I. We confesse first that the father / son / & the holy gost in one diuyne substance & nature be [...] distinct persons & yet one god which created heauen and erth.

II. That the father was without begimming ano the son had his begimming of the father / and that the holy gost did procede of them both

III. That the father nor the holy gost did neuer take op on them mannys nature / but theson only.

IIII. That the son was so incarnate that he was conceiued by [...] the holy gost without any mās helpe / & born of the pure & holy virgyng Mary. and after ward that te suffred his passion / dyed & was buryed / destended to [...]e hellys. Rose fro death / asceded heauen sit­teth at the right hand of the father / and that he shal come to iudge the quict & the dead &c. as the comon crede of the apostles / the crede so­ng in the masse / and the crede of athanasius do teach.

Of these articles there is no controuersy contencyon for both [Page]partes do confesse all these things / wherfor it were but foly to entreate more largely of them

The second part conteineth the articles of the office & worke of Iesu Christ and of our redēpcyon / and of all his bemifights & actes which he hath done for us

In this article this is the first & principal some that Iesus Christ our god & lord suffred death fo [...] our sinnys & rose againe to saue us / Roma. 4. Item that he is the ōly special lamb of god / which taketh a way the sinnes of the world. Iohā the i. And that god hath layd the iniquyte of al man kind vpon his back / Esai. 53. furthermore all peple haue synned and thei are made rightuos agayn / or saued / frely by the mere grace & mercy of god thorow the re­dempcyon of Iesus Christ & thorow his blo­de Roma. 3. And for as moch as this grace & mercy must be receiued by faith (for no mā can obteine it by any worck not yet by the lawe nor by any merite) therfor it is certen & manifest that we be iustifyed by faith as holy paul testifieth rhe 3. to the roma. sayng we suppose mā to be iustifyed by fayth without the workes of the lawe. Item that he migh be iust & the iustifyer of him which bileueth in Iesus. &c.

From this article can we not moue one hearbreade / thogh se hauen & erth shuld falle and all the world goo to gether to wrack / for there [Page]is no nother name vnder heanen where by we can be saued / Actu. 4. Item / Esay. 59. we are healed thorow his stripes.

This article is the whole foundacion & ground both of all that we teach and also lyue against the pope / the deuel and the world. wherfor we ought in no wise to dowte of this article.

Els all together were done / and at a point / and the pope / the deuel with his whole rable shuld haue the victory of us and tryumph co­uer us.

The second article.

The masse that is comonly vsed in the papi­stry is the highest & most horrible abhomina­cion that euer was / and it is as cōtrary to the principal article of the faith as heauē is to hell although among all the popisch Idolaters it is the most precios / daī [...] and bringeth most lucre to the purse. for all men haue bileued surely that the sacrifice & work of the masse though it were done of the most rascal scull you in the world / yet it shuld deliuer mē from all their sinnes both ī this life and also after this life ī purgatory / which thing can no thing doo not performe saue the only lamb of god as is before said. Whe [...]for we wil geue no place in this arti­cle / nor grāt any part therof. And if any man chance vpō some reasonable papist / let him axe him gentylly / for what cause thei labor to mainteine [Page]the masse so obstinatly / specially seing it [...] is nothing els than a mans inuencyon and no ordinance of god. And it is lauful to neglect and breake mans tradicyons / as christ saith- Math. 15. thei honor & serue me in vayne teaching the doctrines / tradicions & commandmē tes of men. And again it is a thing of no ne­cessite and it may be left welmough with out any sinne or perel.

Thirdly. The sacra­mēt may be receiued after a better mor profitable and a more holsom way / acording to the institucion of christ: which way is only profita­ble & none but it. whe [...]fore why shuld we bring the world in to so heuy a misery & danger for a fansy of mans braine / and a trifel of naught Let the peple be taught in comon sermōs / that the masse being an imaginacyon of mans brayne may be taken a way & disamulled with out any sinne / and that it is a matter of no dāna­cyon to despise the masse / for a man may obteine euerlasting saluacyō with out the masse / and after a better way than bi it. Now if the pe­ple were thus taght / there were no dowte but that it shuld come in to contempt alone of it self without any labor / not only amōg the simple peple / but also among all good / wise & vertuos men.

And this thing might be brought to passe [Page]the better / if thei were instruct / that the masse is a perlos & a dangeros thing / imagyned of mans brayn with out any commandment or wil of god.

Forthly for as moch as there haue bene an infinyte nomber of most detestable abusis thorow out the whole world by the reason of by­ing and selling of masses / it is a lauful & a sufficient cause wherfore all masses ought to be disanulled & forbidden / though it were for no nother cause than this only that those abu­ses might so be remoued / although there were some goodnes or vtilyte in them as there is none at all. And thei ought rather to be aboliss­hed that these abuses might be forbidden / spe­cially seing such masses be vnprofitable / vnne­cessary / and ful of perel and danger / and agai­me all things both more necessary more pro­fitable & also more certen / may be obteined / though there were n [...] such masse.

Fifly / the masse neither is nor cā be / nothyng els than a worck of men (as the old canon and all old boke [...] doo also testifye) yea and inuented by most wicked rascals / for this purpose that euery mā might recōcile both hī selfe and other vnto god and both obteine & merite remissi- of his sinnes and the fauor of god thorow he arīg / saīg or causing it to be sayd. for whā it is done / sayd or hard euen most holyly / it is done said [Page]and hard for no other end than a fore rehersed. for vnto what other vse or vtilite can it serue? wherfor it must nedes be condemned and takē a way / for it is against tpe principal article of our redempcion / which saith that no maner of prest or shaueling noither good nor bad / nor no maner of worke or sacrifice / can take away our sinnes / saue only the lamb of God / the sō of God. further more if any prist wil vse this excuse / cloke & pretēse to say that he ministreth the sacramēt to hym self alone / for this purpose that he may the more perfightly with better diligēce & reuerēce receiue it / let hī know that this is no ernest but a pretēsed excuse for who so euer wil vse this supper perfightly and reuerently to confirme his faith & to haue any profight therby / must receyue it in the true sacra­ment ministred / acording to the institucyon of Christ. But for a prist to minister the sa­crament to him self alone / it is but a face and an imaginacion of man [...] braine / both vncer­ten / dangeros / vnprofitable and also forbiddē. And who so euer doth so / he doth he cā not tel what / for he cōtēneth the word of god and foloweth a false face / opinyon and ima­ginaciō of mans brayne. And (although all other things in it were neuer so probable) yet it is vnlauful for any man to vse the comōn sacrament of the whole church / priuately to his [Page]own vse alone / after his own folissh imagina­cyon & false persuasyon contrary to the word / of god / priuately and not to gether with the comon whole congregaciō: and so thei handle the sacrament of christ as a thynge of light reputacyon. for this sacramēt was not institute to be vsed of one alone but it was geuē to the whole multitude to be vsed comōly of many to gether.

I am sure that this article of the masse / shal be one of the special articles which shal be cal­led into controuersy / whan so euer ther be any general coūcel. for if it were possible / thei wold rather grant us all other articles than this o­ne. And carnal campegius at the councel hol­den at Augspurg / did openly say that he wold rather suffre hym self to be racked & euery mē ­bre of his body to be teared frō other than that the masse shuld perisshe or be condemned. And I for my part / by the grace of god / wil suffre my self to be consumed into asshes / before I wil permit any popissh prist or patched shaue­ling to be either equal or superior to christ my Lord & my Sauior. Wherfor we are & remayne for euer emnys & contrary one to a nother. Thei perceiue right wel / that if the masse were condemned / than the whole papistry were cle­ne ouer thrown: and therfor thei wold rather se us all poisoned & burnt (if thei could) than to grant us this one article. Beside all this / [Page]this Dragons & deuels tayle the Masse, hath bene the cause & the very mother of moch blasphemy / and of purgatory. where / thorow sowle masses for the deade / thorow dirges & cō ­mendacions / thorow month myndes / tren­tals / yeare dayes / & bowel masses & chantry masses to be sayd in their cowrse (& specially on sowlemasse day / ) thei haue bene wholly al­together occupyed in purgatory and with no­thing els thā with purgatory / inso moch that the masse hath bene vsed & vsurped in a ma­ner for the dead only / where as christ did institute his sa [...]rament for the liuing alone.

