mortall nature and trew fleshe of man in the which he died as peter sayth, 1. Pet. 4. Ireneus pagina 185. hathe those godly wordes. Christus fuit Crucifixus & mortuus [Page] quiescente uerbo ut crucifigi & mori possit. The deuyne nature of Christ was not rent nor torn nor kyllyd. But it obeyd the will of the father. It gaue place unto the displeasure and Ire of god that the body of Christ might dye being all wayes equall with his father he could if he had executyd his deui­ne poure delyueryd this body from the tyranny of the lewes these wordes of Ireneus dooth wounderfully declare unto us what Christ is and agreith with Paule Philipp. 2. qui cum in for­ma dei esset: non rapinam arbitratus est ut esset equalis deo, sed semetipsum inaniuit forma serui sumpta seing he was sent into the worold to suffre this moost cruell death and passiō: He would do nothing that shuld be contra­ry unto his uocation but with patien­ce prayng for his ennymis submittyd hymselfe unto the ignomynie and contempt of the crosse suffryng pay­nes [Page] in̄umerable without grug or murmur agaynst the holy will of his fa­ther: his Godhed hyding it selfe un­till the thyrd daye when it restorid the soule agayne unto the body and cau­sid it to rysse with great triumph and glory, Roman. 1. Matthaei. 29. Ioann. 20. Luk. 24. Mar. 16. Repeting the do­ctrine that before his deathe he prea­chid unto the worold. that he was booth Kyng and lord highe bishope and prist booth of heuen and of erth. Data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo & in terra: Euntes ergo docete omnes gentes &c. Matth. 28. He that before was moost uile and contemple in the sight of the worold now be right and iust title acclemithe the Dominion and Empyre of all the worold. how mighty a princ he is the creacion of the worold and the preseruacion therof declaryth hou mercifull to wardes them that repent we know by [Page] dayly experience in our selfes and by thexample of othere Adam, Dauid, Manasse and Peter. how cruell and rigurous for sinne. The ponishmēt that we suffre and the calamites of this worold declarithe specially the deathe of his moost innocent body. how immortall his Ire is agaynst souch as repent not Saul, Pharao, Iudas with other declare. Ho migty and ferfull â lord this is our sauiour Iesus Christe. rede his title and stile Naū. 1. Where the Prophet threthenythe the destructiō of Niniue and the hole Kyngdom of the assirias: as the prynces of the worold use to declare in there letters patent of what pore forse and strenghe they be of and the names of the Realmes and domi­nions that they haue undre there pro­tection and gouernance to fere there Ennymies that they make no resistan­ce nor moue not the peace of so might aprince, so souch a title yeuith the Prophet [Page] unto God to fere the cite of Niniue and Kyngdō of the assiriāce saing quid cogitatis contra Dominum? ipse consummationem facit, nec consur­git uice altera tubulatio this is the stile of the God omnipotentour sauior Iesus Christ in whois name all pores bow there kneys in heuē in erthe and in hell, Philip. 2.

NOw that the scripture hathe taught us to know that Christ is booth god and man. I will briuely intreat of his office ffyrst of his prys­hed then of his Kyngdom and Rayg­ne ouer his church till the woroldes end, then for euer in solace with his electes, in perpetual mercy and fa­uour: withe souch as contemne in this worold his holy commaundement and pleasure in seuere iustice and im­mortali [Page] hatred and Ire for euer Io. 3.

Saynct Paule in thepistole to the Ebrewes prouithe hym to be the prist callyd by god unto that function and office of the highe bishope Christus non glorificauit seipsum ut fierct Pontifex: sed is qui dixerat ei, Filius meus es tu, ego hodie genui te, & alibi, Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordi­nem meldizedek. Caput 5. by whos obedience unto the crosse he gaue e­uerlasting healthe to as many as obe­yd hym. And in all thingis executyd the uerij trew office of à bishope. To whom it apperteynyd to teache the people whiche was the chefist part of the hishopes office and most diligent­ly and streightly cōmaundid by God. As all the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes teach ad Christ commaun­did Peter, Ioan. 20. Paule all the bisho­pes and pristes of his tyme, Act. 20. of Christes authorithe and preaching. [Page] Moses and Stephin, Acto. 7. Deut. 18. sayth thus Prophetam suscitabit uo­bis Deus uester è fratribus uestris simi lem mei, illum audietis. He that will not harken unto his uoyce. Shalbe as none of the people of God. This au­thorite to preache te father gaue unto him in the hyryng of the Aposteles, Matth. 3. 17. and bound his churche to reeeaue his doctrine sayng this is mydere belouyd sone in whom I deli­te hyre hyme. He tawghe the will of his father. unto the worold and how they might be sauyd from deathe infernall. Ioan. 17. 6. Matth. 11. 5. 6. 7. so that they repentyd and beliuyd the gospel, Matth. 3. Mar. 10. leaffte nothyng un­tawght. But as a good doctor manife­styd unto his audiens all thynges ne­cessarie for the healthe of man as the woman confessyd, Ioā. 4. Messias cū uenerit docebit nos omnia. he prechid not only himselfe. But sent his Aposteles [Page] an disciples to manifest unto te worold that the acceptable tyme of gra­ce was com and the sacrifice for synne born into the worold, Matt. 10. Io. 10. and after his resurrextion. he gaue thē cōmauadement to preche: and likwy­ce whatt hey shuld preache: Ite in uni­uersum mundum & praedicate, quae ego praecepiuobis Euangelium omni creature, Matth. 28. Matth. ultimo, the whiche doctrine luk thus expoundi­the, poenitentiam acremissionem pec­catorum in omnes gentes in nomine meo, initio facto ab Hierosolymis, Lu ce ultim. In his name, to say in the knolege and faythe of his merites they shuld preche repentaynce and remis­sion of synne unto all the worold. As they dyd moost syncerely and playn­ly without all glosses or addicions of there awne inuencion and were as testimonies of the truithe and not the auctors therof Act 1. 1. Ioan. 1. So doo­the [Page] Paule theache withe grauite and manifest wordes what is to be iudgyd of hym selfe and all other ministers. Deus erat in Christo inquit, mundum reconcilians sibi, non imputans ei pre­cata sua, & posuit in nobis sermonem reconciliationis. Ita (que) nomine Christi legatione fungimur tanquam deo hor tante uos per nos. Rogamus pro Christo reconciliemini deo. Allwayes in there doctrine they tawght the thyng that Christ fyrst tawght and godes holy sprit inspyrid them Gale. 1. 2. Cor. 3. holy Aposteles neuer toke upon them to be Christis uicar in the erthe nor to be his leaue tenent. But sayd sic nos estimet homo ut ministros Christi ac dispensatores mysteriorum dei. 1. Cor. 4. in the same Epistole he bindithe the Corinthious to folow him in nothing but where as he folowyd Christe 11. cap. Imitatores mei estote sicut & ego Christi. They ministryd not in the [Page] churche as thowghe Christ were ab­sent althoughe his moost glorious body was departyd corporally into the heauens aboue. But as Christ present that all wayes gouernyd his churche withe his sprit of truithe as he promi­sid Matt. ult. Ecce ego uobiscum sum us (que) ad cōsummationem saeculi in the absence of his body, he hathe com­mendyd the protection and gouerna­unce of his churche unto the holy gost the same god and one god with the father and his diuinae nature. Whoes diuinae puyssanc and poure ouer ma­chithe the forse of the deuyll so that hel it selfe can not take one of Christes flock out of godes protection Ioan. 10. and this defense dury the not for aday nor here but shal demoure for euer till this churche be glorifieyd at the re­surrexion of the fleshe Ioan. 15. it was no litle payne that Christe suffryd in wayshing away the sinnes of this [Page] churche. Therefore he will not com­mitt the defense therof unto man: it is nolesse glorie to defend. And kepe the thing wonne by forse then it is by for se to optayne the uictorye. Adam, A­bel, Abraham Moses nor Aron cold, not wynne this churche out of the de­uilles tyranny. No more can they de­fend it delyuerid. For althowghe by imputation of Christes iustice these men and all other ffaythfulles be delyueryd from the tyranny of the deuyll and condemnation of the law, yet had and hath the deuyll his uery frendes Dwelling within the nature of man corrupt as long as he lyuithe. The cō cupiscence and rebellion of mannes nature who, seassythe nor day nor night to be tray man agayne to the deuill except with the motion of trew penitence this cōcupiscens be kept under in fere and faythe which, too uer­tewes be so infirme in mā that be he neuer [Page] so perfet yet fallith he from god somtyme as Abrahā, Isaac, Iacob, Moses and Aron, Esa. 43. Num. 19. there­fore he kepithe the defence and gouernaunce of the churche only and soly hym selfe in whom the deuill hathe not à yot of right thowghe the Apo­stellis where instructyd in all truithe and lefft the same wroten unto his churche yet were they ministres ser­uantes testimonies and prechers of this uerite and not Christes Vicars in erthe and leaue tenent to kepe the Ka­yes of heuē hell and purgatory but only appoyntid to approue the thing to be godd that godes lawes commaun­did▪ And that to be yle, that the word of god condemnyd. Seing that Christ doothe gouern his church allwayes by his holy sprit and byndith all the ministers therof unto the sole word of god. What abhomination is this that ony bishope of Rome Hierusalem, antioche [Page] or else where shuld accleme to be Christis uicar in therthe and take u­pon hym to mak ony lawes in the church of God to bynd the consciens of man besyd the word of God and in placyng of there supersticion and Idolatry [...] word of God out of his place by what law by whom or whe­re hathe ony this title yeuen unto hym to be Godes uicar, and leaue tenent u­pon therthe. Moses and Aron the best Princ that euer was and most godly gouerner of the people, Aron that fide le high pryst and preacher of Godes word neuer usurpyd this title to be as à second Christ and master ouer men­nes consciens: if godly Moses and his brother Aron neuer acclemyd this tit­le in therthe doutles it is affoule and detestable arrogancy that this ungodly bishopes of Rome attribut unto them selfes to be the hedes of Christis church the more to be lamentyd he [Page] that considerith there liefe and confer it with the scripture will iudg by the authorite therof, that they were not for this many yers worthy to be ac­cōptyd ony membre of godis church But the membres of the deuyll and the ffirst begoten of Antichrist. Thus is trew these of Rome is not only à ty­ranny and pestilence of body ad saule. But the nest of all abhomination god yeue him grace ad all his successors, to leaue there abhominaciō and to cō un to the light of gods worde. This best is prechyd unto the people to be Aman that cannot er his auctorite to be à bo­ne God, and his lawes and to be the Prince upō the erth of all Princes but God will iudge him as he is à Murtherer of booth body and Saule, and po­nishe the Princes of the worold that upp hold his abhominacion Moses and Aron by the testimony of the scriptur neuer tawght but that they receauid [Page] of God and at the last booth they offendyd. Nume. 20. in so mouch that God gaue sentens agaynst them that none of them booth shuld enter into the land of promes for there Arrogan cij and pride the text sayth, because ye were unfaythfull unto me: this falce belyue was of no dout they had in the pore of God for the miracle was don as God sayd. But that they attributyd to mouch unto there awne poure and sayd: Audite rebelles, Num de petra ista nos educemus uobis aquas? For the changyng of the therde person in this sentens in to the fyrst. The Ire of God pronouncid sentence of death a­gaynst these too uery godly ministres of his word. The sinnyd because they sayd not hyr ye rebellyās cannot Ieho ua the omnipotent yeue ye water of this stone, And is this (fyrst uegoten of Antichrist the hishope of Rome with out syn that Chaungith not only the [Page] person in â sentence but the hole sen­tence ye the hole law of God and of man so that he reygnith in the cōsciēs àboue the law of God and will saw hym that God hath damnyd and dam ne hym tat god hath sauid, yet per­son and man of sinne can not erre? But he that sparyd not to kyl godd Moses and Aron for thabuse of the word of god will not ffauore this wy­ckid man nor none of his holi doctors at the terrible day of iudgment. Nauū the prophet dooth yeue god â woun­derfull name which the Latin nor the Grek cannot proporly expresse without circumloquution, noter huleobau, quafi iniuriarum memoriam retinens & ulciscendi occationem ex­pectans. He is the god that writh all these blasphemies in his bok of remembraunce and when he hatth shewyd his mercy sufficiently. He reuengyth the yle that man thinkith, is for goten, [Page] It is of his superaboundaunt mercy that he throwithe not sodēly fire upon the worold for synne and not that he is à slepe or cannot do it right well iud gid Valerius maximus better thē now the most part of Christiane men, lento quidem graduad uindictam sui proce dit diuina ira. Sed grauitate supplicij tarditatem compensabit. Because god hath yeuen this light unto my coun­tre men which be all persuadyd or else God send them to be persuadyd that the bishope of Rome nor none other is Christes uicar upon therth it is none de to use ony long or copious oracion it is so playne that it nedith no proba­cion the ueri proprietes, of Antechrist I meane of Christ great and principall ennimie is so openly knowē to all men that ar not blyndyd with the smoke of Rome. that they know hym to be the best that Iohan descrybyth in the Po­calipse, as well as the logitiō knowith [Page] that risibilitate distinguitur, homo â caeteris animantibus. This knoleig of Christes supremite and continuall presence in the churche admyttyth no leaue tenent nor generall uicar. likewice it admittithe not the decrees and la­wes of men browght into the churche contrary unto the word and scripture of God which is only sufficiēt to teach all uerite and trueth for the saluacion of man as it shall apere in this Capiter folowyng.

CHrist the onli light of the worold sent from his father and born mortall mann according unto the scripture began to theache the word of God purelli and sincerly unto the worold and chose ministres and Apostelles conue­nient for thexpedicion therof and ap­prouyd to be the uery Messias by God [Page] the father Mat. 3. 17. Ioan. 5. tawght his disciples the truith by the only law. Wroten by Moses and the prophetes and not by unwrytyne uerites. And in all contrauersis and dout full questi­ons, he ausweryd his contrarijs by the word of god, in that wonderfull tem­ptation of the deuill Matt. 4. by colla­tion of the places of scripture he killyd the deuill with his awne swerde: fals­ly, and in a wrong sentence aleging the word of god by the word of god godly applyed. When his disciples were reprehendid by the Pharises as brea­kers of the sabboth Matt. 12. He excu­syd there fact by the law. Non legistis quid fecerit Dauid, & qui cū eo erant, so lik wyce Matt. 15. 19. in all contra­uersys he made the law iudge betwen his Ennymis and him. When he was desyrid to teach ayong man the way to heauē and to cū to eū lasting lief he sayd in lege quid scriptum est, quomo [Page] do legis? Matt. 22. lik wice the Sadu­ces that denied the resurrexion of the ded. Erratis inquit nescientes scriptu­ras & uerbum dei. The Rych man in hell that was so desirous that his bro­thers lyuing in therthe might haue knolege, and warning to beware thei were not damnyd in tyme to cum would gladly haue warnid them hymselfe for à more suretye Luc. 16. that the messayge shuld be done. Abraam Answeryd, habent Mosen & prophetas audientillos, the scripture teachith what heauen hell, and what man is, and what Christ is therfore Christ send dith us theter Io. 5. scrutamini in­quit scripturas. Agayne being re­quirid in à ciuile mater concerning tribute and obedience unto the princes of the worold Matt. 22. he sayd. Red­dite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari, & quae sunt dei deo. Yeue unto themperour that that is deu unto themperour and [Page] unto god that that is deu unto god. And under the Nam of thempe­rour he undrestondith, all superior poures apoyntid ouer the peple by god. And would to yeue dew honor unto them booth as Paule teachite Rom. 13. 1. Pet. 2. this law teachith man sufficiently as well what he is boūd to do unto god as unto the princes of the worold nothing can be desyrid neces­sari for man but in this law it is prescribid. Of wbat degre uocation or cal­ling so euer he be his dewty is shewid unto hym in the scripture. And in this it differith from mannes lawes becau­se it is absolute perfeit and neuer to be Chaungid. Nothing addid unto it nor taken from it. And the chur­che of Christ the more it was and is burdenyd withe mannis lawes the farther it is from the trew and syncere uerite of godes word. The more man presumith and takith authorite to in­terpretat [Page] the scripture after his awne brayne and subtill wytt, and not as the uerite of text requirith the more he dishonorith the scripture and blasphe­mith god thauctor therof. It is the office of â good man to teach the churche as Christ tawght, to reuoke all Erro­urs and souch as Er unto the fold of Christe only by the word of Christ. For the water at the foyntaynce hed is more halsom and pure then when it is caryd abrode in roten pypes or styn king diches. I had rather folow the shadow of Christ then the body of all generall conselles or doctors sith the death of Christe. The deuille neuer slept but allways by his ministres at­temptyd to destroy the uerite of Chri­stes relligion and cleane to put out the ligth of truithe. Which was perfet in Christes tyme and in the tyme of the Apostelles. Nonne sith that tyme so pure. Saynct hieromein uita malchi [Page] sayth that his tyme was darkenys in the respect of the Apostelles tyme.

