i I Beleue accordyng to the holy Scripture to bee thynges wythout time, and before time. Also to bee thynges wyth tyme, and made in tyme. The thynge wythout and before tyme, is God only, and soly, iii. in diuersitie of persōs, and one in essence and equalitie of the god­head. Math. iii. and. xxviii Zacary. iii The father, the sonne, and tholygost. Not. iii. Gods, but one God, Thin­ges wyth tyme,Gene. i. and in tyme, be al thynges, that euer was, now is, or euer shal be created in heauen or in yerth, vntly the day of the last generall iudgement, when as both body & soule, shal begyn together (for the soule euer lyueth) im­mortalitie and ioyes wythout tyme, of such as be ordayned by God to eternal saluation, and of such as be appointed [Page] and haue deserued it, to eternal dam­nacion, to begyn eternal paynes, and so to endure without tyme.

ii I beleue the sprites both good and bad, and lykewyse the soules of men, and women, created by God, to be im­mortal, and from their creaciō to lyue for euer, and neuer to dye.

I beleue al thīges created by God as concernyng their creaciō, to be per­fect and good: wythout hatred, disple­sure, grudge, cōtumacie, rebelliō, diso­bediēce or pryde against their maker.

iii I beleue that thynges created by God, part of them by grace, and gods fauour, hath & euer shal perseuer and cōtinue in the perfecciō, and excellen­cie of their creacion,Colossians. i as the spirites, or angelles, that neuer fel, nor hereafter shalfal, through the meanes of Christ.

iiii I beleue that parte of these crea­tures whyche God made in theyr per­feccion, nowe to be subiecte, parte of theym to immortall paynes, parte to [Page] mortall paynes, parte vnto bothe: as the deuyl, and manne, that fel into thys ruin, and perdicion of theym sel­ues, althoughe diuers wayes: To say the deuyl by pryde, and Arrogancye, whyles he would be lyke vnto God.Psalme. v. Man by ignoraunce,Ihon. vii [...] and by crafte of the deuyll deceyued, and not by anye imperfeccion of goddes partie in theyr creacion, not by any force, compulsion or violence of goddes parte, that com­pelled them to euel.

For I beleue God to be the author of lyfe, and saluacion, and the wyll of the deuyl, and of man, to be the occaci­on of both theyr losse.

v I beleue al the people of the world, to be eyther the people of GOD, ey­ther the people of the Deuyl. The peo­ple of God, be those that wyth hearte and mynd knowe, worshippe, honour, prayse, and lawde GOD, after the Doctryne, of the Prophetes and A­postels.

[Page] The people of the Deuyl be those, that thynke, they worshyp, honour, reuerēce feare, laude, or prayse God, anye other wayes, besydes, or contrary to the doc­tryne of the Prophetes and Apostles.

vi I beleue, that this people of God, which be the very true churche of God, to haue a certaine doctryne, that neuer was, is, or hereafter shalbe violated by time, or any mannes authoritie. Thys doctrine onely and soly, is comprehen­ded in the sacred, and holye Byble.

vii And I beleue, this doctryne of the Patryarckes, & Prophetes to be suffici­ent, and absolutely perfect, to enstructe me, and al tholy churche, of our duties toward God, & toward our neibours. Of God it teacheth, that he is but one, almightie, maker of all thinges, merci­ful, iust, & al thynges that good is. And seyng we knowe nothinge of God, nor can iudge nothing of God, as touching our saluation, but after his worde we must iudge of hym, as we be taughte [Page] therin, as well of hys diuine nature, as of the diuision of the persons, in the de­uyne essēce, so that we be compelled by thaucthoritie of gods worde, to cōfesse the pluralitie of persōs, the Father, the Sōne, and the holy ghost, in the vnitye of one deuine godhead and essence.

viii I beleue as touchyng the father of heauen, as much as holy scripture tea­cheth vs to beleue, & is set furth by partes in the .iii. Credes, the Crede commō ly called the Apostles Crede, where as we saye:

ix I beleue in God the Father almightie maker of heauen and of yearth, and so furth, wyth al suche thynges as the crede of Nece beleueth, & after the faith & Crede of Athanasius, in this behalfe

x I beleue, the second person in Tri­nitie, to be one God with the Father in godhead, and diuers in persō. I beleue hym to be the very substaunce, image, and figure of God, wythout begynning or ending, with al other properties and [Page] conditions, that the hollye scripture of God, or the decree, or doctryne of any of the thre former creades affyrme:

xi I beleue that the mercy of the father, the sonne, and the holye ghost, pitied, & had compassion vpon Adam the loste man, and was prouoked to ordeine the sonne of god, second person in Trinitie to debase and humble him self vnto the nature of man, and also to become man to redeme and saue the loste man. For euen as he was by externall malyce and craft of the deuell, broughte to con­fusion, to sinne, and so to death both of bodye and soule, nothynge hauynge in himself, as touching his fyrst creacion, that prouoked, styrred, intysed or allu­red hym to euell: Euen so after his fal was there nothynge in hym, or euer after coulde be in his posteritie, that myghte or maye allewer, or prouoke hym or anye of hys posteritye, to the meanes or helpe of his or theyr saluaci­on. But euen as he was loste by ma­lyce, [Page] and deceyte of the Deuyll: so is he and so shall all hys posteritye be saued by the mercye, and merites of Chryste. The Deuil and Adams wyl, wrought synne and death: goddes mercye, and Christe hys merites, wroughte grace, and lyfe. The wyll of Eaue and Adam strayinge, and wanderynge abrode v­pon the fruyte, an obiecte, and matter forbydden of God, that they sholde not eate of, brought them into death:

Iesus Christe the seade of the wom [...]e applying both bodye and soule, to the obedience of God, deserued lyfe. As it is in the scriptures, and in the seconde part of the common crede.