Wherfor Purgatory with all his pompe / high honor and marchandise must be taken for a mocke & a mist of the deuel. For it is con­trary to the principal article of our redempcy­on which teacheth that al sowles be redemed & delyuered thorow no workes of man / but only therow christ alone. Furthermore we ha­ue no commandment of god concerning dead sowles / and therfor this purgatory / although it were no error or Idolatry / might laufully be condemned.

The papistrs are wont to alledge .S. Au­sten. for this article & thei cyte the testimonys of dyuers doctors which haue written (as thei say) of purgatory.

Thei think that we vnderstād not / for what [Page]purpose thei speake such sentencys. S. Au­sten writeth not that there is a purgatory / neither hath he any place of scripture wherby he can proue it: but he leaueth it in dowt whether there be a purgatory or no / and he saith that his mother required to haue a memory at the altar or the receiuīg of the sacramēt which thīg whatsoeuer be / it is nothing els than a supersticyos imaginacyon of a fewe men / which can make no article of our faith / for that is the of­fice of god alone. But the papistes do so wrest & writhe such testimonys of men / that the peple shuld byleue more faithfully / their filthy / wicked and abhominable machādise of sellyng & offring masses into purgatory for de­ad sowles &c. Which thei shal neuer proue by S. Austen. Whan thei haue ones condem­ued those putgatory marchandise of masses (werof S. Austen did neuer in his life ones dreame) than wil we dispute with them whether .S. Austen without any auctorite of scripture / ought to be receiued & allowed or no / and whether it be lauful to haue memorys of dead sowles whan the sacrament is receiued or no for we may not take all the doings and saings of holy fathers for articles of our fa­ith. For by that mea­nes / their maner & order of lyuyng / their clo­thes or garmētes and their howses also wherin [Page] thei did dwell ought to be estemed as arti­cles of the faith / like as the relykes of saintes haue heretofore bene estemed. But the word of god only must make articles of the faith / and no creature beside / no though it were an angel of heauen.

Secondarly / vp on the masse haue risen many iugglinck sotiltes of false sp [...]rytes which haue appe [...]ryd vnder likenes of mennes sou­les / desyryng to haue masses / dirgys / pil­grymages and such kynd of almassys to be done for them / with such lyes and disceitesul moc­kes as no man can reherse / which al the world must be compelled to esteme as articles of the saith / and to lyue after their appointment.

And the pope hath confirmed also / all such things / as he hath done the masse and all other abhomynacyon.

Thirdly. The masse was the cause of pilgrimages / for in pilgrimages / the peple haue sought masses / remissiō of sinnes & the mercy or fauor of god. And the masse hath bene the head captayn of all these tgings. And it is wonder that such things shuld be imagyned / seing it is so manifest that there is no maner of mencyon of pilgrimages in the word of god / and again it is euident inough that thei be vnprofitable for as moch as we haue many better things than pilgrima­ges / [Page]& finally thei may be left & forsaken with out all sinne / perel or danger. Why do men runne from their own cytes & parisshes / forsake the word of god / their wiues and childern (which all be necessary things & commanded us by god to stike vnto) and in steade of them folow and delit their selues in vnprofitable / folissh / daugeros things & deulissh errors / but that the deuel hath procured & sturred vp the pope to command & confirme such things / whereby many peple might be seduced from christ & fixe their hope & trust in their wor­kes? and also (which is worst of all) to commit daily Idolatry. furthermore / I say / it is no necessary thing / hauing no commandment of god nor no word in the scripture which coun­celleth men thereunto / and it is also a doutful dangeros & a noysom thing. Werfor in this article we ought to grant nothing nor to giue no place at all / vnto our aduersarys. Let the comon peple be taught that pilgrimages be not necessary / but full of perel and dāger / and than after ward / let us see where any pilgrimage shal remaine or where a man shal find any.

Fortly / brotherhodes / felowships & gyldes wherin abbeys colleges & whole dioces / par­sons & vicars haue bound them selues one to a nother by letters patentes / and euery one made other bretherr partakers of all their masses and [Page]good workes &c. as wel for the dead as for the liuing / (which is a filthy & an abhominable marchandise) And it is not only an inuencyon of mans braine not conteined in the expresse cō mandment of god / and vnnecessary / but it is also contrary to the first article of our redemp­cyon wherfor it is in no wise to be permitted or suffred.

Fiftly. The reliques of saintes (in the which point so many manifest lyes & folissh trifles haue bene tryed of dogs & horse bones / that euē for such falshode wherby the deuel hath blered the world / thei ought to haue bene condemned long agoo / although ther had bene some good­nes in them) what be thei? are thei not vnnecessary & very vnprofitable things / which the word of god neuer cownceled any man to vse? But yet this is the worst point in them / that men haue imagyned that thei shuld obteine pardon and remissyon of sinnys rhorow such reli­ques (life as thei haue imagyned of the masse) as though it were a good or an high honor and seruice of god.

Sextly. Masses haue bene the occasion of pardons also: which haue bene granted both to the liuing & in the dead (but not for naught with our mony) in the which pardons that false traiteros Iudas or pope hath sold the merites of christ / with the vaine or superfluos me­rites [Page]of all saintes / and of the whole vniuer­sal church. wherfor thei ought in any wise to be condemned. for thei lacke not only the word of god to approue them / (hauing no command­ment to be vsed / and being things of no neces­site) but thei are also cleame cōtrary to the first article of the faith. for we obteine the merite of christ / not by our own workes or with any mony / but by faith thorow the fre grace & mercy of god with owt any mony or any merites of our own / which merite of christ is offred vnto us / not by the auctorite or pour of the pope / but in the gospel and word of god.

Of the inuocacyon of saintes.

The inuocacyon of saintes is also an abuse of Antichrist which repugneth with the former principal article of our redempcyon and it ob­schureth or drowneth the knoulege of christ.

And there is no commandment / councel or example therof in the holy scripture / and agaiine although the praing vnto saintes were ne­uer so good (as it is a very deuelissh abuse) yet we may receyue all things moch better & also more excellent / of christ than of any saint. And not with standing that the angels do pray for us in heauen (as christ himself also doth) and the saintes herevpon earth / and parauenture thei that be in heauen also / [Page]yet it foloweth not therupon that we ought to inuocate / honor or pray vnto angels & saintes or to fast / kepe holy day / sing or heare masses & to sacrifice or make any oblacyō in the worship of any saint or angel / nor yet to byld any temples or altars or to make any seruyce for them or to worship & serue them many dyuers wayes / to take them for patrones or defenders to seke help for all maner of things of them and to byleue that eueryone of them hath a peculy­ar proper vertu by hym self / some for one thīg & some for a nother as the papistes both teach and doo. For it is very mere Idolatry so to doo for as moch as all such honor is peculiarly due to god only & to no other. Thou maist / I wil not say contrary / as a christen man and as a saint pray for me / vp on erth while thou ly­uest / not for one thing / but for all maner of things: notwithstonding I must not by & by / honor the and cal vp on theas a god / nor yet set vp a fasting day & an holy day in thy honor / or to ordeyne masses to be hard & sayd or any other oblacyons to be done in thy honor / and so to put & fixe all the hope of my saluacyon in the there be other wayes where by I may haue the in reuerence / loue the / reioyse in the / and gyue the thankes in christ. Now if these Idolatrissh seruyce and honoriug of angels and dead saintes were drowned and brought owt of memory / [Page] all other honor about them could not gretly hurt / but shuld daily decay. for first if all hope of lucre & profit were taken a way / and agayn if that the peple were persuaded that thei could obteine no maner of help or profyte neither corporal nor spiritual / bodyly nor gostly by their honoring or inuocating of saintes / there wold be but fewe that wold worship any saintes whether thei were in their graues or in heanen. For no man wold gretly remember them / no man wold serue or honor them for nawght of loue only. This is the somme and effect of all together. What so euer is in the masse / what so euer is sprong vp therof / and agayn what so euer is annexed vnto it we can in no wise suffer but we must nedes condemne them to the deuel / that we may haue / vse & reteine the pure & certen holy sacrament acordīg to the institucyon of christ with true faith.