The antiquite of the worold doth darken the uerite of godes word. As Varro sayth truith uetustatem multa de­prauare. Multa etiam tollere. Et ter­cium seculum (inquit) non uidet eum hominem quem uidit primum. The truith of godes uerite the more it is u­sidd, practysid and taught aster the wisdom of man the more is the glory and perfection therof darkenyd it is the contrary in all Humane artes as Cicero sayth in humanis, nihil simul inuentum & perfectum fuit, usu (que) & exercitatione factum sit: Vt hoc prae­stantiores artes quaedam fuerint quo longius ab origine sua & inuentori­bus essent deducte. The churche of god must therfore be bound to none other authorite thē unto the uoyce of the gospel and unto the ministery the­rof as Esa sayth cap. 8. Obsigna legem [Page] in discipulis meis. the Prophete spe­kith of souch darkenis as shuld folow his tyme conserning the comming of Messias the trew Doctor of the chur­che therfore prayd to preserue the trew heres of the Prophetes and that it would pleac hym to confirm the doctrine of truth in there hartes lest the word and trew undrestonding of the word by the deuille shuld be put out and seing the church is bound unto this infallible truith the only word of God it is â false and usurpyd authori­te that men attribute unto the clerge and bynd the word of God and Chri­stis church to the successiō of byshoppes or ony coleige of Cardinalles Scoles minystres or Cathedrall churches, Paule would noman to yeue fayth to ony person, or minystre in the church of God but when he preachith the word of God trewli, Gal. 1. Men may haue the gyfft of God to undrestond [Page] and interpretat the scripture unto o­ther. But neuer authorite to interpre­tat it, other wyse then it interpretatithe it selfe whiche the godly mynd of mā by study meditacion and conferryng of one place therof withe the other may fynd how be it some more some lesse as God yeuith his grace. For the ponyshement of our synnes God le­uithe in all men à great imperfection and souche as were induyd withe ex­cellent wytt and lernyng saw not all­wayes the truithe. As it is to be seen in Basilius, Ambrose, Epiphanius, Au­gustyne, Bernerd, and other. thowghe they stayed them selfes in the knolege of Christ and Erryd not in ony Principall article of the faythe yet, they did inordinatly and more then Inowghe extolle the doctrine and tradicion of men. and after the deathe of the Apo­stellis euery doctors tyme was subiect unto souche ceremonye and mannes [Page] decrees, that was nether profetable ner necessari. therefore diligently exortyd Paule the churche of Christ principal­to consider and regard the fundacion of all ueryte Menyng that Doctors of the chnrche had there imperfectiō and faultes. Fundamentum (inquit) non potest poni aliud praeter id quod positum est, quod est Iesus Christus. In the se few wordes is stablyshe al oure faythe and all false religion reprehendyd upon this foundacion sommen buld gold to say godly and necessari doctrine as Policarpus that confutyd the he resy of marcion de essencia Dei. of the causis of sinne that the deuyll and mā is the cause of sinne and not god nor fatall destiny, nor the influens or re­spectes of the planetes. He meyntei­nid the trew religion of god and go­uernyd the church, As the scripture tawght whiche he lernyd of Iohan e­uangelist and defendyd this truith withe [Page] woūderfull cōstāce and martyrdō Basilius and many other reteynid the articles of the faythe but they institu­tyd the lieffe and rule off monkes and preferryd that kynd of lief before the lief of souche as gouern in the comu­ne wealth the people of god. and per­suadyd men that souche kynd of lieffe was auery deuyne and acceptable honoryng of god. After hym folowyd souche as augmentid this yle and said it was not only acceptable unto God but also: that men might deserue therwithe remission of sinne. thus alitle and alitle the deuill augmentid super­sticion and deminyshyd the trewth of Godes glory so that we se no where the churche of Christ as it was in the Apostelles tyme thowghe mani and godly uerites hathe byn browght un­to light in our tyme by men of diuerse graces yet is not the truithe of necessary uerites playnly sheuyd by them [Page] lest man shuld to mouche glorye in hymselfe he permyttyd them to ar in certayne poyntes. As Luther of ablyssyd memorie. which wrote and prea­chyd the gospell of iustificacion nomā better yet in the cause of the sacramēt he arrithe concerning the corporall precens of Christes naturall body that there is no man can ar more. I shall ha­ue occasion to writ the truith concer­ning this mater herafter it is no repro­che of the did man. but myne opinion unto all the worold that the scripture soly and the Apostelles churche is to be folowyd and nomans authorite. Be he Augustine, Tertullian, or other Cherubim or Cherabim. unto the ru­les and Canones of the scripture must man trust and reforme his errores therby. or else he shall not reform him selfe but rather deform his consciens. The churche of the Romaynes, Corin thiōs and other. the seuē churches that [Page] Ioā. writithe of in the Apocalipses were in all thinges reformyd unto the rule and form prescribyd by the euerla­sting God the ymayge of these chur­ches I allwayes prynt in my mynd. And wher so euer I com I lok how nere they resemble the afore reher­sid and whether there prechers pre­ach simple without dispensation of ony part of godes most necessarie word. And whether all the occatious of Idolatre be taken away as ymagy ce whom Gregori callith the bokes of the lay men thowghe this title be agaynst the second commaundement and neuer approuid bythold testamēt nor the new [...]y word or examplewhere as thoccacion is not remouid the word of god must nedes stand in ha­serd for god will not, Say the wys­dom of man what it list haue his churche pesteryd with ony kynd of Idola­trie: and to mak god and the deuill a­gre [Page] in one churche it is impossible. Saynct Iohn hathe wounderfull wordes in the Apocalippes cap. 3. Vnto the churche of laodicensium scio opera tua, quia ne (que) frigidus neque ferui­dus: Vtinam frigidus esses aut ferui­dus ita (que) quoniam tepidus es & nec frigidus nec feruidus incipiam te euome re de ore meo. These wordes aruero necessarie to be bonr in mynd. For he that is nether hote nor cold, But indif­ferent to use the kolege of godes word and Christes churche, withe the word and glosse of man that teachith the use of ymagys in te church, before he can proue by tauctorite of godes word that they may besuffryd in the church doothe not well, they haue byn thoc­cacion of greathurt and Idololatrye the church of the old testament nor the new neuer tawght the people with ymagys. Therfore it shalbe the office of euery man that louithe god and his [Page] word to folow the scripture onli. And to be wayle the ignorancy of souche as hathe before our tyme or now in our tyme by wordes or wryting de­fend the same. And with all humilite and humblenys submitt hymselfe to the iudgmet and Censure of the iudge of all Iugdes the word of god that he may wysely and godly dissern what is to be belyuid and acceptyd of ony do­ctors wrytinges, and what is not to be acceptyd. What is to be perdonid and what is not to be pardonid. and by the perylles and dangers of other lern to be wyse that we commit not the same fault. à fyne glosse and fere interpretacion cannot make godd an ile thing if I shuld say an ymage prouokyth deuocion. holy waterteachith that the blud of Christ was sprynklyd for my sinnes the holy breade teachith that Christes body was torn for my sinnes what shall thesse glosses excuse the fact [Page] nay nay, Christ that died for our sakes would not his deathe to be prechid this way. but out of the scripture by the tong of man and not out of the decrees of Bishopes by adrop of water or peyntyd post he that tok the paines to dy and suffre his passion for te redē tion of the worold soly and only. soly and only hathe taken the paynes to teach the worold how and which wai they shuld kepe this passion in mynd and lefft it unto the worold in wry­ting by the handes of his holy Aposteles unto the which wreting only he hathe bound and obligatyd his churche and notto the wretings of men. In this passaige I admonishe the Christiane reader that I speake not of the lawes of magistrates or princes that daili ordey ne new lawes for the preseruacion of there comune wealthe as they se the necessite of there Realmes or cites re­quire. But of souche lawes as men ha­the [Page] ordeinid for the churche of Christ whiche shuld be now and for euer gouernyd by the word of God. In this cause loke as eue offendid obeyng the persuacion of the deuill contrary unto the commaundement of God so doo­the euery man offend obeyng ony la­wes or decrees, that commaundithe o­ny thyng contrary unto the word, of God. This law must preuayle, Opor­tet Deo magis obedire quâm homini­bus. The exampleherof we haue in Daniel of the thre chyldren that cho­se reather to burn in the firie furny se then to worshipp The ymiage that Nabucadneser had made. so did the Aposteles Act. 5. let all the worold cō sider whether these lawes of the Bis­hopes the Masse whiche is â propha­nation of Christes supper to bynd mē nes consciens to pray unto did sayn­ctes, to say Imagis be to be suffryd in the temples and constrayne the mini­stres [Page] of the churche to lyue sole con­trary unto there uocacion ar to be obeyd or not, they do no lesse offend God in obeyng these lawes then Eue dyd in obeyng the uoyce of the serpēt. the wysdom of all the wittes in the wo­rold cannot cōprehend the greatnys of this yle. mak what lawes they will for the body so the leaue the consciens fre, with pacience it is to be suffryd: only I lament the bondayge of the con­sciēs cursyd be these that make souche lawes, and cursyd be those that withe sophistrie defend them that parasitus and bond man of the bishope of Rome pigius in his writīges shamith not to say it is lesse synne for â prist to ke­pe an other mannis wief then to haue â wiefe of his awne. Conserning actes indifferent whiche of them selfes or nether good nether yle. as to refrayne from eating of fleshe the fryday obseruyng of the fests kept holy in the remembrance [Page] of souche holy martires as died for the faythe of Christ, or in keping holy Ester and witsonday there is too respeects most diligētly to be obseruid thone good and to be suffrid the other yle and to be eschewyd. sou­che as abstayne from fleshe and think they do better seruyce to god and would lik wice obtayne remission of there synnes, by those workes: do de­clare boothe them selfes and there workes to be yle. But souche as abstay ne because the sprite may be more ar­dent and the mynd more yeuen to study and prayer doothe well and as they be bound to do, and to com un­to the temple to pray for them selfes and the churche of Christ and to hyre the word of god doothe well for as god commaundithe his word to be preachyd and hard so he hathe apoyntid à certayne tyme as the sabbothe whenpeople shuld hyre it. And not [Page] only this order to be obseruid in the churche but also in euery familye and houshold of what degre so euer he be He shuld cause his familie and chyl­dren to rede some part of the Bible for there erudition to know god. Likwy ce he shuld constrayne them to pray unto god for the promocion of his holy word and for the preseruacion of the gouerners of the commune weal­the so that no day shuld passe witheout prayer, and augmētacion of kno­lege in the religion of Christ. But our new Euangelistes hathe an other opinion they dreame of faythe that iusti­fieth the whiche nether repentaynce presedithe nether honesty of lyffe fo­lowithe which shalbe to there doble damnaciō if they amend not. He that will conforme his knolege unto the word of god let hym likwyce conuert his Itef withe all as the word requiri­the and as all the examplis of Christ [Page] and his gospelle teachithe or else what will he do withe the doctrine of Christ whiche only teachith and suffi­ciently teachithe all uerite and uerre­wes lief let hym tary style in the do­ctrine of man and lyue as manly and as carnally as he list and not professe to know god nether his trewthe ra­ther then, so to slaunder them boothe. This sufficithe to proueth only word of god to be sufficiēt to teache the truithe. All other mennes lawes, to be ne­ther necessarie nether profetable. and certayne we be that the churche of the Apostelles dyd waunt these decrees, that papistre of late dayes faythyd the churche withe all