xii I beleue in Iesus Christ, his onelye sonne our Lorde, whiche was concey­ued by the holy ghoste, borne of the vyr­gyn Marye, suffred vnder Ponc [...]us Pylate, he was crucified dead, and bu­ried, he descended into hel, and the third day he arose agayn frō death vnto life: [Page] and ascended into heauen, and there sitteth on the ryght hand of God the Fa­ther almyghtie. And frō thence he shal come to iudge both the quick & the dead

xiiii I beleue that by this meanes, and no other,Iho. vi. xii. the sinnes of al beleuers,Rom. xv. to be forgeuen without the merites and de­seruīges of Adams posteritie.Ephe. i. ii. By Adā sinne came into the world,Heb. ii. ix. x. and bi sinne deathe:Col. i. ii. Euen so wythoute all merites, respectes, and worthynes of Adam, ei­ther of anye of his posteritie, by Iesus Chryste came remission of synne and lyfe euerlastyng. And euen as I beleue stedfastli, sinne & death, bi this meanes to be ouercome and destroyed, and euer lastyng lyfe to follow it: so beleue I the sonne of God to be perfect God & mā, accordyng to the scriptures, and do condemne the heresies of Arian and Mar­ [...]ian, with their complices & adherētes, that wyckedly beleued the contrarye. And as I confesse and beleue the mea­sies of our saluation to be onely Christ: [Page] so I condemne the Pelagian: and all such other, as beleued and taught, that thei culd by their own powers, strēgth and wyll, worke theyr own saluation: which false opinion cōculcateth, frustrateth, slandereth, condemneth, and blas­phemeth all the deseruynges of Christ. Therfore the Pelagian is called wor­thyly the ennemy of grace.

Farther I be [...]eeue that the grace of God, deserued by the passion of Christ, dothe not onely freely, and without all merites of man, begyn, teache, and prouoke manne to beleue the promyses of God, and so to begyn to worke the wyl of God: but also all the woorkes, me­rites, deseruynges, dooynges, and o­bedience of man, towardes God, al­thoughe they bee done by the spirite of god, in the grace of god, yet being thus done, be of no validitee, worthynes nor merite before God,Luke. xvi Roma. xiiii. except God by mer­cy and grace, accompte theym worthy for the worthynes and merites of Ie­sus [Page] Christ, that dyed vnder Poncius Pilatus. So that I beleue grace, not oneli to be the begynner of al good workes, Esay. lxiiii. but that all good workes done by man in the greattest perfeccion,Psal. cxliii. haue neede, and wanteth grace to pardon their imperfeccion.

xiiii I beleue in the holye ghoste equalle god with the father, and the sōne, and procedynge from them both: by whose vertue, strēgth, and operacion, the Catholyke churche is preserued from all [...],Math. iii. and .xviii. and false doctrines,Act. ii. and teacheth the cōmuniō [...]f saincts in al truth and verity:i. Corin. xii. the whych holy spirit,Ephe. ii. iii. shal neuer forsake the holy church which is Christ his mystical bodye.Ihon. xiiii. Gala. iii. Ioel. ii.

xv I beleue that this holye spirit, wor­keth the remission of synne, the resur­reccion of the fleshe, and euerlastynge lyfe, accordyng to the holy scripture.

Thys is my fayth, [...]. and doctryne, concirnyng the Godhed and diuersitie of persons in the holy Trinitie, and also of the two natures in Chryst, hys godhed, and manhed. Abhorring, and [Page] detestīg the heresies of Samosa [...]enes. Arian, Nestor, Eutiches, who wer condemned by godly coūcels Nece, Cōstā tinople, Ephesin, Calchedom, & other, I detest and abhor the Martian & Man [...]che, that faineth to be two gods, and both eternal: one good, & the other euil, alwaies at debate among them selus. I detest, & abor y^e monsterous doctrine of the Valentines, & so generally of all those that haue denied to be ani god, or wold haue many gods. Also al those I detest that haue erred, and in aintaine theyr erroure in any thyng concerning the essence of god, ordeined the plurality of persons, as of the father the sōne and the holye goost, This is the faith of gods spiryte, in my conscience, whiche I haue lerned in hys word, & haue fayethfullye, and r [...]lygyouslye prea­thed, and taughte the same in all my sermons, as I wyll be iudged by onne audytory. Also the same doctryne. I haue furthred & set forth in al mi boks [...] writings, though sum Calūniators [Page] and sclaunderers, wulde gladly make pore the people beleue the cōtrary. But I do decline and appeale from such vncharitable spretes, vnto the charitable reader and louyng herte of all theym, that be indued with gods holy sprete for they wyll not constrayne, nor force letter, sillable, word, or sentēce, cōtrary to the mynde of the speaker, & writer, but wyll Iudge, and serche for iudge­ment, in the processes and circumstan­ces of the writer, & content themselues with the writers mynde, rather than to brynge theyr affection and corrupte myndes, to make their own imaginations and fantasies an other mans doc­trine, as the Arrian, Pelagiane, Ana­baptist, Papist, and other do, and haue doone, bryngynge corrupte myndes to the lesson and readyng of Christes te­stament, and wold that their fals heresies, and vntrue imaginations, should be Christe his doctrine. Seeyng bothe goddes lawes, and mans lawes suffe­reth, [Page] and geueth libertee to euery man in a cause of religion, to be interpreta­ter of his owne wordes, it were contrarye to iustice, to put any man from it. For if the auctor, may not be the interpreter of his owne mynde, what wold not malyce, enuy, spite, and disdayne gather of works most truly, and faith fully mente and wrytten. And seyng charitee and the lawes of this realme as it appereth in an act of parliament made in y^• first yere of the reigne of our Soueraine Lorde Kyng Edward the syxte, geueth lybertee, and lycence to hym that shalbe accused for a matter of Religion, vpon malice, euyll wil, hatred disdayn, or bee made and subor­ned recordes, to repell and conuicte all suche false recordes, and theyr accusers by other faithfull and indifferent Re­cordes. The whiche acte of parliament God forbydde should be denied to any of the kyngs Maiesties preachers: for yf the testimonye of theyr audientes, [Page] shal not quitte theym from the spyte & calumniacion of malicious, & vncha­ritable mē, they shal not long preache the truth. For ether the papistes wyll accuse thē, bycause thei wishe thē pope & al monumentes of papistry to be ta­ken out of the way: Ether the carnall gospellar, that cannot abyde to heare his faultes, & carnal life rebuked. And I thinke if the Kinges magestie, & his most honorable coūsel prepare not the soner a brydle & correction for synne, the true preacher of God hereafter shal be more persicuted for reprehendynge of synne and vngodly lyfe, then euer yet hyther vnto he hath bene persecu­ted by the papistes. Thus I haue de­clared my fayth, and belefe towardes God, accordyng to the Scriptures, in the which I trust to cōtiune vntil deth end this myserable, and w [...]fihed life.