The third article.

The colleges of prebendarys and the mana­sterys were at the first ordeined for a good purpose that lerned mē and vertuos wemē might be brought vp in them. wherfor thei ought to be reformed / that thei were first ordeined / that the church may neuer be destitute of lerned cu­rates / preachers and other ministers which [Page]may be called owt of such colleges into the comon welth to be officers in cytes & cownteys Lyke wise of virginis wel brought vp which may after ward be vertuos matrones and good house wyues. And if monasterys and colle­ges wil not consent nor applie themselues to serue vnto these & such like vses / it were bet­ter that thei were vtterly destroyd / supressed and ouerthrown than that thei shuld be repu­ted more holy (than the comon sort of christē men and than other oyders / states & condici­ons of life institute of god him selfe) only for their wicked supersticyons ceremonys & ser­uyce inuented by man for all these opinyons do repugne with the first principal article of our redempcyon thorow Ihesus christ.

Beside this thei haue no commandment of god neither / no more thn all other tradicyons and fansys of men: thei be not necessary neither nor profitable being vsed as thei be / for thei cause many dangeros and perlos trobles & vexacyons. for the prophetes them selues do ma­ue all such seruyce & ceremonys inuented by men.

Auen that is to say comberos things.

The iiij Article.

The pope neither is nor can be by the lawe & [Page]commandment of god the head of the whole church / for that is christ alone and nome but he: And the pope is nothin els but the bis­shop / curate or parissh prist of Rome and of them that of their own wil or by the ordinan­ce of man / that is to say by the temporal rular are appointed to be vnder his cure / not to be subiect to him as to their highest lord & prin­ce / but that thei shuld lyke christen men lyue together with him lyke brethern & felows of the same degre / lyke as the old councels & the ty­me of cypriane do euydently declare.

But now there is no bisshop in the world that dare call the pope / brother / as thei did co­monly in those dayes

But euen emperors & kinges are fayne to call the Pope their lord. which thing we nei­ther wil nor ought nor yet can we with a safe conscience condestend or grant vnto it. Who so erer please to do it / he shal do it alone for us. Here vp on it folo­weth that all such things as the pope hath done / made / or ordeined / thorow his false / vayne / wicked and vsurped tyrannical pour / ha­ue bene and be yet the artes and ordinances of the very deuel / and purposly deuysed to the de­structyon of the holy vniuersal Christen church [Page](so mach as lay in him) and to the ouerthro­wing of the first principal article of the redempcyon of Iesus christ those ordinancys only ex­cept which concern the polytick state of the temporal comon welth / wherin god giueth also many good & holsom thīgs to the peple diuers times thorow tyrannys and godles wretchys

There be papers and bulles of the pope wherin he roryth lyke a lyon (as the angel painteth hym properly in the 12. chap. of the Apocalip.) sayng that no christen man can be saued exce­pt he serue hym & be obediēt to all thīgs which he cōmandethe / sayeth / & doth Al things are as moch to say as thus / although thou byleuyst in christ and hast obteined of hym all maner of things / yet all is to no purpose nor effect except thou wilt honor me for thy god / be subiect to me and obey me &c. And yet it is manifest that the holy church had no such pope or bisshop within thest viij. hundreth yeares. And euen at this day the grecyans and other nacyons be not subiect to no such bisshop or syran nor ne­uer were. Wherfor as we haue of [...]t sayd it is but a folissh imagyn [...]cyon of mans brayne / wherof ther is no commandment nor mency­on in the holy scripture / and it is both an vnnecessary and also a superfluos thing / for the holy christen church can stand with ourt any such head: and it had bene happy for the church of [Page]god if the deuel had neuer exalteed nor set vp such and head. Further more the whole pa­pistry / the pope with his whole rabble of car­nals / bisshapys / canons & such other / be vn­profitable & superfluos mēbres in the church for thei do no office pertening to a christē man Thus the church may well consist and remayne though the pope were condemnyd to the deuel.

Imagyne that the pope wold grant hymselfe that he were not the sup̄me head of the church by any lawe or cōmandment of god / but only because there ought to be one head in the church where vnto all other might leane & depēd that a concord & vnyte might the better be kept among christen men against all sectes and heresys. Such an head ought to be chosen by the consent of all men & it ou­ght to be in the lyberty and powr of men senty­me to chāge some tyme to depose such heades lyke as the councel of constance did with certē Popes: which cowncel did depose iiij. popes o­ne after a nother & did chose the forth. But Imagyne (I say) that the pope and the court of rome wold grant thus moch (as the wil neuer doo / for than shuld he be compelled to suffer his whole kingdome and ordre to be o­uerthrown and destroyed with all his canon lawe and al the bokes therof / and agayn he cā not grant it for it is contrary to his oth yet / [Page]I say / though he wold grant it / it were no­thing profitable to the church to haue any such head and there shuld rise by that meanes many moo sectes than were before / for seing no man were bownd to owe any obedience to such an head by the lawe and commandment of god but only euery man to submyt him self vnder his subiecyon of his own fre wil / he shuld easely & sone come in to contemp and be robbed or spo­yled of all his membros. fynally such an head ought not to be at Rome or in any priuate pla­ce but in all places and in euery church / wher so euer god had geuen any such and office.

But oh lord what a gret confusyon & besy­nesse wold this thing engender? wherfor the church can neuer be better ruled and perserued than if all men shuld lyue together vnder oue head christ / and that all bisshops (so moch as perteyneth to the office of a bisshops shuld be of lyke pour & auctorite (alshough thei were not lyke in gyftes. and knoulege) and so consent with all dilygence in vniforwe doctrine / faith / sacramentes / prayer / & other workes of loue & charite. Thus writeth .S. Ierom that the pristes & bisshops of the church of Alexandria ded rule the church comonly to gether one wi­th a nother / lyke as the apostels did / and all bisshops after ward did like wise in the vniuersal [Page]primatyue church vntil such tyme as the pope began to lift vp his heade above them all. This part proueth euydently the pope to be antichrist / which had extolled him self aboue christ and bent hymself gainst christ.

He wil grant no man to be saued without his auctorite and pour / which pour not withston­ding is nothing at all: neither ordeined nor commanded by god. What is this els than to exalt him self aboue god and to bent hym selfe as aduersary against god as .S. Paul saith?

The very Turck and hell it self / though thei be neuer so gret enmys of christendome / did neuer any such thing

Thei permit and suffer all men to byleue in christ who so wil / only thei take tributes of christen men & thei requyre all outward obedience.

But the pope forbiddeth vs to byleue in christ sayng that we must obey hym / and so we shal obteine saluacyon of our soules.

But we wil not obey hym to dye ther for / we wil rather submyt our selues to death in the name of god.

All this besinesse is rysen hereupon that the pope wil haue himself named the head of the vniuersal CHRISTEN church by the lawe of [Page]god wherupon it must nedes folow that he cō ­pareth yea & preferreth him self vnto christ: first he called hym selfe head of the church: af­ter that / lord of the church / thirdly supreme lord of the vniuersal world / and finally the god of the erth / in as moch as at length he wēt about to cōmand the angels of heauen.