THe second office of Christ is to pray and to make intercession for his people. This office Iohan wrytithe [Page] of in his fyrst epistole, if ony man syn­ne we haue an aduocate withe the fa­ther Iesus Christ that makithe intercession for us. And as Paule saythe. Christus qui mortuus est, imo qui & suscitatus, qui etiam est ad dexteram dei, qui & intercedit pro nobis, in his name and in the belyue and cōfidens of his meritis we may optayne the mercis of god and liffe euer lasting as Paule say the▪ Accedamus cum fiducia ad tro­num graciae, ut consequamur miseri­cordiam & gratiam inueniamus ad oportunum auxilium, Ebre. 4. this intercession of Christ only sufficithe no man shuld secke ony other media­tour of intercession or expiacion of synne as Paule saythe declaring the sufficiency and abilite of Christes deathe and intercession Christus manet in aeternum, perpetuum habens sacer­docium: Vnde & saluos facere ad plenum potest qui per ipsum adeunt deū [Page] semper uiuus ad hoc ut interpellet pro illis. Vnto this intercessiō and prayer in Christes name he bound his chur­che by expresse commaundement. Petite & accipietis. Aske and yt shalbe yeuen youe. and in the same place he shewithe the cause wherfore it shal­be yeuen. Quicquid petieritis patrem in nomine meo, dabit uobis, What so euer ye aske in the belyue and confi­dence of my merites it shalbe yeuen unto youe sainct Paule, callith Christ Sytting at the right hand of god the minister and seruant of the saynctes to say of souche as be here lyuing in this troblyd and persecutyd churche to solicitat and do all there affars as a faythfull Embassadour with the fa­ther of heuen untill the consumma­cion of the worold this doctrine of Christes intercessiō must be all wayes diligently preachyd unto the people, and like wyce that in all necessites ca­lamites [Page] and troble the afflictyd per­son to syke none other meanes to of­fre his prayers unto God but Christ only according as the scripture teachithe, and as we haue example of holy saynctes in the same. Not only in the new testamēt were as he cōmaudithe us to pray in his name, and Stephin in his martyrdom, Acto. 7. commendid his sprit unto this only mediatour sayng domine Iesu: Accipite Spirituū meum, But also in the ole Testament thus prayed the patriarks and Prophetis Iacob, Gē. 48. benedicat pueris istis Deus & Angelus qui eripuit me de cūctis malis. & Dauid Psal. 71. Et adorabūt ipsum semper. For asmouche as Christis daily in heauen and praythe for his churche the churche of Christ must pray, as Christe hathe towght it, As the Patriarkes, Prophe­tes and the Aposteles hathe yeuen us example whic neuer prayd un­to [Page] ded saynct. ye as Christ hathe yeuē us exāple hangyng in the crosse saing pater in manus tuas commendo spiri­tum meum. What intollerable, Ile, blasphemy of God and Etnycall Idola­trie is this to admitt and teache the in­uocacion of sanctes departyd out of this worold. it takythe from God his trew honor it makythe hym â foule that only hathe ordeynid only Christ to be mediatour betwē man and him, it dyminyshithe the merites of Christ takythe from the law of god here per­fection and Maiesty where as God hathe openid his will and pleasure unto the worold in all thynges. It condē nithe the old churche of the Patriar­ches and Prophetis likewyce the churche of the Aposteles and Martyres that neuer thawght thinuocacion of saynctes. It accufithe the scripture of God to be false whiche saythe thow shalt nether ad nether dymynishe [Page] ony thyng it makith Christ alyer that sayd, Spiritum quem ego mittam â patre, docebituos omnem ueritatem. If the men that teache sancta Maria ora pro nobis. Be more holy then all the Pratriarches or Prophetes and Apo­steles let the consciens of the Christia ne reader iudge. This distinction of mediatours. To be one of expiacion for synne Christ: and an other of in­tercession the saynctes departyd is nawght: it repugnythe the manifest text of the scripture. It is the office only of Christ to be the mediator for synne, and like wyce to offer the prayers of the churche to his father. Ioan. 1. Ecce agnus dei, qui tollit peccata mundi, as concerning intercession he com­mendithe us only to ask in his name. And prescribid the maner how to as­ke, and what to aske Luce 11. souche as say if the saynctes that we pray unto here us not ner profet adee, lyet it hin­drithe [Page] notwe loost but our labour. this mouche it hindrth it declarithe hym that praythe to be aninfidele. To pray unto that god or goddes that is not able to healpe him nor hyre his prayer and no better thē he that prayd unto the imayge of iubiter in creta that had nether yares nor yees. It de­clarithe hym to cōtemne boothe god and his worde who assurithe euery man in euery time and in euery distresse not only to hyre hym but also to ye­ue ayede. Mat. 11. so now this worshi­per of saynctes departithe from the knowen and all mighty god to an un­knowen god, and preferrith the doctrine of man and the deuill before the scripture of truithe and the lyuīg god. I hope this detestable errour is cum to light and almen tawght to pray as the scripture Canonicall teachethe. But there is an other yle as great as this to be reprehendyd of all souche as know [Page] how to pray a right. the benig of yma­gis in the temple whiche the worold saythe may be suffryd in the chur­ches. And say they be godd to put the people of God in remembrance of souche godly saynctes as died for Christes sake. But this is allwayes the subtylty of the deuyll. when à manifest yle can­not be born withall, to syk â glosse and interpretacion that where ashe cannot walke in the churche openly like à de­uill, and haue candelles, styctkyd befo­re apost, and the ymayges kissyd, yet to desire som̄e man to put â fere Cote a­pon his bake, that he may haue â place in the churche to lurke in untill souche tyme as occation be ministryd to shew hymselfe agayne as he is. The auctori­te of Godes word requirithe me to pronounce this trew iudgmet in the cause of ymagyes that be not worshippid in the churche that there presence in the churche is agaynst godes word as well [Page] as to say: Sancta Maria ora pronobis, and as the on is to be eschewyd and banishid our of the hart so is the other out of the yye in the temple where as godes worde is preachid unto the people and the sacramētes ministryd. thus I proue by the authorite of boothe Testamentes. The old and the Newe the old saythe thow shalt make no ymayge, Exod. 20. Deu. 6. in the New there is nomencion made of ony ymayge. But that Christ concerning the law and preceptes of the commaundementes sayd: Non ueni soluere legem, sed adimolere, Matth. 5. For asmouche as Christ lefft the commaundementes of the old lawe unto the churche in the which he saythe thow shalt not make ony ymagye. From whens hathe this men authorite that say if ymagys be not honorid they may be suffrid in the church it is but there opinion cōtrary and besyd the lawe of god. and this cō maundement [Page] non facies, nō coles, for byddith as well the makyng of the y­mayge as the honoring of it: Conser­ning the hauing of them in the place of puplik prayer and use of his Sacra­mentes. Souch as would this occaciō of Idolatrie to remayne in the churche by diuisiō of the commaundementes would passe ouer this second com­maundement whiche saythe: Non fa­cies tibi sculptile, non adorabis ea, and mak of the tenthe commaundement to cōmaundementes. But the text will not suffre it. For as the lord there for biddyth the inward lust and concupi­stencence of his neigbors house so dothe he for byd the lust and concupiscence of his neygbours wiefe seruāt, Or dawghter and all is but one com­maundement Exo. 20. rede the text in the Ebrew and then it shalbe more playne. The second commaundemēt which the defenders of ymagyce ne­glect. [Page] For bydith not only the out­ward reuerence and honor but also by the same expresse commaundemēt for biddith to make ony ymayge they do iniuries to the manifest text and there glose is to be abhorrid. And the playne text to be folowyd. The Kyn­ges maiestie that ded is willyd not on­ly all his trew subiectes to haue no fa­miliarite withe Cardinal poule, but also to refrayne his companie and not to haue to do with hym in ony case and not without godd and necessary cōsyderation he that would: not with stonding this commaunde, of the kyngis maiesty, haue hauntyd Poules cō ­panye, and at the tyme of his accusa­tion haue sayde he was not withe poule for frendshid, nor familiarite to do hym ony honor but hauntyd his company withe souch other persones as ment no yle to the Kynges maiestie or his Realme doutles this law shuld of [Page] right and equite condemne hym (ne­ther for frendishippe, nether oder cause no man shuld use his cōpanie) Doutles as the Kynges mayesti and euery other prince knowith it to be dange­rous dayli to suffre his subiectes in the company of his treatorous Ennymies so God knew right well what danger it was to suffre man his creatur to ha­ue company withe those ydoles and therfore sayde thow shalt nether worshippe them ner make them. All the princes of ther the hathe not had somany subiectes betrayd and made tray­tours by there Ennymyes, as God ha­the loost sowles by the meanys of imagis I make all the worold iudge that knowithe the truithe. It is so childes an opinion to say that ymagys may be suffryd in the churche so they be not honoryd, that it nedithe no pro­bacion at all the gentilles that Paule speakithe of, Roman. 1. knew right [Page] well that the idoll was not God. And all the Idolatres that usid ymagies that the new Testament speakyth of 1. Co. 5. & 10. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Ioā. 5. kew right well that these ymagys of gold or syluer was not the deuill that they worship­pyd. The apostes condemnyd not only there false religion but also there ymagis. Iohan by expresse wordes callithe the ymayge, Idolatrye and byd­dith them beware of ymagis sayng cauete â simulachris Dauid Psal. 114. say the Idola gentium argentum & au­rum he condemnithe not only there false religion but also the ymagis ma­de by the hand of man. Which were of gold and syluer. There false god was nether gold nether syluer. But awyckid sprit who had entrid for la­ck of faythe in to there sprites. It is to be lamentyd that god for our sinnes thus suffrythe the worold to be illu­did by the deuill. Of late yers the ima­gies [Page] were in the temple and honoryd withe pater noster, hart and mynd Withe legg and kne. This use of ymagis is taken away in many places. But now they be applyed to an other use, scilicet to teache the people, and to be the lay mennes bookes. As damasce­ne and many other saithe. Oh blasphemous and deuillis he doctrine to apo­ynt the moost noble creature of god man indued withe witt and rea­son, resembling the ymayge of the e­uer lasting god to be instructyd and tawght of â mute. Domme blind and ded Idoll: the brut best that goithe by the way, and the Asse that seruithe for the mille is not tawght by the rod of the Carter, But by the prudens of him that usithe the rod. And shuld those pentyd blockes be the bookes of reso­nable man? full well can the deuill transform himselfe into an angell of light. And to deceaue the people un­der [Page] the pretenc of trew religion. I had rather trust to the shadow of the churche that the scripture theachite, then to all the mēnes writing sithe the deathe of Policarp 9. Christ sayth not go preache unto the people by ymagis. But sayd: Ite in uniuersum mundum, & praedicate euangeliū, Matth. 28. They saye that ymagys adorn and semely deek the temple of God whether as people resort to hyre the word of god the more ymagys, the more dishono­ryd is the temple Fyrst let them teache by the manifest word of God that the temple shuld be deckid withe souche ydoles that cannot teache nor speke some mannes tonge must declare the history of the Idole or else they know not what the ydole is parauentu­re take sanct Barbara for saynct Ka­theryn. And saynct cōcumbre, for the rode of Paules: Balaam and his asse that for lucre attemptid to curse the [Page] churche of god, for Christ and his As­se that came to blisse and sanctifie his churche with his precious biud: it is thabuse and prophanacion of the temple to suffre them, and a great occation for people to return to there acustomyd yle. I would all men shuld indif­ferently poundre these reasons and iudge whether they be to be suffryd or not. Fyrst the moost perfeite chur­ches of the prophetes, Christe and his Apostelles usyd no souche meane to instruct the people. We owght to folow them and the word of god wro­ten by the prophetis and Apostelles. Also the greak churche neuer consentyd willyngly to admit the use of imaiges in the temples, the yle that hathe happenyd unto the, peple by the mea­nes of imagis is to playne and well knowen, god by Idolatrie robbid of his glory and the Idolater disheretyd of godes mercy except he repentyd [Page] in this lief, an imayge ons browght into the churche, lyuithe along tyme, graunt that at the begynning there was agodd preachet of the churche, The preacher diethe, the idole the lenger it liuithe the yonger it waxithe, as ye may se by the ydole of walsinghā. Cantorbury and hayles the florishyd moost alitle before there desolation in the raygne of the Kynges maiestie that ded is henry the viij. of Ablyssid memori. at there setting uppe I suppose the preachers were more diligent and zelous of godes glory then afterward. But was not the originall dam­nable, agaynst the word of god to ye­ue the people souche aboke to lern by, that shuld scole thē to the deuill? The wordes of Gregorie ad Serenum Episcopum Massilien̄. parte 10. Epistol. 4. shuldmoue Noman towgh he say quod legentibus scriptura: Hoc ideo­tis pictura praestat cernentibus. And [Page] doothe reprehend serenus for the breakyng of ymagyes sayng that the like was not seen dō by ony other Minister. This is but saynct Gregori­es opinion. Epiphanius, writithe in â certayne Epistole ad Iohannem Hie­rosolimitanum Episcopum. Interpre­te D. Hieronymo hathe this sentence: Audiui quosdam murmurare contra me, qui quando simul pergebamus ad sanctum locum, qui uocatur Bethel, & uenissem ad uillā quae uocatur Ana blatha, uidissem (que) preteriens Ardentē lucernam, et interrogassem quis locus esset? Didicem (que) esse ecclesiam, & in­trassem ut orarem, inueni ibi uelū pendens in foribus eiusdem ecclesiae, tin­ctum a (que) depictum, habens imaginem quasi Christi uel Sancti cuiusdā. Non enim satis memini cuius imago fuerit. Cum autem hoc uidissem in Ecclesia Christi contra authoritatem scripturarum hominis pendere imaginem, sci­di [Page] illud &c. Where as he willithe thoccacion of yle to be taken owt of the churche as Paule commaundithe, 1. Thess. 5. this Doctor as all men kno­withe was of singuler lerning and uer tew Agayne agaynst thauctorite of Gregori the great. I set the auctorie of Athanasius the great. Who denyyth by expresse wordes the imagyes to be the bookes of the lay people. Aduer­sus gentes sic scribit: Philosophi gentium, & qui apud eos eruditi dicuntur, cum urgeri â nobis coeperint, non ne­gant hominum & mutorum animali­um formas at (que) effigies esse, qui apud eos uidentur dij: uerum hanc afferant rationem, iccirco se illas imagines fin­gere, ut per eas sibi Deus respondeat & reueletur, non posse enim inuisibi­lē aliter nosse, quâm per huiusmodi si­gna at (que) taletas. Alij his sapientiora se dicere arbitrantes eas esse ueluti lite­ras hominibus, quae relegētes possint [Page] per eam, quaeex illis insinuatur coele­stium spirituum reuelacionem & dei intelligenciam consequi. Ita quidem illi per quam fabulose, ne (que) enim ra­cionabiliter dicunt. Withe great gra­uite and godly reasons this great cler­ke confutithe this fond opinion ymagis to be the bookes of the lay men the great and excellent clerk Lactan­tius firmianus crieth so out agaynst ymagyes that he saythe there can be no trew religion where they be Ter­tulliā de corona militis iudgith the same: the law of God doothe not only condemne the use of them in the churche and these holy Doctors: but also the name of an ymage declarith it to be abhoiaciō. Red all the scripture ād in euery place whereas thow findift this word ezeb Idole or image it signifithe ether affliction, rebellion, sorow, tristes, trauell, or peyne or else the wi­kyth Muk and Mammon of the wo­rold [Page] or the thyng that allwayes pro­uokythe the ire of God as Rabbi Da­uid Kymhy well expoūdith Psal. 115. this Iew saythe that the idolles bryng men into hattred of God expounding these wordes of Dauid, quibus simi­les euadant, qui ea faciunt & quicū (que) fidit eis saythe the text must be undre stond by the maner of prayer as tow dauyd prayed allmigtie God to make these grauers and caruers of ymagis as doumme as blind as mute and as in sensible is the ydolle that can nor spe­kener here. oure lord amend it what shuld moue men to defend in the churche of Christ, so necessarye an ile and pestilent treasure that hathe seducyd boothe oure fathers and great graunt fathers. Where the churche of the Patrearches, Prophetes and Aposteles neuer usyd them but in all there wrytynges abhorrid. Louid we god we wold by content with scripture. euery scoler [Page] of Aristotell takythe this for â suffici­ent uerite, Magister dicit: he wilbe cō ­tētyd assone as he herythe his masters Name. Cicero lib. 3. De Oratore, was thus persuadyd of those that were ex­cellent Orators & sic estimat suauita­tem Isocratis: subtilitatem lysiae. Acu­men Hiperidis, sonitum aeschinis: Vim Demosthenis ac orationem Catuli, Vt quicquid inquit aut addideris, aut mutaueris, aut detraxeris, uitiotius aut deterius futurum. And shuld not The patriarches, prophetes Christ and the Aposteles as well suffice the churche of god? What all thowghe meny lernid men hathe approuid imaginis shuld there wysdom maintayne ony contrary unto the word of God? no â Christiane mā must not care who speakith but what is spoken the trui­the to be acceptyd who so euer speky­the it Balaam was as wyce lernid and replinishyd withe godes yeste as man [Page] could be. Not with stonding his Asse telling the truithe must be belyuid better then he. The law of god, teachithe no use of ymagys but saythe, non facies, non coles, Exod. 20. be lyue it. Yet the art of grauyng and pentyng is the yefft of God, to haue the picture or y­mayge of ony martyr or other so it be not put in the themple of God, nor o­ther wyse abusyd it may be suffryd Christ by the picture of Caesar tawght his audience, obedience uto the ciuile prince sayng, cuius est haec imago Caesaris inquiunt: ergo redditte quae sunt Caesaris Caesari. But if man will lern to know God by his creatures let him not say good morow master to an old mothe etyn post. But be hold the hea­uenes whiche declarythe the might poure of god, Psal. consyder the erthe how it bryngithe forthe the frutes there of, the water withe fys his, the aye­re withe the byrdes. Consyder the di­sposition [Page] order and amite that is bet­wene the membres of mannes body the one allwayes redy to helpe the o­ther, to saue the other. The hand the­hed the hed the fote, the stomake to disparse the meat and drinke into the exteriall partes of the body, yea let man consider the hawke and the howne, that obey in there uocacion and so e­uery other creature of therthe and withe trew hart and unfaynyd peniten­ce come to the knolege of hymselfe and say, all the creatures that euer the lyuing god made obey the in there uocacion sauing the deuill, and I, moost wreachid man. those thinges were made to be testimonijs unto us of Godes mighty pore, and to draw men unto uertew not these Idoles, which the de­uill causid to be set in the temple to brinig men from God thus did Christ teache the people his most blessyd death and passion and the frute of his passiō [Page] By the grayne of Corn cast into the erthe and sayde: Nisi granum frumenti cadens in terra mortuum fuerit, ipsum solum manet, si aūtmortuū fuerit, mul tūfructū affert. He hankyd not the pi­cture of his body upon the crosse to theache them his deathe as our late lernyd men hathe donne. The plowgh­man be he neuer so unlernyd, shalle better be insructyd of Christes deathe and passion by the corn that he sowi­the in the fyld and likwyce of Christes resurrextion, then be all the dedpostes that hang in the churche or pullyd out of the sepulchre withe, Christus resur­gens. What resemblaynce hathe the takyng of the crosse out of the sepul­chre and goying à prossession withe it withe the resurrexcion of Christ: no­ne at all, the ded post is as ded, when they sing, iam non moritur, as it was, when they buryd it, withe, in pace fa­ctus est locus eius. If ony preacher [Page] would manifest the resurrexcion of Christe unto the sences. Why doo­the not he teache tem by the grayne of the fyld, that is rysyn out of the Erthe, and commithe of the ded corn, that he sawid in the winter. Whidoth not the preacher preache the death ād resurrextion of Christ, by souche fiqures and metaphors as the scripture teachith Paule wounderfully 1. Co. 15. Prouith with argumentes the deathe and resurrextion of Christes and ours like wy­ce that nothyng may be more playnly tawght, â ded post caryd à prosessi­on as mouch resemblyth the resurrex­tion of Christ As uery deathe resem­blyth lief, people shuld not be tawght nor by ymayge nor by reliques as E­rasmus Rothorodam in his 3. book of Ecclesiastes well declarithe. Lactanci us Firmianus usyth â wounder deuy­ne, eloquent, and playne maner in the declaring of this resurrextion which [Page] is song yerly in the church, De resurrectionis dominice die with mani godli and deuine uerses. The same Lactan­cius saythe that there can be no trew religion wher these ymagis be. Au­gustad Mercellū reprehendithe them wounderfully in these wordes of Dauyd os habent & non loquuntur. sey­the men may be son decreauid by imagis likwyce in the fyrst boke de con­sensueuangelistarū. Souche as defend them haue nothing but sophisticall argumentes to blynd the people withe the scripture nor Apostelles churche usyd none as for Gregorie the great and Theodosius with other that de­fend them, all the historis declare that mē of greater lernīg then they by the scripture condemnyd them as leo 3. themperour. Constantinus 5. Who assemblyd all the lernid men of Asia and Graecia and condemnyd, the use of imagis that Gregory and Martine [Page] the fyrst had stablishid but it forsith not, had all Asia, Affrica and Europa and Gabriel tharchangell descendyd from heauen approuid the use of imagis, for asmouch as the Apostelles ne­ther tawght, nor wrote of them there authorite shuld haue no place, the word of god soly and only is to be preferrid Galat. 1. whiche for byddith imagys.