Nowe I wyll declare also the same towardes the churche of Christe, what I bele [...]e of the magistrates the my­nisters of the wo [...]de, and the people I [Page] dwel wyth al. And of these thynges I wyl speake accordyng to the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles. For many tymes as well heretofore, as in our daies, haue bene supersticious Hi­pocrites, and phātastical sprites, that haue neglected, and cōdemned the of­fice of maiestrates, iudgemētes, lawes punishmentes of euyl, lawful domini­on, rule, lawful warres, and such like: without which a cōmon wealth maye not endure. Thei haue condemned al­so the ministery, and ministers of Christes church: and as for christiā societie and charitable loue, they confounde. Thei vse the ministerye of the churche so, that it is out of al estimatiō, suppo­syng them selues to be of such perfecti­on, that thei nede neither the ministe­ry of the word, nether the vse of Christ hys holye Sacramentes, Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lorde.

And the other they vse wyth suche deuilish disorder, that thei would by a [Page] law, make theyrs theyr neighbors and theyr neyghbors theyrs, confoundyng al proprietie and dominion of goodes. Before our tyme the furye, & damnable heresy of Marcian and the Ma [...]lchees against the maiestrates, troubled ma­ny a yere dangerousely both Asia, and Affrica. And not yet .cccc. yeres syth a gone, a sorte of people called Flagelli­feri dyd the same.

And nowe in our tyme to the greate trouble and vnquietnes of mauy com­mon welthes, in Europe, the Anabap­tistes hathe resuscitated, and reuyued the same errours. Whyche is an ar­gument and token of the deuyls great indignation agaynst ciuile policy and order. for he knoweth wher such er [...]ors and false doctrines of politicall ordres be planted: two great euils necessarily must nedes folowe, the one is sedition, that bryngeth murders, bloudshedyng and dissipations of realmes: the other is blasphemy agaīst Christes precious [Page] bloude, for those sectes thincke they be able to saue them selues, of & by thē selues. Farther wheras the magistrates be cumbred wyth those daungerous sorte of people, the Deuyll knoweth theyshal haue no leaser at wil to take some order by gods worde, to oppresse suche false doctryne. But thys we bee taughte out of the scripture, that euen as mā is ordeined to the order, chang, and alteracyon of tyme, as thorder of the yere appointeth, now to be subiect vnto summer, nowe vnto winter, now to the sprynge, and nowe to the falle: so hath God ordeined, & comaūded mā to be obediēt to pollices, & orders were soeuer he be, so they be not repngnaūt nor cōtrary to the word of God: As Ioseph in his hert, bore abrode whersoe­uer he wente, the true knowledge & in­uocatiō of God, also of Christ to come, yet outwardly in courts, indgements, contractes, and inpossessyon of goddes he vsed the lawe of the Egiptiās: euen [Page] so did Daniel in Babilon.Dan. iii. Ther is no­more to be taken hede of, in lawes, and ciuil policies but to se the lawe repugne not the lawe of god: and that the lawe makers and those to whom the execu­cion of the law is cōmended vnto, haue a special, and singuler [...]se vnto the effect and the meaning of the lawe, wher [...]ore it was made a law: the which S. Paul wonderfully exhorteth people to vnderstande,Roma. xiii saying of the lawe,Exod. [...]xxii. and magi­strates: let them be a feare and terrour to the euil doers, and a praise, and commendacion to the welldoers. Neither forceth it, though the fourme and ma­ner of lawes, of iudgements, of paines and punishmentes, be not like in al places, as the lawes of Feuderies [...]ee not lyke in Italy, Englād, Fraūce, Spain nor Germany. Yet shuld euery nation be subiect vnto the lawes of hys owne realme, and cyuyll pollicie: and in hys doyng. he shal offend God no more, thē the Englysh mē, that haue lōger days in the somer, shorter dayes in wynter: [Page] then those that dwel nere to the south. Or s. Paule that had longer dayes at the Solsti [...]ium and pitch of the sunne in Macedon▪ then Christ had at Ieru­salem. But euē as we be content with our measure and length of dai & night and others be contented wyth theyrs: so must both thei and we submit oure selues and be contented wyth the measure and order of oure owne lawes. I do therfore be wayle and lament, that the preachers in the church, and scole­masters ī their scholes, the housholder in his housholde, do knowe no better what the dignitie and honour of a cy­uyl pollicy is: by whom it is ordained, and by whom it is preserued, how dangerous & damnable a thynge it is be­fore god and man, to trouble and dis­quiet it, by any furour and madnes of opinion, as the Marcion, Maniches, & Anabaptistes do. I se & know by experience, muche trouble & danger to ryse among the vnlearned & vngodly peo­ple, by ignorancy: for whē thei se such [Page] deformities, & cōfusiōs, rise & chaūce, as we se manitimes, to happē in kingdōs Cortes, indicials, lawes, gouernonres, that more fansy pryuate profytte, and syngularitye, then the profytte of the hole commō wealth, and indifferencye of all men, and all causes indifferente­lye: they suppose verelye, (for lacke of knowledge in goddes woord) that all orders, pollycyes, kingdoms, and do­mynyons, be no other thing, thē cruell Tirannie and oppression of the poore. And also to haue theyr beginning, and orygynall eyther of the Deuyll or of pryde,Romay. xiii. and couetousnes of men. Thys same euyl vpon the same occasyon of ignorauncye, caused natural wise mē, muche to be troubled and vexed about the consideraciōs of kyngdomes, pol­licyes, Rules, and dominions, because they perceiued all kingedomes to be subiect vnto troubles and alteracions and not only that, but they perceiued ryghte well, no kyngedome too bee [Page] perpetuall, nor for euer. And in dede, who so behouldeth the begynnynge, the contynuaunce and end of the Em­pyre of Rome, shal se righte well, they▪ imaginations to be no vayn thinges.