And if the doctrine of the pope be tryed by the the scrspture & wer cōpared therwith / we shal proue and fynd that his doctrine euen whereas it if best / was taken out of the cyuil and heathnissh lawe / ād that it geueth lawes ād perceptes of ciuyl matters and of cyuyl iudgemēts as his own decretals do testifye. After ward his doctrine teacheth certen ceremomonys of temples / of garmentes / of choyse of meates / of difference betwene pristes and lay men and of such folissh things / iugglyng soteltys and fantastical trifles an infinyte nomber. And in all these things there is no word nor men­cyon of christ / of faith [...] or of the cōmandments of god. Insumma [...] there is nothing in his doctrine but deuelisshnes / and his lyes of masses / purgatory / monasterys / workes and ce­remonys (all which be the very papistry) he cō tendeth to set aboue christ & god and against god / condemnyng / kyllyng / and persecuting al christen mē which wil not extoll & honor this his abhomynable wickednesse aboue all things in heauen [Page] and erth. for the which canse life as we can not fynd in our hartes to bowe to the deuel & to honor him for our lord & god: Euen so life wise can we not suffre his Apostle the Pope / or Antichrist the supreme head & lord in his kingdome. For to lye to murder / and te destroy the soule with the body be the very natural propertys of the popys kingdome.

Now the councel shal fynd & haue inough in these iiij. articles / to condemne. for thei nei­ther can nor wil grant us the least part or po­ynt of them. Of this thing we ought to dowt nothing at all / yea we must rather comfort our hartes with this hope and trust that Ihesus christ wil fight against his emnys and persecute them both with his spirite and also with his coming which thing god grant / Amen.

As for vs let us not loke that we shal not be suffred to stand before the emperor or any ciuyl iudge & rueler / as we did at augspurg where the emperor did heare our cause and matter fauorably / But we must stand before the pope and the deuel him self which wil not heare any thing at all / But with out any cause wil iudge us condemne us to death / and compel us to Idolatry whether we wil or no / wherfor we wil neuer in our life kisse his fete nor say you a­rre my good and gracios lord / but we wil say (as the Angel sait to the deuel in Zachary) god [Page]pomissh the Satan / thou aduersary of god.

Of sinne.

In this article we are cōpelled to grant with S. Paul the v. to the romanes / that sinne en­tred in to the world by one mā Adam / thorow whose disobedience all men are made sinners and subiect to death and to the deuel. Now the operacyons of this sinne / are euel workes such as be forbidden in the .x. commandmētes / as be these distrust in god / false faith / Idola­try / to be with out all feare of god / presumpcyon / desperacyon / blyndnes of hart / and to conclude in a somme / the ignorance and contempt of god. After these / to lye / to sweare by the name of not to pray / not to call vp on god / to dispise or neglect the word of god / to be disobedient to parentes. Item murder / flesshly lust / theft & falshode. This original sinne is so gret a corrupcyon of nature / that no maner of reason can see & perceiue it / and therfor it must be byleued by the reuelacyon of the holy scripture / Psalm. 51. Roma. v. Exodi. xxxiij. Gene. iiij.

[Page]Wherfor it is a manifest error and a blynd­nes repugnyng with this article / to say as the schole dyuynes or dūsys haue taught first that after the fall of Adam all the natural strengh of man doth remayne perfight & vncorrupt.

And that man hath naturally a right reason and free wil / that he may satisfye & fulfyll the lawe of god.

Secondorly That man hath free wil so that he may doo all good and eschewe all euel. & agayne on the contrary part / leaue that which is good and folow the euel.

Thirdly That a man by the proper strengthe of his own nature may satisfye and fulfill the whole lawe of god.

Fortly That a man of his own natural strenth can loue god aboue all thing / and his neihbor as him selfe.

Fiftly That if a man do & performe so moch as he is able to doo / than shal he surely obteine gods fauor.

Sextly. That it is not necessary for him that wil receyue the sacra­ment / [Page]to haue a purpose to lyue wel afterward.

But that it is [...]ufficient if he haue not an ob­stynate and wicked purprse to sinne: so good is our nature of it self / and so such efficacyte is the vertu of the sa [...]rament.

Seuently. That it is not taught in the scripture that it is necessary for him that wil do any good wor­ke / to haue the holy gost with his grace.

These & such like errors haue sprong vp of blindnes and ignorance / because thei were ig­norant both of sinne / & also of christ our sauy­or: and thei be very heathnissh opinyōs which we can not suffer nor abyde. for if thei were tue thā did christ dye in vaine / for as moch as ther is no corrupcyon nor sinne in man (after their opynyon) for the which christ nedyd to haue dy­ed. Or els he must haue dyed for the body only & not for the sowle / for the sowle is vncorrupt and the body only subiect to death after this o­pynyon.

Of the lawe.

In this article our iudgement is that the lawe was geuen by god to bridle & refrayne us frō sinnyng partly with threatnīgs and with feare of ponisshment / partly with promises of grace / fauor and other benifites: But all these do help but litle by reason of the corrupcyon and wickednes which sinne doth engender in [Page]man for hereby some which are emnys of the lawe are made worse: for as moch as thei desyre more feruently to doo such thīgs as thei are forbidden to do by the lawe / and thei do not gladly such things as thei are commanded to do.

And thus in as moch as thei are feared by pomisshment / thei offend now stil more against the lawe than thei ded before. Now such are vnrecouerable and damnable, persons past all amendment for thei commit sinne & wicked­nes as oft as any occasyon of sinning is nffred.

There be other some / which are blynd / and boast & extolle thē selues / supposing that thei can saue them selues thorow their own pour & strē ght / thinking them selues able to kepe And performe the lawe as is before said of the schole dyuynes or Sunses. And by such meanes / become thei hypocrites and only colored saintes / holy outwardly only.

But the chefe office & effect of the lawe is this / to shewe and declare original sinne: ād to teach man how sore his nature is infect or poisoned / And that it is altogether corrupt / vnto whom the lawe saith that he honoreth not god but contemneth him & honoreth strange false goddes which thīg before the lawe taught him it / he did in no wise bileue it to be true. Now man being put in feare humbleth him self / ab­iecteth and abateth his hart and vtterly despaireth / [Page]and desiereth feruently to haue some help and beīg dismazed that he can not tel whether to turn him / he beginneth to be āgry with god and to murmur against him: And this it is that is spoken in the iij. to the romanes / The lawe worketh wrath: & againe in the v. to the romanes / the lawe entred in / that sinne shuld be more abundant.

Of penance.

This office and work of the lawe is kept & reteined in the newe testament / and it is also ex­ercised as .S. Paul saith the .i. to the roma sa­ing the wrath of god from heauen is declared mamifestly against all wickednes and vnright wisnes of men. Item the iij. to the Roma. the whole world is gilty to god. Item no flessh shal be iustifyed in his sight by the workes of the lawe. Item Iohan the xvi. The holy gost shal reproue the world of sinne. This is the thō der of god wherby he doth ouerthrowe and cle­rely condēne not only manifest sinners but euē hypocrytes also / and he bringeth them in to fear and desperacyon / This is the hammer wherof Ieremy speketh saing / My word is an hanmer that beateth flynt stonys in to pouder.

This is no actyue or procured contricyon but it is a passyne or a suffring contricyon and breaking / for it is a tru or ernest heuynesse of the [Page]hart / a very passyon / felyng vnd tast of death.

And this is to begynne a repentance or a newe life and man is compelled to heare such a sen­tence as this: Ye are all condemned and confo­unded / whether ye be open sinners or hypocrytes / ye must alter your lyues and be newe men. And ye must lyue other wise than ye lyue now. For how gret / wise / mighty & holy so euer ye be / yet there is none of yo [...] iust &c. But now vnto this office and cōdemnacion of the lawe / the newe testament bringeth a comfortable promes of grace and mercy thorow the gospel / which ꝓmes we ought to receiue by faith as christ saith March the .i. So penance and byleue the gospel: that is to say / turne amend and lyue better and byleue my promes. And before chri­stes coming Iohan was called the preacher of penance / but yet vnto the remissyon of sinnes: that is to say / it was Iohans office to repro­ue all men and to teach them that thei all were sinners / that thei might knnoch what maner of men thei were before god and grant themsel­ues to be damnable sinners. that so thei might be prepared to the lord to embrace his and mercy for their comfort / and to byleue and trust to receiue remissyon of their sinnes of christ.