PAule Phillip. 2. saythe that Christ humblyd hym selfe unto deathe, of the crosse ad Ebre. 2. he was made part taker of mannes mortall nature, that by deathe he might destroy hym [Page] that had the imperie and dominion of deathe to say the deuill. Iohan callith hym the lamme, that do the take away the synne of the worold loan. 1. all the sacrifice of the old law were figures and types of this only sacrifice whi­che was appoyntid by god to dy and to suffre theire and displeasure of god for the synne of man as thowghe he hym selfe were asynner and had mery tid this displeasure, the greatnis of this Ire, sorow, confusion, ignominie and contempt, nether angell, ner man can expresse: his paynes were so intollera­ble and his passion so dolorous, his deite so obedient withe the fathers will, that it was not only à sacrifice, but al­so à iust recompence, to satisfye for all the worold soly and only as Christ tawght Nicodemus Ioan. 3. as Paule Ebre. 7. 8. 9. 10. Esa. 53. and so all the prophetes and patriarches: and souch â sacrifice as ons for all sufficithe [Page] Ebre. 7. these too officies of Christ shuld neuer be out of remembraynce They declare the infinite mercy of god and likewyce his indifferent and egall iustice unto all creatures wi­thout respect of persones. The token of his mercy may be knoyn in this that he would not that all man kynd shuld be loost, thoughe in Adam, all deseruyd eternall deathe he openyd his mercy unto Adam not only by word but also by the fyer that descen­dyd upon his sacrifices and his sonnes so to Abraam, then to the worold by the incarnacion and deathe of his on­ly sonne, the promesse of grace and the promis of euer lasting lief unto souche as repent and belyue in hym. The signes of his Ire and displeasure unto man is this that he would not accept man agayne into his fauour, for no penence, no sorow, no troble, no aduersite, no weping no wayling, [Page] no nor for the deathe of oni person Vntill his awne sonne most dere belouid by death appeced his displeasur and be cam suerty to satiffye the iu­styce of God and the right that the deuyll had unto ull mankind. This if man remembryd as depely and as ernestly as the mater requirithe, it shuld make his hartfull sory and brig hym unto an honest and uertews tra­de of lyffe. To consider this example of Godes iustice and equite in the ap­pesing of his awne iust conceuyd Ire, and lik wyce that he would do no wrong unto his mortall Ennymy the deuill except the sone of god had byn an aequall and iust redemption â pry­ce correspondent to contrepece and satisfie the culpe and gilt of mannes sin­ne, God would not haue takē one soule from the right and iustice of the de­uill. Now of this infallible truithe that Christ hathe sacrifici only for sin­ne, [Page] and his deathe accōptid only sufficient for the saluacion of man. The churche of Christ is aryght iustructyd of to moost necessarie articles. First of iustificacion, and then of the right use of the sacrament of his holy body cō ­cerning iustification thus the word of God theachith.

SAinct Paule whē hesaithe that we be iustifyed by faythe, Rom. 3. 4. 5. he menythe that we haue remission of sinne, reconciliacion and acceptation into the fauor of God so doothe this word iustifie signifie, Deut. 25. hisdich where as God cōmaūdithe the iudge to iustifie quit and absolue the inno­cent, and to cōdemne and punishe the person culpable.

Paule saythe we or iustied by fay­the, and not by workes: to be iustifyed [Page] by faithe i Christ is asmouche to say as we optayne remission of sinne and ar acceptyd into the fauor of god by the merites of Christ. to be iustied by workes is asmouche to say, as to deserue remissiō of sine by workes. Paule declarythe that for the dethe and merites of Christ we be sauyd, and not by oure awne uertewes so that faythe doothe not only shew us Christ that died and now sittithe at the right hand of God, but also applyythe the merites of this deathe unto us and makyth Christ o­ures, faythe layng nothyng to gayge unto the iustice of God but the deathe of Christ and there upō clemythe marci and Godes promes the remission of sinne. and desyrythe God to iustyfye, and delyuer the soule from the accusacion of the law and right of the deuill. whiche he is bound to do for his pro­messe sak. Ezech. 33. Matth. 17. and al­towghe withe this remission of sinne [Page] he yeuithe like wice. the holy goost to work the will of God, to loue boothe God and his neyghbowr not withstō ding, the conscience burdenyd and chargyd with sinne: fyrst sekythe re­mission therof. For this thyng the conscience laborythe, and contendithe in all feres and terrours of sorow and cō trycion it disputithe not what uerte­wes it bringith wreachid soule to ac­cleme this promis of mercy but for sa­kyng here awne iustice ofrithe Christ, ded upon the crosse and sitting at Go­des right hand, Nothyng makithe it the cause wherfore this mercy shuld be yeuen sauyng only the deathe of Christ which is ton litron the only sufficient price and gayge for sinne. And althowghe it be necessary and requy­syt that in the iustification of â synner contricion to be present and that ne­cessaryly cherite and uertews lieffe moost folow, yet dothe the scripture [Page] attribute thonly remission of syn̄e unto the mercy of god wliche is yeuyne only for the merites of Christe and receauid soly by faythe, Paule doothe not Exclude, those uertewes to be present, but he excludith the merites of these uertews and deryuithe the cause of our acceptation in to the grace of god only for Christ. And Mark this maner of speache, fide iustificamur. Hoc est fiducia misericordie sumus iusti. This word faythe, doth cōprehēd as well à perswacion and confidence, that the promese of god appertaynith unto him for Christes sakeas the kno­lege of god. for faith thowghe it desyre the cōpany of Contricion and so­row for synne, yet contendith it not in iudgmen, upon the merites of no workes but only for the merites of Christes deathe in case it dyd, it auay­lithe nothing. For if a aman desyre to be delyūid from the law, the law must [Page] be satisfied. Whiche saithe diliges do minum deum tuum ex tota mente to­to corde, & ex omnibus uiribus. Deu­teron. 6. Now there is nor neuer was ony man born of the stoke of Adame in originall synne that feryd god as­mouche as the law requirithe nor ne­uer had souche constant faythe as ys requiryd, nor souche ardent loue as it requirithe: seyng those uertewes that the law requiryd: be infirm and debile, for there merites we can optayne nothing of god, we must therfore only trust to the merites of Christ, whiche satisfied the extreme iot and uttermust point of the lawe for us and this his iustice and perfection he im­putithe and cōmunicatithe withe us by faythe: souche as say that only fay­the iustifiethe not, because other uer­tewes be present: they cānot tell what they say: euery man that will haue his cōscience appesyd moost Marke tho­se [Page] too thynges. How remission of synne is optaynid: and wherfore it is o­ptaynid faythe is the meane wherby it is optaynid: and the cause wherfore it is receuid is the merites of Christ: al­thowgh faythe by the meanes wher­by it is receauid yet hathe nether fay­the ner cherite, ner contricion, ner the word of god nor all those knyt to ga­ther sufficient merites wherfore we shuld optayne this remission of syn­ne. But the only cause wherfore syn­ne is for yeuing is the deathe of Christ Now Mark the wordes of Paule ffrely saythe he wear iustified by his gra­ce. Let the man byrst his hart withe contricion, belyue that god is godd athowsand tymes, burn in cherite, yet shall not all these satisfie the law nor delyuer man from the Ire of god un­till souch tyme as faythe lettithe fall all hope and confidence in the meri­tes of souche uertewes as be in man, [Page] and say lord behold thy unfrutefull seruant, only for the merites of Chri­stes blud yeue me remission of synnes for I know no man can be iustified o­ther wyce beforethe as Dauid sayth: Non iustificabitur in conspectu tuo omnis uiuens, Psal. 143. agayne, Bea­tus uir cui Dominus non imputat peccatum, Psal. 32. He that would marke Christes communication wythe that Noble man and great Clerk Nicode­mus, Ioan. 3. Shuld be satisfyed how and wherfore man is iustified, so plainly that no aduersary of the truithe shuld hurt this infallible uerite sole faythe to iustifie. Nicodemus hauing â good opinion althow not â sufficiēt knolege of Christ. Came unto hym by night and confessyd hym to be sent from God, and that because of souche workes and miracles as he had wrowght. Christ made answer Trew­ly Nicodemus Isay unto the Noman [Page] can se the kyngdon of God except he be born from â boue Nicodemus not undrestonding what Christ ment, Askid him how an old mā could be born agayne, and whether he could entre his mothers belye, and then be born agayne. Christe bringithe hym yet ner unto the light that he might know the meanes and saythe I tell the treuly Nicodemus that noman can entre the kyngdon of God Except he be born of the water and the holy gost &c. Nicodemus confessyd yet agayne his ig­norancy, and desyryd to be father in­structyd sayng. How may these thynges be. Christ answerid. Thow art the great Master and Rabbi in Israel and yet ignorant of these thynges Mea­nyng that great and horrible must the ignorancy of the people be: when there doctors know not the trewthe. Ni­codemus confessing his ignorancye, and receauing reproche at Christes [Page] hand, because he toke upon hym to teache other and yet â fole hym sel­fe in the religiō of god. Might for shame haue lefte Christ and his gospell yke, because he now is made â scholer that before was for his prudence and lerning the cheffe of the Iewes. A pharise of moost notable estimacion. Christ streight way confortithe hym all other lernid and unlernid, and say­the. Noman ascendithe into heauen, Except he that descendyd from hea­uen, the sonne of man Whiche is in heauen as thowghe Christ had sayd thus: discomfort not thy selfe Nyco­demus that althowghe thow be agre­at lernyd man and yet ignoraunt of the wayes unto euer lasting lief: for I promesse the there is noman lernyd nor unlernid, that can of his awne wit and lerning ascend unto the kno­lege of lief euer lasting but only he that descendyd from heauen the sone [Page] of man whiche is in heauen. Now Nicodemus being destitute of all worldly and humane prudence and fyn­ding him selfe full unhable by wytt or lerning to folow theffect of Chri­stes preaching: cōserning the meanes of saluacion dependith only of the mouth of Christe and disputithe no­more the mater, then Christe shewi­the hym the way and makithe â lad­der for Nicodemus wher withe he may ascend into heauen and saythe this wayes thow mayst understond the thing I spek of. Sicut Moses exal­tauit serpentem in deserto, ita exaltari oportet filium hominis: as Moses lifft upp the serpent in the desert, so must the sonne of man belyfft uppe. This history of the serpent was not unkno­wyn unto this lernid man: albe it he consyderid not the mystery and sacrament that it figurid. Now Christ tea­chithe hym in this place to understōd [Page] the lawe and because this oration of Christ wroten by sanct Iohan is obscure and lackith â declaracion som­what of the purpose that Christ wo­uld proue: omittit Ebreorum more al­teram similitudinis partem. I will an­nex the type and figure withe theffect and mystery of the figure and make the text playne, Sicut Moses exalta­uit serpentem in deserto, sic exaltari o­portet filiū hominis. Moses was com­maundid to lifft upp this serpent in the wildernes for this cause, that who so euer was stong or uenemyd withe the poyson of the serpentes if he lo­kyd upon the serpent of brasse might be helyd. Here is the cause and thef­fect declaryd. Why the serpent was lifft upp. Now to the wordes of Christ. Ita exaltari oportet filium ho­minis, ut omnis qui credit in illum nō pereat, sed habeat uitam aeternam, So must Christ belyfft upp that as many [Page] as beliue in him shal haue euer lasting lieffe. Here is Nicodemus tawght the way unto euer lastīg lief and because he was adoctor of Moses law Christ by the law made open the mater unto hym and browght hym from the shadow unto the trew body and from the letter, unto the understonding of the letter sayng as those that by fayth beheld the serpent were helyd of the stynges of the serpent, so souche as be­hold me in faythe hanging upon the crosse shalbe helid from there sykenis and sinne that the deuyll by the serpēt infectyd man kynd with all. Now let us repet the text of Moses againe, that we may trewly undrestond our saui­ours wordes. Fac tibi Serpentem u­rentem, & pone eum in palum in subli me sublatum, fiet (que) si serpens aliquem momorderit, intueatur eum, & incolumis erit. In these wordes is declaryd thre thynges.

[Page] Fyrst, why the serpent was set upp. The cause: the people were stong wi­the serpentes.

Second: theffectt: the healthe of the people.

Thyrd: the use: that they shuld lo­ke upō hym. so Iohan declarythe whi Christ was made man, thuse, and theffect of his humanite in these wordes: Sic Deus dilexst mundum, ut filium suum unigenitum daret, ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat, sed habeat uitam aeternam. The cause of his cum­myng was the sinne and sikens of mā betyn by the serpent in paradyse: theffect of his cumming was the healhe of this sikenis: the use of his cumming was to belyue that his deathe upō the crosse was and is sufficient for the re­mission of sinne and to optayne eter­nall lief. Here is the iustification of mā lyuely expressyd. and how many thinges concur as necessary unto the remission [Page] of sinne and yet man only iusti­fied by faythe. The word of God, the preacher of the word, Christ himselfe, the cōtricion of Nicodemus, the holy goost that mouyd Nicodemusto cum by night unto Christ, the consentyng wil of Nicodemus untho the wordes of Christ. Yet only was hedelyueryd from sinne by the fayth that he had in the deathe of Christ, as Christ saith: sic oportet exaltari filium hominis, ut omnis qui credit in illum non pereat, sed habeat uitam aeternam. This must be diligently markyd. For as the fathers of the old church usid the serpent, so must those of our church use the pre­cious body of Christ, they lokyd upon him only withe the yees of faithe they kyssyd hym not, they cast no water u­pon hym and so wayshyd there yeys therwith all, they touchyd hym not with there handes, they eat hym not nor corporally, nor really, nor substancially, [Page] yet by there belyue they optay­nid healthe, so Christ him selfe tea­chit us the use of his precious body, to belyue and loke upon the merites of his passiō suffryd upon the crosse and so to use his precious body against the stynge of originall and actuall sinne. Not to eat his body, transformid into the form of bred, or in the bred with the bread: under the bread. behind the bred or be fore the bread, corporally, or bodely substancially, or realli, inui­sible, or ani souch wayes as mani men to the great iniurijs of Christes body dooth teach, but as the children of Israel only by fayth eat the body spiritually not yet born, so by faythe dooth the Christianes eat hym now being ascendyd into heauen and none other wice as Christ saythe unto Nicodemus: omnis qui credit in eum, non pereat graūt that we could as well eat his carnall body, as we eat other meat yet the ea­tyng [Page] therof nothing auaylyd. And if the Apostelles had corporally eatin hym in his last supper it had profetyd nothing. For he toke not his body of the holy uirgine to that use to be ea­tin for the remission sinne Or to san­ctifie hym that eat him, but to dye for synne and that wayes to sanctifie his churche as he saith himselfe: that only by deathe the frute of his incarnacion shuld be dispersyd into the worold. Nisi granū frumenti deiectum in ter­ram mortuum fuerit, ipsum solum manet: mortua prodest caro, nō comesa. But of this Iwill speake farther in the chapiter that folowithe. This exam­ple of Nicodemus declarithe, that ne­th [...]r the workes that go before iustifi­cacion, nether those that folow iustification deserue remission of synne. Thoughe sole faythe exclude not o­ther uertews to be present at the con­uersion of euery sinner, yet dooth sole [Page] fayth and only exclude the merites of other uertews and optaynith soly re­mission of sinne for Christes sake herselfe alone as paule saythe Ephes. 2. Gratia saluati estis per fidem, id (que) non ex uobis, Dei donum est, non ex operi bus ne quis glorietur. Wher as playnly he excludith the dignite of wor­kes, and affirmith us to be reconcilid by faythe, so dooth Iohan. cap. 1. attri­but those too singuler yefftes unto Christ, grace and uerite sayng: lex per Mosen data est, gratia & ueritas per Iesum Christum facta est. Here grace signifieth fre remission of sinne for the merites of Christ. Verite is the trew knolege of god and the gyfftes off the holy gost that folowithe the remission of sinne. Therfore souche as say, they be not iustified only by faithe in the mercye of god throwgh Christ, extenuat synne and godes Ire agaynst syn̄e to mouche, and likwyce [Page] spoyle Christe of his honor Who is the onli sacrifice that takith away the synne of the worold. They that will iustifie them selfes ony other wayes then by fayth, doothe dout all wayes whether there sinnis be for yeuen or not and by reason of this dout they can neuer pray unto god aright for he that doutith whether god be his frēd or not, prayeth not: but as an Ethnyke saythe his pater noster with out faith and godly mocion of the hart. He that is ꝑsuadid by the gospell, thowgh his awne unworthynis fere him from God yet beholdith he the son̄e of god and belyuithe that bothe he hand his prayers be acceptid in Christ and thus acceptyd into grace will folow the lyue of â iustified man, as Paule cōmaū ­dith Ro. 8. Coloss. 3. and as all the scri­pture yeuith example, for it is no pro­fet to say, sole fayth iustifieth, except godlinis of lief folow as Paule sayth [Page] si secundum earnem uixeritis morie­mini, he that hathe opteinyd the remission of sinne must diligently pray for the preseruacion of Godes fauor as Dauid yeuith example unto the hole churche saing: Cor mundum crea in medeus, & spiritum rectum innoua in uiceribus meis. Ne proijcias me â facie tua, & Spiritum sanctum tuum ne au­feras à me Redde mihi leticiam salu­taris tui. & spiritu principali suffulci me, Psalm. 50. This prayer conteynith â wounderfull doctrine and necessari to be dayli repetyd with great attenci on and hede first he defyryth to haue â hart pure and net, iudgyng â right of God, to fere his iustice agaynst sinne and to beliue stedfastly his promisyd merci unto the penitēces and that this light and knolege be not taken from hym by the deuill or uanite of the worold, as dayly we se souch as hatb, the knolege of Godes word, to lyue more [Page] worldly thē he that knoith not what god is, then prayth to haue the helpe of god to gouern all his counsells and all the motions of his hart that they may be agreable unto the law of god, full of fayth, fere and cherite, that for synne he be no more cast out from the face and fauor of god, prayth to haue strength in aduersite, and to reyoyce under the crosse of affliction, not to murmur nor grug at ony troble but to obey willingly the pleasure of god, not to leaue hym, nor mistrust his mercy for ony punishment, but to suffre what god pleacyth, as mouch as god pleasith, and when god pleacyth: these uertewes must man practyse an use affter he is iustified, as well as to optaine remission of his sinne, or else he is not iustified at all, he is but â speaker of iustificacion, and hathe no iustice within hym. As he makith Christ on­ly his sauior, so must he folow souch [Page] as were of Christis familie the patriarches, prophetes and the Apostelles in the lyffe prescribid by Christ as they dyd, or else they shalbe no disciples of the prophetes that were the doers as well as the speakers of uertewe. But rather the disciples of the poetes that only commendyd uertew and folowid it not as ouid saythe, Est deus in nobis, agitante calescimus illo: Sedibus aetherijs, spiritus ille uenit. These holy wordes auaylyd nothing. Souch as cannot understond the Epistole of Paule to the Romaynes conserning iustification and what lief is requirid of hym that is iustified, let hym red di­ligently the fyrst Epistole of Iohan, and then he shall right well perceaue an other lyffe to be requirid of the iu­stified man, then the gospellers led now aday that hathe wordes, with out factes Which slaunderith the go­spell and promotith it not, as it is to be [Page] sen (the more pety) in souche mē and souche cornteis as the truith hath byn prechid along tyme. For the receuing of it unwortyly the lord will doutles take from them his worde, and leaue them unto there awne lustes. For this is certaine and to trew, let the hole go­spell be preachid unto the worold, as it awght to be penence and à uertuse lieff withe faythe, as God preachyd the gospell unto Adam in Paradyse, Noe, Abrahā, Moses, Esay: saing: uegenti pecatrici, Iohan the Baptist: poe­nitencam agite, appropinquat regnū coelorum. As Christ did: Recipiscite & ctedlte Euangelio, Mar. 1. and then of an hūdred that cōmith to the gospel there would not com one: when they here sole faythe and the mercy of god to iustisie and that they may eat all meates at all tymes with thankes yeuing, they imbrase that gospell with all Ioy and willing hart. And what is he that [Page] would not receaue this gospell, thefles he itselfe were there no im̄ortal soule in it, would receue this gospell, because it promisithe ayd healpe and consolacion with out workes, and when it hyrythe that it may as well eat â pastie of uenisiin upon the frydaye as à he­ryn, what is he that would not be sou­che agospeller? But now spek of the other part of the gospel as Paule tea­chith to the Romaynes 8. cap. Si secundum carnem uixeritis moricmini. and as he prescribith the lieff of à iustified man, in the same Epist. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. capite. Christ Matt. 10. Peter, 2. Petri 1. he that is iustified let hym study those canones to lyue by.