Howe muche of herre owne bloude, and of straungers bloude dyd Rome shedde, before, she came to the regimēt and rule of all the worlde? When she was aspyred therunto, and was a fear to al the worlde, howe muche bloud of her owne shedde she, by cyuyll warres and contencyons, the iestes and wry­tinges that men cioneth of Silla, Ma­rius, Cinna, Cezar, Pōpeius, Brutus, Anthonins August, & other declareth. Thus when the Lord God wold take from Rome, for her synnes, the dominion of the world, he sēt the Gothes, Vā ­d [...]ls, H [...]ns, Arabies. and Turks: that wasted not only Italy but also Egipt, Aphrica, and Asia, and so broughte the Empyre of Rome to noughte. As many tymes as I reade & marke thys [Page] history and [...]her lyke it causeth me to [...]doke vpon many euyll Englyshe men as Scipio loked vpon the greate citye of Car [...]hage whiles it was a burning, saying with a lamentable voice: the in­constancy of fortune in humain things is to be lamented. Which voice sprang vpon thys occasion that Carthage be­ing a cyty of greate [...]eno [...]me, & domi­niō, was now becom a pray vnto y^e fire, and deuolted as wisdō alwayes doth, the consideracion of presēt euels, vnto other yet floryshynge in hault, & pros­perous felycyty: and declared as a mā seing before, the ruine and fal of things that stode, destinated the fall of Rome to com, that shuld perish by like plage Euen so when I beholde the eu [...]l pesti­ferous affected mindes of english men, and perpend and wa [...] the fru [...]ts of such corrupte myndes, contempte, hatred grudge & malice against their King magistrates laws, orders & pollicies, d [...]tles I can [...] other think, but these men as much as is in thē, cōspire & work the [Page] distruccion of thys realme: For it cāno [...] other wise be, but as cōtempt of godlye lawes, & sedicion amonge the people▪ and subiectes of what [...] they be, haue wroughte the desti [...]icyon of other realmes: so must it: and can no otherwise do, vnto thys realme.The chefest remedye a­gynst sedi­tion. [...] what realme or kingdom [...] a­uoyde these eulls, [...] prouide the word of God to be trulye and di [...]igent­ly preached, & taught vnto the subiects and members thereof. The lacke of [...] is the chiefe cause of sedition and [...], Proue. xxvi. as Salomon sayth. Wher [...] [...] phecye wanteth, the people are dyscy [...] ­pated. wherfore [...] not a litle wō ­der at the opinion and doctrine of su [...]ly as saye a Sermon [...] in a weke, in a moneth, or in a quarter of a yere is suf­ficiēt for y^e people. Truly it is iniuriously [...] agaīst y^t glory of god, & saluaciō of the people. But seing they wil not be in the whol, as good vnto god as before thei haue ben vnto the diuil, nei­ther so glad to remoue false doctryne [Page] frō the people, and to cōtinue them in the true▪ wher as thei did before occupi the most parte of the for [...]o [...]e, the most part of the after none, yea, and a great part of the night, to kepe the estimatiō & continuance of daungerous, & vayne supersticious, were it much now to oc­cupy one hour in the morning, and another hour towardes nyght, to occupye the people with true and ernest prayer vnto GOD in Christe his bloud, and in preaching the true doctrine of Christ that they myghte knowe and continue in the [...]ewe relygyon, and faythfull confydence of Christ Iesu.

Exercyse; and dylygence bryngeth▪ credit vnto religion, whether it be true or false. For it neuer taketh place, nor coole in the people without diligence, as it is to be perceiued bi the acts, and iestes, done in the [...] me of Iero [...]oā, and Roboam, the kynge of Israel, and Iu­da. What brought the Masse and al o­ther Idolatry into estimacion, but dai­lye [Page] preachyng and saying therof, with such laud and praise as euery old wife knew what a masse was worth.

Fyftene Masses in a churche daye­lye were not to many for the priests of Baal, and shuld one sermō euery day be to muche for a godly Bishoppe and Euangelical preacher? I wonder how it maye be to muche opened, and declared vnto the people. If any man saye, labour is left, and mennes busynes ly­eth vndon by that menes. Suerly it is vngodly spokē, for those that here the people in hande of such a thyng knoweth ryghte well that there was nether laboures, cares, nedes, necessity nor a­ny thynges elles, that heretofore could kepe thē frō hearing of Masse, though it had bene sayd at .iiii. a, clocke in the mornynge.