And so saith Christ him selfe in the last chap. of Luke / penance and remission of sinnes [Page]must be preached in my name among all naci­ons. Now if the lawe shuld doo his offyce frely alone and the gospel remoued / we shuld se nothing but deth and hell redy to deuoure us / and there were no remedy but all men shuld be compelled to despayre as Saul & Iudas did / lyke as .S. Paul saith: The lawe thorow sin­ne doth kil. But the gospel again / bringeth cō fort & remissyon of sinnes / not one way only but dyuers / as thorow the word of god / tho­row the sacramentes & such other ways (as we shal heare here after) that thorow him we may haur a plentuos and a rich redempcyō (as the cxxx. Psalme saith) against the gret capti­uyte and thraldom of sinne. But we must now compare the false penance of the popissh dun­ses & sophisters. With the true penance that thei both may the better be known.

Of the false penance of the papistes

It was impossible that euer the papistes shuld teach & preach truly of penance / seīg thei vnderstode not [...]inne truly. For / as is before sayd / thei haue no right iudgement or knoule­ge of original sinne / but thei teach that the na­tural strength of man hath euer remayned perfight / pure & vncorrupt / that mans reason cā teach rightly. And that his wil can perfihhtly obey this right reason / ād again that god doth surely gyue his grace and mercy whan a man [Page]doth ōly so moch as he is able to do by his own fre wil. Wherfor it must nedes folowe that thei did penance & repent only for actual sin­nes. for the corrupt affeccyons of the hart / as lust and concupiscens are no sinnes with them but thei repute those only for sinnes / which be outward & actual workes springing of their fre wil. And of this penance thei haue made. 3. partes / Contricyon / Confession & Satisfacci­on with this comfort & promes annexed the­runto that if a man shuld do true penance / confesse himself per [...]g [...]y and make true sati [...]faccyon / than [...]hu [...]d he meryte & de [...]erue remissy­on of his sinnes and make a perfite satisfaccy­on beford god for all his sinnes. Thus in the­ir penance thei taught mē to trust in their own workes. And hereupon sprāg vp that which thei vse to blowe out in the pulpets as oft as thei make mencyon of the comon confessyon to the peple saing O lord god kepe & pre [...]erue my life vntil I haue done penāce for my sinnes and amended my life. Here is neuer a word of christ nor of faith but euery man bileueth to wipe a way and dispatch his sinnes before god thorov his own workes. And for this purpose haue many made them felues pristes and monkes that thei might so resist and witstond sinne.

As for contricyon this hath euer bene the maner & order therof. for as moch as no man co­uld [Page]remember all his sinnes particularly (specially all and euery one that he had committed the whole yeare / ) thus thei trifled and dalyd ther­with / that if any secret & preuy sinnes shuld afterward come to his rememberance / he must do penance also for them & teherse them at his next confessyon / and in the meane time thei were committed to the grace and mercy of god furthermore because no man could tel certēly how gret his cōtricyon ought to be wherby he migh fully satisfye god / thei addet this comfort to the peple that he which could not haue perfight contricyon / shuld labor at leaft to haue attricy­on / which I may call an half contricyon or a litel spice of contricyon / for as for thei them selues vnderstode neither the one nor the other ād thei knowe no more what these wordes contricyon and attrieyon do signifye than I do.

Now this attricyon (as thei call it) was re­puted sufficyent for contricyon / whan so euer thei were confessed. And if it chansed at any time that some man shuld say in his confession that he could not haue perfite coutricyon or that he could not lament mourne and be fory for his sinnes (which thing myght happen in such as were taken and rauisshed with the loue of some harlot or in such as did burne with desire to be reuenged of their emnys & cetera) than thei to [Page]vsed to axe such whether he desiered to haue cō ­tricyon / or no. If he answered / Yea / (for who wold say May / except it were the deuel himself?) than thei toke that as sufficient for contricyon / and thei forgaue him his sinnes and assoiled him euen for that vertu and good worke: alledging for them the example of .S. Bernard & cet.

Now by this we see how blynd mans reason is and how it stombleth in matters of faith ād seketh comfort at hir own plesure in hir own proper strength / and can not ones thinke nei­ther of CHRIST nor yet of faith.

Now whā the matter is brought in to light and sene / This contrityon is nothing els than a fained and false pretēsed imaginacyō sprong vp out of the proper strength of man both without faith ād also without any knoulege of christ in the which contrityon the pore simple sinner wold haue laughed many tymes rather thā haue wept / specially whan his lust and desyre of reuengeance against his emny hath comne to his mynd and rememberāce: those only except whom either the lawe hath thorouly feared or els whom the deuel hath vexed and turmoyled with heuynes of hart. Els / I say / their contricyon was nothing els than a very right hipocrisy / and it neuer abated or [Page]mortifyed the lust of sinne for men were com­pelled to contricion / whan as thei had rather haue sinned more if thei might. And as for the maner of their confessyon this it was / Euery man was compelled to nomber all his sin­nes (which was an impossible thing) And this was an abhomynable tiranny. But such things as he had forgoten / he was assoiled of them and thei were forgeuen him on this con­ [...]yon that afterward whan thei came to his [...] he shuld confesse them. And by this me [...] a man could neuer be sure whan he were [...] confessed or whan his confessyon shuld [...] an end And yet notwithstōding thei bad him put his trust in his worke and diligence: for thei sayd that the more purely he were con­fessed / and the more that he were ashamed and had dispraised him self before the prist so moch the soner and better shuld he satisfye and make amēdys for his sinnes / because such an hum­bling did merite or deserue grace / fauor & mercy before god. Neither was here also any mencyon of christ. And agayn the strength & ver­tu of absolucyon was not taught nor declared to the penitent neither. And thus all his cō ­fort did consist in the nombring vp of his sin­nes an [...] in his shamefastnes But no man can expresse with wordes / what heuynes or so­row / what abhominaciō and filthines / what [Page]Idolatry and supersticyon haue grown of this confessyon. Finally satisfaccyon is large in­ough for there was no man in the world that euer could knouwe how moch he ought to doo or satisfye for one sinne only / how shuld he thā knowe how moch to doo for all his sinnes?

But thei imagined and found out a prety diuyse / that the pristes shuld enioyne their penitentys certen satissaceyons (which thei named penance) such as might easely be kept and performed as these. v. pater nosters and to fast a day or .ij. & such lyke / and the residue of their penance thei referred to purgatory there to be fully performed. Was not this now a very misery and a heuy calamyte also? There were some that supposed & byleued that thei shuld neuer go owt of purgatory because after the old canons / one deadly sinne requireth .vij. yeares of penance. And styl thei put trust in their own workes of satisfaccyon. And if their satisfaction could haue bene a sufficient & per­fight fatisfaccyō than might all hope and trust of saluacyon haue bene put altogether in satis­faccyon / in so moch that we shuld haue had no neade neither of faith nor yet of christ. But it was impossible to haue such a satisfaccyon.

Now if any man had done penance after this fasshon euen for the space of an hundreth yeare yet he shuld neuer haue known whan he had done [Page]and performed perfight or sufficient penance. And this were nothing els than alweys to do penance and yet neuer to come vnto penance. And herein did the court of rome help pretily to sucker the miserable church / and imagyned pardos wherby he did remitt penance and brought satisfaccyon inough / first particular­ly for viij. yeares / an hundreth yeares & cete.

And he d [...]yded them by lompes among car­nals and bisshapes / that some shuld haue auc­torite to grant an .C. yeares / some an C. Day­es of pardon.