Sainct Paule, writithe to â iustified churche of the Corinthions and to souche as had receauid the knolege of the gospel, and sayth: Si quis cum frater appelletur, fuerit scortator, aut auarus aut simulachrorum cultor, aut conui­ciator, [Page] aut ebriosus, aut rapax, cū eius­modi ne cibum capiatis, 1. Cor. 5. This part of the gospell, is not so pleasaunt as the other: therfore men take the first libertye, and neglect the frutes that shuld folow the gospell, and think thē selfes to be riche in the gospell as the churche of the Laodicenses iudgid of them selfes, Apocalip. 3. when they be indede miserable and wreachid: poure and nakyd of all godlynys. Paule de­clarithe Rom. 8. what It is to be iusti­fied and to be in Christ to walke affter the sprit he seythe: Nulla condemna­tio est lex his, qui sunt in Christo Iesu qui secundum spiritum ambulāt. For â conclusion, iustification is à fre re­mission of sinne and acceptation into tbe fauor of God for Christes merites the whyche remission of synne must folow necessaryly amendment of lyffe, or else we receaue the grace of God inuayne, 2. Cor. 6. Ro. 8. 2. Petri 1.

OF this infallible uerite only the deathe of Christ to be the sacrifice for the expiacion of sinne may be necessarily tawght the right and trew use of the Lordes supper which men call the Masse. Fyrst it is manifest that it is not â sacrifice for sinne as men teache contrary unto the word of god that saythe Christ by one sacrifice made perfet all thinges Ebre. 7. 8. 9. 10. and as Iohan. saythe, Sanguis Iesu Christi emundat nos â peccatis and there remaynithe nomore after it as Paule saith, Vbi peccatorum remissio ibi nō amplius hostia pro peccato and to take away all dout that remission of sinne cānot be optaynid for the me rites of the masse Paule saith playnely that without bludshedding no sacrifice can merite remission of sinne. Alt­howge Christ now sit at the ringht [Page] hand of god and pray for his churche and like wice dothe offre the prayers and complaynt of us that belyue: yet it is only for the merites of his deathe that we optayne the mercy of godes promesse, in the whiche he susteynid souche payne that the remembraun­ce therof, and the greatnis of godes Ire agaynst synne, put his precious body and solle in souch an agony and fere, that his passion of sorow surmountyd, the passions, of all men that euer trauelyd: or were bordenyd with the weight and peace of godes importa­ble Ire agaynst man for syn̄, in so mouche that he wept not only tyres of blud, but so aboundantly, payne for­sid them to descend that they trycklid upon the growne. Sore troblyd and ouer cō with sorow was Dauid Psa. 6 When he wayshyd his bed withe ty­res for synne, but it was Ioy and myr­the if his paynes be conferrid to the­se [Page] dolores of Christ. They wantyd no augmentation, this sacrifice was kyl­lyd alitle, and alitle, from one place of iudgment send unto the other, and all wayes from the flames, into the ardēt coles, his deathe upon the crosse so differryd, that altowgh he was uery god and the dere belouid son of the ffather his abiection was so contemptible ād uile▪ that he cried out as Aman moost destitute of godes fauor and loue: and sayd: Deus meus, Deus meus, quare dereliquisti me? And untill souch ty­me as he offryd his moost holy soule unto the father and his blessid side percid with the spere, his paines and sorowes incressyd. Lo thus was the maner to offre Christ for sinne affter this sort and cruell handelyng of Christ was theire of God apecid, If they sacrifice Christ in the masse, let thē hange hym tyrauntes agayne upon the crosse and thrust â spere to his blessid hart, that he [Page] may shed his blud for with out schedding of blud is no remission: the scri­pture damnythe this abuse of the lor­des supꝑ, and is the cōculcation of his precious blud. As concerning the use of this Sacrament and all other The rites ād ceremonijs that be godly they shuld be so kept, and usyd in the chur­che, as they were deliueryd unto us of the highe Bishope Christ, the auctor of all Sacramentes. For this is trew that he moost godly: moost religiousi: and moost perfetly: institutyd and ce­lebratyd the supper. And None other wayes then the Euangelist doothe re­cord. the best maner and moost godly way to celebrat this supper is to prea­che the deathe of Christ unto the churche. And the redemption of man: as Christ did at his supper, and there to haue commune prayers as Christ pra­yed with his disciples, then to repet the last wordes of the supper and with the [Page] same to breake the bread and distribute the winne to the hole church. Then yeuyng thankes to God: depart in peace: these ceremonijs that God institu­tyd not But repugneth Godes institution be not necessari but rether in ony case to be leffte because they abrogat the institution of Christ. it semithe sufficient unto me if the churche do as Christ hath commaundid it to do.

Saynct Paule to the Corinthious aff­ter the ascenfion of Christ at lest 18. yeres wrote his Epistole and sayd he would delyuer them nothing but that he had receauid of the lord and wrote conserning the use of the supper as Matth. Mark. and Luk writithe this is therfore and ungodly disputacion that the Papistes contend abut the chā ge and alteracion of the bread, and al­so à false ād pernicious doctrine, that teachyth the corporall presence of Christ, booth God and man in the [Page] bread for althowgh Christ said of the bread this mi body. It is well knowyn that he purposid to institute à sacra­ment. Therfore he spak of à sacramēt sacramentally. To spek sacramentally is to gyne the Name of the thing to the signe, so, yet not withstōding that the nature and substaince of the signe remaynit and is not turnid into the thing that it signifiet, farther the ueri­te of the scripture and the uerite of à Christiane faith will not suffre to iud­ge and belyue Christes body inuisible or uisible to be upon the Erth Act. 1. Luce ult. Mar. ult. Act. 3. If we lik wyce consyder the other places of the scripture Ioan. 6. 16. 17. we shall fynd that Christ would not nor ment not, to in­stitute ony corporall presence of his body: But à memory of the body slayne resuscitatyd, ascendid into heuens and from thense to cū unto iudgment, trew it is that the body is eatin and the [Page] blud dronkyn but not corporally in faith and sprit it is eatyn, and by that sacrament the promis of god sealyd and cōfirmid in us. The corporall bo­dy remayning in heuyn, in the 24 cha­piter of Matthew, Christ yeuing his church warning of this heresy to cum by the preaching of false Prophetes sayd, they will say, lo here is Christe, lo there is Christ, belyue them not, for as the lightynyng cōmith from the est into the west so shall the cumming of the sone of man be, meanyg by these wordes that his body is not à phanta­sticall bodi, nor inuifible as these teach that say his corporall body is corpo­rally yeuen in the bread with the bred and under the bred inuisible, Agaynst this errour I will set the word of God and declare the truith therbi, that they haue but an ymagynaciō or ydeam of Christes body, and not the natural, ād corporall body. and the fyrst reason is [Page] this. Christe byd his disceples they shuld not belyue hym that shuld say. Lo here is Christ or there is Christ. he spake of his body doutles and humai­ne nature for he commaundith us to belyue that his godhed is eueri where as Dauid sayth. and as he sayth, my father and Iamone likwyce, he told thē be playne wordes Math. the last capi. that he would be with them unto the end of the worold. Christ hauing but too natures one deuine and the other humane by these expresse wordes now he declarithe to be present with the one, and absent with the other. these thinges markyd I put this mater in­comprysse to be iudgid of euery humble and cheritable sprytyd man, who iudgithe aright of the body of Christ those that say bodely he is not in the sacramēt, or these that say he is bodely and corporalli there. If he be there corporally and bodely as they say. Why [Page] shall Inot beliue these wordes: Ecce hic: ecce illic, and say Christ lyyth that sayd beliue them not that say lo here is my body or there is my bodi Christ hauyng God experience of the deuil­lis subtilty, that he would intoxcitat the wit of man with more subtill reasones then the simple hart could eschew preparyd of his mercy amenys to pre­serue the faith of the simple and agaīst the sophisticall and craufty reason of the deuitl God callith man to the iud­gment of his senses, and sayth reason what they will of my body and say it is here or ther, substancially bodely corporally: belyue them not, trust to thyn lye for as the lightning sensible commith from the est into the west, so shall the cōmig of the sonne of mā be. howso? Turnyd into fyre. no: so uisi­ble and sensible, God wyst right well when he callyd mā from reason to the iudgment of his senses. what Doctors [Page] and doctrine shuld folow of his sensible body one to change acak into his body, and an other to teache though the cak be not his body, yet is his bo­dy present corporally substantially, really, bodely, the same body that han­kyd upon the crose and is yeuen by hand, with the bred. Vnder the bred and in the hred, and yet insensensible. Graunt all there gloses and interpretations to be trew as they be moost fal­se, and say as they would haue it, that the uery trew humanite, and Christ in the trew shape and form of aman as he is with all qualites and quantities except synne and immortalite to be in the bred, under the bred, or with the brod, after the bred or before the bred and say there is present in the pristes hand as great abody and as naturall aman as the pryst or minister is him­selfe: the word of god made man: so they would haue it: they shal neuer [Page] deceaue agodly Christiane with the­re gloses, for he will trust unto the simplicite of godes word that sayth Nolite credere, belyue them not till they shew my body unto the senses, for as the lighe thing. The defenders of this doctrine because they be not able to auswer unto souch as wrytith and preachith the truith: they chalinge and attrribut unto them selfes thonly knolege of truith, and sai there contrarijs be not lernid nor cānor undrestōd them graunt there wore none lernyd that defendith this truith as therebe hathe and euer till the woroldes end shal be, yet will the truithe defend it selfe, and because noman shuld in this ma­ter leaue she truithe, thowghe better lernyd then he iudg phantastically of à trew body: Christ would his simple disciple to iudge sensible of his natu­rall body and let this sophtsticatiō passe and sayth his body shalbe assensi­ble is the ligthing in the ayer, and not [Page] inuisible with apeac of bread thowge that moost religious sacramēt awght to be moost godly usyd for the miste­ry that it conteynith, and likwice the promisse of grace that it confirmith. they say this place makith not against the presence of Christes body in the sacrament, But agaynst souch as shuld preach in the Later dayes false doctrine against Christes doctrine: and mak an other Christ: trew it is he spekith of souch as shuld preach false doctryne: but what shuld be that false doctrine, that could be ouer cō with these wor­des: Nolite credere sicut fulgetum co­ruscans uenit ab Oriente in Occiden­te, ita erit aduētus filius hominis, what heresi redith ony man in the historijs to be uanquishid by these wordes, not of Samosatenus that was condemnid in the concell of Nece. Not of Nestor that denyed too natures to be unit in Christ Nor of Eutiches that sayd one [Page] nature was conuertyd into the other. None of the heresis that the deuill mouid agaynst the essence and diuine Maiesti of god as Marcion and the Manicheis that sayd there were too godes and booth eternall, the one god and the other yle all wayes the one re­pugnat to the other. Nether yet the heresy of Valentiniane that sayd there were nnumerable godes but this false doctrine Christ spake: by souch as would aster his ascension into heuen cor­porally yet preach in the later dayes unto the people that his body shuld be in the erthe. And therfore gaue thē these wordes belyue them not, for as the lightning commithe from the est to the west so shall the cumming of the sonne of man be, Christ spake of those that shuld deceaue the people in the time betwyne his ascēsion and comming to iudgment, for in the end of the worold it shalbe no nede to bid [Page] us beware for all false preachers shall be damnyd when his glorious body shall opere. He that belyuith before that the naturall body of Christ cā be here oni way corporally, neglecth the commandement of Christ, Noli­te credere, Matt. 24. and likwyce for gotith his crede, Sedet ad dextram patris, inde uenturus est &c. and Luk sayth plainly that as uisible as he ascē did, so shall he descēd at the latter day and not before as he sayth. Acto. 3. be cause they defend there opiniō by the wrong interpreation of the wordes in the Articles of our faith I will answere to one or to obiections that they ma­ke fyrst they say that this word heuen in the article of our foyth, ascendit ad coelos, signifieth no certaine and determinat place but generalli all the wo­rold heuē, ert, ād hell where so euer godes poure be manifestyd. and so saithe that the right hand of God be tokith [Page] no place. but the hole pore of God. as when I say: Sedet ad dextram Dei. It is asmouche to say as he is in his huma­nite euery where as his diuite is. Vnto the first this i answere. that heuē in no place of the scripture is so taken tow­ghe it signifie som tyme all the celestal bodies aboue, heuens eternall, and the it signifieth the ayre: as. Psal. 149. à quae quae supra coelos sunt laudent nomen domini. And somtyme it signifieth only the suppre place of creatures as in the same Psalme: Laudate eum coeli supremi. Into these superior heuens Christ ascendid as the maner of his a­scension declaryth, Luc. ultimo. Acto. 1. He tok his disciples withe hī into the mount of olyuet, and byd them there farewell he departid bodely from thē as there yeys bore them record, and à clude receauyd this body that it could nomore be sen yet what beca­me of this body affter that it passyd there sight that no question afterward [Page] shuld be where this body was becom, Luc sayth. Ferebatur in coe­lum, capit. ultimo. This mutation of place to ascēd from the erthe only his humane nature suffryth, concernyng his God hed it is euery where, and can nether ascend nor descend souche as say that heuen and the right hand of God is in the articles of our faith takē for godes pore ād might which is euery where, they do wrōg to the seripture and unto the articles of our fayth they mak à confusion of the scripture and leaue nothing certayne the dar­kyn the simple and playne uerite therof with intollerable sophismes the make heuen: hell: and hell heuen torn upp side downe and peruert the order of God: if the heauen and godes right hand whether our saniours body is a­scendyd be euery where and notith no certayne place as these uncertayne men teach, I will belyuc no ascension [Page] what nedith it seing Christes body is euery where with his goded. I will interpretat this article of my crede thus: Christus ascendit ad dextram patris, patris dextra est ubi (que), ergo Chri­stus ascendit ad ubi (que). Se what erro­nyus doctryne folowith there imagi­nacions. As cōserning the right hand of God it is taken somtyme for God hymselfe and his omnipotent poure. Psalm. 117. dextra domini fecit uirtu­tem, dextra domini exaltauit me. thus his right hand taken for his poore it is euery where. But it is not so taken, when whe say Christ sittithe at the right hand of God. As mark saith. ca­pit. ultimo and as Stephen sayd, Act. 7. Video Iesum stantem à dextris Dei. But it signifieth acertayne place of Ioy where as the sowles of the blessyd sanctes rest. thether hathe God transla­tyd the body of Christ to be in as mouche Ioy, as it was incontempt here in [Page] the erthe as Paule saythe Philip. 2. Sit­ting thus at the right hand of god. his body, is as trew man as it was upō the erthe and in lenghe breath and weight as phisicall, matematical, and naturall abody as it was hanging upō the crosse, in the changing of mortale qualites the humanite of Christe is nether de­stroyd, nor changid into his deite. but as trewly as his godhed cōcerning his essence cannot be sen. so is his body wher so euer it be: subiect unto the iudgmēt of the senses. And as he that ma­kith à house first conceuithe à trew form in his imaginacion and yet the imaginacion nor concept of the mind is not materiali the house so souche as dreame and imagine à certayne phantasie and reduce the form and figure of à trew body into there imagination is not à trew body, but à cōcept or imaginacion of à body, as those men ha­ue, that say Christ is in the bread and [Page] with the bread yet ocopy yth it no place, nor is not sensible. This is a woun­derful doctrine, to make that glorious body of Christ to be à trew body, and yet lackith all the qualites and quantites of à body, if Christ could haue souche à dreming body, as they spek of yet may I not belyue, it is in the sacra­ment corporally because Christ sayth Nolite credere. And where they wo­uld better the mater with these wor­des that Christ in the tyme of his be­ing upon therthe dyd many thinges aboue the nature of abody and caryd his body sometime inuisible, and en­tryd the house of the disciples the ga­tes being shut, they proue nothing, only the troble the simple consciens, and stablysh souch as be more addict unto the wryting of man then unto the wryting of god in there errour. Peter walkid upon the water, yet was uery man nothing the lesse so it plea­cyd [Page] god to use his creatures to his glori. Christes body was nothing chan­gyd all thoughe somtymes for fere of the stones, he conueyd hymself out of the way, thowghe his disciples knew not how he entryd the dores being shit, it is possible Inowg that he ope­nyd the dores and yet they perceauid it not: mens yeyes be obedient unto the creatour that they may se on think and yet not à nother. The scripture so teachite. those yle men that would ha­ue don uilanye unto the angelles in loothes house Gene. 19. were made so blynd they could not fynd the next dore to them, yet byd lothes house still in one place, the same may ye rede 4. Reg. 6. how god made blind the assirians hoste so that Elizeus led the hole army into the cite of Samarie. Balaam saw to bet his Asse, And yet could not see the angell that the Asse saw till he was reprehendid by the Angell [Page] Num. 22. here may ye se that those reasones ꝓuith nothing, that they would Christes bodi to be in the sacramēt because sōtimes he would not be sen of his ennymys. This is oure belyue that Christ is ueri man and lik unto his brothers, Ebr. 2. therefore where so euer his body be it must haue the qualites and quantites of à trew man, if his body be corporally in the sacrament and yet with out all propertis of à trew body, this text is false habitu iuuentus ut homo likwyce this similis est fratri bus per omnia? They graunt that on­ly the sprit of man eatithe the bodi of Christ in the sacramēt: then other the sprit of man is turnyd into â corporall substance, or else the body of Christ lostithe his corporall substance and is becom à sprit: for it is not possibile for the sprit of man to eat corporally à corporall body: nomore then he that studith the scripture and commēdith [Page] the contentes of the Bible to his me­morie, eatith corporalli the booke: but by the helpe of godes sprit and his awne diligence he eatith theffect, Marie and doctrine of the Bible and incase it were corporally and substancially withe paper and ynk in the botom of the see yet the lernid man may cōfort him selfe and teache the maryners in the shippe with the cōtentes therof thowghe the corporall Bible be drowid. So in the sacrament the Christiane hart that is instructid in the law of god and knowith the right use of the sacramentes, by the holy goost and afyrm fayth that he hath in the merites of Christes body and soule which is ascendid corporally into heuen, man in sprit recea­ue theffect, Marrye, swetnys, and commodite of Christes precious body thowg it neuer descend corporally, thus dooth faith and the scripture cō ­pell the churche to be lyue. Whē they [Page] say it is in the sacrament and yeth mouith not from the right hand of God I belyue not there sayng: but require aprobation therof Christ hath not so great à body to fill heuen and erthe corporally similis est fratribus perfe­ctus deus & perfectus homo, they make hym there and yet ocopy no place, then it is no body for à trew body phisicall and matematical: as Christes body is: cannot be except it ocopi place they say I must belyue and say with the uirgine, Ecceancilla domini. I mai not seke to know the meanes how, Well let them do asmouch to me in this mater as was don unto the uirgine Mari and I am content, she could not comprehend how Christ was made man in here bely, yet theffect and corporall natyuite of Christ assertay­nyd booth here reason and senses that she had born à trew bodi. It shal suffice me if they mak demonstraciō [Page] unto my senses and warrant my rea­son that they haue present à corporall body: how it cummith and by what meanes I leaue that unto god but un­till souch tyme as they shew me that glorious and perfeit mannes body of Christ as it was shewid unto the bles­sid uirgine there sayng: belyue: bely­ue: shall not com into my belyue for Christ saith, Nolite credere. Of Chri­stes wordes Marci 13. de die illo nemoscit, the moment of the last tyme No man knowithe, nether the sonne of god in asmouche as he is man I gather this argument. A maiori, if it be deni­ed Christ concerning his man hed to know the last day: mouch more to be euery where, or to be in diuer places at one tyme is denied his humanite, for it is more īpossible and wounder­full to be euery where then to know many thinges. I kno the Geographus conceuithe and cōprehendithe all the [Page] worold in his hed. But to be in all pla­ces where as his thowghtes and sprit is ocopyed it is impossible farther Christ is body hathe not loost his cor­porall qualites, but wher so euer he be corporaly, there is he with all qualites of abody, and not withe out qualites, as these dreamers imagine. I will not iudge my sauiour that died for the sinne of the worold to haue abody in heuen sensible with all qualites of trew man and in the sacrament with out all qualites and quantites of à trew body But abhor and detest with the scriptura this opinion as an heresy, so litle differing from marcion that I can scarse put diuersite: as corporally is the cor­porall and substantiall body of all Englond in the hed of hym that de­scribith by mape or cart, the hole Re­alme in Italy or other wher: so corporally is the body of Christ in the hart of the Christian. The concept imagi­nacion [Page] or form conceuid of Englond is not the body mater nor substance selfe of inglond, no more is the spiri­tuall cōcept of Christes body, the cor­porall body it selfe thowg Auicen and Auerrois would prow souch à conclusion yet the fayth of our Reli­gion will not suffre it: à Pantasticall imagination to be à trew substannce to say that Christes uere naturall bo­dy is in the erth and yet inuisible it is to destroy the body and not to honor the body. Aristole li. 5. metaphisicorū cap. 22. definit what inuisible is: inuisi­ble (inquit) est quod non habet omni no colorem. Take this from Christes body that it is trewly in the sacrament corporally and yet inuisible, is to say Christ hath lost all the colour shape and form of his humanite. But what shall Aristolle do in this our fayth, the scripture teachith what we shuld belyue ascendit ad coelos, sedet ad dex [Page] tram Dei patris omnipotentis. Inde uē turus est iudicare uiuos & mortuos, Act. 1. Mar, ultimo, Luc. ultimo. And hath leffte us à sacrament of his blessid body the which wear bond to use re­ligiousy and many times to exercise and stablish our fayth, and he being absent corporally dooth communicat by fayth in sprit that most precious body and the merites of the same, and would to god peple would use it with more reuerēce and more awght as the scriptur teachith, with trew amende­met of lieff and fyrm fayth. I pout out a book in Septembre last past dedyca­tyd to my lord of wincheffter where in I haue declarid all my fayth conser­ning this blessyd and holy sacrament, therfor I will passe to the other offyce of Christes pryshed.