Therfore, as far as Ise, people wer content to lose more labour, and spent more time then to go to the Deuyl, thē nowe to come to God: but my faith is [Page] that both Master & seruant shal find vauntage, & gaine therby at the yeres end, though they heare morning Ser­mon and mornyng prayers euery daye of the weake. For by this meanes thei should learne, not only to know God, but also theyr magestrates, & to put difference betwene the office, & the per­son that is in office: & betwene the of­fyce, and the troubles, necessarilie annexed vnto the office, which bringeth not onely knowledge of office & officer but also honour, & reuerence vnto thē both, as. S. Paule that leued the policy, laws, order, and wisdom of the Romaynes, yet dislyked verye muche the vice & naughtines of Niro, vnto whō he submitted and willyngly bro [...]ght into seruitude both his body and hys goddes, and rebelled not thoughe Ne­ro was a nought [...] Emperoure, for his office sake, which was the [...] of God.i. Reg. xvi [...]. So dyd Elias loue the state, honour, and dignitie of the kynges fo [Page] Israel: yet detested, and fell foule oute with y^• fauts of Hachab. The same doctrine teacheth saint Peter vnto al seruauntes, commaunding them to obey their maister, thoughe they be euil, ha­uyng a respect to the place they be in, which is thorder of god & not vnto the vice, & abuse of the persō in gods order Truly be the ruler of him self neuer so euel, yet the lawes, iudgementes, pu­nyshmētes and statutes, made for the punishment of euyl,Deut. xvii. and the defence of the good, be the very worke of god, for the magistrates be the kepers of discipline and peace. Therfore as y^e motion of the heuēs the fertilite of the earth be the works of god, & preserued by him: euen so be the gouernours and rulers of the earth,Ps. l. c. xliiii as Dauid saith: he geueth healthe to Prynces as it was shewed in hym selfe, Salomon, Iosophat, & o­thers. The regimente & policy of king Dauid was troublous, and ful of mi­series, thereygne of king Salomō his [Page] sonne, peaceable and quiet, the re [...]ygne of Iosua. victorious, and prosperous. The raygn of the iudges that folowed so troublous & vnquyet, as a more rēt and torne common wealth, I haue not redde of: yet was the order of God all one, aswel in the one as in thother, and requyred as much loue, assistence, and obedyence of the people, to theyr kyng and magistrates in theyr trouble as in theyr quietnes & peace. So doth Daniel y^• prophet most godli & wysely teache by hys ymage that he sawe made of fower [...]undry mettals, but he conclu­deth whether the regiment, and regētwer gold, syluer, copper or Iron, the people alwayes obeied. The same teacheth also the doctryne and example of Iohn Baptyste, Chryste, Saynte Stephen, and saynte Iames, Iohns brother. For althoughe the regymente were neyther so godlye, nor so quiet in Herodes times, and Pontius Pilatus as it was in Salomons time: yet gaue [Page] they alwayes lyke reuerence, honoure, and obedience vnto them, for theyr or­ders sake, as thoughe they had ben the verteousest princes of the world as their doctrine tribute and bloude recordeth. For they gaue vnto Cesar the thinges dewe vnto Cesar, as theyr boyes, a [...]d their goods, but their soules they ow­ed to none, but vnto God. And when diuersitye of relygyon, & doctryn shuld be discussed and determined by their lawes, they declyned frō theyr iudgemēt. and appealed vnto the word of god, to haue al controuersyes ended thereby. When that toke place, they gaue thankes to god: when it dyd not, they were content paciently to beare whatsoeuer goddes hand wold permyt the magy­strates to say vpō thē. Wer these exā ­pels knowē and kept before mens eies people wold not for a faut or two that shuld happen in the regyment, iritate and prouoke the regentes, and Pryn­ces wyth contumacy, and rebellion as [Page] it is sene commonlye at thys daye, but rather folow the exāple of the Iewes that when they herd of the facts, and doīgs of Ptolome Lathure, that killed twentie thousand of their country mē and caused those that he toke captiue, to eare the fleashe of their owne deade fathers, and brothers, yet rebelled thei not, but knewe it was for their sin, and therfore exorted one y^• other to penaūce & amendmēt of life: the same selfe doc­trine, teacheth oure sauioure Christ in his holy Euangeliste Luke.Luk. xiii Thus I thoughte good, to put in my Crede for the declaracion of my faith, towardes ciuil magistrates, orders, & lawes, & to opē the differēce betwene thorders the person, & such troubles as be annexed vnto thorder: lest any mā shold, for troble & confusions sake, dāne order, & re­gimēt it self: or els, by the meanes ther of, to detract & forsake, to take paines ī suh vocacion as the Epycures dyd, wher as in dede, rule, & regimēt, thēselues [Page] be the greate benefites of god. And ther fore row in the later time, more to be pre [...]hed & taught to the people for diuers cōsideraciōs: thē euer hertofore. Specially because cōtēpt of honesti, & lawes, labors, & godlye exercises, rain more thē euer they did. For at the begining men so obeied reasō & were ruled therby, that they brought them selues into order & pollicie. And for the maintenance therof, sought out craftes and & artes necessary for the preseruacion of pollicie and order, and so were glad rather to be ruled by [...]eson thē by force and violēce. This time beyng expired & resō corrupt, asp [...]rīg farther thē rea­sō by nature wold, partly for tomuch loue of her self, partly to tame & kepein subiecciō such as disordred al good order, & rule: descended frō y^e regiment of reasō, vnto the force of war, & marcial lawes, The same semīg good vnto al­mighty god to tame, & reclame mā by force, that wolde not be ruled by reson [Page] But now are we fallē into the last time & end of the world, wherifor reson ru­leth lust, & for iust battail, ruleth immo­derate cōcupiscence: for scarce is there one of a. C. that loue to seke for wysdō & knolege of resō, & of artes, that other mē foūd out & left vnto vs. And as for the paines & trauayls of war, let [...]ue­ry māiudge, & cōsider him self, whether our weak nature cā suffer as much as Dauid, Archilles, Cyrus, Alexāder, Hanybal, Marcellus, Scipio, C, Cesar, & other did: thē shal we perceiue, that nature now in man consumed, effemina­ted, & worne out, is a thynge most vna­ble to do, that fore age hath done.

Therfore haue these later daies more nede of much tcachyng, in cyuyle cau­ses, then the old age before vs, why che better, and more modestlye, gouerned them selfes, by onlye reasō, then now we do by goddes worde, and reason.

And this is not knowen onely by the holye scriptures, but also by prophane [Page] writers, that declare wyth the age of the world to encrease miquytye. And oure experience maye be a comentary in this behalfe to gods laws, & mānes lawes: for where as saynte Paule de­clareth the ciuill Magistrates, not on­ly to be ordeined, but also preserued by god, & that al mē shuld accept, & accōpt hym to be the trewe Magistrate, that God had appoynted, and not suche a one as y^• people & subiects appoīt their selues. And euē as wyse Cicero perceyued at the begynnynge of the mortall dissencion and debate betwene Pom­peius, and Iulius Cesar, gaue counsell accordinge to the wil of God, (declared vnto him, by the suffrages, and voices of the Romaynes) that Cesar shoulde haue bene cheyfe Ruler of the people: nowe for lacke, and cōtempte of know­ledge, both say [...]te Paule, and Cicero be neglected. For either the people wil haue no magistrate at al, or elles suc [...] a one, as it pleaseth them selues, and [Page] not hym that God hathe appoynted. If thys aduenture take no place, they wyll chaunge (if they can) the state of the common wealth, that wheras one raigneth, a Monarche or kynge, they wolde chaunge it into the regimente of manye. And whereas many raigne (as mē neuer contented with the state that God hathe appoynted) turne the regymente of manye into the gouer­naunce of few. Whose nature Orace wel declareth.