But he reserued to him self alone to remitt and pardon the whole penance or satisfaccy­on. This thing whan it began to smack wel and to bring lucre to the purse / and again for as moch as the marchandise and selling of bullys did prospere and pro­cede wel and luckyly / he imagyned a Goldyn yeare or a yeare of gre which he wold haue no where but at Rome / and this yeare ful remissyon of all penaltys / pomisshments / penance and all maner of sinnes / and thether ran all men from all partes of the world to fet pardō of the goldyn yeare. But who wold not haue desyered to haue bene deliuered from such an heuy & vntollerable burden? This was euen as moch as to find & exalt all the tresures of the erth. But the pope continewed daily in heaping many goldyn [Page]yeares together one vp on another. And the more mony he deuoured / the gretter waxed his throte. And thus at length he sent his gol­dyn yeare in to other nacyōs by his legatys euē tyl all churches & houses were filled & satis­fyed with goldyn yeares fynally he brast into purgatory at length also to the deade sowlys first thorow Masses / Commendacyons / foundacyons & at last thorow his pardons & his goldyn yeare. What nede I to make many wordes? Soules were so good cheape that a man might bye as many as he wold for ij. pens or a grote the pece. And yet all this was not sufficient neither for the pope although he taught & commanded men to put all their trust of salua­cyon in his pardons / yet not with stonding he made this way dout ful & vncerten also. for he wrote thus in his bullys that who so euer wold be partaker of his pardon & of his goldyn yeare he must both doo penance for all his sinnes and confesse them & also pay some mony. But we haue sayd before that the popissh contricy­on and confession also is both doutful / vncer­ten and also very hypocrisy. And beside this / no man did know what soule was in purgato­ry / and if there were any yet it was vnknowne which had true contricyō & was rightly cōfessed & which not. Here the pope toke mōy & bad them trust in his penance & pardons & yet not with [Page]stonding he sent them agayn to their own do­utful & vncerten workes. Now if there were any / which thought them selues free frō all actual sinnes / euel affeccyōs / wicked wordes & dedes / thei wold make thē selues mōkes / fry­res & pristes in monasterys / collegys and felouships & thei wold resist euel desyres / with fa­sting / watchīg at midnight / prayer / sayng of masses / hard clothīg and hard lodgīg & thus they went about to be saued by force & violence whether god wold or no. But yet the original or byrth sinne that was in thē did sometime parauēture exercise his strēght while thei were a slepe / as .S. Austē & .S. Bierom with other do grāt. And yet these did think & iudge amōg thē selues that there were some so holy (as thei also taught) that thei were with out all sinne, ful of god workes / in so moch that thorow this hope & trust thei delt & sold vnto other mē their good workes which were suꝑfluos for thē sel­ues to right wisnes. This is true / for the seales / writīgs & tokens therof be yet to shewe. Such had no nede of penācc them selues. for how could thei repēt for any sinne whā thei neuer cōsented to any wicked cogitaciōs or thou­ghtes? And again what cōfessyō could thei make seing thei eschewed to speake one to another / for thei were sworn to sylēce: And finally for what thīg shuld thei make satisfaccyō seīg thei [Page]were gilty of no sinnes? Euen such saintes were the pharises & scrybes in christes tyme: But than immediatly came the fyery Angel & messenger S. Iohan / the preacher of true penance & stroke them both at one clap & with one thonder bolt / saing / do penance. Now the one sort of thē though thus / we haue done penance al ready? And the other thought thus / we nede not do any penance But .S. Iohan saith to thē both doo penāce both ij. of yow haue euer yet done any true penance in your life dayes / but ye be hypocrytes and both of yow haue nede of remissiō of sines becouse ye both be ignorant / as yet / what sinne is properly / moch lesse can yow either do any penāce for your sinne / or els auoyde sinne. There is none of yow good / ye be all ful of vnfaithfulnes / of blyndnes of the ignorāce both of god & of his wil also But now is he presēt of whose plēty we all must receiue grace for grace and with out hym can no mā be iustifyed before god. Wherfor if ye wil do penāce / do it rightly & truly. for your penāce which haue nede of no penāce / ye generacyōs of serpētes / who haue told yow that ye might auoide the wrath & damnacyō to come? &c: S. Paul also preacheth like wise to the romanes in the .iij. chapter / saing.

There is none that hath any knoulege / there is none that seketh god there is none that doth god no not one: All are beconne vnprofitable & haue swarued out of the right way. And agaī in the 16 [Page]of the actes. Now doth god preach vnto all men that all shuld amēd their lyues. Marke: he sait / all mē / none except / that is a mā. This penance which Iohan & Paul do preach / teacheth us to knoulege our sinne / & to grant that we are all dā ned of our own nature / that there is no goodnes ī us / & that we must nedys be renewed / altered & made newe mē. This penāce is not unperfight / as is that which is done for actual sinnes only. Neither is it doutful or incertē as that is for it disputeth not which is sinne & chhich is not sinne / but it condēneth all to gether & saith there is no­thīg in yow but sinne. What nede we thā to make any noūbrynh / differēce or diuysyō: Wherfor this cōtricyon also is no vncertē thīg. for there is no­thīg left in us by this cōtricyon wherby we cā so moch as thīk any thing that is good wher with we cā satifye & make a mēdes for our sīnes but ō ly very bare & manifest desꝑacyō of all thīgs which we know / thīk speake or doo. Lykewise cōfessyon after this maner cā not be false / vncertē & vn­perfight. for who so euer cōfesseth that there is no thīg in him but sinne he cōprehēdeth all maner of sinnes & leaueth / excludeth or forgetteth none: finally such a satisfaccyō cā not be vncertē neither. for it is not our vncertē & vnpure worke / but it is the passyō & blode of the pure innocēt lambe of god which taketh a way the sinnes of the world. Of this penāce did .S. Iohn & after ward christ [Page]himself in the gospel / preach: And of such a penā ce do we preach also. And by this penance do we refuse the pope & all things what so euer is bylded vp our own workes. for all such things stēd vp on an vncleane / feble yea & a vayne foūdacyō a vayne work or lawe / be it neuer so good: for weaknes / infirmyte & imꝑfeccyon remayneth in all god workes & no mā fulfilleth the lawe (as christ saith Ioh. the 8.) but all mē do trāsgresse it. Wherfor this bildyng is nothīg but lying / falshode & hipocrisy euē whā it is most holy & sheweth best of all. But the penāce that we speke of / endureth with all christē men euē til their death / & it fighteth with the rēnantes of sinne which remayne in the flessh / as long as thei lyue / as .S. Paul witnes­seth the 7. to the Romanes saing that he him self warreth against the laue of his mēbres / & that not with his own ꝓper pour or strēgth / but with the gift & grace of the holy gost which euer cūpenyth & goeth together with remissyō of sinnes. This grace pourgeth & dryueth out dayly the rē ­nāts of sinne & it cōtendeth or laboreth to make mā iust pure & holy. Of this doctrine is the pope with his dyuynes / dūses / lawyres & such other / as ignorāt as an asse for this doctryne is reue­lyd & geuē frō heauen thorow the gospel / and yet it is caled heresy of the wicked pharysys and pope holy hipocrites. And again on the cōtrary part there be some brayneles dotrels such as were [Page]in the tyme of sedicyon before my dayes / and be to fynd parauenture euē at this day also) which iudge and think that all those which haue ones receyued the holy gost / their sinnes / & were ones made faith ful / that if thei falle & offend afterward / yet thei remayne in faith / and that sinne can not hurt or hinder them: And thei blase and crye doo what thou wilt / if thou byleuyst, it maketh no matter / for faith wipeth a way all thy sinnes. And thei adde this more ouer also / that who so euer falleth or sinneth after he is ones iustifyed / had neuer the holy gost perfightly / nor yet true faith.