[Page] THe fourthe offyce of Christ is to consecrat and sanctifie these that beliue in him. He is not onli holy him self but makith holy others also. As he saythe Ioā. 17. Pro eis sanctifico meipsum, ut sint & ipsi sanctificati perueritatem. this sanctification is none other but à trew knolege of God in Christ by the gospell that teachyth us how unclene wear by the sinne of Adamme, an how that wear clensid by Christ for who is sake the father of heauen doothe not only remitt the sinnes wrowght willyngly agaynst the word of God. but also the imperfecti­ōn and naturall concupiscens whiche remaynythe in euery man as long as the nature of man is mortall. How the father dooth sanctifie his people the prayer of Christ shewith Ioan. 17. sanctifica eos per ueritatem tuam. sancti­fie them by thy word purche the hart, teache them, halow them make them [Page] apt for thy kyngdon. wherwithe? wi­the thy worde which is euer lastīg uerite. The meās to sanctifie is the word of God, the holy gost and faith that rece­uith the word of our redemption so doothe Peter say, Acto. 15. Fide purgari corda nostra. Here is the cause ex­pressyd wherby we accept our sancti­ficacion by fayth sayth sanct Peter saynct Paule. 1. Corint. 6. shewith for whois sake and wherfore we ar san­ctified. Abluti estis, sanctificati estis, iustificati estis per nomen domini Iesu ꝑ spiritum Dei nostri. For the merites of Iesus Christe by the operacion of the holy goost. This is to be allwaies markyd, that when Christ had prayed his father to sanctifie his church by his word, and by his holy sprit and desti­tyd hym: to preserue them from ile for his mercys sake He addid the pryce the merites and iust deseruyng of Go­des graces and sayd I sanctifie my sel­fe [Page] for them because they may be sanctified by the truith. He sanctified hymselfe for the churche when he died for the detestable unclenys and fylthinis therof more stynkyng and fylthy thē euer was the thaborryd and leporous bodi of Lazar 9. as tawghe he had said for asmouch as I offer ād submitt myselfe unto the bytter and cruell payne of the crosse for the church thow must most holy father sanctifie them, and accept them as sanctified, norysh thē loue them, and defend them for the price and satisfactiō of my deathe. what à consolacion is this for euery troblyd consciens to undrestond althowgh it be unworthi of remission of sinne for the gratnys therof: yet for the prayer of Christ he shall not be a cast away so that he belyue. as Christ said, he praid not only for his Apostelles but also for as many as shuld beliue his word till the woroldes end, as many as wil­be [Page] gospellers as the Ioue the gospel ād there awne saluacion let them not daily and play with it as thowgh god were à babe to be pleacid with à figg for syn let hym thynk upon the most uile and tyrannous deathe of hym that only was able to clense us from sin̄e and from hens beware of sinne it suffycit as Paule saythe that before we knew the truith to lyue want only. 1. Cor. 6.

THat namith hīselfe the most holy father and takith upō him to san­ctifie all other men of therth as Go­des uicar and leaue tenent. to absolue à poena & à culpa, to pull out of hel ād [Page] send to heuen with his pardons Mas­ses and other abhominations where as Christ only and soly dooth sanctifice as it apperyd Ioan. 17. lik wice by the title that Pilate gaue him hanging upon the crosse. Withe these wordes Iesus Nazarenus rex Iudaeorū. This title declarith him to be bothe Mos­hia he sauior and Noser the protector and sanctifier of his church as Math. saith ca. 2. Nazareus uocabitur. This office of Christ doth abrogate all o­ther thinges that mannes cōstitutions attribute ony holynis unto as be wy­chyd water Candellis bowes or ony souch Ethnick supersticion. For only Christ sanctifieth and all holynis we must attribut unto hym. As Iohan sayd, Ecce agnus dei, qui tollit pecca­ta mundi Iohan. 1. behold the lamme of god. To saye destenyd and appo­yntid by god to take awai the sinne of the world and to sanctifie his churche [Page] althowgh baptisme be à sacramēt to be receauid and honorable usyd of all mē yet it sanctifiet noman, and souch as attribut the remission of sinne un­to the externall signe dooth offend. Iohan Matth. 3. preachid penitence in the desert and remission of sinne in Christ, souch as confessid ther fawtes he markyd and declaryd thē to be of Christes churche so that externall ba­ptisme was but an in auguracion or externall cōsecraciō of these that first belyuyd and were clensid of there sinne as he declarith him selfe in the same place: Ego (inquit) baptizo aqua. I Chrtstine withe water as towgh he sayd: My baptisme makith Nomā the Better, inwardly it changith noman. But I call ād preach to the utward ere. I exhort unto penence. And souch as say they do repent and wold change the old synfull lieff. I way shwith wa­ter, he that inwardly clensith is stron­ger [Page] then I. his grace it is only that purifieth the soule: I baptise in penence to say into à new lieff. This new lieff cō ­mith not untill souch time as Christ be knowen and receauyd. now to put on Christ, is to lyue à new lieff. souch as be baptisyd must remembre, that pe­nenc and fayth presedyd this external signe and in Christ the purgacion was inwardely optaynyd before the externall signe was yeuen. So that there is too kindes of baptisme and booth ne­cessari: the one interiour whiche is the clensing of the hart, the drawyng of the father the operacion of the holy goost and this baptisme is in manwhē he belyuith and trustith that Christ is the only auctor of his saluacion. thus be the infantes examinyd conserning repentanc and fayth before they be baptisyd with water at the contemplacion of the which faith God purchith tha soule. then is the extereor signe addyd [Page] not to purch the hart but to con­firm manifest and open unto the wo­rold that this chyld is godes and likwyce baptisme with the Repition of the wordes is à uery sacrament and si­gne that the baptisyd creature shuld dy from synne all his lyffe, as Paule wrytithe Roma. 6. likewyce noman shuld condemne nor neglect this exterior signe for the commaundementes sake: thowghe it haue no pore to pur­che from sinne yeat it confirmith the purgation of sinne and the Act of it self pleasith god, for because the receauers therof obey the will of his com­maundement. Like as the Kynges maiestie that now is: immediatly aster the deathe of his father was the trewe and legittyme Kyng of Inglond, right heyre unto the crowne and receauid his coronacion not to make hym self there by Kyng, but to manifest that the Kyngdom apperteynid unto hym before, [Page] he takith the crowne to confirm his right and title, had all inglond sayd nay and by forse contrary unto godes lawes and manns lawes with an exteriour ceremony and pompe crownid ony other man he shuld ha­ue byn an adulterous and wronge King, with all his solemnites and co­ronation. Thowgh this ceremony cō firm and manifest à King in his Kyngdom yet it makith not à King [...] But the lawes of God and of the land that yeuith by succession the right of the Kyngdom to the old Kynges first here male in Englond an other Realmes And the babe in the cradell hath as godd right and cleame and is as trew à Kyng in his cradell uncrownid as his father was thowgh he reygnid à crownid Kyng xl. yers, and this right of the babe shuld be defendid and manifestid not only by the ceremony of coronation, but with all obediēce and [Page] trew subiection. So is it in the church of Christ, man is made the brother of Christ and heyre of eternall lief by godes only mercye receuid by faythe before he receaue ony ceremony to confirm and manifest opēly his right and title he sayth he belyuith in the father the son and the holi gost and beliuith he saith the remission of sinne. Dooth not only deny the deuill the worold and sinne but sayth he will for sake hym for euer and serue his master the lord of uertewe Kyng of heuen and Erth. thus assurid of god and clensid from sinne in Christ. He hathe the lyuerye of god yeuen unto hym, baptis­me the which no Christiane shuld neglect, and yet not attribut his sanctifi­cation unto the externall signe, as the Kynges maiestie may not attribut his right unto the crowne but unto god and ūto his father who hathe not onli yeuen hym grace to be born into the [Page] world. but also to gouern as à kyng in the worold, who is right and Title the crowne cōfirmyth and shewithe the same unto all the worold. Where as this right by God and naturall succes­sion presedith not: the coronacion, the ceremony auaylith nothing à treatur may receaue the crowne and yet trew kyng nothing the rather, so an Hypo­crite and infidell may reeeue the externall signe of baptisme and yet, no christiane man nothing the rather as Si­mon Magus and other. Sacramentes must be usid holyly, and yet not to haue the office of Christ addid unto thē. soly it is his office to sanctifie ād purch from sinne. Itak nothing from the sa­cramentes but honor them and extol­le them in all thinges as they be wor­thy How be it not to mouch. I call à sacrament, à ceremony institutyd in the law of God, to this end that it shuld be à testimonye of Godes promisse un [Page] ro all souch as belyue and signes of godes godwill and fauor towardes us: as Paule saythe that Abraham receauid à testimonye, by the which God testi­fied that he was receauyd into grace, Rom. 4. And as the promys of God the remission of sinne is receauyd by fayth, so must these Sacramentes that be signes tokēs and testimonijs of the promesse: be receauid in fayth. thus by Christ wear sanctified only. And as Peter sayth, the people chosen, à pryncly prished à holy people and peculi­er nacion to declare the pore of hym that hathe callid us frow the darkenis of errour and sinne into his wounder full light. these wordes declare the maner how wear sanctified, and what our office is affter we be sanctified: to preach the pore of hym that hathe cal­lid us from the darknys of sinne as it is wroten Esa. 43. Populum istum for maui mihi ut laudē meam annunciet. [Page] and likwyce ca. 66. the Prophetes and Apostelles dooth use many times this word: annunciare, pro laudare & gratias agere so doth Paule 1. Cor. 11. Mortem domini annunciabitis donec ue­niat ye shall shew the deathe of the lord untill he com, id est, ye shall ce­lebrat the death of Christ with all pre­ses and yeuing of thankes: souche as be sanctified by Christe must lyue an honest and holy lief or else his san­ctification auaylith not, as god for so­ke the chylder of Israel for sinne so wil he do us, they were electyd to be his people with this condition si audien­do audieris uocem uocē meā, & custodieris pactum meū Exo. 19. Eritis mi­hi in peculium de cunctis populis. He that fauoryd not the Israelites but to­ke cruell uengēce upon them because they walkid not in there uocatiō will do and dooth dayly the same unto us, Rom. 11. Therfore one of these too we [Page] must nedes do that say we be iustified and sanctified in Christ, ether from the botom of our hartes amend, or else be eternally loost with all our gostelie knolege for the ax is put to the rote of the tre. So far is the malice of man procedid, that the Ire of god can be nolenger differyd: a great tyme hath the go­spell byn knowen of many men. Yet the lief of the gospell as new to syk, as thowgh it were but now begon ther­fore see we how God beginnyth againe to permit the darkenys of errour to ouer whylme the worold, souch blindenis euer folowith the contempt of godes word, and the unthankfull receuing therof. Tberfore as we be sanctified by Christ, so let us bare hym and sanctifie hym in our brestes or else we peryshe, Ro. 6. for fayth intendith and allways makyth hast unto this porte as Paule saith. Tit. 2, ut sancte, iuste ac pie uiuamus: men knowith not what [Page] the gospell is, they rede it as they rea­de beuis of hāptō, or the gestes of Robin hode. If they may know what the scripture sayth they iudge it sufficiēt, wher as it is cleane cōtrary men shuld not only reade the scripture to be wyser but to be better we bare the name of Christ, and confesse him We must therfore be those persones in who is lieff the stappes of Christ must appere or else we blaspheme our master wois name we bare Ro. 6. 13. because after baptisme we shuld lyue à modest and remperat lief, Christ departid into the desert and fastid. Making this answer unto the deuill. Non in solo pane ui­nit homo, man is not creatyd to the fond pleasures of the worold, but to re­gard what the will of god requirith. They deceaue them selfes that trust to fayth where as honesty of lief folo­with not. Faythe is matres in the sou­le of the Christiane and entertaynithe [Page] no souch seruantes as be adulterours Thyffes slaūderours dronkerdes. Couetous persones. Swerers, ille and u­nocopyed raueners of the meat of the pore. But cherite, peace, temperaney, prayer: liberalyte and flyyng thoc­cation of yle. 2. Pet. 1. lacob. 2. 1. Cor. 12.