Against whose preposterous iudge­ment and fickil myndes,Romay. xiii. sainte Paule vehemētly writeth. The powers saith he that be, ar ordeined of God, and not the powers that subiectes shal chouse & make at their pleasures. For no man of what degre, state, or autoritie soeuer he be being a priuate mā, (as al men be in a monarchy wheras one ruleth, in respect of the kyng that ruleth) shuld medle with the state of a realme. For it is [Page] god that ordayned it,Daniell. ii. and he that dis­solueth it.Psal. cxxvi. Cxliii. Neither shold this fond opi­nion take any place in a christian mās heade,Prouer. xvi­ii. Parap. ii. Esaye. i. that any offices appointed by god,Psalme. viii shold cause the officers to be euell before god. For the lord giueth thē ty­tles and names of great honoure and loue, as gods, and suche as serue and please hī,Psal. lxxxii. also the nurses of the churche as the examples of Adā,Esa. xlix. Henoch, Noe, with other,Genesis. ix. who were in those dayes veri godly rulers, to maintaine vertue and punish vice. This sawe not onelye the Patriarkes, and godly men of the scripture, but also naturall wyse men, that saw and reuerenced order and pollicye as Plato writeth,De legivus. sayinge. As the Oxe is not ruled bi y^e Oxe, nor the goat bi the goate, but bi a more pure nature, to saye, by man so the nature of man: is more infyrme then can rule it selfe, Therfore god appointed, not onely mē to rule, but also such men as excelled in wyt and wisdō,ii. Pa [...]ap. xx adioined with the spe­cial [Page] & singuler grace of God, & so saieth Plato de legibus: vbi non deus sed mortalis aliquis dominatur, ib [...] [...] dorum uel erumnarū nullum esse effugiū: wheras any mortall manne beareth dominion, and not god, there can be none escape of ca­lamities, & miseries. Of the same opinion is Homer the poet, who saieth that the gods appoynteth their shieldes to defēd princes, as Pallas defēded Achi [...] les. That doth Iosophat the kynge in the plate afore rehersed, wōderfully declare. And whosoeuer wil consider the execucion & dew paines to wardes euel doers, shal rightwel perceiue that god himself is ī the magistrate, For Christ sayeth: he that stryketh wyth the swearde, shal perishe with the sweard, And of the oppressoures it is spoken: wo be vnto the that spoyleste,Math. xxvi. for thou shalt be sp [...]iled So that we se god to defend ciuil iustice vpon the earth,Esay. xxxiii Abra­hā,Iob. xi. Ieremye,Eccle. viii. & saynt Paule,Gene. i. declareth that the ciuill pollicie is the ordinance of God,Ierem. xxix. i. Timo. ii. by suche prayer as they com­maunded [Page] the people to praye for it: and thys praier for the maiestrates decla­reth what diuersitye is betwene a ma­gistrat christened, & a Heathen. Wher­in Cicero dyffereth from Esay, & kyng Dauid frō Iulius Cesar. Cicero gaue coūsel, after reason & experience to rule the common wealth, but manye tymes it toke not good effecte for lacke of the wysdom of God, Esay, & the rest of the prophets gaue coūsel not of them selus but frō god & what prynce soeuer obeyed theyr coūcel he prospered alwayes & had good succes. The same maie you se in the fashyons, and maner of theyr warres. Alexander thoughte hym selfe stronge inough by natural strengthe, to conquer his enemies. Kynge Dauyd added to hys s [...]yage stones,i. Sam. xvi [...] the prayer and helpe of goddes name. Therfore if heath in mag [...]strates should be obeied, muche more chrystian magystrates.

And in case the kynges mayestye of Englande maye fynde no lesse obedy­ence [...]n his subiectes then Scip [...]o Alex­ander, [Page] and other foūd amongs theirs, England shalbe to strong, with gods helpe, for all the worlde. But Englysh men I speake it with sorow, and griefe of herte, haue learned of Cleon, a man that Aristophanes wryteth of, that had one footein the senate, and the o­ther in the fielde: so haue Englyshmen one hand at the plough, and the other against y^• magistrates. The ministers of the churche, persons & vicares, one hād vpon the portesse, and the other to strike at the kinges crowne.

They do followe the Ape that Harmogenes fable speaketh of, that wold haue had other Apes to haue builded houses, tounes, & cities to haue defēded them selfs from the dominion of their Lord, and ruler man: [...]ene. ii. [...], ix and thought it not meete to liue in the state that God had appoynted them: euen so subiects, nowe a dayes, (God amende it) wolde make them selues defences, cities, ca­stels, townes, tentes, pauilions, to de­fend [Page] them against their king, lord and magistrate, and wil not be contente to liue in the state that god apointed thē vnto. But it shal happē vnto them, as it did vnto the Apes: their counsel and conspiracie shal neuer take place. Let vs therfore remēber s. Paul that saith: the powers that be,Romay. xiii. be of God, and not suche as we wolde make and let vs be contented with them, and obeye them for conscience sake: for suche as disobey and rebel againste superioure powers, rebel agaynst god, & so god punisheth it with eternal damnacion. This is ynoughe to kepe euerye good man and trew subiect, in obedience, to theyr hyer powers. If the reader of the scripture of god note the first & the secōde chap. of Gen. he shuld perceyue rule & policie or euer man wist what sinne menre: for the Lord gaue the superioritie & dominiō to Adā ouer al beasts. Of whō now we may right wel lerne obediēce yf we wer not worse thē bestes. Now a word [Page] or two of the magistrates duty: Aristotle calleth the Magistrate [...] A keper of the law. Let hym vse it ther­fore indifferentlye wythout respect of persons, [...]eni. xxiiii. in punishynge suche as trou­ble by inordinate meanes, [...]. xii. xviii the common wealthe:Psalm. ii. and also suche as blaspheme the liuing God, [...]roue [...]. xxv as godly kinges & Ru­lars haue done, Dauyd, Iosias, Nabu­codonozor, Constātine, and other. For although a Eyuyl Law, and punish­ment can not chaunge the Herisies of the minde, neyther the desire that men haue to do euell: yet when they breake forth agaynst the honoure of GOD, and trouble the common welthe, they shoulde be punished.

For the maiestrat is, as one that hath the two testaments tyed at hys necke, and should defend them, as hys owne life: [...]. xiii. and therefore saynte Paule calleth him not only the reuenger of euyll, but the mayntener of good, and Esay the Prophet sayth the same.