Such doting mer chantes haue I hard many ty­mes / & I feare lesse there be some yet which are styll possessed with this deuel or with such a no­ther. Wherfore it must be taught & known that both faith & the holy gost are absent from all mē whā so euer thei fall into any manifest sinne / as Dauyd whan he did fall into adultery / murder / & blasphemy of god / besydes that thei haue & fele stil their original or birth sinne & fight aga­inst it dayly also with all their penance. For wher so euer the holy gost is / he wil not suffer sinne to exercyse his strength or to preuayle so far that it be cōmitted / but the holy gost refrainet / brydleth & forbiddeth him to doo thvt thīg which he wold doo: And if he do or commit it / than is he destitute of the holy gost & of faith also. For .S. Iohan saith that who so euer is borne of god cōmitteth [Page]no sinne nor cā not sinne / & yet notwitstōding it is true that he saith afterward / that if we say we haue no sīne / we lye & the truth of god is not ī vs

Of the gospel.

Now wil we come to the gospel which brīgeth councel & help against sinne / moo ways thā one for god is vnmesurably liberal ī his grace & mercy. first thorow the outward word wherby is prea ched & promised remissyō of sinnes thorowt the whole world / which is the peculyar & proper of­fice of the gospel. Secondarly thorow Baptyme.

Thirdly thorow the supper of the lord: Forthly thorow the pour of the keys & thorow the brotherly cōmunicacyon & comfort of the faithful one to a nother among them selues mathew the xviij. Wher so euer ij. or .iij. be gathered in my name &c.

Of baptyme

Baptyme is nothing els than the word with the dippyng in to the water after the cōmandmēt of god. or / as Paul saith it is a wasshing / to ge­ther with the word / like as S. Austen also affirmeth & saith: let the word come or be ioyned vnto the element / & than is a sacramēt. Wherfor we consent not with S. Thomas nor with the blacke fryers which forgetting christes institucyon / do teach & hold that god did indue the water with a spiritual or gostly pour & vertu / which pour & vertu doth wassh a way sines euē thorow the water. Neither do we agree vnto dūs nor the gray [Page]frires / which speake neuer a word of the ministracyon of it nor of faith nor yet teach that the holy gost is geuen thorow the word & the sacramē ­tes to gether.

Of the baptyme of infantys.

We think that yong infantys ought to be bap­tised because thei perteine to the redempcyon that is promised to mankynd thorow christ. And the church / that is to say the faithful congregacyon / ought to offer them vnto christ.

Of the sacrament of the body & blode of christ

We iudge and think that vnder breade & wyue in the supper of the lord are geuen the true body & blode of christ. Item that the whole sacramēt ought to be ministred to the lay peple [...] not only one part ther of for we haue no nede of that high lerning & wisdom which teacheth that as moch is conteined vnder one kynd as is vnder both / as the sophistical & popiss [...] pharises and the coūcel of constance do ttach. And though it were true / that as moch were conteinet vnder one kynd as the sophistical papistes say / yet the one kynd alo­ne / is not the hole institucyon & ordinance ge­uen commanded us of Christ. And specially we condemne excom [...]icate and curse / in the name of god / not only them which wil not receiue both kyndes / but them prīcipally which do lordly / vio and tyrannosly forbid / condēne and reproue it as heresy / For as moch as in so ding thei set and bend them selues against christ our lord and [Page]god / ye & preferre them selues also before & ab­oue him. As for the transsubstanciacyon / that is to say / that the bread & wyne in the supper shuld lose their natural substance and only that the si­milytude forme & color of bread shuld remayne & not very true breade / we passe not vp on the suttel iuglyng imagynacyōs of the pharises. For it is very conformable vnto the holy scripture that there shuld be & remayne still / very breade as. S Paul him self nameth it / saīg / The breade which we breake &c. Item / and so let him eate of the breade &c.

Of the keys of the church

The keys are the office & pour of the whole church or cōgregacyon geuen of christ to bynd & tv lose sinnes not only manifest / open & know sinnes / but euen preuy sinnys also / which god only doth knowe. for as it is written / who knoweth how moch he sinneth? & Paul hym self in the 7. to the romanes complaineth that he serueth and obeyth the lawe of sinne after his flessh. For it is not in our pour / but in gods only to iudge which be sinnes / how sore & greuos all sinnes are and how manysinnes we haue / as it is writtē / Entre not into iudgemēt with thy seruact / for no mā lyu­yng shal be rightuos in thi sight. & Paul the i. to the corynth. the iiij. chap. saith I know my selfe gilty of nothīg but yet I am not therfor iustifyed or rightuos.

Of confessyon or absolucyon

For as moch as absolucyon / or the pour of the keys institute or ordeyned in the gospel by christ doth bring gret cōfort to weake cōscyēcys agaīst sinne / it ought not to be vtterly banisshed out of the church for .ij. causes specially. First for cōfor­tīg of feble / fera [...]ul & weake cōsciēcys. Secōdarly that wild & reckles youth might be examyned / exercysed & instruct in the doctrine & knoulege of christ. But as for the nōbring vp of sinnes ought to be in euery mās liberty to nōber & tell ōly such as he wil him self without any maner of cōpulsyon. For as long as we remaine in this flessh / we shal not lye at all if euery one of us say thus: I am a wretched and a miserable creature ful of sinnes & as .S. Paul saith / Roma vij. I feele a nother lawe in my flessh & mēbres rebelling against the lawe of my mynd &c. And for as moch as priuate absolucyō cometh frō the powr of the ke­ys / it ought not to be contēned but to be moch re­garded as all other offices perteining to the christen church ought to be. And in such things as ꝑ­teine to the outward word / it must be cōstantly holdē & bileued that god geueth his spirite or grace to no man except the outward word either co­me betwene or els goo before. This must be bile­ued / lesse we [...]all in to the errors of thorite of god by a certen inward inspiracion without the wor­de also before thei euer thei hard of the word: and fret [Page]after ward vp on this persuasion thei wil take vp on thē to iudge / īterp̄te / wrest & writhe the scripture at their own pleasure / as one Monetarius did / & I feare there be many at this time that doo likewise / which wold be quick & ernest iudges betwene the spirite & the letter / & yet thei know not what to say nor what to teach. & the papistry is euē nothīg els thā drowned in this heresy & possessed with this spirite: for the pope bosteth hymselfe to haue all maner of lawes ī his own bosom & euen vnder his girdel / & that what so euer he with his church doth iudge / determine & cōmād that must nedes be of the holy gost / & iust or lauful / although it be clene cōtrary to the scripture or to the outward word. & this is euē the old Satā & serpēt which entysed & brought Adā & Eue in to the self same heresy / & he drewe hī cleane a way frō the outward word vnto a certen spūalnes & vnto his own fansys or imaginacyōs & yet the deuel wrought this matter by other outward wodes / like as our heretikes also do cōdēne the out­ward word & yet thei thē selues hold not their tūges but fill the whole world with their bablīg clattrīg / & writīg: as though the spirite could not come thorow the outward word of god but ōly thorow their writīgs & their wordes & whi- do thei not leaue their preachīg also tyl that spi [...]ite of theirs vnto mē with out their writīg & before their writīg / as thei bost that it came vnto thē [Page]with out any preaching of the scripture? But it is no tyme now to speake more largely of them.