AS the scripture teachīte Christ to be the ueri trew prist ād bishope the church, prayth for the churche, sa­tisfieth the Ire of god for the sinne of the church and only sanctifieth the churche. So doothe it proue Christ to be the Kyng Emperour and prote­ctor of the churche. And that by thoffice and property of à kyng that de­fendithe his subiectes, not only by his godly lawes, but also by forse and ci­uile resistance. As the Ennymies of his commune wealthe shall ministre [Page] occaciō. By those too menes euery cō mune wealthe is preseruid as the scri­pture teachith, princes Christenid and Ethnikes. Aristotelle in his politikes. Iustiniane in the proeme of his institutions. The scripture euery where. Pharo that would this churche of god and commune wealth of the Israelites to be destroid, was loost and all his Ar­mie in the see. the idolaters that would mak the cōmune wealthe of Christes churche one with the cōmune wealth of Egypt were destroyd, souche as Rebellid: Koreh and Rubinites agaynst the gouenrs of godes churche Moses and Aron: were destroyed withe the artillyrie of godes ire, all the princes and nations that possessid the land of Chanaan, god destroyed to set his cō ­mune wealthe in an order. In the later dayes when the kyng of this commu­ne wealthe shuld be born the Angell declaryd unto the blessid uirgine of [Page] what puissance and poure this Kyngdom of Christ shuld be. Regnabit in­quit, in domo Iacob in aeternū, & regni eius nō erit finis, Lu. 1. althow now the cōmūe wealth of the churche hath no certayne place apointid where it shall remayne. as it was appointid in thold law: yet certayne we be that this king­don of Christ remaynith upon the er­the and shall do till the erthe be bur­nyd, Matth. 16. 28. 1 Corint. 15. How be it as Christ wan and optaynyd this kyngdon in the later days with out shyld or spere so doothe he preserue it with his holy sprit and not will car­nall wepynes as Christ sayed unto Pi­late Ioan. 18. Regnum meum, non est de hoc mūdo, Menyng that he would not raygne in this worold as aprynce of this worold with pompe and pry­de: but defend his people with his ho­ly sprit, that the deuill nether the wo­rold shuld not breake there pacïence [Page] thowghe many afflictions and soro­wes shuld fyght against them for the truithes sake. Christ doothe not deny to be the kyng of the worold Before Pilate. But that he ment not to raigne woroldlye to the hindreaunc and de­facyng of temperours dignite and ti­tle as the Iewes falsly accusid hym as Cirillus libr. 12. capit. 10. in Iohannem sayth. and so is the mind of saynct Augustine in the same place. This kyng­dom is spirituall: Christ sitting at the right hand of God the father, praithe for us, yeuithe us remissiō of sin̄e and the holy goost to fight and ouercom the worold Hathe leffte here in the churche his gospell thonly wepyn to fight with all for the tyme of this mortall liefe Ioan. 17. Where he definithe lyffe euerlasting to be the knolege of god. So doth Paule Ro. 8. proue this kyngdom to be spirituall. And that concerning the body it apperith that [Page] Christ defendith not his people because they liue in souch disdayne and aduersite: but here after it shall appere as Paule sayth Col. 3. And Ioan. 1. Io. 3. Nunc filij dei sumus, sed nondum manifestum est quales erimus. This kingdom shalbe euer persequutid till the woroldes end Psal. 2. 115. 71. Esay the prophet describid the churche of this present lief sayng. Dabit uobis domi­nus panem arctū, & aquam exiguam & non auferet à te ultra doctorem tuū cap. 30. thus the church shall remayne but alwayes in affliction. I know souche as fauorith not the truith will in­terpretat my wordes that I condemne all princes and Kynges as Ennymies of the gospell because they peaceable enyoi there kingdōes: so I wishe thē allwaies so to do with harti praier to the glory god. But of this one thing I will assure euery prince of the worold the more syncere he is in the cause of god [Page] the more shalbe his crosse. I report me unto the Kynges maiestye that ded is whiche at the fyrst brount as sone as he toke godes cause in hand, that Leopard and dragon of Rome: did not only solicitat thole forene worold agaist him, but also he suffryd souch an un­godly and detestable insurrection of his papyshe subiectes and other more crosses that neuer shuld haue ben mouyd, had he not unquietid the best of her rest that sate aboue his maiesti and God also, in this awne Realme. they be flaterers of prynces that say euerything may be rulyd with ease. they cō consider not what an Ennymye of godes order the deuill is: that would not only the gospell of truith to be appressid, but also euery prince that studithe the preferment and setting fortb of godes word: the deuill neuer seasith to molest and unquiet euery Godly po­lytyke and commune wealthe where [Page] there no scriptur deuine to detect thart of the deuyll Aristotile in the 5. book of his politykes were sufficient to manifest the deuille ennymyte agaynst all comme wealthes. farther the natu­re of man is infyrm and fare unable to sustayne the offyce of ony uocaciō be it polliticall, Ecclesiasticall, or dome­sticall with out à singuler ayde of god Wese be saul that noble man who in the begynning of his raygne dyd many noble actes, yet the deuill gote the uictori in the end: his successor Dauid was lik wyce so intanglid in the sna­res of the deuill, that with mouche paine he could quit hym self from the wycchyd coupe that the deuill had ons browght hym god Luk of: how be it god defendid booth him and his kyngdom so that, not only the prea­chers but also he himself tawght the word of god unto the people as he had promisid Psal. 6. 50. god preserui­the [Page] aboue humane reason his mini­stres as he dyd Iacob from the handes of Esau. Dauid ffrom Saul, daniell from the lyons, and Paule in the ship­pe where as no humane hope of saluacion was at all but onli the protection of god. Those examples declare that he dooth defend his people agaynst all the worold by his mighr poore. Likewyce he gouernith this churche with his only lawes, and would his subiectes to know hym: to honor him and to obey him as he hathe cōmaundid in his lawe Paule expressith this law Roma. 1. Euangelium uirtus dei est in salutem omni credendi. Marci ultimo, Predicate Euangelium omni creaturae. The only law wherūto this congregation is bound is the gospell, as Christ saith Io. 14. Spiritus sanctus docebit uos omnia, & rediget uobis in memoriam, omnia quae ego dixi uo­bis. Here Christ byndith the Apostel­les [Page] and all the churche unto the thyn­ges that he had tawght them. This cō mune wealthe of the trew churche is knowyn by these too Markes the pu­re preaching of the gospell and the ringht use of the sacramētes thus pro­uith Paule Ephesios 2. that the chur­che is bound unto the word of god super fundamentum Apostolorum & prophetarum extructi estis. Likwyse Esa. 59. Spiritus meus qui est in te, & uerba mea quae posui in ore tuo, nō recedent ab ore tuo, nec ab ore seminis tui in aeternum. Of the right use of sa­cramentes it is tawght 1. Cor. 11. Mar. ult. Luce ult. & Mat. ult. souche as teachith people to know the churche by these signes The traditions of men, and the succeffion of bishopes teache wrong. Those too false opinions ha­the yeuen unto the succession of bis­hopes pore to interpretat the scriptu­re, and pore to mak souche lawes in [Page] the church as it pleacid them. There is nomā hath pore to interpretat the scripture god for the preseruacion of his churche doothe yeue unto certayne persones the giffte and knolege to opē the scripture. But that yest is no pore bound to ony order succession of bis­hopes or title of dignite. Te princes of the Erth dooth yeue allwayes souche pore of ciuile Iustice by succession, as one is cheyffe iustice for the tyme of his office to do euery thing appettay­ning unto the same, so hath allwayes his successor the like. God hathe yeuē the ciuile magistrates poure and au­ctorite to make souche lawes for the cōmune wealthe as shalbe agreable withe reason and not agaynst godes lawe and like wyce pore to interpre­tat the same lawes. But this is not to be admittid in the church unto whom god hathe yeuen the gospell, and inter pretatyd the same by his only sonne: [Page] tawght the mening and cōtentes the­rof himselfe. To know god, and his ire agaynst sinne, the greatnis of sinne the iustice yeuen in Christ, the fere of god. The faith in his promises, the persequution of his membres. The ayed and helpe of god in aduersite, the re­surrexion of the ded. Where and what the trew church is of Euerla­sting lief. Of the too natures in Chtist of the father the sonne, and the holy gost. These be contentes of the law wher unto god hath bound his chur­che and commandyd here to hyre his sonne conserning the interpretation of these poyntes. And at the commandement of Christ the Apostelles were sent to preache these uerites in the sprit of god. It is therfore necessary to retayne in the churche the doctrine yeuē unto us by the Apostelles, ād to be the disciples of there doctrine: and not to fayne interpretations of our awne [Page] hedes cōtrari unto there doctrine. Souche as will be the mēbres of this chur­che must be adisciple of the gospell ād lern in fere and humblenys of sprit tharticles of our religion as they be tawght there: and not stand unto the iudgēt of ony man what so euer hebe towghe he say truithe: for his truithe is nothing except thauctorite of Go­des worde conteyne the sayd truithe. it is a great confirmacion of our fay­the when we see souche as were god­ly persones before us interpretat the scripture and use the Sacramentes as we doo. As when the heresye of semo satenus troblid the Christiāe brothers that sayd this word, uerbum in Iohan In principio erat uerbum, did not signifie ony person: nor substaynce deuyne. They were confyrmid by the te testimony of Ireneus that hard Policar pus Iohan the Euangelist Disciple in­terpretat uerbū in the gospell for the [Page] sane of God second person in Trini­te. thowghe we be bound to hire the churche to say the trew and fayhfull preachers of Godes worde as was in this case Policarpus and Ireneus. Not with stōding our faithe: Is not grown dyd upon the authorite of the chur­che. But in and upon the uoyce of the gospell. we pray and inuocat the son̄e of God second person in Trinite. Be­cause the scripture prouithe him to be god, Deus erat uerbū. Also: Pater me­us us (que) modo operatur, & ego operor, sine me nihil potestis facere. Item do­mine Iesu accipe spiritum meum. The aduersarijs of the truithe defend ma­ny à false errour under the Name of the holy churche: therfore thefe trea­sons and secreat conspirisis must be ta­ken hed of. And when the churche is Namyd, diligently to consider when the articles, thei wold defend: were acceptid of the churche: by whom, and [Page] who was thauctor of them leaue not till the mater be brought unto the first originall and most perfet churche of the Aposteles if thow find by there wrytinges that there churche usid, the thing that the preachet would proue then accept it or else not be not amasid thow the speake of neuer many yers nor name neuer so many doctors, Christ and his Aposteles be graunt fathers in ayge to the doctors and ma­sters in lerning, repose thy selfe only the churche that thei haue tawght the by the scripture: fere nether of the or­dinary pore or succession of bishopes ner of the greater part. For if ether the auctorite of bishopes or the greater part shuld haue pore to interpretat the scripture, the sentence of the pharises, shuld haue byn preferrid before the sentence of Zacharie, Simion, Elizabet or the blyssid uirgine consider that many time the trew churche is [Page] but à smale cōgregation as Esay saith Nisi deus reliquisset nobis semen, si­cut Sodoma essemus. Therfore is not the interpretation of the scripture ob­ligatid unto an ordinarie pore ner the most part. As Noe Abraam, Moses, Samuel, Dauid and Christes time testifieth. Beware of decete when thow he rist the name of the churche. The uerite is then assaultyd they call the chur­che of the deuill, the holy churche ma­ny times. As Korahe and the rest of the people sayd unto Moses ma­ny times, why haue ye deceauid the people of god and browght them out of Egypt. They were the churche of god nothīg the rather thowghe it was pentyd with this holy title, but the church of the deuill and à congrega­tion of rebellious and seditious perso­nes as god declaryd both by word ād fact. Moses callid not thē the churche of god but the church of Korahe, not [Page] the people of god but rebellions and godes Ennymies as god declarid thē to be by his cruell reuenging of them so many times had the moost part byn preferrid thē the truithe had byn confundid and Moses and Aron put to deathe. Remembre Christiane rea­der that the yeste of interpretation of the scripture is the light of the holy gost yeuen unto the humble and penitent person that sekethe it only to honor god, and not unto those persones that accleme it by title or place by cause he his à bishope, or folowid by succession Peter or Paule. Examine there lawes by the scripture and then shalte thow perceaue they be the Ennymyes of Christes churche and the uery churche of Korahe. Remembre the refore to examine all kind of doctrine by the word of god. For souch as preache it aright hathe there infirmites and ignorancy, they may depart from [Page] the truithe: or else buld some supersti­tion and false doctrine, upon the go­spell of Christ superstitiō is to be auoy did false doctrine to be abhorrid who so euer be thauctor ther of prince ma­gistrate or bishope. As the Apostelis made answer Acto. 5. Oportet magis obedire deo quā hominibus. The su­periour poure hath autorite and ma­ye make what lawes the list for the wealthe and preseruation of there subie­ctes so it repugnat the law of nature nor the law of god but as touching the churche of Christ whiche gouer­nith the soule of man only the law of god must be obedied. The ceremoni­es ordeinid for à godd order to be ob­seruid in the churche shuld not be ne­glectid as the assemblaūs of people in the sabboth day and other festes wherin the word of god is preachid and he sacramentes rightly ministrid. But [...]ese ceremonies that partly supersti­cion, [Page] partly auaryce partly tyranny hath browght into the church ar to be eschuyed, as the sayng of priuat mas­ses blessing of water, bowgh bread, bell or candell with souch like. As for the prayng unto dead saynctes or to haue there imagis in te churche it is not à ceremony mater. But uery play­ne and manifest Idolatrie, cōtrary ūto the expresse word of god who forbid dith to make ony ymagie and he that prayth unto God in the name of ony ded saynct is an Ethnick and kno­with not god. For he folowith his imagination and not the word of god who teachith and commaundith that we shuld booth know and pray unto him in his sonnes name Ioan. 14. the neglecting of this commaundement deseruith eternall paynes. Souch as hath à knolege of Christ from hens­forthe let them yeue him his right honor and leaue this Idolatrie and supersticion. [Page] Considering that with great payne he wan the churche out of the handes of the deuill defendith it with his holy sprit and gouernith it with the lawes of his only word. And con­sider whether these iniuries, blasphe­mis, troble, unquietnis and destructi­on of godes people by the law of the bishopes be to be permittid thowghe they cry till they be horse agaīe the holy churche the holi churche. Were the like troble in ony realme among the kynges subiectes by the occacion and abuse of the kynges maiestis lawes, doutles could they not shew under the kynges seale there law to be of auctorite. they shuld as right is sonne be put to silence, and there adulterous lawes and sophisticall glosses remo­uid out of the way thus I know that Christ knew best all the histories of the old lawe, was the present teacher himselff of all uerite and moost wyse [Page] to prouide for the churche souch law­es as shuld preserue it in his absens.