[Page] Nowe I wyl declare my fayth con­cerning the external,xvii. & visible churche of Christ, & of the ministers thereof. I call thys visible churche a visible con­gregation of mē and womē that heare the gospell of Christ and vse his sacra­mentes, as he hath instituted them. In the whyche congregatyon the spyryte of God worketh the saluacion of al be­leuers, as saynte Paule sayeth:Rom. i. The gospel is the power of God, to the sal­uaryon of the beleuer. As thoughe he hadde sayed: the gospel of Christ, wher it is hearde and beleued, the mynde is chaūged by the vertue of the holy gost, from the loue of synne, vnto the loue of vertue. The wyl is wrought to con­sente, and the consente so assisted by the holye ghooste, that saythe obtey­neth the remission of fy [...]ne, and the be­ginning of euerlastyng life. And these two markes, the true preachīg of gods word & right vse of the sacramētes de­clare what, & wher the true church is▪ [Page] Vnto the which churche, I woulde all Christian men shoulde assosiate them selues, although there may happen to be some things desired in maners and discipline. For no church as touchyng thys parte, can be absolutely perfecte. But where as the doctryne is sounde, and no Idolatry defēded, that church is of God, as farre as mortal man can iudge. And wher as this doctrine and right vse of Sacramentes be not, ther is no church of Christ, though it seme neuer so holi. For in the blessed virgins time, the Pharisies, and bishops, wer accompted to be the true church: yet by reason their doctrine was corrupt, the true Church rested not in them, but in Simeon,Luke. i. ii. zacharye, Elisabeth, the shep­herdes & other. The same doth saynte Paule teach vs,Io. x. that whatsoeuer he be that preacheth other doctryne then the worde of God is not to be credited,Io. iii. tho­ughi. Cor. i. he were an Angel of heauen.Roma. x Nei­therEphe. ii. iiii. wyl [...] as knowe God,Esa. viii. lix harken [Page] vnto thē: but wyl heare Christ, the Pro­phetes and Apostles, and no other. The other marke is the right vse of sa­cramentes, wherof were two in noum­ber wyth the fathers, in the ministerye of the church, and so many yet be wyth vs in the ministerie of the churche, and haue annexed vnto them the promyse of eternal saluation, and also of eternall damnacion if they be contemned, and may be lawfully hadde. In the lawe of Moses was Circumcision and the Pascall Lambe: & in theyr places we haue Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord dyuers in externall elementes, and Ceremonies, but one ineffect misterie, and thing it selfe, sauing that theyr Sacramentes shewed the graces of God to be geuen vnto men, in Christ to come: and ours declare y^• graces of God to be geuē in Christe that is alredye come: so that the Sacramentes be not chaunged, but rather the Elementes of the Sacramē tes. And euerye of these Sacramentes [Page] haue theyr peculier & proper promyses, vnto the which they hange annexed, as a seale vnto the writynge. And there fore be called after Saynte Paule, the confirmations or seales of goddes promises. Roma. iiii Thei haue peculier Elementes, by the whych thei signifie the heauenly misteries, that sacramētall [...] thei cōtain & be the thynge in dede They are called Sacramentes. That is to saye: visible sygnes of inuisible grace. They haue their proper ceremonies, that testifie vnto vs the obsignation, and confirmati­on of Goddes heauenly gyftes.

The haue also their proper commaundement, because we shuld not chaūge, adde, nor take, from them anything at our pleasures. Thus in general I thīk of all gods Sacramentes in the mini­stery of the churche. And of Baptisme because it is a marke of our Christian church,Roma. iiii. this I iudge after the doctryne of Saint Paul, that it is a seale and cō firmacion of iustice,xviii. either of our accepcion [Page] into the grace of God for Chryst, for his innocencye and iustice by fayth is ours, and our sinnes and iniustice, bi his obedience ar his, wherof baptisme is the signe, seale and cōfirmatiō. For although frely by the grace of god our synnes be forgeuen: yet the same is de­clared by the Gospel, receiued by faith and sealed by y^e sacramentes, whyche be the seales of gods promises, as it is to be sene by the fayth of the faythfull Abraham.Mat. xxviii. Baptisme hath hys promi­ses as is a fore sayd hys elemente,Mat. xvi. the water:Act. viii. his proper cōmaūdemēt, & hys proper ceremonies, washīg in y^e water. As for other mens opinio [...]s that saye Circumsicion was the seale, not onely of Abrahās acceptation freely into the grace of God by faith, but also of hys obedience and proper iustice: I beleue it not to be trewe, for. S. Paul confuteth it, in the same place as an errour, sayīg Abrahā had nothīg wherof he mighte glory before god. If he had nothīg, god [Page] confirmed that he gaue him, & not that he found in him, for S. Paul saith, that Circumcision was the seale of the Iu­stice that cā by faith, & not by workes. They be out of the way, that haue the lyke opinion of baptisme, for S. Paul disputeth not in that place, whether works plese god,Rom. iiii. ix. but sheweth that our saluacion cōmeth by grace, and not bi workes. Ther be other that think Sa­cramēts to be the cōfirmatiōs, not on­ly of our fre acceptacyon into gods fa­uour by fayth, but also of our obedyēce towardes God hereafter. And because Infantes and young babes, cannot professe obedience, nor put of the olde man, nor put on the newe, thei would exempt and defraud the young chyldren of baptisme. Saynt Paule cōfesseth also this opinion in the same place.Gen. xvii. Abrahā saith he, beleued God, and it was accōted vnto hym for iustice, and sayth not Abraham professed obedience. Therfore God cōfirmed his owne infallible truth and [Page] promises to Abraham by circumcision, and not Abrahams obedience. For if he had, he had confirmed the weke and vncertayn infirmitie of man, and not hys own infallible truth. For Abrahā wyth all hys obedience was infyrme and vnperfect wythout Christ, Yet was boūd to work in a godly life. As for those that say Circumcisiō and Baptisme be like, and yet attribut the remission of origi­nall synne to Baptysme, whyche was neuer gyuen vnto Circumcision, they onelye destroye not the similitude and equalitie that should be betwene them: but also take from Christe remission of synne, and translate it into the water, and element of baptisme.