I haue entreated sufficiētly of them in other places. And euen thei which byleue before thei be baptised or which receiue faith at their baptyme / thei haue it thorow the outward word going be­fore / as thei which be of perfight age & haue any vnderstanding must nedes haue hard before this worde / Who so euer bileueth & is baptized shal­be saued: al though at the first thei were infidels & receiued both the holy gost & baptime also euē x. yeare after. & Cornelius in the x. of the actes had hard long before amōg the Iewes that christe & messias shuld come thorow whom he was iust before god / & his prayers & almes were ac­ceptable thorow his faith / as luke callleth hī iust faitful & vertuos. And surely he could neuer ha­ue bileued truly nor yet haue bene iustified without the word or without the hearing of it. And therfor it was necessacy for S. Peter to reuele & opē vnto him that the Messias (in whom not yet reueled he had byleued vntil that time) was now come that he shuld not bileue stil with the vnfathful & blind Iewes that christ was yet to come / but rather that he shuld knowe that he must ob­teine eue [...]lastīg saluacyō thorow the messyas that was come & already present & that he shuld not denye / & persecute this messias / as the Iewes did. But to cōclude the effect of the matter brefe­ly [Page]this heresy sowne in Adā & his childern or posterite frō the begīming vntil the ēd of the world thorow the old serpēt & dragō / is the original begīmīg foūtayn / strēght / & pour of all heresy / of all papistry & of all Mahometes doctrine also. Wherfor / I say we must determine this prīcipaly / that god worketh with mē no notherwise thā thorow his outward word & sacramēt & what so euer mē blowe & blase of the spirite with out this outward word & this facramēt / it is no­thīg els thā the very deuel god wold not first appeare & shewe hī selfe vnto moises / but thorow the fyery / red / & vocal word. And Iohan baptist was neither cōceiued withoue the word of gabriel goīg before / neither did he leape ī his mothers womb [...] without the voice of mary goīg before. & S. Peter saith that the prophetes did not ꝓpheci thorow the wil of mā / but thorow the holy gost / for thei were holy mē &c. but yet thei were not holy with out the outward word / moch lesse wold the holy gost haue moued thē to haue ꝓphecyed if thei had bene as yet prophane & wholy. For thei were holy / saith he / whan the holy gost did spea­ke thorow thē

Of Excōmunicacyon

As for the gret excōmunicaciō as the pape calleh it / we take it ōly for a ciuil pomisshmēt / & ther­for it ꝑteineth nothīg vnto us which be ecclesiastical ministers. But the true & right christē excō ­municacion wherby manifest open and obstinateer [Page]comon ordināces of the church & oth vntil thei repēt amēd & forsake their sinnes / ꝑteineth vnto us / & preachers ought not to ioyne the ciuil pomishmēt to this spiritual pomishmēt.

Of geuīg of ordres & of the callīg of ministers

If bisshops wold be right bisshops & take cure of the church & of the gospel / thā for charites & for vnites sake / we wold permit thē (but not as it were a necessary article of the faith) to ordeine / admit & cōfirme all ministers & preachers / so that all folisshnes / charmīg / cōiuring & all ma­ner of wicked ceremonys were remoued and set apart. But now for as moch as thei be not nor wil not be right true bisshops but rather tēporal & ciuil lordes & rulers / & wil neither teach / preach baptize minister the sacramētes nor do any other worck or office that ꝑteineth to the church but only persecute & condēne such as serue & minister truly in the church acordīg to their vocaciō / the church ought not to [...]e destitute of true ministers & therfor as the old exāples of the church in fore time & of the old fathers also do teach us / we wil & be bownd our selues to ordeine apt & mete parsons for such offices which thīg thei cā not denye nor forbid us to do euē by their own lawe. For their own lawes do say & affirme plaīly that such as be ordeined & admitted to the office of a prist by heretikes / to be laufully admitted & that this admissyon ought not to be disamulled or chāged again. [Page]As .S. Hierom writeth of the church of alexādria that at the first it was comōly & gouerned by pristes & preachers with out any bisshopes at all.

Of the mariage of pristes

Wher as thei haue forbiddē mariage to pristes & haue ladē the order of pristhode īstitute by god with perpetual chastite / thei haue done vnlaufully & wickedly & like vngodly / tyrānical & dānable wretches. And bi this act thei haue ministred occasyō to all kyndes of abhominable sinnes / and most filthy & īnumerable lustes & vices wherin thei remaine & are drowned as yet. Wherfor like as neither we nor thei haue no pour to make a womā of a mā or a mā of a womā / Or vtterly to destroy both mā & womā / euē so haue neitheir we nor thei no pour to separate the creatures of god one frō a nother or to forbid thē to dwel to gether one with a nother honestly & godly in matrimo­ny. And therfor we cā in no wise neither allowe nor yet abide this cōpelled single life. but we wil haue mariage to be fte vnto all mē as it is ordei­ned & īstitute by god / neither wil we vndoo or hī dre his worck for .S. Paul saith that it is tde de­uels doctrine so to doo.

Of the church.

We wil not grāt the pope with his adherētes to be the church / for thei be not in very dede: & we wil not obey those thīgs which thei cōmād or forbid in the name of the church. for a child of vij. yeare [Page] old thākes be to god) doth knowe what the church is namely that it is a nōber of holy & faithful mē & that is a flock of such shepe as heare the voice of their own pastor: for thus do our childern pray / saīg I byleue the holy catholike church &c This holines cōsisteth not in typets / shauē crownes / lōg gownes & such other folissh ceremenys inuēted of their own brayne with out any word of the holy scripture. But it cōsisteth in the word of god & in true & perfit faith

How we are iustified & saued before god & of good wockes

What so euer I haue cōtinually taught vntil this day / of this matter / I cāin no wise chāge it / namely that we obteine a newe & a cleane hart and mynd / thorow faith: & that god wil & doth accept & cownt us for iust & holy for christes sake our mediator. And although sinne is not yet thorowly quēched / mortifyed & killed in our flessh / yet god wil not impute it to hē that bileueth ꝑfitely. & such a faith / such a renewyng & remissiō of sinnes is neuer without good workes goīg with him & imꝑfeccyō as yet in those warkes yet thorow the same christ & for his sake it shal not be reputed for sinne / but the mhole mā both in his ꝑson & ī his workes shal be called & shal be in dede / iust & holy ōly thorow the grace & mercy ī christ powre & āplifyed p [...]ētuosly vp on us ▪Wherfor We can not glory nor bost of the merites of our workes / [Page]if thei be cōsidred with the grace & mercy of god: but he that gloryth / let hī glory in the lord / that is to say let hī glory that he hath god merciful & fauorable vnto hī & so is all well. Furthermore we adde this also / that if good workes goo not with faith / it is no true / but a false faith.

Of the vowes of monkes frires & such other

For as moch as the vowes of religios mē do directly repugne with the prīcipal of our faith they ought to be brokē & vtterly to takē a way. for thei be of the nōber of those thīgs wherof christ spea­keth / Math 24. saīg I am christ &c. For he that voweth to lyue after the religyōof mōkes & frires he bileueth that he ꝓfesseth a more ꝑfite state of liuīg thā the comō sort of christē men / & he go­eth about to bryng vnto heauē by his workes not only hīself but other also / & this as moch as to denye christ. Thei make this bost also as Thomas doth that their vowes be be equal vnto baptyme which is a cōtumelios blasphemy against god.

Of mans tradicyons

Whereas the papistes affirme that mans tra­dicyōs be ꝓfitable vnto remissyō of sinnys or that thei merite & deserue euerlasting saluacyā it is a wicked & a damnable blasphemy. For christ saith thei honor me in vaine with mēs tradicyons. Itē Paul. Thei refuse & deuye the truth thorvw the p̄ceptes of men. And more ouer wher­as thei say that it is deadly sinne to breake such- [Page]tradicyons / it is a false lye. These be the sum­mes & prīcipal articles wherī I must abyde re­maine & I wil also / by the grace of god / defend / maīteyne & stād by thē euen til my death. And I cā not see / what I ought to chāge alter or to yeld in thē. If any mā wil yeld & remit any thīg in thē let him do it with the perel & danger of his own cōsciens. finally there remaine yet cettē disceiteful mistes of the pope cōcernīg folissh & childissh articles as namely about the halowīg of churches & about the baptizing of belllys / of altars & of al­tar stonys & of their godfathers & of such as gy­ue any momy to such thīgs. Which maner of baptizīg such thīgs is a very blasphemy & a derisyō of the reuerēd sacramēt of baptyme / & therfor it ought not to be suffred. Of this nomber also are the articles of the halowīg of candles palmes / cakes / herbys / otes & such other. This can not be called nor be in dede any true cōsecracyon or halowing but rather a derisyō & a cōiuring. There are an infinyte sort of such other disteiteful & iugglīg imaginacyōs / which we leaue to their god the pope & to thē to honore til their bellys brast / we wil not be voked with such things / but fre in euery condicyon.