NOw that we know what Chri­ste, and his office is in the chur­che of god. It is likewyce necessary for euery man that is Amembre of this churche to know what manne is, and his office towardes Christ for as god hath bound hymselfe by his promes to be our god and helper for Christ, so hathe he bound man by his cōmaun­dement to be his seruāt and in his worde to folow Christ and in Christ god for the commaundementes sake un­till souche tyme as thend wherfore man was made be optaynid, whiche is eternall foelicite and man restoryd and made like unto the ymayge of god as he was at the begynning full of iustice obedience and loue towar­des his creator and maker I will not [Page] studing breuite and to be short wret particulerli of euery membre and office therof where withe all the hole masse and substannce of man is framyd, that I refer unto the lernid phisicions that wrytithe diligently of the partes of man and unto Lactantius de opifi­cio dei. Nethere what man was at his beginning before he sinnid, full of godly knolege Allwaies lauding the goddenis of his creator: allwayes obediēt unto his will, allwayes folowing the order of reason with out all yle ād contrary concupiscence▪ or other car­nall resistance. To be short mannis nature had byn in all thinges, like unto the law and as perfet as the law of the decaloge or ten commaundementes had not he sinnid. But what man is now after his transgression thus the Cbristiane reader shalbe aduertisyd.

[Page] Man fallen from his fyrst dignite and originall perfection is Now the creture that fightithe withe the law of God / full of darkenis igno­rancy / and of the contempt of god / without obedience / fere and lone of God / Oppreffyd and subiect / vnto all calamites and willfull cō ­cupiscens boothe of bo­dy and soule.

THe Ennymie of god Ro. 8. The image of the deuill, the library of lyes the frend of the deuill: Right he­re of Eternall deathe and the chyld of damnation Ephes. 2. Murtherers by the Meanes of synne not only of ou­re selfes, but also of the sonne of god that neuer synnid and yet not under­stōding this oure wofull case and condition we neglect boothe god and his [Page] law, and fele not oure infirmites and sikenis. the more is oure healthe to be desperyd of. He that laborith withe à dangerous diseace and yet felithe not the greffe therof shall neuer fynd re­medy nether haue the yle remouyd. Wese this to be trew by naturall reo­son. Of all diseaces frenesie is the most dangerous yet the pacient felithe it not, nor cannot shew where, nor how this wofull and miserable diease molestith hym. Therfore uery syldom or neuer besouche persones curyd and made hole. Seyng the next way unto healthe is the knolege of the diseace. And man is in him selfe sycke and in­fectyd withe more diseaces à thow­sand fole then I haue rehersid it is not withe out cause, that I say to know what man is to be necessary althowg he it seme not so unto souche as be dronk withe the pleasures of the wo­rold and neuer thynk from the botem [Page] of there hart to return unto penence. If the scripture of god and wrytinges of lernid men cannot persuade them what the ire of god is agaynst sinne my labores shall litle auayle I know well: yet is euery disciple of Christ bo­und to sarche the glory of god and saluacion of his Neyghbour and com­mit the successe unto god. It is uery difficile and hard for man to know hymselfe: the only way ther unto is to Examin and open hymselfe before god, by the light of the scripture: and he that will be hold himselfe well in that mirrour and glasse, shal fynd souche à difformite and disgrasid uisionogmi that he will abhor his awne propor­cion so horrible diffigurid. Let man seke no farther then the fyrst commaundent Exo. 20. Deut. 6. Diliges dominū deum tuum &c. thous halt loue thy lord god withe all thy hart, withe all thy mind, withe all thy poure and thy [Page] Neyghbowre as thy selfe, then shall man perceaue his wrecchidnis how that he louithe nothing lesse many ti­mes thē god or his Neigbowr, and ꝑ­ceue that he is the frēd of the deuil and of the worold and à cōtemnor of god this wayes saynct Iames teachithe mā to knew hymselfe cap. 1, qui perspexe­rit in legē quae est libertatis &c. sainct Iames usithe this word law in the E­brew feace. Thorah whiche signifyy­the à doctryne that theachithe, instru­ctithe and ledithe Amāas well ūto the knolege of hīselfe as of God. So saīct Paule admirandis enallagis & proso­popaeis in Epi. Ro. 7. disputat. By the law commithe the knolege of synne. he callithe the law the powre and for­se of sinne, 1. Cor. 15. only the law declarithe how great an Ile sinne is. and the man that beholdithe the will of god in the law, shall fynd hime selfe ād all his liefe giltie of aeternall deathe: red the [Page] 7. capiter to the Romayns withe iud­gmēt and then know what mā is how miserable spoylyd of uerte, wand op­pressyd withe sinne: so Paule lernid to knew himselfe. ād know not what sinne was till the law had made him afrayede and shewyd him that he was withe all his holynys benig à Pharise dā ­nid. Peccatū occatione accepta, ꝑ prae­ceptum. decipit me, & per illud occidit Ro. 7. and in the same chapiter he she withe playnly what he saw in the glasse and contemplacion of the law that sinne was manifestid therby and the gratnis therof knowen. Vt appararet peccatum, per id quod erat bonum, mihi gignere mortem, ut fieret maiorem in modum peccans peccatum per praeceptum. Marke the trauyce and pley betwene the law of God, and the conscience of Paule and se how he yeuy­the thankes unto his master the law and ꝓclemit he it to be à spiritual ād holy [Page] thyng, as à light or torche to shew man his ffylthy and stynking nature: sayng lex spiritualis est: at ego carna­lis sum, uenditus sub peccatū, Abond­man of sinne, and trayture of god. Here thow seyst godd reader what amiserable wrecche man is, and how man may know his miseri by the law. How be it thowghe we rede it ma­ny times we be nether the wyser, ne­ther the better, we be not tawght à de­le bi this mistres the law, she cānot make us good scolers we daly and play so withe the worold, we lyue in sou­che securite and ease, that say she what she list we torn the deffe eare and will not hyre: therfore to make man to know himselfe god sentithe an other mystres to scole man, scilicet aduersite, then we begyn to undre­stond the law of god that disswadithe from sinne, and we then know oure misery. As Dauid Criethe that he is [Page] notable to bare the burdon of sinne if the lord execute iustice as the great­nis therof meritithe, Si iniquitates obseruaueris dn̄e, ꝗs sustinebit? Psal. 130. Dauid when he felt the paynes of his adultery, the deathe of his chyldre the conspyricie of Absolon, the uiciating of his wiues, exile and banyshement and souche other calamites. In this scole of misery he lernyd this uerse. Who can susteine the ire of god? Now thowghe these temporall paynes be more then man cā support: they be but sport and dalyance in respect of the paynes aeternall: How be it man may lern by them how mouche God is displeacyd withe sinne and know himselfe to be as he is, à uile peace of erthe, withe all his pryd and pompe. And A rebellion unto his maker as no creatur els is sa­uyng the deuyll, and he: this innword and secreatyle. Rebellion of the hart, blindnis of the inthintēdemēt, and frawardnys [Page] of will is dayly augmentid by the malice of the deuill and oure a­wne negligence that regardithe not what the law teachithe God reguyri­the of man. Because the gospell teachithe we ar only sauyd by the mercye of God, for the merites of Christ oure gospellers hathe set all at libertye, and carith not at all of souche liefe as shuld and awght to folow eueri iustified mā and disciple of Christ: it is no meruell for there is no discipline and ponysh­ment for sinne, and wher so euer the gospell be preachid and this correctiō not usid as wel agaīst the high is as the lowist there shalbe neuer agodly churche. as à kynges armye towghthe hartes be neuer so good cannot resist the forse of his Ennymyes withe out weapon and artillery necessary for men of war, nomore can the kīges maiesti the magistrates and preachers preseruethe churche agaynst the deuill and sinne [Page] with out thexcommunication of souche as openly offend the deuine maiesti of god and his word for by this meanes the sinner is tawght by the scri­pture to know hīselfe. 1. Cor. 5. cōgre­gatis uobis & meo spiritu, una cū po­testate domini nostri Iesu Christi, ut is qui hoc patrauit tradatur sathanae ad interitum carnis, ut spiritus saluus sit in die domini nostri Iesu Christi. God would not only the fideles, but also the infideles to be kept `in an order by the discipline of the law, as Paule sai­the, Lex est iniustis posita lik wyce Deut. 19. Auferes malum, ut audien­tes reliqui timorem habeant, non mi­seriaris eius. This politicall and ciuile use of the law teachith man to know his faultes and this discipline of the law exterior and ciuile is necessary for man for diuerse causes. ffyrst to declare our obedience unto god. Then to auoyed the punishement that allwaies [Page] god, or else the magistrat reuengithe the transgression. Thyrdly be­cause of apuplike peace in euery commune wealthe that thone shuld not do iniuries to the other, nether in bo­dy, ner in godes. There is yet an other cause why this discipline of the law is necessary whiche few men regard Paule saithe that it is à scole mystres. Pedagogia unto Christ because sou­che as leuithe not to sinne and to do the thing contrary unto the expresse word of god: to those Christ is not profetable this use teachite Paule 1. Cor. 6. Fornicatores Idolatre, adulteri &c. regnum dei nō possidebunt. And so saith Iohan, Omnis qui peccat exdiabolo est. He that knowithe himselfe must refrayne from doing of yle. Hyre the gospel: and lern the gospell: that the sprit of god may be effica­tious in hym whiche cānot be as long as he hathe à purpose to continew in [Page] doing of yle. Ezechiel spekyth of this use ciuile and politike of the law: and likwyce of the second use therof whi­che is as I sayd before to shew man his sinne, to accuse man before God, to fere hym and to damme man playnly capit. 33, Viuo ego nolo mortem pecca­toris: sed ut uiuat, & conuertatur. These wordes declare that as God would not the death of à sinner, so he requirythe the sinner to cease from doyng of yle and to be conuertyd unto uertew. as for the secōd use of the law whiche is to declare what sinne is I shewid before that it manifestith the greatnys and uilnys there of as Paule writithe, it damnith synne and deliuerythe not from sinne: per legem (inquit) cogni­tio peccati. Lex iram efficit: per legem peccatum fit excellenter reum. Ro. 7, aculeus mortis peccatū, uirtus autem peccati lex est. 1. Cor. 15. In men that be addict unto the pleasure of this wo­rold [Page] the law hath not this use, say the preacher what he list, let the word of God thretyne deathe eternall for sin̄e it auaylithe not, he thinkithe that God is à slepe ād will at last be pleacid with afygg for sinne we shall find the con­trary to oure great payne, as other ha­the before oure tyme, that would not belyue the word: till the felt the uen­gēce and punishment of god, as Caim the drownyd world with the flud. the burning of Sodoma with other. It is agreat and horrible offence to hide or extenuat the iudgment of god against sinne, and the uoyce of the law that cō demnit the same. God willith his pleasure to be knowyn openly Hier. 1. Ec­cededi uerba mea in ore tuo: Ecce constitui te super gentes ut euellas & de­struas. This use and office of the law none felithe nether perceuithe as wel as souche as be godes frendes. Adam, Abraam, Iacob, Dauid, Ezechias &c. [Page] Dauid sayde that the fere of godes di­displeasure and Ire was no lesse payne unto him, then thowgh the fyrse lyon had rent and dismembrid his body in peces: sicut Leo contriuit omnia ossa mea Psalm. 22. So saithe Paule, O infelix ego homo quis me eripiet ab hoc corpore morti obnoxio. He that befote saide, Ego aliquando uiuebam sine lege, id est, fui securus, non sentiens irā dei. Now conuertid from à Pharisie to be and Apostell, and browght to à knolege of hymselfe. He confessythe his inbecillite and faultes and saith. Noui quod non habitet in me, hoc est in carne mea bonum, yet Paule confessith that the law makyth us not à ferd to be damnyd because we cannot satisfie it: but that we shuld com to Christ withe these confortabe wordes. Con­clusit omnes sub peccato ut omnium miseratur Agreat cōsolation for eue­ry troblyd conscience: thus man may [Page] know hymselfe to be as he is à uery wrecchid and damnable creature were not the uertew of Christes deathe.

WHat thoffice of à iustified man is Paule declarithe Tit. 2. Appa­ruit enim gratia salutifera omnibus hominibus erudiens nos, ut abnega impietate & mundanis cōcupiscentijs, sobrie, pie, ac iuste uiuamus in hoc saeculo. Be these wordes Paule for biddithe all impiete and dishonest lief and shewithe man that is iustified what he shuld do. Not to lyue after the concupiscens of the fleshe but so­berlye. Not uniustly and doing wronges unto other: but rather to Prophet and do well unto all men. It sufficithe not man iustli to kepe his goddes, But he is bound iustly to dispence his goddes with other whether they be of the [Page] body or of the mind religiously and not superstitiousli. anotable word (pie inquit) as the word of god teachith and not as mānes lawes cōtrary unto godes law teachithe Expectantes beatam spem &c. he prouokith men to lyue well and takithe his reason of the profet and cōmodite that folowith agodly lief whiche is immortall lief at the cumming of Christ to iudgmēt: Likewyce with an other argument, à liberatione Christ petitum & ab honesto dedit semetipsum pro nobis &c. the son̄e of god gaue nether gold nor syluer for our purgacion but his aw­nebody and precions bludd: it is ther­fore an unwourthie thing and not be­cōming à Christiane man that by fay the hathe receuid this purgation to ly­ue à uitious and ungodli liefe. But we shuld be an holy people and folowers of good workes. There is a great uer­tew in this word zeloten it is not, sufficient [Page] to worke well: Except the iusti­fied man with agodly zeale and ar­dent desire folow this godd worke be gon. Therefore Paule saithe zelotē calō ergō etnō operatorē bonorū operū wherby we know that all thowgh we be delyuerid frō the malediction, course and dānation of the law (so that we reteyne à trew faythe and withe confidence in Christ, repugne sinne, and o­uer com the terrours therof) yet ar we boūd to the obedience of the law, whiche is Godes will to kepe us from ly­uyng ille, and the more the iustified man beholdithe the law the more in­cresithe the knolege of sinne, the mo­re he beholdithe the mercy of God in Christ, the more is his fay the incresith. the lawis also necessarie for theiustified mā to teache hī withewhat workes he shuld exetcise his faythe withe all, and obediēce ūto God. We may not chose workes of our awne wysdom to serue [Page] withe all. But would us to be gouer­nyd by his word as Dauid saythe: Lu­cerna pedibus meis uerbum tuum. Also: Frustra me colunt, mandatis hominum. The wysdom of man not go­uernyd by the word of God doothe sone erre. It is caryd for the most part withe affections and chosithe the workes that be contrary to the law of god. There fore this is trew, that the ordi­nance of God still remanithe in the iustified man immutable, that he must obey the law, and serue in his uocaci­on according to the scripture, that the exterior factes may bare testimonye of the inward reconciliacion. The scripture is more diligent and more am­ple in teaching, the Christiane iustified man the obedience unto God and uertews liefe, then it is to shew us our sal­uacion in Christ: for this purpose on­ly that we shuld not: by oure licētious liberty receaue the grace of god inuayne [Page] it is more hard for mā to know the gospell thē to folow the liefe of the gospell, an other mā may preache Christ, but the auditour must folow Christ, the sciens of the scripture is practiue and not speculatiue, it requirithe à do­er, and not à speaker only. there be many that dissemblith faythe, and hathe à certayne shew of religion when in­dede in the inward man is nofaithe at all: let euery man therfore sarche his a­wne conscience withe what faithe he is indued and remembre that Christ sayd it is à strayght waye and narow, that ledithe to liefe Math. 7. and but à few that walkithe there in. therfore oure only remedye is to pray for grace and amend.