As for the supper of the Lord, which is the other Sacrament, whereby the church of Christ is knowne, I beleue it is a remembraunce of Christes death, a seale & confyrmation of his preciouse body geuen vnto death, wherwyth we are redemed. It is a vysyble word, that precheth [Page] peace betwene God and man, ex­horteth to mutual loue, and godlye lyfe, teacheth to contemne the world, for the hope of the lyfe to come, when as chryst shall appeare, and come downe in to the cloudes, whyche nowe is in heauen as consernynge hys humanytye, and no wher elles, nor neuer shalbe tyll the tyme of the generall resurrection.

I be leue that this holi sacrament hath his proper promises,Math. xxvi. proper elementes,Mark. xiiii. proper commaūdemēt,Luke. xxii. and proper Ce­remonies. i. Corinth. xi As concerning the ministers of the churche, I beleue that the church is bound to no sort of people, or any or­dinary successiō of bishops,xx. Cardinals or such lyke, but vnto the only word of god, & none of thē shuld be beleued but whē thei speak y^e word of god. Althogh there be diuersitie of giftes & knowledge amōg men,Ephes [...]. iiii. some know more, and some know lesse. And if he that knoweth lest teache Christ,Gala i after the holy scriptures he is to be accepted, & he that knoweth [Page] most, & teacheth Christ contrary or and ther wayes, then the holye scryptures teache, is to be refused. I am sory ther­fore wyth all my herte to se the churche of Christ degenerated into a ciuil polli­cy: for euen as kinges of the world na­turally by descent frō theyr parentes must solow in ciuil regiment, rule, and lawe, as by right they oughte: euen so must such as succede in the place of Bi­shops and priestes that dye, possesse al giftes, and learning of the holly gost, to rule the church of Christe as his god­ly predecessour had: so that tholy ghost must be captiue & bondman to byshops seas, & palacies. And because the holye gost was in saint Peter at Rome, and in mani other godly men that haue occupied bishopprickes and dioses, ther­fore the same gifts thei sai must nedes followe in their successours, althoughe in dede thei be no more like of zeale nor diligence, then Peter and Iudas, Ba­laham and Ieremy, Anna & Caiphas [Page] to Iohn and Iames. But thus I con­clude of the mynysters, of what degre or dignity soeuer thei be, thei be no better thē recordes & testymonyes, mynysters and seruauntes of goddes worde and gods sacramēts. Vnto the whych they shuld nether adde, demynish, nor chaunge any thyng. And for their true seruyce and dyligēce in thys part, thei shoulde not be onely reuerenced of the people,Ma. xxviii. but also honoured by the magistrates, i. Cor. iiii. as the seruauntes of god. [...]er. i. And I beleue,Eze. ii. that as many soules as perish by their negligēce or contempt of gods word,xxxiii. shalbe required at theyr handes. Of the people thus I beleue: that they owe their dutye and obebience to god: to them kyng, and magistrates: vnto theyr neighboures: and vnto them selues. Vnto god they owe both bodye and soule, to laude and prayse him ac­cording to gods boke. To cal vpō him in the daies of their trouble, [...]. Cor. vi. x. and vpon none els, to cōforme both their doctrin [Page] & their lyues, to promote and set forth the glory of God.

Theyr dutye to the kynges maiestie is theyr obedience to him,Rom. xiii. his lawes,i. Timo. ii and the Realme for conscience sake,i. Peter. ii. and rather to lose bothe body an goodes, thē to offende his highnes or his lawes, & whensoeuer any subiect be called to serue with body or goodes, at home or frō home, willingly thei must obei without question or farther inquision to serche whether the kynges cause be righte or wronge: for whether it bee, or be not, it maketh the death of him that serueth in this respect, nether better nor worse.ii. pa [...]. xxxv. For I beleue suche as obeyed kyng Io­sias and were slaine in the battayle a­gainste the Egiptians wer acceptable vnto god in Christ,Mathew. v. thoughe kyng Io­siasLuke. vi. had not y^• best quarell.Iho. xv In this caseRoma. xiii. the subiect oweth his body,Gala. v. and goods vnto this lawfull magistrate,Ihon. ii. iii. and mayExod. xiii. deny him of none of them bothe.Deu. vi. VntoEphe. vi. theyr neighboures they owe good wylCollossi. i. [Page] and charitie, helpe, & preseruacyon of theyr bodyes, souls, goodes, and fame, that none of all those peryshe, yf they may preserue them. Thetowe vnto thē felues, the s [...]udy & labour to reade, and heare the scripture of God, vntill suche time as thei haue laid a true foūdaciō of faith in christ. Whē y^t is done, thei be boūd to thē selues, to buyld vppō that foūdatiō, al charytable workes, as wel to god as to mā, wyth innocēcy of lyfe. After that they ow to thē selues,Psal. C. xix. study & dylygence to make defēces for theyr true relygyō agaīst the deuyl,i. Corin. iii. y^• fleshe, y^• world, syn: the wysedome of mā and supersticyous hipocrites, which ceasse not to peruert, & destroi in mā y^• image & worke of God. Away away I pray you wyth thys opynyō, & thynketh a man to owe no more vnto hym selfe for relygyin, then to learne by rote the Crede .x. cōmaundements, and Pater noster. S. Paule rebuketh that opy­nion, [Page] as it is to be seene in hys Epistle. We owe vnto our selues,Psal. Cxi [...] dew laboures in praying vnto God daili for the neces­sities of both body & soul,Ge [...]es. & lykewise to geue him thāckes for al the goodnes he hath geuē vnto vs. Also we owe vnto our selues, the exchuing & a [...]oidīg of I­dlenes, & ociuiti, and the labours of our own handes, wyth the industrye & gift of reason, learnyng & wyt, to eate oure owne breade with the sweat and pain our owne bodies, according to the com­maūdemēt of god. Thus I cōclud my fayth, the which being examined by the word of god, is catholyke & godli, who send vs of hys grace to feare hym, honoure the kyng, and to loue one the other, as Christ loueth vs al. So be it.

The .xx. of Decembre Anno. M. D. and fiftye

Lorde blisse thy Church and saue our Kynge.